Time of Fury beta version Barbarossa solo AAR

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:59 pm

Peasants and Archers, indeed. I as a Nobleman will show you what happens when my armor returns to Moscow.

Razz1 · Post by **Razz1** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:16 pm

Get real. It's pitch forks and Sickles that will keep you away!

Plus top secret weapons...

Women snipers.

doomtrader · Post by **doomtrader** » Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:35 pm

Tomokatu wrote: (There's no applause icon - why isn't there an applause icon? )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxAKFlpd ... re=related

Tomokatu · Post by **Tomokatu** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:15 pm

Thank you Doomie - that's hilarious

and very useful in lots of other situations, too.

Permanently bookmarked!

Just remember - I'm always watching.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:10 pm

It is silly no doubt, and worse, perhaps even sacriligeous or shameful, when one considers the real men, women, and children involved in the war, to compare a game to real life. With that in mind, I will nevertheless say that ToF's Barbarossa Scenario comes real, real close (on the superficial level that is a game) of recreating history.

In my current game I have at times had the sense that my German forces were invincible, that Russia would soon be on its knees. And now in December, January, I get some fleeting sense of what must have been the dismay and panic, as the Soviets crash back, dismantling the German lines, forcing retreat and chaos everywhere. Wastelands has done a superlative job of recreating these scenes and this varying tempo, with the game mechanics and parameters.

My apologies to those who lived through those times, for daring to make this comparison. But my congrats to Wastelands for creating such a wonderful gaming experience.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:56 pm

Jan 1 '42

The Soviets rarely have overwhelming superiority anywhere on the front, but they have put on pressure everywhere. The slow drain on German defenders, which take longer to reinforce fully in foreign territory, is opening up avenues for Soviet advances.

Witness the Leningrad sector, where the Soviets have brought in more armor to hit the Finns and to drive on the city. In response, I have been forced to bring in a newly trained panzer division from Germany.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 3:03 pm

In the Kalinin Sector northwest of Moscow, the Soviets are pressing steadily against my holding force. Just north of Moscow, they attempted to join up with the commando force that had briefly retaken the Kremlin, sending an armored spearhead south. Mopping up that incursion has required a rush of reinforcements directly from Germany, and a reconsideration of 3rd Panzer's position. It will be withdrawn from the front for refitting.

Changing to the 'normal' map with weather, gives a better sense of what's going on along the front - a bitter confrontation, where the Russians are using their winter skills and better winterized equipment, to push back against the Germans.

By the way, that Soviet 2-6 tank division was able to destroy an entire squadron of tactical bombers, before I was able to bring in reinforcements.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 3:13 pm

In the Tula Sector, the Soviets have driven all the way to the outskirts of the city. I have to bring in green troops there too, directly from training camps in Germany and the General Govt.

2nd Panzer is going to be withdrawn too, from this sector, for refit. Unfortunately, an entire panzer corps was mauled and lost in this sector.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 3:19 pm

Back in during the heady days of triumphant advance, in Sept, Oct, even Nov., I had visions of taking both Kursk and Kharkov. My abortive attempt to cut rail lines to Kharkov ended by losing me an entire motorized division. Then the Soviets shored up their lines and started to push back.

I have been forced to relegate this sector to my Bulgarian and Romanian allies. About time they get into the action.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 3:24 pm

In the Don Sector, 1st and 4th Panzer are in the process of pulling back. The Italians will take over a portion of this sector, while my panzers refit.

I had to withdraw from Maikop, which I held for only two weeks. The Soviets have aready returned.

Here too I have lost a panzer division, and am about to lose a mech division which simply can't extricate itself from the horder of Soviets bearing down on it.

doomtrader · Post by **doomtrader** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:39 pm

Looks like a good fun

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:54 pm

[player's note: never, repeat never, get caught in a sticky situation in the Russian Winter. Sure, things look so easy in October, November. But just try extricating your troops and tanks from an extended position when the virtual snow is a virtual 6 feet deep on the virtual ground. My next update is going to show some damage on the German side of the line due to Soviet counterattacks in the blizzards. Now back to the retreat. Will the Spring never come?!]

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 12:21 am

Feb 1 '42

The front in the frozen forests between Leningrad and Moscow has blown wide open. The rail lines there are sparse, and I have tended to reinforce at more critical areas. I tried to hold on to Kalinin, but it was just impossible after I withdrew 3rd Panzer Army for refit.

Some refit. With the collapse of the sector, I had little time to do much reinforcement, before sending the 3rd back up to retake Kalinin.

The Finnish Army, meanwhile has been completely destroyed, but I think I'll be able to hold Leningrad. I think.

[player's note: The first winter of the campaign in the east, the Germans are shocked by the conditions. The Soviets on the other hand are better prepared, and have a boost in morale, and thus strength and efficiency.]

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 12:27 am

AGC has a firm hold on Moscow, for the time being, but the Soviets are pushing hard right up to the very outskirts of the city in the north. Farther south, they are attempting take Tula and Orel. They've already cut my rail lines north and south, leaving only the line the RRs through Velkile Luki and Smolensk for communications with Germany.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:05 pm

Farther south, the Bulgarian army has been unable to contain a Soviet push out of Kursk. The German position around Kharvov holds for now.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:10 pm

1st and 4th Panzer Armies have struggled to extricate themselves from the snowdrifts, but the going is slow. Maikop seems a long way away now.

The Crimea was taken in January, but it has proven impossible to cross the Kerch Strait. AGS had planned to link up its two offensives from Rostov and the Crimea, but that plan died at the hands of a tenacious Russian defense, and of course the weather.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Sat Apr 02, 2011 2:16 pm

In Italian North Africa, the dance between the Afrikakorps and the Desert Force continues unabated. The British now face a stronger Italian presence. The march from Tripoli has taken a long while for the cautious Italians, but now Benghazi is in the sights of the Axis army.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:34 pm

Feb 9 '42

Advice to others playing this scenario: the Soviet AI builds corps. Not many divisions. It's mandatory for the Axis player to respond in kind. I've always had this thing about producing divisions, then upgrading them when needed, so that's what I did in this scenario. Big mistake. No time to upgrade, with the Russian Winter creating a steamroller of a counter-offensive. Everything is needed at the front, ASAP.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 4:31 pm

March 1

Winter continues, as does the Soviet assault.

AGS is making an orderly withdrawal from the Rostov sector, but it's entire northern flank has been shattered. There just have not been enough reinforcements available, primarily due to the two months at the end of '41 after the unrest in Germany - no production, or long-delayed production.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 4:39 pm

AGN and AGC have problems just as big or bigger. Moscow and Leningrad sectors still hold, but their flanks are not just threatened, they are TAKEN. Pskov fell to a Soviet armor probe, against practically no resistance. Smolensk is just 90 miles from the front line, if you can call it a front line north of Smolensk. I did leave that entire sector from Kalinin to Novgorod lightly defended, and now I pay the price.

Note the circle around two of 3rd Panzer's armored corps. I managed to get them trapped, and now I don't think I'm going to be able to get them out of the encirclement. Ouch. That is going to seriously hurt.