AK Persia

[captainjack]

Does any one have good strategies for Persia in AK playing under 1.21? I've been playing at General and wasn't doing too badly until here, but seem to have got stuck, despite restarting with a different mix of troops and attack strategies. Usually I use reform units but don't like restarting unless I get really badly lashed up (as here) or make a genuine mistake when distracted - like accidentally mounting prize units into a truck in close terrain next to a load of enemy units and then hitting end turn when I was intending to press undo or dismount.

Under 1.14, the key to this scenario was to get through the hills just above the minefield fast enough to intercept the convoys, but it's proving very expensive with very heavy casualties, even with artillery back up. Has anyone else noticed this or am I having a temporary tactical breakdown or am I using up teh last of my bad luck before the end of the year?

I did seem to get a lot more unhelpful heroes than usual (+2 spotting on one Stug 3 AT, and +1 on the other, and on all my Brummbars), and initiative heroes( really unhelpful on a strategic bomber!). On the other hand, the +2 range on my Italian 150mm gun and +1 on an 88 are quite handy, though I would trade these to have some +2 or +3 A and D heroes on a couple of tanks.

[Tarrak]

Sorry i can' help you. I haven't played AK under 1.20 rules yet and even my 1.14 playthrough lies so long ago i have at best cloudy memories of the map.

[captainjack]

I just had another run through of AK (thanks to several days of heavy rain in the real world) and managed a DV in Persia on the last turn. I had a lot more combat (a and d) and movement heroes this time rather than spotting and initiative ones which made quite a difference. I brought all my AA - two 3*88s and a 3*Sdkfz 7/2 which allowed me to dispose of the allied air force faster. Once the air force was taken out, the 88s were handy useful against allied tanks and tank destroyers, and even the 7/2 was some use on the ground , as it twice helped to surround units to force surrenders. The main difference was one or two extra artillery, a higher proportion of infantry and fewer tanks - I brought tigers and my 3* Stug 3 plus an Italian P26. There were a few times when one extra tank would have been welcome after breaking through teh main defence line but I got by.

One of my pioneers with a movement hero cleared one critical minefield which allowed me to park a movement hero tiger next to the left hand convoy road at a critical moment. The 88s and 7/2 had shredded enough of the enemy air force to allow me to track and hit the convoy nearer the caspian sea. It was still close - I took out five or six trucks on on the hex next to the exit point ( I think one got away) and I just took the victory hex in teh top right corner when the engineers came out to attack one of my truck borne units. With a bit of planning I managed to force them to retreat so that one of my units could just sneak into thr city on the final turn.

I'd have to rate Persia as pretty tough, given the number of battered units at the end, use of over 1000 prestige in game for reinforcements and completion on the last turn by a combination of luck (rash engineers) and some tricky planning. The loss of my 3* Stug was entirely my fault, but didn't affect the outcome, although it was much missed against the Churchills in the following scenario.