Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

After action reports for Commander Europe at War.

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BattlevonWar
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Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

Again playing the Axis, revised some plans and ideas and seeing if a different order of battle may be more effective against this Titan...
BattlevonWar
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

1939:

All German air but 1 operates over to The West along some tank/corps/etc...with Holland turn 2 invasion force. Belgian Blitz possible but we forego this possibility due to the fact that there is some risk involved. I found out immediately without some lucky dice and well placed German units, Warsaw is well insulated by Morris and Axis take nearly 30+ step losses in the East and get a turn 3 fall of Poland.This is obviously an early catastrophe and could have been averted with leaving a little more air and a little better arrangement of Axis forces into Poland.

Okay, this time I will be much more open about my tactics and strategies and see where I can improve, help others and also make the game more enjoyable. I thought about the Belgian Blitz, Hotseated it and found out that it's very doable and a gamebreaker for France if weather holds, although as above you're going to lose a lot to the Poles. I certainly did :mrgreen: I learned my lesson here, no reason to go heavy in the West unless you are going all the way. I also found believe now that if Morris should invade Belgium again to avoid the morale loss which is a great decision for the Allies I can change up my strategies and be less aggressive early in bad weather and perhaps avoid the punishment I took before...There are a lot of possibilities if he makes a mistake but I doubt that... so we shall see from here what he does and how our game develops

What is is paramount is Techs(Germany will dive without it), Air Power and exploiting enemy weakness :) plus a few losses to German Manpower/PPs/and as early as possible taking down Paris without losing focus on buying units and prepping for Russia! :)
BattlevonWar
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

Okay 1941:

I have moved into Belgium, took 2 turns with bad dice. I did get a break in the weather in March though. The whole of the French and BEF push back to the border of Belgium fortunately I lose nothing but a lot of fighter steps so far. Axis push hard straight into France...the units there are 3 and 4 deep in places!!! Well lead

The Axis have built 2 fighters and 1 tac...this will obviously cost but I felt imperative and so far it has been, the Allies have a total of 4 fighters airborne and in order to keep on par and not take too much step loss off the tacs I have had to have even fighter ratio for a campaign regardless of losses..my tactical thinking
Kragdob
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by Kragdob »

Morris is great in combining Allied air power in early and mid game. In my last game with Morris I had to bring 5 FTR units to NA to be able to get to Casablanca.
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.
trulster
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by trulster »

GL! But if learning the game it is better to play the Allies, especially vs veterans, much more forgiving for errors.
BattlevonWar
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

Yes, Morris is a Fighter Pilot. I am usually the kind that ignores the fighter cover and goes directly for the bombers...hoping to take vast tracts of land and push back the range of the fighters. The game has a quality that makes you suffer with all Air Craft. Carriers/Fighters/Tacs/Strategic Bombers are all expensive.(there is no middle ground in price really) He grasps that and uses it to his advantage. Had I gotten Belgium on time, I had Brussels down to 2 steps I would not have had issues now(20% morale hit). Though along with skipping my Belgian Blitz and a slow Polish campaign I am making error after error...Fortunately, they're not game breakers so far but I see in 1942 or 1943 he will likely crush me. 44 at best for me, but I am learning fast and I know the Allies are by far superior you have to gamble with the Axis against elite players to win! Then play conservative...

I will believe I have a partial victory if I can hold Berlin past 1943 here

P.S. This is also very similar to The Great War but Fighters were useless in the game at all, you did not buy them you bought mostly bombers as the Bomber vs Fighter attacks were insane. The fighters were for recon usually. Plus the bombers in that game were more powerful than the bombers than in this game...
BattlevonWar
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

July 1941:

Italians enter the war, no real vast offensives..a rather safe play on my behalf in France..being tanks and mechs hiding behind corps. Air is having a hard time cracking the river defense lines, what I would not have given for a 1 turn Belgian Surrender. On both sides heavy air casualties

No real naval war a few skirmishes...

I will add some screenshots, as soon as I can get France down
Cybvep
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by Cybvep »

Is it really 1941? Or 1940?
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by OxfordGuy3 »

Cybvep wrote:Is it really 1941? Or 1940?
If it is really 1941, that doesn't sound good!
BattlevonWar
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

Ahhh, yes made an error..been up very late with errands and paper work. Still 1940, regardless July is getting late but I am keeping losses as low as possible
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

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Okay this represents my whole planning...basically we know I have stormed The Low Countries! I have swung South now costing a lot more PPs initially and Air Steps. Although the woods and rivers in the South Shadow my Panzers a little better. Several french units go bye bye per turn but this is a slow slugfest... I forsee that Russia will be a tough cookie the way my opponent uses both terrain and very pretty arrangements of troops. This gives a good idea on how my tactical thinking is and I have done pretty well otherwise with my Labs, oil use and what not. Just not as well as I would like against an Elite opponent... I will have to pray for dice miracles in order to take the advantage in the East
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

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BattlevonWar
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

Interesting prediction when I was tired earlier I said it was 1941 already and it was headed in that direction and I could not take France down in time. In this game versus my last I had faced a Dyle Plan and I could not manage to ever pool my forces to do much. Where I put the Exclamation marks in the former Screenie I could not break through. I was probably too worried about keeping my tanks and mechanized units from being destroyed by counterattacks. I think despite the fact I did not manage to take Belgium down in 1 turn, also did not make a decisive Polish take down rather piecemeal and then did nothing extravagant in the West like a Blitz gave a very elite player like Morris the initiative and he ran with it. Despite heavy losses in the air = to my own... he just kept me at a stalemate and waited for me to cross the rivers where he was dug in..using French as fodder and his mechanized/corps on the wait for counter attacks.

I learned valuable lessons here as Axis, you cannot play it safe early you have to stomp and you cannot give up any time or ground to the Allies...plus you cannot afford mistakes their the underdog and they will get smashed...Have to be playing extremely well vs Morris and you must keep your losses low going into Barbarossa. I have learned so much though about the order of battle from this player and I thank him for that. Now not sure, perhaps I might try Allies vs Him, or come back when I've learned more : )
BattlevonWar
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

The Dug in BEF on Paris, holding probably in 1941, since November gave a rare clear turn...


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Peter Stauffenberg
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by Peter Stauffenberg »

The surrounded BEF units won't get back to England. That is always a positive.

To succeed with Case Yellow you need to build more air units. I always build an extra fighter and tactical bomber as early as possible (in 1939) so they both arrive before March 1940. 3 tactical bombers means you can more easily soften up targets you go after.

I usually pick targets I know I can destroy instead of just weakening a lot of them. German panzers are good to use if you can have German infantry exploit the vacated hex. Then they won't be in the front line after the battles. I also make sure I always repair some units per turn so I can attack with 10 step units.

When I attack I try to figure out where counter attacks can come from and try to find a way to get rid of those offensive units. These units are mainly French and UK mechs. Every mech you kill means the counter attack ability will drop fast.

It's also vital to ensure Belgium falls in one turn (if no Dyle). That's not a problem with some practise. You need to position the forces in an good way to ensure Brussels will fall. Play some solo games to figure out how to do it. The same with Case White. Every experienced player can take out Poland in 2 turns. With luck you can even take Warsaw in 1 turn.

I think that Battle would learn more from GS v3.01 by letting Morris be the Axis and see how he takes out Belgium and France, and later Russia. You learn faster by being at the other side than trying yourself to improve on a strategy.
BattlevonWar
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

Stauffenberg, excellent points. I already can take down Poland in 2 turns but never seen a turn 1 takedown. : ) I would love to see that!

I lost a small advantage here, operated my forces West Turn 1 to anticipate an Allied move on the Low Countries and didn't understand how the scripts worked precisely...seems the manuals are off as to how to get an immediate definite Belgian Surrender so I had to HotSeat that later and found out...I also got mud following my 10% dip in Allied Morale which gave him back some time against me. He planted some low quality garrison units between me and his mechanized and corps which made up the rest of the difference. Then hide behind Rivers and dug in for the onslaught, it is such a narrow front you are in some deep doodoo if you do not get that 20% morale hit and start moving FAST early with clear weather. I also faced defense generals on cities and didn't just stick my nose out there early to get it hacked off partly! A much wiser idea against an aggressive player IMHO... Germany had 4 Fighters/3 tactical bombers going in.

I think I have a better idea and concept on how to conclude France at least without a Dyle now against an expert player. Although I do think that it's interesting to leave the strategic option open for both Blitz/Dyle to make the early years less boring.

I am learning how to take on Russia in my other games, I am running out of oil and facing D-Day in '42 with Moscow poised to fall in '43... This game is really fun, I should have known that there are a lot of poker qualities to it as me and Johann both loved to play but he was much better than I was as conservative a player.
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by JimR »

Thanks, Battle. I've been playing CEAW for quite some time now, but in every AAR I learn something. Watching you bravely take on the Mighty Morris and figure out his tactics, as well as your thoughts on what you should have done, is very instructive! Lessons learnt. A question for Stauffenberg: if the Axis are to build an extra fighter and tac ahead of Case Yellow, they will probably have to skimp on German labs in the early going. Since German success depends on keeping a qualitative advantage for as long as possible, isn't skimping on labs early a risky choice for the Axis?
BattlevonWar
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by BattlevonWar »

JimR, Yeah I love the competition here it's quite impressive!

My 2 cents on German Labs: Depends on your strategic goals. You really should be able to buy both a tac and fighter and still invest in all labs on time. If not you're doing something wrong I am pretty sure. Consequences are going to be grave if you skimp on labs for Axis. Next time you polish off the Polish, leave behind what units you do not need to reinforce and put into a Low Countries offense and see what money you have left. Since the front is narrow what is the use of putting every unit there early? Also what is the use of invading Norway early when you can get caught into an ugly War there with the RN, of course that goes against Blitzkrieg
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Re: Battle vs Morris 2nd Edition

Post by JimR »

Battle,

As the Germans I've tended to invade Denmark/Norway immediately after Poland in 1939. Norwegian mopping up operations extend into spring 1940, but in the meantime most of my forces are readied for Case Yellow and they launch as soon as the mud dries in February or March 1940. Going into Denmark/Norway early has forced me to choose between a full Luftwaffe buildup for Case Yellow, and an early full commitment to labs. So, postponing Denmark/Norway till after France surrenders may allow the Germans to build up the Luftwaffe for Case Yellow, AND to make a full commitment to labs as early as possible. You've given me food for thought -- thanks.
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