Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Discuss Crisis in Command Volume II: Drive on Moscow. Designed by Ted Raicer
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ScottWashburn
Corporal - 5 cm Pak 38
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Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by ScottWashburn »

I've played the long campaign game several times. I've had no trouble winning with the Russians, but winning with the Germans is a lot tougher and so far I've only gotten close once: Moscow surrounded (but with a thin corridor) and three big infantry units in the city. But the next turn the Siberian troops broke through, relieved the city, and ultimately crushed me. The other games I didn't even come close.

So, any tips? How do you other folks win against the AI?
bohun
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by bohun »

AI is weak so i havent trouble to win. But is true that soviets have easier. Playing as soviets i win with score -2 VP (against Guderian). Playing multiplayer i see game is little unbalanced. Specially hard for Germans are last 4 turns. I think some points of replacment for Germans in last turns could make better balance.
ScottWashburn
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by ScottWashburn »

Okay, but what strategy have you used as the Germans? They don't get enough moves per turn to attack all along the front at the same time. So do you advance on the right side of the board where it is possible to get a quick breakthrough? Or do you hammer away on the left and drive straight on Moscow? Do you try to encircle the city? Or just try to bust straight through the front door?
bohun
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by bohun »

Hard explain - devil is in details. I try breakthrough far right and capture Voronezh with 3 panzer (and first Kursk). Mu second important direction is Tula. I try keep 2-3 city with +1VP/per turn (third is Bryansk). I dont try encircle Moscow - it is hard to withdraw units when soviets make own counteratack. Before 19 i try make strong defence. AI make sometimes stupid mistakes and allow for encircle units. I destroyed in this way about 6 or more units. I dont count these soviets units which can be trapped in first 2-3 turns.
ScottWashburn
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by ScottWashburn »

Oh, so you won on points rather than by taking Moscow? Ah, I wasn't even trying that approach.
bohun
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by bohun »

Do you want play pbem ? - you will see how i play.
heinlager
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by heinlager »

I think the key is adapting. Normally i use my offensives in the center first and if it goes well ill follow up with another in the center and one on the left. Setting me up for a mad dash at moscow. But if the attacks don't go that well maybe Ill push hard on the right. Later on your tanks might get blocked, in that case attack in a different direction or on another flank.
GeneralRetreat
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by GeneralRetreat »

I'm not getting very far. Is "Drive on Moscow" supposed to end in just 5 turns? I'm just getting started. :evil:
Reminds me of Memoir 44: I can't move even half of my units, so those behind the lines just stay there, leaving the involved units to wither away. When I withdraw one battered unit with the intention of replacing with a fresh one, "Commit" starts a battle that my weakened force can't win. I suffer losses and bringing in a fresh unit makes little difference then. :|
Haven't tried being the Russians. Maybe I'll learn something there but doubt it. :shock:
heinlager
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by heinlager »

There are different game modes, operation typhoon is just 5 turns. Do the campaign for the full slog. There isn't really an easy way to rotate units in and out, often you have to pull them back and reorganize which loses you precious time. But that's the same problem the real generals had! This game makes it very abstract but the result is the same.
RSmith55
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by RSmith55 »

the biggest issue I see is the Russian Infantry visa vis history is somewhat too strong. This was PERHAPS THE WEAKEST MOMENT OF THE WAR FOR SOVIET INFANTRY AS THE GERMANS BLEW THROUGH THEM AFTER THE 2 MONTH FIGHT AROUND THE SMOLENSK LAND BRIDGE.
ScottWashburn
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by ScottWashburn »

So has anyone actually captured Moscow and won the game that way?
YueJin
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by YueJin »

I've captured Moscow a few times to win against AI and once in multiplayer where I broke through zvenigorod the turn before the frost prepared assault and rushed into Moscow next turn and double attacked using prepared assault and normal. The city fell the turn after. I've found that most of the time you're in a position to assault Moscow though you're far enough in front of your opponent that you could pick any method of winning.

If you do want to win by capturing Moscow, the first turn of frost is definitely your best bet as you get both the prepared offensive and also the river stops being a barrier so you can rush three units into the city.
TZombie
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by TZombie »

ScottWashburn wrote:So has anyone actually captured Moscow and won the game that way?

I took it on turn 13 playing against Konev.
heinlager
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by heinlager »

If you want to see the germans win play against the player 'victory'. keeps kicking my ass.
dnadan56
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Re: Any Tips for Winning with the Germans?

Post by dnadan56 »

The AI is very weak and predictable. Experiment to see what it will do.

I do not even play the game’s Victory Conditions any more. Here is what I play:
  • As Germans, take Moscow and eliminate all Soviet units by: Turn 10 = Marginal; Turn 9 = Tactical; Turn 8 = Strategic Victory. A super lucky game should produce a Turn 7 complete victory, but I have not managed that yet.

  • I have taken Moscow on Turn 2 by eliminating a 2-pip Soviet Elite infantry unit in Zvenigorod using a 5-pip Elite armor and advancing in.
  • As Soviets the VC is to eliminate all German units from the board. My best is Turn 17.
How? Well, it does take some luck, and a different mindset than the average general. First, combat is not your friend; combat is used for only a few purposes: eliminate a unit and for the first 5 turns gain free movement and/or enter an enemy area without combat, glue an enemy in place (the combat is a necessary evil, not a goal), or cover up a Soviet entry point. NO FAIR FIGHTS allowed! Soviets can use combat to grind down and slow down the Germans if used judiciously.

The way to win this game is to encircle the enemy and eliminate their units using the isolation rules. Only cavalry and airborne units need to be combatted to death. Think BIG. Don’t surround 5 units, surround 15-20! This is a war of movement, not of combat! That being said, don’t hang out in the middle of the board - use the periphery, take the Soviet entry and supply points as a BIG priority (German supply points take more patience, and do not generate isolation effects until snow comes). Use your tanks, Soviet hammers and German groundhogs!

As Germans, you need to avoid taking Moscow in some games so you can eliminate the Soviet on-board presence. I occasionally lose as Soviets to a sloppy or unlucky defense of Moscow, but I never lose as Germans (though I do sometimes not meet my conditions of total Soviet elimination if a hedgehog can be formed on a woods/city supply point.
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