Let's Play : Hearts of Iron 3 - [Entry 20 - Atop Mountain Peaks]
- Thread starter Octorok
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ah fair enough, well hopefully now you've finished building your massive carrier fleet you'll be able to pin down their fleets in decisive battles. Things are also getting pretty interesting in India, i didnt realise that it was occupied territory/national unity ratios that determined surrender. I guess you learn something knew about this game every day.Octorok said:
I'm actually very surprised at their level of resistance. I had this idea in the back of my head that it was just the US + whatever remains of the British Empire who could actually fight me, but the entire 133,000 man garrison of Calcutta is made up of smaller nations, like Greece, Sweden, Turkey etc.Fat_Hippo said:
Combined with the Chinese, I'm facing a far, far tougher fight for India than I had anticipated.
The annoying thing is, this isn't a "Last Stand" for Allied forces. If I push them back, they'll just retreat into China.
Damn, it looks like I should have kept my mouth shut about the whole "Thousand Year Reich surely can't be stopped" thing.
So, what kind of composition do use for your divisions?
So, what kind of composition do use for your divisions?
I'm not entirely sure about the "best" division makeup. I'm never certain how many Engineers to use, for instance. I just use a vague sense of common sense and use the idea "More = better".BrotherSurplice said:
My current "standard" division make up is 1 Medium Tank, 1 Self-Propelled Artillery, 3 Mechanised Infantry.
I do of course vary, for instance, that makeup is virtually useless in the Afrika units, so I use 4 Infantry + 1 Artillery as my standard unit there.
[HEADING=2]Entry 18 - Advance into India : Part 2[/HEADING]
Last time, I had attempted to lead over half a million men into India, but found myself unable to cross the Indus valley, or the mountains between India and Afghanistan. Recall, I was faced with the issue of my 200,000 men trapped by Allied forces in Afghanistan.
Fortunately, the Allied forces that encircled me aren't particularly strong, so despite the lack of supplies my armies can hold fast.
I relieve the column at Nok Kundi, immediately pulling it away as fast as possible.
Using my safely secured position at Bombay as a landing point, I transfer 300,000 Regular Army personnel from France, along with all of my Atlantic fleet, save the Carriers, the Battleships and some screening forces.
I finally get around to taking Portugal, invading from the North with ground troops while landing Airborne forces on the Southern border and Lisbon.
I also land in the Portuguese colonies, due the dense jungles blocking the land route.
It's now a race against time to rescue Herzog's 100,000 men. I'm pressing through on one side, as the Allies attack the other with a higher rate of success than usual.
I do just break through to them in time. It's not all safe now, though. I still have to keep a safe road open and effect a retreat.
My men land intact in Bombay, and immediately launch off in all directions.
If I can't break the British through the mountains, I'll do it from the sea.
Meanwhile, I'm experiencing an unexpected consequence in Persia. My relief force is pushing the Chinese East, sandwiching my army in Afghanistan.
I'll try to herd the Chinese down a bit, otherwise I'm in danger of accidentally encircling myself.
I take the Portuguese port I'll need to supply my forces in Africa during my attack on New Lisbon.
Annoyingly, the South Africans have arrived to lend the Portuguese a hand.
In India, the Allies scramble to meet the new threat presented to them by this second front, as I begin looking around for more ports to hijack.
Bombay is currently a big supply bottleneck for my army, so I'll take as many naval bases as I can as a priority.
Ideally, the Allies will so weaken themselves attempting to combat me on two fronts, I'll be able to swan back in through Afghanistan as planned.
Of course, I do not know how many men the Allies had stored back in India, so it's possible that their front line will remain as strong as ever.
It strikes me that if the Japanese had won their war back when I supported them, this invasion would be over and done with.
The Chinese cut off another 100,000 men near Kabul. Damnit. You'd think I'd be able to avoid these situations, but apparently I didn't learn my lesson the last time.
The poor bastards of the Fourth Afrika Korps, having just endured a several-week long siege, are now ordered to rescue Fischer's column at Ghazni.
Meanwhile, I start another rescue operation from the North, consisting of a lonely Panzer division.
Anything to get to Ghazni in time.
At Bombay - two armoured divisions will head South, to secure the two ports on this coast, then loop back up the other coast to Madras.
The rest of the Wehrmacht troops will push North and East, and the Marines will attempt another landing on the opposite coast at the new British capital ; Calcutta.
Having now encircled the Portuguese army, I will begin the destruction of their European forces.
Of particular note in this campaign is the outstanding performance of the Panzer-Lehr Division. Formed from the toughest, most experienced men in the German army, this unit is just a recipe for murder. I look forward to seeing them in action in America.
Despite a fairly valiant effort from the South Africans, they fail to dig themselves in in time, and I take the city of New Lisbon.
I'm also about to retake Kabul, hopefully in time to get Fischer's men out and up to the Soviet border.
This is the overall situation in the area. I have recovered all of my lost territory in North Persia, and I'm currently just holding in place, pushing forward only at those points where they weaken their line to get men out to the Bombay front.
The Marines land just West of Calcutta. As my fleet blockades the port, the Allies pull all their forces back to the city proper. It's looking to be a tough fight.
At this point, I engage the Allied fleets in a mass-scale war in the Indian Ocean.
Realistically speaking, I get a Pyrrhic Victory. I do successfully break up the British and American fleets, inflicting large casualties, but at a heavy cost in my mid-range ships.
My Destroyers remain remarkably intact, as do my Battlecruisers, while I sink a US Carrier and wound two others at a cost of over a dozen Cruisers.
The assault on Calcutta begins with a naval bombardment, and the first 50,000 Marines hitting the city hard.
Tactically speaking, I'm winning, but I can't physically occupy the city yet due to the sheer size of its garrison (nearing 150,000). It's a slow battle.
Tragedy in the desert - the column at Ghazni surrenders just a few hours before I retake Kabul. Damn shame.
This effectively leaves my Easternmost flank undefended, however, under pressure from my Persian forces, the Allies are pulling back East anyway.
Vengeance will be mine! Soon, I'll cut off all Allied troops West of the Indian border. Easily 100,000 men, if not more.
Meanwhile, as the vicious battle rages for Calcutta, I'm relentlessly pushing outwards from Bombay. Soon, I'll have cut the entire Southern half of India off, and if I can maintain momentum, I might reach Delhi soon. The important thing is to not let up for a second, to keep the Allies on the back foot until I can take Delhi.
The attack on Portuguese Africa continues, as I head for the next key province - Luada.
I've now isolated these pockets of Allied defenders in Persia, but I lack the supplies to truly destroy them. I can run around them a lot, but until I can supply at least one Corps, they're staying put.
Meanwhile, the fight for the British capital continues. The Allies have so far paid a high price for the city, but soon, the Chinese reinforcements will arrive.
The assault on Calcutta fails to hold ground inside the city, but I hold my positions around the city intact.
I launch another ferocious assault against the spirited defenders of what is now just rubble and wreckage. Remarkably enough, virtually the entire garrison is Danish and Greek, fighting their war here, thousands of miles from home.
The final, rather desperate bash on Calcutta caught the Allies just as the battered garrison was exchanging with the Chinese reinforcements. At a cost of 5,000 Marines to 12,000 Allies, the city is finally taken.
What effect will this have on the course of the war? Find out next time!
END OF ENTRY 18
Last time, I had attempted to lead over half a million men into India, but found myself unable to cross the Indus valley, or the mountains between India and Afghanistan. Recall, I was faced with the issue of my 200,000 men trapped by Allied forces in Afghanistan.
Fortunately, the Allied forces that encircled me aren't particularly strong, so despite the lack of supplies my armies can hold fast.
I relieve the column at Nok Kundi, immediately pulling it away as fast as possible.
Using my safely secured position at Bombay as a landing point, I transfer 300,000 Regular Army personnel from France, along with all of my Atlantic fleet, save the Carriers, the Battleships and some screening forces.
I finally get around to taking Portugal, invading from the North with ground troops while landing Airborne forces on the Southern border and Lisbon.
I also land in the Portuguese colonies, due the dense jungles blocking the land route.
It's now a race against time to rescue Herzog's 100,000 men. I'm pressing through on one side, as the Allies attack the other with a higher rate of success than usual.
I do just break through to them in time. It's not all safe now, though. I still have to keep a safe road open and effect a retreat.
My men land intact in Bombay, and immediately launch off in all directions.
If I can't break the British through the mountains, I'll do it from the sea.
Meanwhile, I'm experiencing an unexpected consequence in Persia. My relief force is pushing the Chinese East, sandwiching my army in Afghanistan.
I'll try to herd the Chinese down a bit, otherwise I'm in danger of accidentally encircling myself.
I take the Portuguese port I'll need to supply my forces in Africa during my attack on New Lisbon.
Annoyingly, the South Africans have arrived to lend the Portuguese a hand.
In India, the Allies scramble to meet the new threat presented to them by this second front, as I begin looking around for more ports to hijack.
Bombay is currently a big supply bottleneck for my army, so I'll take as many naval bases as I can as a priority.
Ideally, the Allies will so weaken themselves attempting to combat me on two fronts, I'll be able to swan back in through Afghanistan as planned.
Of course, I do not know how many men the Allies had stored back in India, so it's possible that their front line will remain as strong as ever.
It strikes me that if the Japanese had won their war back when I supported them, this invasion would be over and done with.
The Chinese cut off another 100,000 men near Kabul. Damnit. You'd think I'd be able to avoid these situations, but apparently I didn't learn my lesson the last time.
The poor bastards of the Fourth Afrika Korps, having just endured a several-week long siege, are now ordered to rescue Fischer's column at Ghazni.
Meanwhile, I start another rescue operation from the North, consisting of a lonely Panzer division.
Anything to get to Ghazni in time.
At Bombay - two armoured divisions will head South, to secure the two ports on this coast, then loop back up the other coast to Madras.
The rest of the Wehrmacht troops will push North and East, and the Marines will attempt another landing on the opposite coast at the new British capital ; Calcutta.
Having now encircled the Portuguese army, I will begin the destruction of their European forces.
Of particular note in this campaign is the outstanding performance of the Panzer-Lehr Division. Formed from the toughest, most experienced men in the German army, this unit is just a recipe for murder. I look forward to seeing them in action in America.
Despite a fairly valiant effort from the South Africans, they fail to dig themselves in in time, and I take the city of New Lisbon.
I'm also about to retake Kabul, hopefully in time to get Fischer's men out and up to the Soviet border.
This is the overall situation in the area. I have recovered all of my lost territory in North Persia, and I'm currently just holding in place, pushing forward only at those points where they weaken their line to get men out to the Bombay front.
The Marines land just West of Calcutta. As my fleet blockades the port, the Allies pull all their forces back to the city proper. It's looking to be a tough fight.
At this point, I engage the Allied fleets in a mass-scale war in the Indian Ocean.
Realistically speaking, I get a Pyrrhic Victory. I do successfully break up the British and American fleets, inflicting large casualties, but at a heavy cost in my mid-range ships.
My Destroyers remain remarkably intact, as do my Battlecruisers, while I sink a US Carrier and wound two others at a cost of over a dozen Cruisers.
The assault on Calcutta begins with a naval bombardment, and the first 50,000 Marines hitting the city hard.
Tactically speaking, I'm winning, but I can't physically occupy the city yet due to the sheer size of its garrison (nearing 150,000). It's a slow battle.
Tragedy in the desert - the column at Ghazni surrenders just a few hours before I retake Kabul. Damn shame.
This effectively leaves my Easternmost flank undefended, however, under pressure from my Persian forces, the Allies are pulling back East anyway.
Vengeance will be mine! Soon, I'll cut off all Allied troops West of the Indian border. Easily 100,000 men, if not more.
Meanwhile, as the vicious battle rages for Calcutta, I'm relentlessly pushing outwards from Bombay. Soon, I'll have cut the entire Southern half of India off, and if I can maintain momentum, I might reach Delhi soon. The important thing is to not let up for a second, to keep the Allies on the back foot until I can take Delhi.
The attack on Portuguese Africa continues, as I head for the next key province - Luada.
I've now isolated these pockets of Allied defenders in Persia, but I lack the supplies to truly destroy them. I can run around them a lot, but until I can supply at least one Corps, they're staying put.
Meanwhile, the fight for the British capital continues. The Allies have so far paid a high price for the city, but soon, the Chinese reinforcements will arrive.
The assault on Calcutta fails to hold ground inside the city, but I hold my positions around the city intact.
I launch another ferocious assault against the spirited defenders of what is now just rubble and wreckage. Remarkably enough, virtually the entire garrison is Danish and Greek, fighting their war here, thousands of miles from home.
The final, rather desperate bash on Calcutta caught the Allies just as the battered garrison was exchanging with the Chinese reinforcements. At a cost of 5,000 Marines to 12,000 Allies, the city is finally taken.
What effect will this have on the course of the war? Find out next time!
END OF ENTRY 18
Damn, this is one hell of an AAR! Bloody shame about the Ghazni column surrendering, but I guess it didn't matter in the long run. So what are your plans after India? Is it on into the far east, so you can give the Japanese a good clip round the ears for being so incompetent? Or is time for "Grey Dawn" in the US?
Huh, this seems to be the answer i'm getting from a lot of people. I guess its just what works for each person.Octorok said:
This fight for India really is surprisingly tense! But I have faith you'll break the Allies there eventually. The British can't be far from surrendering, and once they're gone, you should have a far easier time of this. Until the invasion of America comes, anyway! 
Well, I'll have to take China, seeing as how I will share a border with them via India and all.BrotherSurplice said:
After India, I'll push East and West, I think. Since the bulk of the Allied force (not counting the Americans) is in India, if I can destroy it there, I can take China/Australasia as a "sideshow" to an invasion of Canada/North America and Brazil/South America.
It's a lot like the end of the Soviet Union. I have to keep taking cities until they finally give in.Fat_Hippo said:This fight for India really is surprisingly tense! But I have faith you'll break the Allies there eventually. The British can't be far from surrendering, and once they're gone, you should have a far easier time of this. Until the invasion of America comes, anyway!
[HEADING=2]Entry 19 - The Jewel in the Crown[/HEADING]
Sorry about the fact that we won't cover much ground today, but there's quite a bit of commentating to be done, and I'll update again pretty soon.
OK. Last time, we had just landed in Calcutta, pushing the British to the brink of surrender, but not quite over it.
Well, my sneaky gambit of hitting the Allies behind their lines (since I cannot cross the Hindu Kush) was paying off nicely, up until now.
The Chinese have arrived from the East in force. Seeing as how the front in Afghanistan remains strong, I'm guessing that this is an emergency reaction. Probably all of the army left in China has now moved into India.
See, in a fair and just game, this is where my alliance with Japan would come into play, crushing the Chinese from either the North or the South. However, I'm left to deal with these problems all on my lonesome.
They have cut off and encircled those divisions I'd sent to secure Southern India, and are pushing on my lines near Delhi.
Meanwhile, the Chinese army surges around Calcutta, presumably preparing for a long siege, while the US Navy does battle with the Kriegsmarine to hold the naval base and sea lanes of Calcutta.
It's fairly vital that I keep supply open to the city, so I'm running myself ragged, with every ship in the Indian fleet guarding Calcutta.
And in Persia, the first pocket of Allied resistance crumbles. 13,000 prisoners.
Damn. Harpe is going to surrender before I can save him. It's not even going to be close, as it was with Herzog at Ghazni.
Normally, the loss of a single division is nothing special, but look at that map. The Chinese have poured men onto my Eastern front, forming a new battle line right down the spine of India.
I'm unprepared for this. I need every division I have in the Bombay pocket where it is, and reinforcements are in France, too far to get here before the Chinese could cause some serious damage.
I have a plan, however. When in doubt, trust in the pride of Germany - the Paratroopers.
I can fly 50,000 Paratroopers to India in time to salvage the situation much faster than I can ship as many men over.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it's the moment we've all been waiting for... On the 24th October, 1945, after a daring and successful airborne attack on the city of Delhi, with the capture of numerous British government and military heads of office, the British Government surrendered to Special Forces Colonel Pistorious (4th Airborne Division) at Midnight.
[HEADING=1]YES! YES![/HEADING]
Finally! After seven years of war, across two Oceans and three continents, through jungle and farmland, city streets and African dunes, the United Kingdom surrenders to Germany. I... I have no words. The joy in M. Bison's eyes will have to suffice.
OK. The UK Free Forces, led by one Winston Churchill, continue the fight from Singapore. They currently own Malaya, Hong Kong, British Guiana, British Columbia, British Arabia and what's left of British Africa after the surrender.
And half of India is still occupied by the Chinese forces, but nonetheless - the jewel of the old empire is the prize of the new.
Egypt is handed over to me, its rightful owners after the preposterous performance of Italy in my game.
Kiss my Alexandria, Mussolini.
As is British East Africa, save a strip of the Sahara that I didn't want anyway.
Oh, and I take Luanda from the Portuguese. Unfortunately, this still doesn't provoke a surrender, so I'll need to land in East Africa and take their colonies there.
Time to move while I have the upper hand in Asia. With my supply lines secure, I must now begin the lengthy but enjoyable process of destroying the trapped Chinese army.
Unfortunately, the British Rocket Test Site on the Burmese border was damaged by the Brits before handing it over to me, but I'll soon repair that.
Now, ordinarily, my instinct would be to head North from Calcutta, and cut off India from Burma, thus severing Chinese retreat west of Calcutta. Unfortunately, they have overwhelming strength in the area, and my Marine garrison of Calcutta has neither the numbers nor the strength to form an effective barrier, or take on a force of that size.
I'll stay put in Calcutta, destroy the pockets of Chinese in India, and rush East as fast as I possibly can.
I am hopeful, however, that not much fighting will be needed. Without supplies, much of the Chinese army will (ideally) surrender in India.
Interestingly enough, Poland is about to join the Axis. Or rather, it would join the Axis if we weren't literally at war .
Hang on. I conquered Poland before WW2 broke out. This means that they aren't part of the Allies. I could legitimately make peace with Free Poland and then have them join my team.
I love this Diplomacy system.
As a cool bonus, I also get Burma in the surrender terms, giving me an immediate route to China. If I had the men available, it'd actually be a perfect spot to either block the Chinese route back into China, or to invade China while the army was busy on the subcontinent.
Ah well. Can't have everything.
I now exact total control of the Mediterranean. Seeing as how I own both the Suez Canal and the Straits of Gibraltar (and Malta and Cyprus to boot), it is now my own back playground.
I like to imagine yachts filled with German high command just cruising around the place, making jokes about seeing no enemy ships.
I begin work on Surface-to-Air and Air-to-Air missiles, courtesy of my newfound trove of British scientists. They'll be developed in under a year. Combine this with my Jet Engine research, and I'll invent a true Jet Fighter just in time to beat the Americans.
Gotta love alternate history when it's being run by man with hindsight.
Now, the Sun Never Sets on the German Empire. Vorwärts!
I begin my new attack on Afghanistan and the Indus River Delta, with 600,000 men currently hurtling towards the Allied lines.
This map shows local feeling towards me. Those areas that I've occupied the longest don't care much for me, but the majority of India seems to view me as their liberator from the British Empire.
Interesting.
The Australians, feeling threatened by their new proximity to the Eagle's borders, join the US-led Allies. Odd. I thought they'd joined earlier.
Along the length and breadth of India, Allied troops surrender to the Panzers as I begin attack the pockets of enemy territory.
Even my weakest and worst-supplied divisions are capable of pushing the Chinese back. It is true that they are better at living off the land (given their lack of fuel consumption) than I am, but they can't just loot local food forever.
Soon, we shall avenge the dead and captured at Ghazni.
Wow... the day has arrived. My scientists in Kreuzberg are now able to begin research on the world's first atomic bomb. It will be ready to construct in April '46.
We are ushering in a new age of weaponry, spearheaded by German ingenuity.
As I feared, the Chinese have firmly established themselves North of Calcutta, leaving Burma ripe for them to take and instead of giving me a great flanking position, I'm attacking another flat front of men in rough terrain.
I finally punch through on the Indus. For the first time, I control a genuine gap in the Afghanistan frontline. Hehehehe...
And so, I leave you with the Chinese army pouring dozens of divisions into a new front around Calcutta, just as I begin to demolish the previous front.
It's like a Hydra. I cut one head off, it grows another. I really have no alternative but to attack China at the same time as I attack America.
Well. I took Russia in 6 months. Maybe I can handle a two-front war as well.
END OF ENTRY 19
Sorry about the fact that we won't cover much ground today, but there's quite a bit of commentating to be done, and I'll update again pretty soon.
OK. Last time, we had just landed in Calcutta, pushing the British to the brink of surrender, but not quite over it.
Well, my sneaky gambit of hitting the Allies behind their lines (since I cannot cross the Hindu Kush) was paying off nicely, up until now.
The Chinese have arrived from the East in force. Seeing as how the front in Afghanistan remains strong, I'm guessing that this is an emergency reaction. Probably all of the army left in China has now moved into India.
See, in a fair and just game, this is where my alliance with Japan would come into play, crushing the Chinese from either the North or the South. However, I'm left to deal with these problems all on my lonesome.
They have cut off and encircled those divisions I'd sent to secure Southern India, and are pushing on my lines near Delhi.
Meanwhile, the Chinese army surges around Calcutta, presumably preparing for a long siege, while the US Navy does battle with the Kriegsmarine to hold the naval base and sea lanes of Calcutta.
It's fairly vital that I keep supply open to the city, so I'm running myself ragged, with every ship in the Indian fleet guarding Calcutta.
And in Persia, the first pocket of Allied resistance crumbles. 13,000 prisoners.
Damn. Harpe is going to surrender before I can save him. It's not even going to be close, as it was with Herzog at Ghazni.
Normally, the loss of a single division is nothing special, but look at that map. The Chinese have poured men onto my Eastern front, forming a new battle line right down the spine of India.
I'm unprepared for this. I need every division I have in the Bombay pocket where it is, and reinforcements are in France, too far to get here before the Chinese could cause some serious damage.
I have a plan, however. When in doubt, trust in the pride of Germany - the Paratroopers.
I can fly 50,000 Paratroopers to India in time to salvage the situation much faster than I can ship as many men over.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it's the moment we've all been waiting for... On the 24th October, 1945, after a daring and successful airborne attack on the city of Delhi, with the capture of numerous British government and military heads of office, the British Government surrendered to Special Forces Colonel Pistorious (4th Airborne Division) at Midnight.
[HEADING=1]YES! YES![/HEADING]
Finally! After seven years of war, across two Oceans and three continents, through jungle and farmland, city streets and African dunes, the United Kingdom surrenders to Germany. I... I have no words. The joy in M. Bison's eyes will have to suffice.
OK. The UK Free Forces, led by one Winston Churchill, continue the fight from Singapore. They currently own Malaya, Hong Kong, British Guiana, British Columbia, British Arabia and what's left of British Africa after the surrender.
And half of India is still occupied by the Chinese forces, but nonetheless - the jewel of the old empire is the prize of the new.
Egypt is handed over to me, its rightful owners after the preposterous performance of Italy in my game.
Kiss my Alexandria, Mussolini.
As is British East Africa, save a strip of the Sahara that I didn't want anyway.
Oh, and I take Luanda from the Portuguese. Unfortunately, this still doesn't provoke a surrender, so I'll need to land in East Africa and take their colonies there.
Time to move while I have the upper hand in Asia. With my supply lines secure, I must now begin the lengthy but enjoyable process of destroying the trapped Chinese army.
Unfortunately, the British Rocket Test Site on the Burmese border was damaged by the Brits before handing it over to me, but I'll soon repair that.
Now, ordinarily, my instinct would be to head North from Calcutta, and cut off India from Burma, thus severing Chinese retreat west of Calcutta. Unfortunately, they have overwhelming strength in the area, and my Marine garrison of Calcutta has neither the numbers nor the strength to form an effective barrier, or take on a force of that size.
I'll stay put in Calcutta, destroy the pockets of Chinese in India, and rush East as fast as I possibly can.
I am hopeful, however, that not much fighting will be needed. Without supplies, much of the Chinese army will (ideally) surrender in India.
Interestingly enough, Poland is about to join the Axis. Or rather, it would join the Axis if we weren't literally at war .
Hang on. I conquered Poland before WW2 broke out. This means that they aren't part of the Allies. I could legitimately make peace with Free Poland and then have them join my team.
I love this Diplomacy system.
As a cool bonus, I also get Burma in the surrender terms, giving me an immediate route to China. If I had the men available, it'd actually be a perfect spot to either block the Chinese route back into China, or to invade China while the army was busy on the subcontinent.
Ah well. Can't have everything.
I now exact total control of the Mediterranean. Seeing as how I own both the Suez Canal and the Straits of Gibraltar (and Malta and Cyprus to boot), it is now my own back playground.
I like to imagine yachts filled with German high command just cruising around the place, making jokes about seeing no enemy ships.
I begin work on Surface-to-Air and Air-to-Air missiles, courtesy of my newfound trove of British scientists. They'll be developed in under a year. Combine this with my Jet Engine research, and I'll invent a true Jet Fighter just in time to beat the Americans.
Gotta love alternate history when it's being run by man with hindsight.
Now, the Sun Never Sets on the German Empire. Vorwärts!
I begin my new attack on Afghanistan and the Indus River Delta, with 600,000 men currently hurtling towards the Allied lines.
This map shows local feeling towards me. Those areas that I've occupied the longest don't care much for me, but the majority of India seems to view me as their liberator from the British Empire.
Interesting.
The Australians, feeling threatened by their new proximity to the Eagle's borders, join the US-led Allies. Odd. I thought they'd joined earlier.
Along the length and breadth of India, Allied troops surrender to the Panzers as I begin attack the pockets of enemy territory.
Even my weakest and worst-supplied divisions are capable of pushing the Chinese back. It is true that they are better at living off the land (given their lack of fuel consumption) than I am, but they can't just loot local food forever.
Soon, we shall avenge the dead and captured at Ghazni.
Wow... the day has arrived. My scientists in Kreuzberg are now able to begin research on the world's first atomic bomb. It will be ready to construct in April '46.
We are ushering in a new age of weaponry, spearheaded by German ingenuity.
As I feared, the Chinese have firmly established themselves North of Calcutta, leaving Burma ripe for them to take and instead of giving me a great flanking position, I'm attacking another flat front of men in rough terrain.
I finally punch through on the Indus. For the first time, I control a genuine gap in the Afghanistan frontline. Hehehehe...
And so, I leave you with the Chinese army pouring dozens of divisions into a new front around Calcutta, just as I begin to demolish the previous front.
It's like a Hydra. I cut one head off, it grows another. I really have no alternative but to attack China at the same time as I attack America.
Well. I took Russia in 6 months. Maybe I can handle a two-front war as well.
END OF ENTRY 19
Is there anything Paratroopers can't achieve? Every one of those soldiers should receive a dozen medals, they've practically won your wars for you!
Also, why exactly do you have to attack America and China at the same time? So that you can beat America before the game ends?
Wouldn't you be able to just attack China from behind, maybe capture an island with an airport and then drop some paratroopers in their big cities, and then land a large force in their ports, forcing them to pull back troops from their Indian front? That would free up a lot of soldiers for one huge attack on America!
Also, why exactly do you have to attack America and China at the same time? So that you can beat America before the game ends?
Wouldn't you be able to just attack China from behind, maybe capture an island with an airport and then drop some paratroopers in their big cities, and then land a large force in their ports, forcing them to pull back troops from their Indian front? That would free up a lot of soldiers for one huge attack on America!
The problem is, China has lots of spread out victory provinces, but really bad infractructure. Meaning a "strike force" could only capture a few cities in the time it would take for the Chinese to get back and attack them.Fat_Hippo said:
I'm not at all averse to landing behind them (after securing India), but currently, the remarkable strength of the US Navy is blockading all the sea routes through the East Indies.
And, depending on the strength of the Americans, I have enough men in France. Over a million, easily, probably nearer to 2 than 1.
I just don't want to stretch my supply lines like that, more than anything. Even with two thirds of the army sitting idle, I consume 20,000 supplies a day.
The problem with the US has less to do with numbers, and more to do with capturing enough ports to get a good hold on the continent.
Is there some sort of mod that can extend the game past 1948? It would be an awful shame if we were left on a cliffhanger that could never be solved.Octorok said:
Secondly, if you research an atomic bomb, can you strap it to a ballistic missile? I imagine US national unity will drop like a stone if several of their cities vanish in a blinding flash and a mushroom cloud.
As we wait for the next entry, (and as I wait for my episode of Doctor Who to load), any votes on "where next"?
I'm obligated to go into China/the East simply because it's easier than not doing that and letting the Chinese attack me, and I have my heart set on North America, but where next should I campaign? Australia? Brazil?
Also, I think we can safely say that this LP is coming to a close. While I might go into the East Indies or South America, it'll really wrap up with the defeat of Canada and the United States, and really, despite potential setbacks, I'd struggle to lose those fights in the long run given my staggering industrial might.
It's been a fun experiment, and I'll do a far more thorough "closing thoughts" bit after I defeat the US, but I'd like to say that it really was blind. I had no idea if I'd win or lose, I never fudged anything (except neutrality) and I've never played Germany past 1939~ before.
I'm obligated to go into China/the East simply because it's easier than not doing that and letting the Chinese attack me, and I have my heart set on North America, but where next should I campaign? Australia? Brazil?
Also, I think we can safely say that this LP is coming to a close. While I might go into the East Indies or South America, it'll really wrap up with the defeat of Canada and the United States, and really, despite potential setbacks, I'd struggle to lose those fights in the long run given my staggering industrial might.
It's been a fun experiment, and I'll do a far more thorough "closing thoughts" bit after I defeat the US, but I'd like to say that it really was blind. I had no idea if I'd win or lose, I never fudged anything (except neutrality) and I've never played Germany past 1939~ before.
Taking the East Indies could make sense. Would it be possible to attack the US from the west coast at the same time as the east coast, forcing them to scramble their forces a bit? Or something like that. Maybe just as a maneuver to confuse them and then attack from the east anyway.
I'd only take Brazil if you really need it to launch a successful attack on the US East Coast.
I'd only take Brazil if you really need it to launch a successful attack on the US East Coast.
Wow. I just spent the day reading this LP, thanks for sharing! It's been a great read so far. It's also fuelled my HOI fire too, so I aim to be sitting down with it later to try and figure it all out.
I've owned this game for years, but could never get my head into it. I had more success with Victoria 2 and EU3.
Nice one!
I've owned this game for years, but could never get my head into it. I had more success with Victoria 2 and EU3.
Nice one!
I think Brazil might be a good idea, particularly as a staging area for invading the United States. You could invade along the Gulf Coast to stretch the defensive forces out further. Seeing as you now own most of Africa, crossing the Atlantic will be easier there than invading across the North Atlantic.
But then Australia seems tempting, particularly given that they've just joined the Allies... Might as well. You can clear out the last remnants of British resistance going through the East Indies while you're at it, I guess.
But then Australia seems tempting, particularly given that they've just joined the Allies... Might as well. You can clear out the last remnants of British resistance going through the East Indies while you're at it, I guess.
The Pacific is just too large. There's no feasible way to hit the West Coast as anyone other than Japan, after conquering every single island between Asia and America.Fat_Hippo said:
I'm glad you enjoyed it, I always love feedback.Roobarb said:Wow. I just spent the day reading this LP, thanks for sharing! It's been a great read so far. It's also fuelled my HOI fire too, so I aim to be sitting down with it later to try and figure it all out.
I've owned this game for years, but could never get my head into it. I had more success with Victoria 2 and EU3.
Nice one!
One vote for the, "Invade Everywhere!" camp then.Melon Hunter said: