Koenigsberg question...

[jack54]

should I evacuate major forces,(Schoremer's cavalry and Lehwaldts infanty) from Koenigsberg leaving only the fortress garrison...there seems to be little they can do in Koenigsberg, they nearly starved to death during a siege and were only saved by old man winter forcing the Russians to leave...further west the Swedish force is also fairly large, perhaps Schoremer and Lehwaldt could help...not sure it's possible but the north has become a problem for me.

basically are Stettin,Kolberg,Koenigsberg defendable or do I consolidate forces more inland? thanks for any help!

[Soderini]

I always evacuate as soon as possible. Memel can't be protected anyway, and to defend Königsberg you don't need Lehwald. You can add an extra garrison unit, a supply store and a sappers unit (gives a +1 against the besiegers!) which will all help much more than imprisoning what is essentialy your northern army behind wall. Wether it is worth the trouble is another question entirely. I'd say no. Königsberg will fall regardless and I've rarely see the Russians cross the Weichsel.

Colberg on the other hand should be defended.

[Narwhal]

I sent the strong cavalry force away from the very beginning of the game.

As for the second army, with some luck and the most determined defense (the RED icon), I managed to keep Konigsberg very long (until late '57 if I remember correctly). Just make sure you stop defending and retreat at the good moment - you don't want to lose the whole army. Also, do not by any mean put them into garrison.

Those extra months should allow you to get rid of the Swedes for the rest of the war (I took everything between the north of Prussia and the north of Denmark except Stralsund during those few month, and since I kept Stralsund sieged, there were no Swedes roaming around).

I never bothered with Wesel. Maybe it is possible to win a few months by defending Wesel, but I don't see why the AI would not go directly for Königsberg.

[jack54]

Thank you all: I really messed it up apparently...it'll be fun trying to save it.

[Narwhal]

In my current game, I was currently able to destroy totally the 1757 AI Russian army in front of Königsberg. 100 000 Russians or so dead - most of them by the frost. My commander died in one of the battles, though (either that, or an event made him disappear).

Now, there are more Russians coming in May 1758, but my troops are ready and have experience. I just need to bring new leaders.

[Clovis]

In my current game, I was currently able to destroy totally the 1757 AI Russian army in front of Königsberg. 100 000 Russians or so dead - most of them by the frost. My commander died in one of the battles, though (either that, or an event made him disappear).

Now, there are more Russians coming in May 1758, but my troops are ready and have experience. I just need to bring new leaders.

I need more indsight on this. Russian AI is the worst and I've no time now for test.

[Narwhal]

At the beginning of the game, you have two armies in Königsberg : a "regular" army and a cav army.

I sent the cavalry army away (it is in Hessen now, it just helped Wutginau to take Kassel back from the Austrians - your AI can really surprise the player) so I only used the "other" army.

From the beginning of the game, I bought "troops" for this army : mostly Fort Batteries (there are 7 now) and Garrisons, plus a few other things if I felt like it).

When the Russians arrived, I put everything in the same stack (except one garrison), put the fat stack outside the city in defensive / Hold at all cost posture. I also have two small cav units (Freicorps for instance) in Elbing, Poland.

The Russians broke their teeth the first turn of their attacks. Several battles (one a day) in which they are defeated, lose on average 50% more than I do, but never retreat out of the province.

At the end of the turn after the first attack, my army is exhausted (I suppose the Russians are as well) so I put everyone inside Königsberg. So I have a lot of troops inside, including fort batteries and supplies, and I can hold a long time. Then, I just cross finger for winter to come quickly.

Russians start to siege the city, usually with the troops that drew the first blood and some fresh stacks. That's when my cav cut their line of supply by occupying Grossjagersdorff and Ragnit. "Et voilà". As soon as winter arrives, the Russian stacks melt down and I destroy them once and for all when I sortie the stack I garrisoned in Königsberg.

I did the Hold at all cost in another game, and it had exactly the same effect even though I had built less troops and I was in Hard difficulty (I won a lot of battle, reaping important NM, but the Russians stay on the province). Only last time I had then evacuated to Kolberg, allowing the Russian to take Königsberg. I then lost the game before their attack on Northern Prussia developped (Frederic was captured after a siege, so I assumed it was a defeat).

I would not have killed 100 000 Russians by winter if :
- the russians had retreated to Memel or Kurland or, possibly,
- they had protected their supply line

Note that the game I am currently playing, winter came quite early (late nov or early dec IIRC).

I can send you the savegame if you want with the archives, even though I am late June 1758 now.

Also, since you are here : I believe the decision "Fortify Memel" is devastating for the AI. They never managed to take anything beyond Munster, which I have taken back, and Memel is still in my hands (but I believe I was extremely lucky on it - and also they had to send some troops South when I sieged Frankfurt am Maim).

[Clovis]

At the beginning of the game, you have two armies in Königsberg : a "regular" army and a cav army.

I sent the cavalry army away (it is in Hessen now, it just helped Wutginau to take Kassel back from the Austrians - your AI can really surprise the player) so I only used the "other" army.

From the beginning of the game, I bought "troops" for this army : mostly Fort Batteries (there are 7 now) and Garrisons, plus a few other things if I felt like it).

When the Russians arrived, I put everything in the same stack (except one garrison), put the fat stack outside the city in defensive / Hold at all cost posture. I also have two small cav units (Freicorps for instance) in Elbing, Poland.

The Russians broke their teeth the first turn of their attacks. Several battles (one a day) in which they are defeated, lose on average 50% more than I do, but never retreat out of the province.

At the end of the turn after the first attack, my army is exhausted (I suppose the Russians are as well) so I put everyone inside Königsberg. So I have a lot of troops inside, including fort batteries and supplies, and I can hold a long time. Then, I just cross finger for winter to come quickly.

Russians start to siege the city, usually with the troops that drew the first blood and some fresh stacks. That's when my cav cut their line of supply by occupying Grossjagersdorff and Ragnit. "Et voilà". As soon as winter arrives, the Russian stacks melt down and I destroy them once and for all when I sortie the stack I garrisoned in Königsberg.

I did the Hold at all cost in another game, and it had exactly the same effect even though I had built less troops and I was in Hard difficulty (I won a lot of battle, reaping important NM, but the Russians stay on the province). Only last time I had then evacuated to Kolberg, allowing the Russian to take Königsberg. I then lost the game before their attack on Northern Prussia developped (Frederic was captured after a siege, so I assumed it was a defeat).

I would not have killed 100 000 Russians by winter if :
- the russians had retreated to Memel or Kurland or, possibly,
- they had protected their supply line

Note that the game I am currently playing, winter came quite early (late nov or early dec IIRC).

I can send you the savegame if you want with the archives, even though I am late June 1758 now.

Also, since you are here : I believe the decision "Fortify Memel" is devastating for the AI. They never managed to take anything beyond Munster, which I have taken back, and Memel is still in my hands (but I believe I was extremely lucky on it - and also they had to send some troops South when I sieged Frankfurt am Maim).

For Russian AI I will do domething. Got an idea.

You're certainly talking about Wesel. Let's see. Sometimes French AI is very slow a taking Wesel, but usually it shows more activity in the next months...

Thanks for the post.