On a sadder note, Britain is now 97% aligned with rebels. I fear we may be losing their assistance soon. -----------------------------------------------------------
Wait. What? How did that happen so fast???
To End All Wars AAR in the War Room. Join us as we laugh, we cry, we drink beer, and we joke on how badly I play......
H Gilmer3 wrote:On a sadder note, Britain is now 97% aligned with rebels. I fear we may be losing their assistance soon. -----------------------------------------------------------
My troops assume a defensive formation, as it is unclear as to why the other 2 Serb armies are not present. Luckily, they do arrive just in time to save the day.
A lone Austrian corps attempts to probe my defenses. It is followed by a bigger army, but they do not get there in time... The first battle is a bit conservative, whereas the next day I got for a full assault.
Central Powers are on the offensive across the entire border. Lodz, Kowno are besieged, and Dubno is about to be. That is why I attempt an offensive with Brusilov to distract some of CP forces, and just maybe buy enough time to retreat and activate my reserves.
Brusilov offensive of 1914 is proceeding smoothly, and Czernowitz falls. The CP corps protecting it is nowhere to be found, and I am pondering whether to continue or to pull back.
I manage to rally up two armies against one Austrian one, and Russians attack. My general fails the activation check, it seems - the only battle plan I get to choose is the standard one.
Central Powers are extremely agressive - they assault Warsaw full strength, and not even Russian 2nd army can help. At least Pultusk-Bielostok railroad is still in my hands for a hasty retreat.
We mourn the loss of Samsonov, one of the best army generals I had this time around (3-4-0).
In a somewhat embarassing moment, I managed to allow AI to surround two of my armies. 4th army by Lublin will have to fight its way east, and 2nd and 9th will have to be shipped out by rail, while I still can.
Austrian troops make a mad dash for Kiev. Even though I turn around Brusilov's 8th army last turn, and speed it back by rail, it may not be enough to protect the Mother City of all Russians. Ouch.
Brusilov intercepts the rogue Austrian corps just before it crosses Dniepr into Kiew. It is almost a massacre, as enemy is exhausted and - almost - out of supply - the next battle will surely see them starved.
In a follow-up to my successful assault at Kremenetz, Plehve's 5th army keeps pushing south in order to keep a corridor open for Saltza's 4th army, retreating from Lublin. Germans troops are starting to show up in Ruthenia.
Note how Plehve keeps being unable to select anything other than standard deployment.
It is hard to hold front against enemy commanders such as von Bulow (6-1-3), von Kluck (8-7-0), and von Gallvitz (7-4-0). Even a river cannot stop them. Perhaps I should be happy I am not losing entire armies in each battle... but I have to protect my GHQ so it has time to escape.
Warsaw and Ivangorod fell last turn, and it is time to sound general retreat for whoever is still left standing. In the dozen EAW games I have played already, this is the most crushing defeat I have suffered in the region.
I was able to successfully retreat my troops from Pultusk and Lublin, so the next opportunity is Kowel. Two Austrian stacks are advancing north; the larger one numbers 49K, the smaller one is unknown. I really do not want to follow them into the marshes and moors this close to winter.
Russian forces attempted to sneak in front of CP positions and occupy Koschedair, forcing enemy to attack across the river... but German troops were entering the town at the same time as well.
It is surprising that Germans cannot use their overwhelming advantage in that area in 1914 to capture Riga and Minsk within 2 months...
This time around I want to concentrate on the air battles, on the impact of technology on losses, and whatnot. I also want to see firsthand if units do upgrade, and how their experience develops.
So here's the first encounter, 24 Russian early bombers against, I believe, 12 German early fighters. My own fighters decide not to join, despite being present in the same stack. I lose 4 planes to Sta.8.
We manage to stop the German juggernaught for the first time, courtesy of the 9th army arriving straight from Warsaw suburbs.
I wonder if German GHQ is nearby, as the top 3 German commanders had higher ratings this turn - 7-1-3 for von Bulow, 9-7-0 for von Kluck, 8-4-0 for von Gallvitz.
I continue to enjoy success on the southermost front, where Brusilov is facing light Austrian opposition.
The CP corps attempting to assault Kiew is now on the run, down to half of its original 62K, and now out of supply.
The CP corps protecting Czernowitz has evaded my troops for a month in the past, but is now blocked at Podolsk, down to a third from 23K two weeks ago.
I lose Lutzk and Novo-Georgiewsk, as CP methodically continues to clear one fortress after another. On the bright side, 8th Austrian army corps is finally destroyed, leaving me with several nice trophies, from pontoon bridges to field hospitals. Lemberg is besieged, at least for now. Where will the 4 Austrian armies, strung up in a line from Ivangorod to Kowel go next?