RB PBEM #1 - Charlemagne [SPOILERS]

[Square Leg]

Can't wait to get the game back.

mh

And you wanted to throw the towl in not so long ago!

Your battle with the ottomans is really interesting - I am enjoying the updates! Keep up the good work!

[mostly_harmless]

Well, it became interesting after Dreylin fuped his initial attack.

Also my situation in real life has changed to a more happy setting.

mh

[Krill]

Well, it became interesting after Dreylin fuped his initial attack.

Also my situation in real life has changed to a more happy setting.

mh

Good to hear you are happier in RL mh I hope it stays that way for you.

[Swiss Pauli]

I'm coming over all 1683...

[Rowain]

So lets hope for Vienna that there is Jan(=John) Sobieski close by.

[mostly_harmless]

Vienna has not been attacked, which counts as a success in my book. It has been bombed down to 0% cultural defense, though.
Medina was taken, as expected. And the guerilla II infantry also took a tank down with it and injured a second. It also kept 2 bombers and 3 fighters busy. Quite a nice record, no matter what Dreylin says.

He secured Medina with a lot of rubbish troops. Too much, though, to allow for a easy re-capture. Also all his paratroopers got re-located there.
Had to move my own jump-preventer around Prague now. Have to keep the railroads to Vienna open.

I am now counting, 31tanks & 7bombers in range for Vienna.

4 of my own tanks run off the production lines next turn (3 within striking range) with a 3 more to follow the next turn. Not much, but they might be able to hurt his artillery stack.

Of course, Dreylin is not losing anything by playing it safe against me, making sure he avoids another stack defeat. Ruff is busy and Dreylin has all the time in the world. So of course he is not going to risk 20 tanks when he can have 40 in two turns.
I am still happy to have forced him into this.
Every turn Vienna survives is good.

mh

[mostly_harmless]

Quick turnaround time for this turn. And no taunting message from Dreylin in the public thread. Is he still not attacking Vienna???
.
.
.
Open the game and see a green spot east of Vienna!!! So his tanks have arrived. But Vienna still stands apparently.

So let’s looks at the attack in detail:

First came some covert actions.
Spies trying to bring down the bunkers at Vienna. Due to the counterespionage mission I ran against him, it was costly. Caught two spies. And the third only succeeded after some RNG nudging (Fighter striking on Spearman). (I am actually not sure whether there were 3 or only 2 spies and I caught the second after he successfully completed the mission.)

Ok, no bunkers in Vienna, exposing my units to the full power of the air force.

Next came the artilleries. 13 of them vs. my Infantry lead by Arminius. One retreated., 12 got killed, but dealt significant collateral damage.

Then the bombers, attempting to bring down the MGs, which are immune to collateral from the artilleries.
7 bomber wings attacked. 3 got intercepted by SAM Infantry. Yay! 4 got through, though, and damaged my MGs and further dealt collateral damage.

And now for the meat. Tanks attack!
Instructed by Lysander my anti-tanks man the Vienna parameter. Incoming shots are answered by swarms of MILAN missiles.
10 tanks go up in flames. But also 8 anti-tank units die, including Lysander. However, considering the damage the guys had to take from artillery and bombers before, I am actually quite happy.

Dreylin, apparently not too happy with the performance of his tanks, sends forward his fighters on striking missions. (Well, all anti-tanks have seen action, so Infantry and MG are probably next top defenders.) From 15 wings only 1 gets intercepted by a MG. The rest damages Infantry and MG units.

Second wave of tanks attempting to take out the considerably damaged defenders. 8 tanks successfully kill their adversaries. Only one tank gets killed by an infantry.

Second wave of artillery fire to prepare for the infantry storm.
6 artilleries attack. 3 could retreat. And again I suffer a lot of collateral.

And here comes the infantry!
13 attack the top-defending MGs. Managed to kill 6, lose 7 MGs.
Arminius (Inf) takes over the defense. 7 more infantry attack. 4 got killed, I lost 3 Inf myself.

Then, in another twist of battle order, outdated cavalry attacks from the east. I kill 5. 1 retreats. But 3 infantry were lost in this fight.

And a second wave of infantry/cavalry. 13 units (12inf/1cav) dealing quite some damage. 9 further Infantry are lost, only 4 attackers could be beaten.

And then ... that's it! Vienna survives, badly damaged.
I have a Ottoman army in the east, consisting of 18Tanks, 5Cav reinforced by 7Infantry, 1MG & 4 cannons. The two movers are all damaged (except 3tanks). The 1movers are all full health.

On the hill in the west, he has 21 badly wounded infantry left. 7 MGs at full health, and 4 surviving artilleries. Also Dreylins Paratrooper must have petitioned him quite a lot, to finally be allowed to jump. So, yes, they jumped. All 9 of them, from Medina, three tiles to reinforce his infantry stack. Pffft! What a move.

-------

So what is the threat for Vienna. Only 4 artilleries (wounded) and ~5 bombers can hit Vienna next turn and deal collateral. But there are also ~15fighters who can still do a lot of harm. Fighters can damage units down to 50% I believe.
And there are also, a lot of tanks left over, with, I assume, a lot of potential promotions on them. And they can all double attack next turn. The 9 paratroopers are also an issue.
There are only a couple of SAM Infantry left at full health in Vienna. The rest is injured, but not too badly. The Drill promotions seemed to have blunted the collateral edge somewhat.
But for exactly that situation, I have kept 17 artilleries in reserve.

--------

So lets see. The tanks have to go. Fortunately I got artilleries to spare and 3 tanks on my own, which can reach the front line this turn.
I also got another Great General (Yay! Imperialistic). Since I think in these material intensive battles, single heroic units are rather less useful and I need some guys to strike back right now, I distribute the 20XP among 14 units that are wounded and just 1XP short of the next promotion. Cav, MGs, SAM, Inf, Antitanks. All get a promotion, heal some and are ready to fire back.

So lets tackle the tanks first. Suicide artilleries and tanks first, taking out all healthy top defenders.
And then a mixture of SAMs, ATs, Inf, Cav (most of them already injured, but the suicide artilleries were worth their pay!) and mopping up with my archer!!!
Minimal losses. And the eastern stack is completely wiped out.

The western army with all those healthy paratroopers and MGs is currently not attackable. I sent in 4 suicide artilleries to nudge down the paratroopers, preventing them from trying anything funny next turn.


So the overall stats of T184 (attack & counterattack) are:
Lost units:
Ottoman:
29 Tanks
10 Cav
21 Inf
15 Art
4 Can
1 MG

HRE:
22 Inf
8 AT
1 SAM
9 Art
8 MG

Not quite a 2:1 kill ratio. (yet, let's see what he does with his injured stack next.)
Vienna is save for next turn. Dreylin's remaining army is well injured and two tiles away from his borders. 2 new tanks together with a bit more reinforcements will trickle in next turn.

End turn things:
I penalty-whipped the bunkers back into place at Vienna. Took out 3 citizens (now size 4) but then I don't have much improved tiles around anyway and the bunker might come in handy next turn against the swarms of fighters and bombers. Or Dreylin has to spend another spy or two to get rid of it.
Either way, I think those 3 citizens are well invested.

Also, got another Great General! Let’s save him for next turn.

All in all, this turn ends with a bleeding but grinning HRE!

mh

[Rowain]

All in all, this turn ends with a bleeding but grinning HRE!

mh

Gratulations

[athlete4life10]

I must say I'm quite pleased with your defence so far. I doubt I'd have fared nearly as well if I were in your shoes. Being able to attack out this turn sounds like it was a gutsy but very well played move so congratulations to you!!!

[novice]

Wow, what a bloodbath! Good going.

What have you got defending Vienna now? Will it fall next turn?