Part 4: Turn 6, Turn 7, Turn 8
Turn 6: September 3rd, 1914 or Rivers and CapitalsTurn updates
We can research navies. A gamey thing to do is to immediately disband this lab but our brave German scientists see value in continuing research so that we may one day wrest control of the water from Great Britain.
Two armies, two garrisons, and most of all, our new Austrian artillery! Artillery uses shells but after 5 turns we have some stockpiled. One note is that unlike armies, artillery cannot move and fire. That means we won't be able to use it this turn. Hopefully burning lead will help force Serbia out of their mountains and trenches.
Generals
So I mentioned we had deployed our first generals and that they cover stats but let's look at the men who will lead us to victory.
This is von Hindenburg, hero of
For simplicity's sake any general's armies will be known as whoever's army from here on out.
von Falkenhayn adds two to defense so he is in the trenches protecting our civilians from the unwashed Russian hordes.
von Hotzendorf adds 1 to shock. He is deployed in Serbia to try and and add some decisiveness to the battles there.
In the west, we reinforce our Elsass-Lothringen line and start shifting our armies west, taking opportunity attacks where we can. We also deploy a new army to reinforce our thrust against Paris.
Ignore the French army shifting there was a screenshot error
In the north we have an army with cavalry support try to take Calais. This will give us more production while giving France less. After fierce fighting a battered division hangs on.
We also deploy our artillery closer to Paris. The operational plan is let Elsass-Lothringen hold on and use the five armies with artillery and cavalry support to sweep away smaller corps surrounding Paris and then take the city itself. The northern army will be redeployed once we can get a reserve to Liege.
In the east we have two armies take an attack of opportunity and shatter most of a Russian army. We are going to be slowly outnumbered here so hopefully the plan to end the war by Christmas continues as planned.
Damn the Danube! Our men fight bravely, with one army and our reserve crossing the river to be in a better position to attack but a single dogged division hangs on in the capital. Our artillery, having just been deployed was inactive. Hopefully they are off guard enough that they won't be able to react and we will have Belgrade in a week. We also deploy our 5th Army and next turn it will be ready to smash the Serbs.
Diplomacy:
Management:
Allied Response
Sensing deep down that Verdun is associated with pointless bloodshed, the French start moving towards Paris. They still trail the bulk of our forces but they do seem to be onto us. They take a shot at one of our armies on the way and they trade a division or so.
The battered defenders of Calais are pulled out and replaced with fresh reserves.
With no men nearby it is hard to tell but our recon planes think they British troops and escorts and moving towards French controlled territory. This will delay their deployment and hopefully allow us to take Calais and be done with the distraction.
The Royal Belgrade Army is back home and will provide a much more robust defense. That said, the battered reserve is vulnerable so we can hopefully isolate Belgrade and hit it from all sides.
More Russians each turn. Seems they are just outfitting farmers and factory workers and hurling them at us.
Our hearts go out to Koenigsburg.
They are amassing troops at Przemysl. Luckily it is a fortress city and should deter the barbarians from throwing their next generation into the meatgrinder.
Turn 7: September 17, 1914
Two new armies but not much else.
This guy appeared over the turn though. Our first iron ore convoy. This is worth 100 production points. Each step taken off reduces that by ten. If this makes it to Koenigsburg we can produce 5 armies (not including upkeep). It is in our best interest to make sure this is safe.
Our industry keeps on churning and we will receive 1 Austrian and 1 German army per turn.
Diplomacy:
Management:
In the east we shift the 1st Eastern Army and repair it while using the 2nd Eastern Army to get a hit where it can on a reserve.
We also move up a new reserve to block any Russian advances into our main territory.
The shelling of Belgrade begins. It doesn't kill many men but it reduces their efficiency just a bit. Another two weeks of shelling after this should produce nice results. Our plucky little Temeschburg Reserve destroys one of theirs and our 4th Army almost destroys another Serbian reserve, forcing it south. Although Belgrade is a supply point, they are surrounding and we will have four units with artillery ready to hit them next turn.
Another army is placed. We are now in a great position to take Belgrade.
In the west, our Liege Reserve allows us to move our blocking force away from Antwerp. We hit Calais again and now both reserves are close to breaking.
A French army is shelled and destroyed west of Verdun. Our other forces move close to Paris and start to hit their reserves. A full French army is dug in on the Marne. This won't be an easy attack but the plan is the same: destroy the reserves, surround Paris, shell it, then hit it where the Marne can't save them.
Also a note, the reason I am no longer worried about Antwerp is they are now at half supply, denoted by that yellow triangle. That means they will attack and defend with less efficiency. Even with the fortress multiple assaults will really hit their efficiency and eventually shatter them. No supply, shown by a red dot, means units will lose 1 step per turn, only can move 1 hex per turn, and will get wrecked in battle. Don't get surrounded.
The reason Antwerp was in supply before was the British escort squadron. I think I mentioned this but they provide limited supply to nearby land hexes.
Allied Response
Serbia attacks our weakened Temeschburg Reserve but we still have a zone of control fencing Belgrade in. The attacking force also (and foolishly) moves into the gap and out of their trenches.
Russia, not being afraid of casualties fights a bloody engagement with 1st Eastern Army and both lose a corps. Despite this, they keep moving against Posen. We are so close in the west and south, hopefully we can get men here soon.
Very soon. The enemy are at the gates of Breslau and Krakow is under attack. Most of their forces are still reserves but they keep throwing more and more at our least defended borders.
Note, in the west units are shifted beyond our line of sight and they repair their reserves, nothing interesting
Turn 8: October 1st, 1914
Our factory workers, farmers, and civilians increase their commitment to the cause to up our industry and two more armies are ready for deployment.
Research:
Research update. In one turn we will have fully figured out the art of industrial war. This will allow us to more effectively outfit our Austrian armies and increase their base defense. German scientists are close to finally perfecting grenade technology. This will increase our assault capabilities and should help against fortified Frenchmen.
Production:
Two more armies. Belgian factories are starting to get repaired and are now helping to fuel our war effort.
Diplomacy:
The sick man of Europe, wanting to reclaim their prior prestige, is leaning towards joining our invincible armies soon. This will divide Britain and Russia's interest and if we can smash Serbia and control the Balkans, give us a rail link from France to the Middle East.
Management:
Upkeep is starting to take its toll but we can still produce new armies each turn. Hopefully more captured lands will help us keep up the pace in new commissions.
In the east we deploy an army to Breslau. I know we want to focus on the west but we need more support here and we can't give Russia free production. We also repair our armies engaged in bloody fighting in the north.
We pull our German reserve to a more defensible position behind a river and move our Austrian one up. We also reinforce the Krakow defense. A new Austrian army is deployed to meet the Russian horde as well.
We shell the Royal Belgrade Army and then strike with three armies from north of the Danube. Brave Austrians fall in and drown, dragged down by heavy equipment. Then, as it seems like the attack will fail our 4th Army storms the city from the south. With shells raining in from Austrian gunners nonstop, the defenders surrender to the victorious 4th army and the city is occupied.
Get that fuckin clay.
So because we don't have Skopje they can still produce units but most of their army is shattered, their production is greatly decreased, and their morale is much lower. Aside from mopping up, we can now start shifting forces to the Russian front and not only holding the bear back, but rather moving him by force. We should also look into garrisoning the border with Italy since diplomatic intercepts show they may use this war as a pretense to take Trento and Trieste.
Flanking actions on the other large Serbian formation to ensure we don't lose Belgrade after working so hard to take it.
In the west, our northern units take Calais and start to form a line to prevent the larger armies from support Paris.
Rivers and capitals. In the middle, the stage is set for one hell of a battle. We repair and fan out our units. Next turn, we can begin shelling Paris and will have three armies ready to attack the city, but two are behind the damn Marne. More likely, we will crush the reserves, move to the lovely flat land behind Paris, and then pound it into dust. Either way, we expect to lose many of our best and brightest but this is it. Serbia has been dealt a major blow and it is now France's turn.
Allied Response
France places another army in the north (yesss) and pulls back from Verdun. They also repair their meager reserves.
That Russian corps moves towards Danzing. Too much Vodka maybe?
Krakow is hit again, another units moves up, and Russia is content to repair their northern units. With some actual armies in the area maybe these lines will hold for a while.