Polish replacements

[GunnerC]

Currently playing an interesting game (1.8(a)) with Raver - Axis (Raver) chose the pre-war build, Allies chose to play a waiting game. Currently approaching the Sitzkrieg - Axis have taken West Poland and Norway (quite brilliantly :mad: ), Russia have taken East Poland, Bessarabia, and Baltic States.

This all happened quite quickly, then it all stopped. Axis doesn't seem to want to take the Balkans (at least yet) and quite sensibly doesn't seem to want to invade France until 1940. UK and France haven't yet declared war - looks like they're waiting for the Axis to do it. This has led to a sort of mini unofficial Sitzkrieg :bored: , I suspect none of the last 10 turns have taken over 5 minutes to play.

My question is, two Polish armies have arrived as replacements in the last few turns. As West Poland is fully occupied by Axis forces they have appeared in hex 106,66 the little bit of the Russian side that threatens to stick through into the West. This has effectively made them Allied units the other side of the exclusion zone to the Axis.

They'll be quite useful as more sacrificial front-line defenders against Barbarossa ("Not again ! :hurt: " they must be thinking), but is this what was planned - or just a useful by-product of what's happened ?

[Chuck?]

These Polish reinforcements are part of the 'reconstitution loop'. Units that are destroyed earlier miss out on the withdrawal event and will continuously reappear.

[GunnerC]

Hmmmm ....

Does this mean suicide attacks the turn before Warsaw is going to fall is a useful - if very 'gamey' - tactic ? :(

[Mark Stevens]

Regettably so, if you can identify (from the Scenario Editor) which Allied units are set to reconstitute (and it'll work the same for the Axis minors as nemesis approaches), but hopefully no one would be so shameless as to deliberately play such a tactic. Hem hem.

[Basilhare]

Originally posted by Chuck
These Polish reinforcements are part of the 'reconstitution loop'. Units that are destroyed earlier miss out on the withdrawal event and will continuously reappear.

We always disband these rogue units as they reappear.....

[John Paul]

If i may insert my opinion,humblely,into the subject.Are they really rogue units?Though the timing is off the Russians raised a large army out of their Polish prisoners of war.I doubt if after the stab in the back by the Russians many poles would be willing to fight for them,but maybe if an agreement is reached then they can be used later in the game after germany attacks Russia?

[Mark Stevens]

I agree: there aren't that many units from minor nations set to reconstitute, and I think it's only those that are waiting to return when their formation is withdrawn that reappear. I've always felt that if that leads to a few extra units turning out for one side or the other it makes things slightly more interesting, and less predictable. Who knows whether a few thousand more Belgians might not have escaped across the Channel and been reformed in the UK? Or the Russians decide to put some of their Polish prisoners to better use than a PoW camp? Or a Rumanian corps or so decide to stick with their German allies when the country surrenders to the USSR?

[Chuck?]

I don't think it is that big of deal really. Most of these units are weak and aren't going to make much of a difference. It mostly adds some 'flavor' to the scenario. The only problem I had was when almost the entire Swiss army kept popping up in Switzerland over and over.

[Mark Stevens]

Clearly the gallant Swiss partisan spirit burning strongly.