No AAR?

Nemesis Lead

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We just had a pair of battles posted between two of our best players--ER Chaser and Taktik.

One game ER won and the other was a draw.

But there is no AAR on the ladder or here! Come on guys! What happened?

I (and I think others) love to read about matchups of our best.
 

Taktik

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Darn. Someone noticed :) lol. These certainly weren’t my best games and I hoped they’d fall into obscurity without anyone noticing :)

I almost conceded these games at one point since I spent the last few months trying to achieve something on the home front while only maintaining a tenuous connection to my CM games. My turn rate was glacial but ER kindly stuck with me and we were able to finish them up.

There aren’t many highlights really, at least on my side of the wire. Both games were 3000-point QB MEs, fall 1944, armor force-mix.

Both maps featured several small hills, undulations and patches of woods, but it was like fighting on pool tables. At least it seemed so when I tried to maneuver my armor against Hetzers, hidden guns and a King Tiger, which all seemed to threaten every spot I’d dash too. It was also hard to push with infantry as tanks and machine guns were able to interdict with great effect.

Unfortunately, we used the generated maps from the QB and didn’t import a map, so we were stuck with the long setup zones that I had come to dislike years ago. Xuebo brought lots of ATGs in both games. With canned QB ME maps, you can place your guns during setup, checking every possible spot for the best LOS and stay hidden without having to move them. This is particularly deadly to an armor-heavy force. Xuebo came prepared J. I took no ATGS.

Both games evolved with Xuebo and I rushing portions of our forces to what flags we could, then devolved with us holding on and shuffling the remaining forces here and there to repel any incursions from the enemy seeking to take a flag.

Successes to note in my games as Russians, few as they were:

I was finally able to engage a pair of Hetzers on my far left flank with the loss of a few T85s. However, I lost all steam when my supporting infantry and some of Xuebo’s on that flank mutually slaughtered each other. Additionally, on T85 was picked off by a hidden ATG on this flank and I heard a flak gun and noted a few Hetzer markers not far off. All this intel conspired to thwart any further action on this flank. My remaining T85 and infantry remnants clung to their gains and hoped/waited for better things to happen elsewhere.

In the center our infantry clashed around a big flag. I actually had SMG infantry here and was able to repel the Germans inflicting some decent losses. The Germans retreated nearby, but were on a reverse side of a hill so we both held in place here the whole game.

On my right, Xuebo was able to take a flag from me towards the end of the game. He brought a pair of StuGs and positioned a handful of Hetzers along with the KT to support a company sized infantry force. The attack came along a hollow out of LOS from my nearby troops. The flag was overrun. There was a little back and forth as I finally brought over a few tank plts, which inexplicably sat around for most of the game, to contest this flag. In the end, I didn’t want to risk any more armor – the green KT KO’d a few moving T85s – so I pulled them out of LOS and hit GO till the game ended.

Over the course of the game I was able to whittle away at his Hetzers and killed a few StuGs. My own tank losses were shameful. The draw was kind to me; the way I handled my tanks, I deserved an L.

My game as Germans followed a very similar pattern as the Russian one. Rushing flags, jostling for position, holding flags, repelling the enemy.

Again, I made some headway on a flank, this time on my right. But, it was simply for show and didn’t accomplish much or effect the outcome of the fight. Lost a tank to a hidden gun here as well and was ambushed by a plt of SMG infantry.

I had a plt of PzIVs on my left flank for quite a while. Nothing happened on this flank, so I finally brought them to the center to help take a big flag. This flag was in a deep hollow. Xuebo had earlier rushed some tanks and an infantry force to invest this position. I would have to go up the little hill, fight on the crest, and then go down the reverse slope. Not to smart to try this, eh? What did I do? Tried it anyways. I will point out that for a great many turns my tanks and infantry sat nearby this enemy position doing nothing, till near the end of the game. By this time, Xuebo had deployed his forces to cover any and all approaches. When I finally dribbed and drabbed my way forward he picked off a number of my tanks from positions way back where I had no indication he was even there. Another hidden gun chimed in too, getting some flank shots off. Russian SMG infantry emerged in the woods on the crest of the hill and sent my own advancing German SMG infantry packing.

It was a very dull, uninspired move on my part. Xuebo must have felt sorry for me at this point. The game ended soon after.

In my German game, I had fewer tanks than I normally do, and an odd mix at that, but not sure this was my undoing. A plt of PzIVh and a plt of JPIV is not the best combo. However, Xuebo never really exposed his armor or offered a moving engagement. The JPs simply sat around like basking turtles most of the game, eventually moving forward shooting at infantry here and there, while ultimately finding no reason for there being in this fight. Which leads me too…

What did I learn? I learned more about my good buddy, ER, through these last four games. :) He is a very good player. Worse, his style, IMO, is tailor made to give me fits.

Cautious is often used to describe a weakness. Here I would say it is a strength for Xuebo. Not a caution that reflects indecision or lack of aggression, but a caution that keeps his force preserved for as along as possible, denying the enemy anything easy.

Most of ER’s tanks stayed well, well back. He offered no flank shots by trying to get greedy or go somewhere that wasn’t absolutely necessary. He gave my own armor nothing to go by. His Russian armor stayed far back and hidden for much of the game, except for one time. While I was massing my tanks by the big flag in the middle, ER raced a T34-85 down a road to get in behind them. I must say I was astonished to actually see one of Xuebo’ Russian tanks for more than a minute. I finally had a target and was able to kill it. It was a nice move on his part and could have paid dividends but I was grateful to actually see something to shoot.

Xuebo plays the role of counter-puncher very well, setting things up for the other guy to make a mistake or try and come get him. Give nothing, use caution whenever possible is a bad combo for Taktik to go against. Xuebo obviously knew I could do nothing to his Hetzers frontally. For the most part he ensured I could get no flank shots; the Hetzers were there for me to see as well as the KT, mocking, waiting for me to make a move. Waiting to unveil another hidden gun were I rash enough to try something.

He played two excellent games, great wins.

Now, once again, we start some new fights. This time we are trying out a custom map imported into the QBs. This time the setup zones are very small in opposite corners of the map. Unlike the QB generated ME maps, we both will have to actually maneuver a great deal more and engage the enemy in a battle that is more “Meeting Engagement” like.

I’ll have more time and interest in these fights so hopefully I can provide more detailed action and put up a better effort.
 

Nemesis Lead

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Wow--thank you for the great write up. With good players, these games unfold like Chess Matches.

I agree that ER is a methodical player who is very smart in taking no unnecessary risks.
 

ER_Chaser

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Not much to say, NL. that is why I did not feel to write anything. I am still trying to figure out how to play ME games. Again, in the last 3 ME games (the one vs. POS does not count, it is actually defense), I got two draws and only one win. Fundamentally, because the force points are even for both sides, it is much harder to employ strategies like in attack/defense to avoid luck factors, that is probably why I cannot make it better. Well, it is harder, it should not be impossible. The chess players start with exactly same pieces, yet a good player can secure sure wins against weaker players. CMBB should be the same, it is just that I am not that good yet. :)
 

ER_Chaser

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LOL... too many good words from Craig about me :) Thank you buddy, but my face is red now :) ... nah.. I am not that good at all. Not yet :)

P.S. I am so tired after my badminton afternoon (I played 6 matches, each with 2 games...) .. maybe I will have to do my turns tomorrow ... sorry buddy :)
 
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Taktik excellent...I have awarded bonus points and a medal for service. I believe we should have a contest in AAR writing.:smoke:
 

Taktik

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Thanks Wayne, for the points :)

An AAR writing contest would be fun.

I forgot to mention my severe malfunction in not taking any 82mm FOs in my Russian game. It was/is SOP for me. The Germans I don't worry so much taking smoke, but usually have at least one smoke FO on hand anyways. In both games, smoke would have helped a good deal.
 
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