Tactical Mistakes

[shaper]

Got thinking about games where there were really serious game deciding tactical mistakes were made or a routine operation  went sideways?

This one was brutal.

…
Was testing the luftwaffe start trying some different responses, mixing it up a little.

Russia parks infantry in Karalia goes 19/2.

Pretty standard opening for Germany, Does a  Decided to send two infantry into the caucasus and leaves a picket in the Ukraine.  The infantry win without casualty.  Some tanks held in reserve to protect the German build.  Almost everything goes to Eastern Europe including all of the fighters which can reach. 2Ftr/1inf/1tank placed.

England saves, manages to miss the baltic transport, unlucky bomber.

Japanese buy a tank and chase down the Aussie transport, open up Mongolia and Go heavy into China.  Land their tank on the coast.

America builds and I decide to mix it up and put pressure on Japan, since their carrier is out of position.  Built a couple ships and a bomber on WC and move some airpower to Alaska. So far so good.

_Russia decides to try an armor build, to see if it can get strike capability against EE, or maybe get aggressive later with japan now that there is a sizeable core in Sinkiang.  Russia reinforces Sinkiang.

Soviets decide to send a couple of fighters and a couple infantry to dispatch the German presence in the caucusus. 98% win chance overall.    Passed on the Ukraine because wanted to keep a large infantry buffer in Karalia and the fighters were busy.

In tactical mode just looking at the battle board.  Both soviet infantry die, both German infantry standing. Complete soviet miss., like hmm. 2 fighters vs 2 infantry.  can’t afford to lose a fighter or two…  Retreat them to Karalia. _

Non-combat.  Russia retreats fighters and hits the button.  Next phase.

Place units… look at the board and see trouble.
Russia empty with two infantry right next door.  Look at the stack of fighters in EE and drop 4 the tanks and an infantry in Russia. No choice at this point.  Obviously should have seen that in non-combat, but was button happy…  See what’s coming and decide to see how it plays out.

Would have been bad enough if it had been an infantry buy, but with 4 tanks and an infantry the russians are going to need great dice to hold Moscow.

Germany.
A few things  have become become obvious.
Russia has a huge bullseye painted on it.  Karalia is understaffed because they had to place in Moscow.  All reinforcements that can easily liberate Moscow are in Karalia.

Eastern Europe assisted by three fresh tanks in germany, and a western europe tank hitching a ride on the transport.
Slam Karalia.  Eight airplanes and the two infantry go for Moscow.

Long story short. 
Russians obliterated in R2.  Karalia falls, Moscow falls brutally.  Potential counter attackers are mostly out of Reach in Sinkiang.  Germans are thin on troops but the West can’t respond yet.  New game. 
Forgot about the tank in Sinkiang, only unit that was in reach, might have saved the day, for a minute.

Won’t make that mistake again, either of them, although I did decide that I like the Caucusus attack if that board situation happens.

Thought it was kind of funny.

Anyone else got stories?

[SpartanJD01]

Were you testing this by yourself?

Regardless.  If G1 attacks the caucuses, the Russian response should be to use 2 tanks and 1or 2 inf.  Use the figs (or one of them with 2 inf) in the ukraine, and don’t buy 4 tanks.  3 with 3 inf is understandable in some situations.  And if you are just testing with yourself, you can edit.

[shaper]

Can’t figure out how to edit, using the cd version.  First round anyhow, just easier to restart at that point anyhow.
Just playing around for fun, not really testing, more freeform study.  Testing responses to different scenarios.

The tanks had plans for the Japanese, with an option of switching fronts later if they could knock them back for an extra round.  Had some intent of driving them back later by increasing offense ratios, as I recall.  Armor buy had other, not very tactically sound reasons.  Mostly just felt like it.  The tank buy negated the normal hit on the Ukraine, Caucusus went sideways.  Just rolled with it.

Reminded me of some games from when we had a group that played.  Every once in a while things like that would happen, where a mistake by one player snowballed into a very quick game.

Apparently no one here ever remembers something like that happening in a live or test game?

[ABWorsham4]

I played a game where the guy playing Germany got consumed with Africa. This guy was an emotional player. Played againist other players not the game.