Novgorod Amphibious Assault

[UpstateNate]

Hey guys just wanted to get some opinions on this move to see if anyone has experienced it in a real game and what the results were. So I do not have anyone local (except my kids) who play A&A. I play a fair amount of solo games recently in all the different editions. So I wanted to try a fake sea lion and try to take Novgorod on G3. I did the standard German moves in G1 and G2 to make it look like a sea lion on the UK. As the Russians I was playing a newbish full court press on the front with Germany. Most units pressed and evenly spaced amongst the frontline territories. So with the 11 transports I was able to land 11 INF and 11 tanks that I was able to pick up along the Baltic coast. After a sea battle to take care of the Soviet Baltic fleet in SZ115.

I had good rolls in the G1 attack against the UK navy so I had the cruiser and battleship, and a destroyer and carrier I bought in G1. I brought heavy air support as well from the carrier 2 strategic bombers and several tac bombers and fighters to round it out. The battle went as expected against the 6 Soviet infantry the 1 artillery 2 AAA and the fighter. It opened up a major gap in the Soviet line that I was able to exploit to work my way to Moscow. Any critique of this strategy would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

[mainah]

@UpstateNate
Why wasn’t the Russian cruiser in sz 114?

[UpstateNate]

@mainah

In the initial setup it’s in 115 with a sub. I was not playing aggressive as the Russians and kept the fleet there. I see what you are saying where a guy moves the units to 114 it would prevent the landing in G3. Is that a standard move for most guys or do you notice some keeping it in 115?

[mainah]

@UpstateNate
Standard, to block an amphib on the same turn as a DOW. Sub is held back to provide a strike threat, and possibly in conjunction with Russian air. It is rarely used in battle, main purpose is to make Germany react to it, not giving up any space to the huns cheaply.

[UpstateNate]

@mainah have you ever seen anyone try to pull off the landing on G4 after dispatching the cruiser in the Baltic?

[mainah]

@UpstateNate
Oh Sure. But with a proper G3 DOW, Leningrad is unholdable going into G4 regardless of amphib or not. Unless that’s where all the PU’s went for Russia R1-3, in which case all the better for the germans, the south is wide open.

So I like to not have much, if anything, actually in Novgorod by end of R3.

Quite often, you may put a lot of Russians north of pripet marshes Turns 1 and 2 just to draw more Germans up there, making their goal of a large singular stack facing of at Bryansk and a sweep south into the caucuses a bit more difficult. Once the Germans start moving to Leningrad, the stack moves southeast, slowly, zig zagging as the situation permits, to keep the southern and northern German stacks from joining as long as possible. Even a 1 turn delay is helpful.

[mainah]

The only advantage I see to set out for an amphib Novgorod capture is if it permits more of your army to go south of the marshes. However, that is usually done with far fewer TT’s and other naval forces than a Sea Lion. If you did all the purchases and NCM for a Sea Lion, then that effect cannot be applied, as there really isn’t much to divert to the south to begin with.

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@UpstateNate

It was a definitely a good idea in your game. However, the scenario where the Soviets allowed this to happen seems to be quite an exception and really unlikely in most games.

Plus, 10 transports and at least 2 more tanks to have the strike force you described costs quite a lot.

Generally speaking if the opportunity is there an amphibious invasion of Leningrad is worth a shot, but only when you don’t need to use that many resources to succeed.

[mainah]

@SuperbattleshipYamato
Worded so much better than me.

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@mainah

Thank you. 👍👍

[shadowhawk]

@mainah
Makes no difference, Italy can sink it and then your fleet is free to attack novgorod.

Its actually not a bad move, buy some fleet G1 to threathen a SeaLion attack.
Might as well use said fleet to help with barbarossa, you can actually save a lot of IPC’s if you start transfering art+inf to novgorod each turn iso using tanks and mechs.
Coupled with the factory with just 3 transports ( 2 more then the setup ) you can compete with the moscow factory in terms of buildup.

And you get it the turn you DOW so you lose your 5peactime ipcs but you immediatly gain the novgorod ipcs.

[klykke89]

If you place your invasion fleet in seazone 112… Could´t you just attack Novogrod through seazone 127?

The Sub dosent block youor move as I read it.

[shadowhawk]

@klykke89 said in Novgorod Amphibious Assault:

If you place your invasion fleet in seazone 112… Could´t you just attack Novogrod through seazone 127?

The Sub dosent block youor move as I read it.

You can, but if you stay in the baltic you can use the fleet to ferry inf +art from germany to novgorod the next turn as well. Making that 3 unit factory a 7 or 9 unit factory ( by moving from germany directly there each turn ) speeding up your attack and having more units available.

Inf + art is same attack as mech+tank but you save 3 ipcs.

[klykke89]

@shadowhawk said in Novgorod Amphibious Assault:

@klykke89 said in Novgorod Amphibious Assault:

If you place your invasion fleet in seazone 112… Could´t you just attack Novogrod through seazone 127?

The Sub dosent block youor move as I read it.

You can, but if you stay in the baltic you can use the fleet to ferry inf +art from germany to novgorod the next turn as well. Making that 3 unit factory a 7 or 9 unit factory ( by moving from germany directly there each turn ) speeding up your attack and having more units available.

Inf + art is same attack as mech+tank but you save 3 ipcs.

Good point - It was a Backup ideer :)