The n00b to end all wars!

[MetalDog]

And from Longwys to the Swiss border, the French have 1 Army and 3 Corps in St. Mihiel against my 1 Army and 2 Corps in Metz.  There are several forces of mine in the area within support distance.

[W8taminute]

Very good start here MD.  I like how you are studying the terrain in order to plan out your fight.  This should be a good show.

[MetalDog]

I wish it was going to help, W8, but I don't have much hope.

[MetalDog]

Starting in the East at the northern most troop deployment and moving south-ish along the shared border.  GHQ East will jump off from here and move slowly east towards Moscow.

[MetalDog]

It appears that Austria Hungary will move from several points along the border.  This is the northernmost and closest to my border.

[MetalDog]

It looks like this will be the start of the army moving across the plains.

[MetalDog]

And finally, the forces in place to take Serbia.

[MetalDog]

As it stands in the West, it looks as if I am going to forgo an attack in to France and concentrate on the defense.  If they are going to afford me the protection of trenches for not moving, then I will take advantage of that.  In the East, I want to take Serbia as quickly as I am able.  Unless I can flank him, it looks like a hard fight to capture Belgrade.  I've already moved all my troops for that area. A Corps is going to move around the left, and try to get on Serbia's rear.  There are two veteran Divisions, currently locked, that have Mountaineer buffs.  I will send one to follow the Corps on the left, and use the other to flank around the right.  The rest of my troops, two Armies and two Corps, will be busy trying to surround Belgrade.

I will do my best to get the rest of the troop dispositions/movements for the rest of the maps in the next posts.

[Martok]

Nice. 

Are there Russian forces A-H needs to be worried about while going after Serbia?  Or is the Czar concerned almost entirely with Germany at this point? 

[MetalDog]

There have been Russian troops in three places and single stacks at that.  I am assuming, and not going very far out on a limb, that there are armies I cannot see.  I'll most likely know better after the first turn is processed.

[MetalDog]

First, a word about supply.  I am fairly certain I have seen this quote, or one very similar, somewhere and don't know who to attribute it to, but it seems pretty smart.  Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics.  Seeing as Ii am neither, I expect I will screw this up royally.  But in hopes that I have a slim grasp on the game mechanics, the next two screenshots show areas under supply in Green and out of supply as orange.  You may also be able to discern the movements of the troops pictured as straight lines in white, black or blue.


First, the Germans in East Prussia:



Now the Austrians outside Belgrade:

[MetalDog]

Rather abruptly deciding I have done all I can to make ready, I flip the turn.  There's a lot of calculating and loading of files and background stuff going on, until, the first notification I get is a Central Powers defeat.  Rats!  Thankfully, it appears to be a single naval unit I had stationed in the South Atlantic.

[MetalDog]

The next notification is the French have assaulted Metz!  Quick note, I do not know what determines if/when I get to choose Battle Plans, I thought it was before every battle, but it may just be before those that have a general involved, but I like it!  ;)  Bevause the enemy commander is more skilled than my commander, I do not gain any insight into his plans or deployment.  So, haveing the numbers, and the defense of the fort, I choose to deploy with a strong center and mass my fire.

[MetalDog]

A full third of the French are casualties!  A great Alliance victory! 




And you can see at the bottom, that my deployment worked in the first and third rounds and the enemy lost the third round (the vertical rectangles along the bottom contain the type of deployment and a green background means success and orange, failure).

[MetalDog]

Another day, another great German victory!  This time at the siege of Liege.