RED FRONT - Scorched Earth & Partisans- - Total victory in 1942 or early 1943

[AGRICOLA]

SCORCHED EARTH AND PARTISANS - - WORLD CONQUEST IN 1942 OR EARLY 1943

A CONTRARIAN STRATEGY FOR RED FRONT


RED FRONT - Captain Nemo's vast, complex scenario of the ferocious struggle between the Soviet Union and Germany in WW II. Generally considered to be one of the very best and most challenging WWII scenarios.


I started my first game of RED FRONT in April/03 and drew heavily on the playing advice and the strategic recommendations contained in the four articles on Red Front strategy in the Art of War section of this website. I was not far into the game, desperately trying to trying to fend off German attacks that seemed to come from all directions, when I belatedly realized that I had not bothered to develop a strategic plan for defending Russia and eventually defeating Germany. However, I continued the game until July, 1942, just to become familiar with unit capabilities, summer-winter differences, the vagaries of EVENTS files and, of course, how NOT to do it.

By this time I had developed the rough outlines of a two-part strategy, SCORCHED EARTH & PARTISANS. The first part, SCORCHED EARTH, is based on the historically accurate Soviet strategy of trading space for time and destroying everything that might aid the enemy as Soviet units withdrew to prepared defensive positions. The second part, PARTISANS, makes use of a major benefit the scenario provides for the Soviets.

In the course of three completed games, I investigated alternatives and gradually refined the strategy. The third game, using all the tactics and strategies outlined in the attached essay ended in October 1942 with conquest of everything except US. Actually, Germany was finished in September but the Swedes held out for another month.

The attached file has the complete details of SCORCHED EARTH & PARTISANS as well as a number of new playing tips for RED FRONT.