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Old 12-15-22, 11:29 PM   #1
Camaero
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radar War in the East 2 (WitE2)

Anyone playing War in the East 2 by Matrix Games? It has been a lot of fun trying to tackle this beast.

I thought I understood the immense scale of the Eastern front, but nothing has put it into perspective quite like this. It's also amazing to be able to see town capture dates hex by hex to see if you're keeping pace with the historical armies.

I'd love to hear any tips on ground pounding from fellow captains.

What other war games are similar to this?

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Old 12-16-22, 09:00 AM   #2
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I never did pick up 2, but I've played WitE extensively. I don't know if what I might say regarding the first game will carry over to the second, but if there's anything in particular you like to focus on post it up. My tips would be rather generic without a specific topic.


Logistics is probably the most fundamental part of it, especially as the Germans. If I were advising a player in that game I'd say the most important part is understanding the logistics and supply model rules. But of course I don't know how much the second game mirrors the first.


In my WitE runs I focused of course on that, on getting the right leaders in place, on 'attachments', and on formation integrity and command overload.


By attachments I mean the support units like artillery battalions and independent tank battalions. These could be shifted to where they are needed most. Again, I don't know what carries over or is still relevant. But I could use OKH as sort of a clearing house, sending them there when their purpose had been fulfilled and then parcelling them out to other fronts as the needs arise. For example when Sevastopol was done, much artillery was transferred to Leningrad, and when that fell, these units were sent once again to a different place.


By formation integrity I mean learning the rules and executing your moves so that each unit is within supply and command range, that headquarters aren't overloaded. It's surprisingly easy to let things get out of control, in the literal sense, especially when you consider the massive number of counters you push around in the grand campaign. Maintaining that integrity as you execute offensives and encirclements is a challenge in itself.


People often call these games strategy games, but they're not really that, I think grand operational is a more accurate term. And that means being able to see many turns ahead, having a plan and getting on with it. Supply, reinforcements and theater departures are all things you'll need to see well in advance. Rail lines in the first game were immensely important. You had to identify which lines you wanted to develop (or convert the gauge actually) and then execute the plan, all while protecting the vulnerable spurs from partisan attacks. A single partisan attacking a rail line in your rear can bring the offensives at the front to a screeching halt.


I see from your screenshot you're playing the Germans. Always be mindful of the approaching winter. Have a plan for what you'll do, and the positions you'll occupy when first the mud, then the blizzards arrive. To be caught unprepared will be some bad mojo haha.


One more thing as I could write pages. For me, in WitE mind, the key focus was bagging Ivan. Locations are important (especially Leningrad and Rostov, for reasons) but the priority was to tie a noose around as many Russian formations as possible. Encirclements are an art form in these games and it takes time to learn how to do things right. But I'd suggest not focusing on taking territory, but to kill and capture as many enemy as you can. 1941 is your time to shine, as the Russian will start to recover during the blizzards and in to the 1942 campaigning season. The goal should be to eliminate as many enemy units as possible. Not just damage them, but to destroy them so you don't have to fight them again. In the real war, Russia's ability to reconstitute shattered forces and to mobilize shocked the Germans, and it's true here too. In WitE killing and capturing at least 4 million Russians in 1941 was considered the target in order to set the Germans up for a good 1942 campaigning season. And to bag numbers like that it takes encirclements. To be successful you need to master the art of the breakthrough and the exploitation phase that follows.


Again, this is a different game, War in the East, and there are surely many differences. However, I wrote an AAR of one of my German runs at SimHQ. Maybe you could take something from it?

https://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4450738/1
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Old 12-16-22, 09:21 AM   #3
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I have Gary Grigsby's War In the West and I like that quite well.

I would also recommend WarPlan Europe and WarPlan Pacific.

And in a slightly different direction, Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865) is in Early Access on Steam. It still needs further development but is definitely showing signs of greatness.

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Old 12-16-22, 02:34 PM   #4
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I have War in the West as well. I intended to pick up WitE 2, and will at some point. I wish I had so I could answer the OP with some certainty. But it's also true that these three games, along with War in the Pacific all share fundamental core mechanics that mirror one another to a certain degree so theoretically a number of things hold true from title to title.


Not sure what is included in WitE 2, but in the first game I practiced the Road to Smolensk and Road to Minsk companion scenarios first. Once I was able to achieve victory in those I jumped to the grand campaign.


Don't neglect these (assuming 2 has them) as they allow you to practice different operational plans. When i finally did kick off the GC I felt I had a really good plan for AGC's opening turns since I had practiced and honed my ideas several times over.


I purposely avoided the Road to Kiev and Leningrad scenarios so that when I played the CG I wasn't too practiced and honed, you know? But playing these smaller scenarios is a good way to prep for the big show. I think I put the wrong link to the AAR in the second post and that's been updated.
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Old 12-27-22, 10:14 AM   #5
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Good talk OP.


What is it with this forum. People start threads., ask some stuff and then never post again.


Too bad, as this game is worthy of discussion among like-minded individuals.
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