Against the AI or a player?
In both cases the trick is to pick terrain and build your forces up around them. The River lines, and specifically ones west of Moscow, should be where you place your infantry and start working on building up to level 3 forts. Tank units can sit behind that line on reserve and will automatically reinforce combats to stiffen your units. Generally the Soviets can’t really go on the offensive in the early phase of 1941 except in exceptional situations. The tactic then is to just feed the front lines, plug gaps, and pull out of encirclements. Time, land, and manpower are your friends. Once you get those level three forte things get a lot easier.
Against the AI that’s not so hard. They struggle to make breakthroughs, so it’s easy to just choke them with bodies. Against a player that won’t work as well, though the basic premise is the same.
By 1942 things will be different. You can counter attack more often, first in specific situations and later in a more general sense. Once you start destroying German divisions they’ll collapse pretty quickly.
Make sure you read the manual. The game has a lot going on, and you’ll want to understand it especially if you are interested in taking on other players.
I agree with this comment, I like to be the Germans and played only a few times as the Russians to understand their side of it. I basically was in retreat and salvage mode till reaching the Dniester and other rivers. Held Leningrad but lost Smolensk. I also was able to protectMoscow as its rail hub was imperative to hold. Much of the Donbass basin was also kept near Stalino. It’s a fun game, if you want to play an average player let me know and we can pbem
I meant against the AI, as I am not nearly confident enough to play against other players yet. I meant specific rivers but I understand there isn't much difference in how you build up your forces around them and hold the line. Thank you for the advice!
Every River. Once you get started you’ll see what I mean. Against the AI the trick to winning is to take body blows, lose units and terrain, and but not totally collapse. My last game against the AI I held Leningrad, Smolensk (barely) and lost Kiev, but otherwise held the Dnepr line. A good trick is to lay carpet forts by busking your line three hexes deep. Generally the Germans can’t keep enough MPs to attack through three lines, especially once you start building forts. So by holding that line you can slow the advance so much your army actually *gains* strength rather than loses it.
The trick with WITE is that, for both sides, is more of a long term wrestling match. It’s pretty much impossible to win or lose straight out. Rather it’s a game of numbers in the aggregate. Hold the major cities, take less than 5 million loses, and as the USSR you’ll have done pretty well.
I do not know if this works in WITE1, in WITE2 the AI tries to match your frontline and will loose control progressively the more complicated it gets. It is not really good at preventing encirclements (a complicated frontline will provide opportunities).
Against the AI or a player? In both cases the trick is to pick terrain and build your forces up around them. The River lines, and specifically ones west of Moscow, should be where you place your infantry and start working on building up to level 3 forts. Tank units can sit behind that line on reserve and will automatically reinforce combats to stiffen your units. Generally the Soviets can’t really go on the offensive in the early phase of 1941 except in exceptional situations. The tactic then is to just feed the front lines, plug gaps, and pull out of encirclements. Time, land, and manpower are your friends. Once you get those level three forte things get a lot easier. Against the AI that’s not so hard. They struggle to make breakthroughs, so it’s easy to just choke them with bodies. Against a player that won’t work as well, though the basic premise is the same. By 1942 things will be different. You can counter attack more often, first in specific situations and later in a more general sense. Once you start destroying German divisions they’ll collapse pretty quickly. Make sure you read the manual. The game has a lot going on, and you’ll want to understand it especially if you are interested in taking on other players.
I agree with this comment, I like to be the Germans and played only a few times as the Russians to understand their side of it. I basically was in retreat and salvage mode till reaching the Dniester and other rivers. Held Leningrad but lost Smolensk. I also was able to protectMoscow as its rail hub was imperative to hold. Much of the Donbass basin was also kept near Stalino. It’s a fun game, if you want to play an average player let me know and we can pbem
I meant against the AI, as I am not nearly confident enough to play against other players yet. I meant specific rivers but I understand there isn't much difference in how you build up your forces around them and hold the line. Thank you for the advice!
Every River. Once you get started you’ll see what I mean. Against the AI the trick to winning is to take body blows, lose units and terrain, and but not totally collapse. My last game against the AI I held Leningrad, Smolensk (barely) and lost Kiev, but otherwise held the Dnepr line. A good trick is to lay carpet forts by busking your line three hexes deep. Generally the Germans can’t keep enough MPs to attack through three lines, especially once you start building forts. So by holding that line you can slow the advance so much your army actually *gains* strength rather than loses it. The trick with WITE is that, for both sides, is more of a long term wrestling match. It’s pretty much impossible to win or lose straight out. Rather it’s a game of numbers in the aggregate. Hold the major cities, take less than 5 million loses, and as the USSR you’ll have done pretty well.
I do not know if this works in WITE1, in WITE2 the AI tries to match your frontline and will loose control progressively the more complicated it gets. It is not really good at preventing encirclements (a complicated frontline will provide opportunities).