Winning as the WE

[The Red Baron]

How hard is it to pull of a NM win as the WE? I'm starting a game against Athena as the WE, but, geographically speaking, the French border is a long way from Berlin. Playing as the EE, it was easier to reach Berlin from western Poland; less ground to cover, less flanks to worry about. Has anyone made the march from Alsace-Lorraine (or Belgium) to Berlin or perhaps an amphibious assault somewhere along the northern coast of Germany?

[XTRG]

Try to hold out for the first year and then perhaps try to cut off the German forces in Belgium and try to reduce them allowing for offensives deeper into Germany

[The Red Baron]

Wow, that doesn't sound too optimistic! Sounds like the French will be on the defensive for quite some time before they can even think about turning things around to win the game. I guess I'll have to shift my thinking from offensively-minded to defensively-minded.

[Altaris]

Nah you just need excessive élan Bravery will sweep the German shells away!

In all seriousness it shouldn't be easy to go from France to Berlin, so this is in keeping with the game design.

[vicberg]

France never regained their lost territory until end of war and only after Americans swung the balance. The Germans almost won. It was close.

From 1915 on, it's a matter of brutal and sometimes futile attacks along the western front with the goal of reducing morale and increasing war weariness. In base game though, the trenches aren't sometimes enough to keep the lines as static as they were IRL.

[The Red Baron]

This is all very true, and it also makes sense. I just finished a game of CWII as CSA, and I'm still in the "aim for the capital" mode to bring about a decisive victory as fast as possible. I forget it's 50 years later with different technology and the war played out much different.

I like the idea of Warplan 20, since this keeps the fighting as far away from Paris as possible, assuming I can get into Belgium fast enough. I also assume Athena has a predilection to follow history and opts, more often than not, for an invasion through Belgium. Is this correct?

[Altaris]

This is all very true, and it also makes sense. I just finished a game of CWII as CSA, and I'm still in the "aim for the capital" mode to bring about a decisive victory as fast as possible. I forget it's 50 years later with different technology and the war played out much different.

I like the idea of Warplan 20, since this keeps the fighting as far away from Paris as possible, assuming I can get into Belgium fast enough. I also assume Athena has a predilection to follow history and opts, more often than not, for an invasion through Belgium. Is this correct?

There's some variation, but Athena typically picks the historical plan (about 70% of the time).

[The Red Baron]

Thanks. I think I'll try to beat (and change) history and fight on Flemish soil instead.

[XTRG]

France never regained their lost territory until end of war and only after Americans swung the balance. The Germans almost won. It was close.

From 1915 on, it's a matter of brutal and sometimes futile attacks along the western front with the goal of reducing morale and increasing war weariness. In base game though, the trenches aren't sometimes enough to keep the lines as static as they were IRL.

Sealion 1915 best way to go.

[Thoronir]

Who is this Athena everyone talks about?

[PhilThib]

Athena is the nickname of AGE's artificial intelligence

[Thoronir]

that's funny, that's my chinchilla's name