France 14 Offensive Tactics

[jonnymacbrown]

I'm bamboozled and at a loss. Turn 4, Home Before The Leaves Fall, I'm playing German, and I simply do not have an answer to French defensive firepower. German field guns are ineffective, MGs are shot to ribbons attempting to deploy, and any infantry battalion which manages to close to range is disrupted. 

The designer notes aren't much help: they refer to the Germans as an "unstoppable steamroller". Oh, yeah? As far as I can see, my best option is to run and hide: fall back out of range of the damn'd 75s and entrench. Is that really how you play this game?

You can't advance in stacks of infantry battalions. That ain’t gonna work. The Germans start with 1 million 175,000 men most of them on the front line. You have to be ready to take some hits. German indirect fire is a real problem for the French. You have to plan well with the big siege guns. German field guns too can be very effective. In the first few turns the French are dug in but after you force them to retreat (and you can) German 75s wreak havoc. One good tactic for field guns and MG sections on the attack is to move them into position at night and then open up at Dawn when you have the first turn. There are weak points in the French lines. There is plenty of space for maneuver. The game is 153 turns. Try to win it on turn 153.  jonny