How to capitalize on good early game?

I often play quite good in the early game, especially as USF and OKW, but i have a hard time closing the match. I can have complete map control but somehow the enemy manages to push back.

Here is a recent example, it's quite extreme because i played Jesulin but it's kind of the same story. I had decent early game and got his cutoff and a fuel advantage but i was completely crushed anyway.

•  
  

  0

  VS

  Guy From The Sky

  Jesulin

  Good early game, crushing defeat

  by: GuyFromTheSky map: Crossing in the Woods

  2

  -

Where did i go wrong? What should i do to capitalize on the fuel advantage?


Edit: To be clear, don't say i should have won against Jesulin. I'm just wondering what i could have done better.

Edit 2: I realised that was not the "real" Jesulin.

Before watching I just want to say that as Allies a lot of the time it feels like you are doing well in the early game but it can be an illusion if the OKW player is locking 1/3 of the map down and letting you push a bit.

Unit preservation is much more influential than map control in coh2.

One of the best things to do with large map control is to lay mines everywhere, this will really hinder them getting back in the game.

If you do have significant fuel advantage then really quick medium tank, or as OKW "quick" KT.

Unit preservation is much more influential than map control in coh2.

One of the best things to do with large map control is to lay mines everywhere, this will really hinder them getting back in the game.

If you do have significant fuel advantage then really quick medium tank, or as OKW "quick" KT.

I don't use the mine commander as americans.

I usually try to rush an AA halftrack before getting the sherman out so my medium armor is always delayed a minute or two. The halftrack usually helps me get map advantage though so i really don't want to trade it away.

I often play quite good in the early game, especially as USF and OKW, but i have a hard time closing the match. I can have complete map control but somehow the enemy manages to push back.

Here is a recent example, it's quite extreme because i played Jesulin but it's kind of the same story. I had decent early game and got his cutoff and a fuel advantage but i was completely crushed anyway.

•  
  

  0

  VS

  Guy From The Sky

  Jesulin

  Good early game, crushing defeat

  by: GuyFromTheSky map: Crossing in the Woods

  2

  -

Where did i go wrong? What should i do to capitalize on the fuel advantage?


Edit: To be clear, don't say i should have won against Jesulin. I'm just wondering what i could have done better.

Edit 2: I realised that was not the "real" Jesulin.

Some of the things I noticed:
1. Didn't really utilize the 2x RE (didn't see when you got the second, but it just sat in base for a looong time)
2. Losing an early rifle squad in the middle hurt.
3. Gotta watch for rifle nades. Don't think any of them were dodged (whole LT squad wiped, etc).
4. Need to expect & respect the stupid StugE. I feel like I see it every game with WM.
5. Don't send rifles into the meat grinder without a purpose. Squads were sent in 1-by-1 and didn't accomplish much besides draining MP.
6. Make a plan for killing his StugE and commit rather than skirmishing constantly for no real gain.

Some good points were made above. Allow me to add with my notes.

First off, I'll say crossing is a hard map for a USF player, you might wanna consider vetoing it.

I really liked your cutoff play, it's really important to put your foot on their throat. With that said, you have to be realllllly careful, especially on this map, if you watch the replay with the FOW removed, you'll notice he had a substantial squad on your right flank that could of enveloped and crushed you early on. Both of you suffered from poor reconnaissance.

So, moving forward, I wanna take a moment to discuss the BO, but first since the two are sort of intertwined it's important to reiterate that: losing squads is basically throwing away your advantage.

again: capitalize on good early game by preserving your army.
have a look at the graphs.





"Often you may think you have the lion in the cage, but really all it's doing is calling other lions" the game was a lot closer than it looked. Check out around the 13th minute, army value at this point is neigh on equal but the collapse in territory is only indicative of the start of the slippery slope.

So long as your opponent is gradually getting stronger, one squad can be all the difference. As I alluded to, moving to the BO, personally I think the flakHT is a defensive unit which delays your tech, which goes against how you were playing throttling the cut-off, an M20 + mines I think would of been a better choice BUT, losing squads meant that your tech was delayed. When playing a build like this, a Sherman around 11 minutes and another around 17 is usually enough to strangle your opponent, you couldn't do this again because:

you lost squads:

and were too MP starved to get your Maj out, which meant you couldn't get an M36, which meant the StugIII ran rampant.

Once more to reiterate the snowball effect that losing squads can cause.

Sturmtiger.

Great input

Thanks man, i really appreciate it. I usually don't lose that much squads but tend to when i'm stressed out as in this match or when tired overall. I lose focus on other parts of the map where i'm not looking and get punished by rifle grenades etc. It's like tunnel vision. It's a micro issue that i'm trying to work with.

I really really like the impact of an early AA-HT (almost like a luchs) because usually i don't play against very good players (rank 1000+) but perhaps you are right, it might not be worth delaying the sherman over it.

Thanks man, i really appreciate it. I usually don't lose that much squads but tend to when i'm stressed out as in this match or when tired overall. I lose focus on other parts of the map where i'm not looking and get punished by rifle grenades etc. It's like tunnel vision. It's a micro issue that i'm trying to work with.

I really really like the impact of an early AA-HT (almost like a luchs) because usually i don't play against very good players (rank 1000+) but perhaps you are right, it might not be worth delaying the sherman over it.

Yeah, I actually wondered about your mental frame of mind going into this match, because of what you said in the chat. Stop me if I'm wrong; did you think it was the real Jesulin and basically change how you approach the game? Did you come to the conclusion that you had to beat him in the first 10 minutes, put a lot of pressure on him and eventually just got too stressed/tired with that idea to micro your units? Because, I will say as well, I took notes on how much pressure you put on the cut-off IIRC, you mounted a few attacks attacks pretty late, which didn't succeed, because he had finally clued in to what you were doing, moved that squad from the right flank, dug-in and defended his cut-off before you switching to the left flank. Another reason I veto crossing is the cutoff is so close to the bases, it's really tough to contest as the game gets larger.

The AAHT can have a great impact, it's a valid choice and you made it work. I would just be sure to focus a little more on getting your armour support out, which imo is crucial to winning as USF atm.

And hey, don't beat yourself up. There's thousands upon thousands of people playing thins game, to be in the 1000's range is a great accomplishment, never lose sight of how far you've come and just keep on heading up my friend. ^^

When i saw it was Jesulin (i wasn't aware it wasn't) i thought "I have no chance to beat this player so fuck it, i'll just go all in and see how far i can last".

Usually i have a more conservative play style. Since my micro is far from excellent i try to be agressive when i have few units to control and as i get more and more units i get more and more defensive because playing defensivelyt is less micro intense for me. When going into this match i wanted to be as agressive as i possibly can and i couldn't keep it up i guess.

Getting to the 1000's was pretty easy for me (except with Wehr, i just can't get the hang of that faction). I even was at 400-something with OKW before hitting a losing streak and being pushed down the ladder but i seem to have hit some kind of wall here. I guess practice is the way to go forward but it feels like i have reached my micro-limit. Perhaps i could have been better at this game 10 years ago.

One thing I really notice about top streamers, is they will issue some kind of attack move or something, then immediately head off to micro some reinforcement or capping or etc etc.. Then back to the action.

Often I realise thats something I would have watched to conclusion and missed out on some micro time. And that comes of course with more experience, knowing their unit is OK for a couple seconds.