[1v1] OKW Blob Extreme Requesting Review

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Hey man.

I'll see if I can get around reviewing your replay this week

For now I will try to answer your specific questions, but I can probably be more specific after watching your game.

Q: Why are OKW blobs so effective?
A: OKW is not bad for blobbing, nor is it the best either. blobbing basically comes down to the ability to deal out damage while firing on the move. STG44 rifles are generally good for firing on the move and as Sturmpioneers have four of these and volks can upgrade to get two, this makes them pretty decent for this kind of approach (though US riflemen with BARs do this much better). with feuersturm doctrine the volks can also upgrade to five mp40 which basically makes it a must for them to get up close, although flanking will generally work better than blobbing.

Q: What are the best ways to deal with this?
A: As brits the best way to deal with this might often be to not deal with it at all. If your opponent is shuffling around a blob of 4-5 squads on the field, you can bet that the rest of the map will be completely void of german resistance. As such you should basically just go capping whereever he isn't (which will be most of the map) and just pull back when the doomstack approaches. Other than that some clever mg play, Universal carrier or a Centaur will make life hard for your opponent. If you don't do this already I would also recommend that you basically use your infantry sections to build sandbags every time they are capturing a point. This will give you great hard cover all over the map, which will not only activate the british cover bonus, but also give you an effective 75% protection from enemy small arms fire. If the blob approaches your Tommies behind sand bags, just drop pot shots on them until they are closing in and then retreat. This should guarantee that you bled him of more manpower than you lost.

Q: Do I see these blobs because of my rank (8-10)?
A: Probably. Units will usually be microed in a more versatile way by level 10+ players.

Q: Does this kind of blobbing happen at higher ranks?
A: It happens, but not that often and not consistently. There is nothing wrong with consolidating your infantry and making a hard push where the enemy is weak, but rolling around with a blob for longer periods of time will usually lead to defeat.

Q: Does anyone else experience OKW blobs often?
A: I'm sure some people do. I don't.

Q: do other people experience USF blobbing?
A: I see this a lot more often than with OKW. Both are agressive factions, but volks are just slightly more defensively orientated. They can and should still be used agressively, but their bolt rifles mean that they more often fight from cover rather than close the distance.

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  Zackman000

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  OKW Blob Extreme Replay Review

  by: PhosphorusPheonix map: Unknown

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Hello all,

I am requesting a replay review for something that happens to me quite often in this game. After playing countless games versus OKW, I am finally going to ask for help and hopefully start some kind of discussion consisting of a replay review and answers. I am not sure if trying to start discussions on other topics besides the replay is allowed, but I have been really wanting to ask other people about this. If not, please let me know!

The replay review portion:

*Note: I am sorry the camera kept going off randomly at times. I was adjusting my mouse pad around early in the game. (My hand was in an awkward position for moving the camera around)
*Note: My cromwell tank AI bugged out on me when I reversed ALL of my vehicles, causing me to lose it which was unfortunate.

In this game, I am playing UKF and am the "Zackman777" player. I have been playing UKF recently and am not good with them, which is part of the reason why I am requesting a replay review for tips. My opponent went full OKW blob on me, which you can see throughout the entire replay. I finally resorted to just spamming hmg with AEC support in hopes of countering it. I even ended up placing a bunch of demo charges everywhere using commandos, which have landed some solid wipes and severely damaged other units (allowing other units to get wipes as well). I felt like I wiped a lot of their squads and killed their light vehicles, yet somehow I felt like my opponent was able to shovel out endless amounts of infantry and vehicles. I tried my best to make use of my manpower, munitions, and fuel, yet I did not have anywhere near as much stuff as my opponent and lost. I usually just don't know how to react to just a mass horde of infantry with AT, especially when playing as UKF. I know I lost a lot of squads, so maybe that is what lost me the game? Maybe I also bled too much manpower?

The discussion portion:
I mainly play USF and have noticed that about 90-95% of the OKW players I play against either blob initially or end up blobbing mid to late game. I don't understand why, in my experiences, this always happens with OKW. I don't ever blob as USF and every time I play axis I never see USF blob against me. If USF players had a bunch of units together, it was usually due to them reinforcing on the field using an ambulance. Even if a lot of units were in the same area, at least they microed their units to use cover and abilities. This is just my observation from experiences playing many games as I switched between axis and allies. I'm hoping others who have played a lot more can clear things up for me.

My questions for discussion:

• I always try to punish any blobs I come across, whether I'm playing axis or allies, but why is that OKW blobs seem to be so effective? Am I missing something here?
  
• If they aren't that effective, what are the best ways to deal with this?
  
• Am I experiencing this due to my rank (8-10 range)?
  
• Does this happen a lot even at higher ranks?
  
• Does anyone else experience OKW blobs often, or am I just getting really unlucky here?
  
• I know I haven't experienced any USF blobbing, but do other people experience it? I see people talking about it on forums, yet I have never experienced that. I find that interesting.
  

Thank you for answering my questions Joshua85. It was very informative. I find it interesting that I haven't experienced a lot of USF blobbing yet. I guess I just need to play axis more. I think I understand what you're saying. If they are blobbing on one part of the map, that means I should go cap the rest of the map because they lack map presence there. I'm not so sure how the sandbag tip would work out against blobs with really high dps (hoping my unit won't get obliterated on retreat), but I will definitely give it a shot and see what happens.

I am definitely looking forward to your replay review. I don't think I have ever had an OKW player spam and blob this hard against me, haha.

Okay here goes the review that I'm writing while I watch.

I'll be frank but constructive, so I hope you don't take offense, beacuse I certainly don't mean any

- First of all you're on crossing in the woods which is a very open map. As such an early vickers is extremely good for crowd control. I would probably get it after building 1 or 2 Sections. A universal carrier is also very potent on this map with either upgrade, as is the sniper, but both are a lot more micro intensive so it depends on whether you're up for it.

- My advice with sandbags is actually a general advice which in short can be summarised to this: "have your men multitask whenever possible, whilst taking a minimum of effort from your side".
What this means is that every time your sections are capping a point, have them build a sandbag wall on that point at the same time. As for engineers they should most likely be either placing a mine or wiring of some cover on the side that you would expect the opponent to use. This will optimize the utility of the unit while requiring nothing from you. Especially the sandbags are important as this will mean that you are always fighting under favorable conditions when capturing a point (build the sandbags right up against the centre of the point so the opponent can't use it).

- 2:40 at this point you see a lot of infantry pressuring your fuel point. You decide to move your center section in for support, but in fact the two sections already there have it well under control. Instead you could have pushed for his cut-off which would literally have taken away more than half his ressource income and forced him to react. On maps with vulnerable cut-offs like this one, you should always put pressure on it whenever possible. Conversely you should obviously protect your own, which is once again where sandbags are so important (do you see a red thread in my advice? ).

- 4:45 moving your mg in unsupported is never a good idea. You got away with it this time, but you might as well have been flanked. Also while attack move is great, I generally make an exception for mgs as you will usually want to controll the firing arc for the setup to maximize the effect and reduce the risk of flanks. In my mind mgs should be used agressivly, but covered by infantry and when possible try to set it up where you predict the opponent is going, rather that starting to set up when they are already there.

- 6:30 this is actually exactly how you should handle a blob. Fight it from surperior cover and retrat before you loose any squads. If you do this consistently, dealing out more kills than you suffer, it is basically a game of economics where you are comming out on top. you can still win an engagement without "winning" the engagement as long as you take more manpower than you lose.

- Along the same lines you should pretty much just upgrade all your sections with medic supplies whenever possible. at this stage you have loads of munis, but only one medic upgrade. there is really no good excuse to just get it on all of them in my opinon (you can have one with flares if you reeally want, but that's it!).

- 8:30 you're starting to float a lot of ressources, and at this point it's high time to get the weapon rack and bolster squad upgrade. Pretty much get the squad size shortly after your platoon command post and the weapon rack whenever you start building up munis. something tells me these blobs would have a much harder time if you had gotten these upgrades earlier (also did I mention sandbags?).

- 9:30 aw shit I didn't pay attention so I didn't see the AEC death. I imagine it ran into the raketen though. It happens to the best of us, but just like the mg remember infantry support and the smoke ability to get out of danger.

- 10:50 at this point you would have been much better of getting an AT gun rather than the AEC. unlike the AEC, the AT gun keeps a high relevance throughout the game whereas the AEC has been pretty much eclipsed at this point and will just delay your real armor.

14:00 oh man! there was an abandoned raketenwerfer right in front of your sections and you didn't pick it up. That luchs has already given your poor men a very hard time and that cloaked AT gun is the best possible cure. I sincerely hope you manage to pick it up before your oppoent otherwise it is just a waste. Another rule. Pick op enemy gear whenever possible and as long as the squad is not absorbed doing it (must be more than 3 men).

14:30. an example of how you should not fight a blob. standing outside cover and retreating too late

15:50 two mgs on a map like this is great, but three is a crowd and way too suceptible to enemy steals. and again it's fine to use them agressively, but always supported. They should not be out capping corner points on their own, because at best they are just wasted by not suppressing enemies and at worst they will be killed and taken. The only time I would have 3 mgs in a 1v1 is if I've stolen at least one from my opponent, and then I would most likely keep one somewhat stationaty in a garrision overlooking some capture points, just so I wouldn't have to overheat my micro too much.

17:25 this is a disasterous pont where you loose your last section, because that means you no longer have any direct healing options! you have already sent your men out wounded too many times, and now you're forced to keep doing it untill you get a new section. Wounded men are an extreme strain on manpower and often it's better to retreat a wounded squad even if it still has all its men, just to make sure they can heal up. Also you still haven't bolstered your squads and even though you have gotten the rack you haven't armed your engineers or commandos.

18:14 While the centaur is very good, at this point you have only faced a luchs and know that the opponent has held double fuel for a long time. This means that you are likely to see a very heavy tank comming soon. you already have anti-infanty for miles with the triple mg, so an AT gun or dedicated AT tank like the firefly would have been better.

19:40 instead of a new section with healing you get a fourth mg. I guess I don't need to say more on that matter

21.00 Good thinking with the demo charge. If you had done this much earlier with mines in stead, then that would probably also have stopped a lot of the blobs in their track.

27.00 ohh what a glorious demo wipe! I haven't had one of those in years. Good job man!

from 20 mins and onwards your opponent has basically achieved a critical mass that even your mg's cannot stop and with the lack of healing you are sending seriously wounded men to fight which means a spiral of defeats and manpower bleed.


So let's summarize.

The good.
- You had some good initial engagements and faced the opponent on your terms, leading to strategic victories.
- you had some very good demo wipes and placements, which paid off.

the things you should work on.

- The easiest way to improve for anyone is to focus on the things that take the least effort to implement. For most factions this can basically be boiled down to using indirect fire units, laying mines and placing sandbags. As Brits don't really have any indirect fire units as such, you should focus on point 2 and 3. Whenever you're men are forced to be passive by capping in a zone, ask yourself if they could not be doing something constructive. getting into a habit of placing sandbags and mines while capping can probably push you up 50-100 places without much effort.
- support your mgs and place them manually rather than attack move. this will make you control the blob and fight on your terms.
- only fight engagement where you stand to benefit. fight from better cover and retreat if you stand to lose more men than you're killing. Giving grond to your opponent is fine as long as he pays more than he takes and manpower is not a ressource you can increase by capturing points.
- Always make sure to have infantry sections with healing and prioritize that they heal your other units, even if that means that they have to stay in base a bit longer. In most scenarios manpower has more value than any other ressource, and by not healing your men you're basically letting him rob you of it.
- bolster your squad much sooner and get some weapon upgrades. Brens guns are amazing on commandos, beacause they are not penalized by lack of cover. spread out your brens starting with one on each unit and double up later. your engineers might go for piats in stead if you lack other at options (but also get at least one with a sweeper).

I hope this will help you out and feel free to ask if something is not clear or I missed something important (remember to quote me to make sure I see it).

Keep up the good fight

Thanks for feedback and tips

Just happy to help

Did you say something about sandbags?

• The commando + bren upgrade tip because commandos do not need to be behind cover to do well. I'm not sure why I didn't think about doing this. Would that really be a good thing though, because I thought commandos were only good at close range? Would the upgrade hinder them a bit in being close range shred units?
  
• Using hmg with infantry supporting it. I usually do support them, but I guess I got pretty sloppy this game, haha. I will definitely work on that, thank you for pointing that out.
  
• Is bolstering my IS with an extra squad members a good idea after getting an AEC? I guess I am afraid of delaying the bigger tanks like the centaur from coming out of the gate. How soon should I be getting this and the weapon rack unlock?
  

- The Brens will certainly change the role of the commandos from a stealthy unit firing on the move, to a sort of elite Infantry section, with amazing dps, but less viable in their original role.

- I usually bolster my squads shortly after the upgrade and unlike the AEC the bolster is really mandatory for me. I only go AEC vs wehr if I expect a fast 222 and vs OKW if he goes mechanized (although the argument could be made to use it against the flak HT as well). But often times thorough mining, an AT gun and potentially some piats will carry you a long way and also carry into the late game.

This reminds me to emphathize once again that you should also build more mines, not just sandbags.

Now get back in that trench and kill some Jerry's!

Thanks

That's good to hear Happy that I could help.