http://bit.ly/Nw4vJJGame Mode: Axis Attack
Allies:
SoupNazi
Ray
Aeroblade (Colossus)
vs.
Axis:
GamblerEiR
JohnnyAustin
TheWindCriesMary
This game offers a good opportunity to see a very basic, but very effective strategy employed in order to overcome a heavily Allied position/line on numerous occasions. It shows how even a defending team in a scenario can get pushed onto it's back feet by opponents that work together to keep them reacting and off-balance. Despite the game mode being Axis Attack vs a team with a lot of experience playing together, this game ends at 29 minutes with the allies holed up just outside their spawn area.
For lack of a better term, let's call this the "Flank Reversal". Basically, it's a simple strategy to counter the gradual accumulation of enemy firepower, units and support weapons that are focused on one general lane of attack (which inevitably happens the longer a push, or series of pushes, is being made on one portion of the map). It's the same strategy that is often used against Flaks, but for some reason gets completely forgotten 95% of the time in most games. Esentially, the longer a focused 3 on 3 player attack occurs in a given area, the more time the defenders will have had to congregate their forces (and summon reinforcements) to that area. This drastically increases the chance of a new, previously undetected hard counter (such as an ATG to vehicles, or a vehicle to infantry) appearing. It also means a sweeping advance will end up having many more counters to overcome. Unfortunately most players seem to get compeltely tunnel-visioned by a specific place they have been constantly attacking for the entire game, and just end up getting destroyed over and over again.
To combat this, the "Flank Reversal" entails pushing an area until critical mass of the opposing team's population is focused on that area. At this point, 99% of all troops from your entire team are immediately withdrawn and rapidly diverted to the other side. That is to say, for example, that on Tanteville (against a team that plays "together"), you would hit the right side of the town with full force until it became clear both sides were comitting full force to the gradually more concentrated fight. Then, suddenly and swiftly, your entire team would vanish and race to the wide open field on the left and the central town. In order to avoid yielding the 2/3rds of the map, the enemy now has to come fight you on your terms.
There are two options for how the enemy will respond:
1) The enemy will not realize the change soon enough. You will then have free reign on the rest of the map to rapidly grab territory and set up your own defensive line. When they do realize, they will have to adress the issue. 9 times out of ten they have congregated 95% of their troops (if your full team has been hitting a single lane) which means the other 2/3rds of the map are yours for the taking. In many cases, once they realize your move they will be forced to come fight you on your terms or risk letting you hold 2/3rds of the middle map uncontested.
2) The enemy will realize the change, but be physically unable to "beat you" to your new target lane as you will have initiated the move first.
Even if they do, however, you will now be facing a far more haphhazard defence as different units move slower. They will also not have the advantage of "deploying and advancing forward" but will have to rapidly respond and reposition which will mean a much more disorganized, staggered and ultimately frail line of advance.
There is much more theorycrafting to apply to this basic strategy. But you'll be best served (on the chance you don't know it/use it often) just watching this replay.
In 29 minutes an Axis team uses the "flank reversal" a few times to throw the allies off and to keep initiative in their hands. When it becomes clear the allies have a strong defensive position and things turn against them, they try the same thing.
Note: This game is also a good example of how Ventrillo communication and the employment of co-ordinated tactics can help a newer player learn, rapidly advance his skill and win. It won't always work out that way, but that's why both newer guys and us have to get our head out of our collective asses and start demanding even games, and some common sense when it comes to vent, teamwork, and some basic tactics for once. The endless launcher shenanigans bullshit (where slimy stackers/stompers actually have the gall to try and harass noobs/other players who demand even games) needs to stop. I say last part this not in reference to this game in particular, but to the launcher culture in general that is going on right now.
-Wind
