Axis from Behind the lines -- The victory celebration for the Ukraine Army is over and the thoughts of defeat on the minds of the German Army has ended... A new tour begins.

The Ukraine Army with their Tour 18 medals still shining in the sun are ready for the next battle. Their steady leadership and dedicated players help lead them to victory. General Greeno returns to the role as leader of the Ukraine Army. Tour 18 was a test of his abilities and he proved that he is a battle ready leader but will this be enough to win again in Tour 19?

The German Army had a rough and tough Tour 18. Suffering from low numbers and changing generals three times made it difficult for them to compete. That is not the case for Tour 19 as former General GreatWhiteWhale once again takes on the tough job and leads the German Forces. He has had back to back victories in the past and many tour wins as a commander. Will the old general be able to push this new German Army to a win in Tour 19… time will only tell.

The battle begins...

Both armies clashed in an epic close first day fight. The Ukraine army walked away with the round count of 11 to the German armies 9. In an odd twist it was the German Army that won the first battleday, controlling 3 of the 4 territories. The Ukraine Army however during a tough day 2 Sunday battle came back and defeated the German Army but just barely. The deciding factor for the UKR was the capture of Sharqi from the Germans. This was a territory tied by round count but the UKR had 4 more total tickets giving them the win.

So where do both armies stand after the first battleweek? Let's take a brief rundown of the major bullet points.

Leaders: Both Greeno and GreatWhiteWhale are excellent general but the edge goes to the new German General due to experience and wins already achieved. General Greeno certainly has what it takes to lead his army to a repeat win but it is too early in the tour to tell.

Air power: Smaller maps means that the only air fights will be against the spinning blades of the Helicoptors. The German Army does control the only air map played during week 1 but the UKR has the edge in the skies with their pilots. The German Army will have to stay on top of their game in the other areas in order to make up for the strength of the UKR air force.

Armor: The steel beasts played a huge role for the UKR in tour 18 and in this tour during the battle for Jibbel City they did not disappoint. The only shut out on a territory happened on a map with a single tank for each side. The German Army will have to work harder against the UKR armor to succeed this tour.

Commanders: Both armies have commanders capable of performing the job but the German Army has the clear edge here. The German army commanders consist of a command staff that has lead their armies to more than 11 tour wins. This position will show itself to be more and more vital as the tour continues.

Infantry: This is where it gets really interesting! Both armies have shown they have real strong and weak points concerning their troops. The German Army excels in the open mountain and jungle terrain while the Ukraine Army cleans up the urban streets with ease. The two armies are locked in a tie when it comes to a combined armor and infantry battle. Even though the UKR won Sharqi by 4 tickets it isn't enough to give them the overall edge. The boots on the ground is what to watch out for this tour as both armies are proving they have strong troops.

For now the battlefield remains up for grabs!