German: Walden (loser)
Russian: Noguiera (winner)
BALANCE:
we had heard that this scenario is pro-Russian, so prior to dicing for
sides we applyed the German balance (+1 PzIII). I won Germans.
PRE-GAME:
This is an interesting scenario. Both sides enter simultaneously,
with a divider blocking all LOS. All units have 1/2 normal MP/MF during this
pre-game entry. After all units have moved, the divider is withdrawn. At this
point the scenario rule does not specify what happens to concealed
units/vehicles, so we played it that any vehicle not in CT and in LOS would
automatically lose concealment. As it turns out, this is unlikely and did not
happen to us.
The Russians had come on strong on their right, where the terrain is more conducive to rapid movement. I had most of the German material in the center, with the lighter tanks on the German right and the PzIII's & IV's near the center.
TURN 1:
The scenario mandates a dr to see who moves first! This is major.
If the russkies win this roll, their high-speed tanks will be all over me!
Fortunately, I win this dr too and move first, assuming concealed locations
along the leading edges of the grainfields. Seeing virtually no russians on my
right I push 5 light tanks up halfway into board 43 to threaten his flank. The
infanty unloaded and set up in 16O4.1.
The Russian closes on me on my left; he swarms the two tanks I put out forward around 43Y1. His heavies are rolling thru the 43CC7 grainfield and the lead T34 winds up in 43DD4; I get lucky on Dfire and crit/burn it; pretty much the only way to do one in without a rear shot. I also snuff a couple of BTs around 43Y2. He rolls 2 light tanks and the armored MG truck into the farmyard on board 43 alng with the motorcycle troops, who dismount.
TURN 2:
A wild AFV melee develops around the 43Y1 chokepoint where I had
a PzIII in 43Z1 and 43X0. THis last one was in motion as I had to crash it
into the trees to get there and did not have enough MP to stop. Over-extended,
in retrospect; I loose both of them, but not before killing another 2 russian
light tanks. One crew survives and jumps on a russian tank, failing to kill it
and winding up in CCV melee. I swing 2 more PZIIIs around to help and park
them in 43R3 & 43S3. The latter has the AL. I push the 5 light tanks on
my right up to the wall of the farmyard and blow up all the russian armor there
with bounding fire! His infantry can't see me there, so I'm CE (no snipers!).
Bounding fire is easy, and the ROF of 2 for several vehicles makes it more
attractive than trying for acquisition.
On his turn, Carl does a lot of prep fire and not much movement. Although I loose 2 vehicles this turn and get my AL PzIII immobilized, he's lost 5 and I'm pretty happy. The one place he does move is in the board 43 farmyard, where the russian infantry charges the light tanks, still HD behind the wall. When the smoke clears, 3 squads are broken, one battle hardens, and 3 + 8-1 are in position for CCV. One fails the PAATC; the other 2(cx) go in with the leader(cx). They fail to achieve a result and get locked in melee.
Fires have developed in 43DD4, 43Y3 and 43Z1, and the wind is making quite a mess of LOS.
TURN 3:
I have a more static turn than I like; one fun thing was
watching one of my PzIIIs kill the tank my crew is meleeing and seeing the
russian crew survive to land in instant melee. Unfortunately, the russian crew
kills my crew. His T35s are bearing down on my left; I swing two "mugger"
tanks up around 43FF5 and wait for them to come around the corner. On my
right, I fire PB at the units in melee with a Pz38 and break them all; the
combination of tanks and HTs surround the broken units and eliminate them. On
the german right, only the russian MG truck is left. I cna't seem to kill it.
On his turn, he obliges me and drives the two remaining T34s into the LOS of my "muggers". My Dfire is ineffective. In bounding fire he snuffs one. The T35s roll forward, and my shots from the muggers and other tanks are ineffective.
The fires have spread all over the place on board 43; there's hardly any LOS to anything.
TURN 4:
On the german right, two tanks and two HTs complete the surround and eliminate strategy for the remaining infantry, while I roll into the same hex as his motion MG truck with a HT to freeze it; I move up along side it with all my infantry and prepare to kill it in CC. Unfortunately, the motion DRM saves him. On the left, I move my remaining AFVs over to block his escape route. I still have a good chance to stop him.
Unfortunately, on his turn 4 his dice kick in. He snuffs 3 tanks in bounding fire, and although I kill 1 tank and the MG truck (with my LMG, by god!) I concede. I won't be able to stop the rest of his force from rolling off the board.
HINDSIGHT:
I overextended myself on the left. This is the logical route the russian
will take, especially with the slow, big, dangerous stuff. The right tactic
would be the "mugger" mentality; wait around the corner with 2-3
tanks, preferably with crossfire support.
Going deep on the right worked great. I'd do that again for sure.
I have to rate this one pro-russian, maybe 70%. Although I'd take the German again, I'd want the balance. I had it here, and the "initiative" roll at the beginning, and great dice the first 2 turns, and I still lost big time. A good scenario, but not one to play straight up. If this one is played straight and the russian wins the 50-50 dr for first move, it will be wicked hard on the german.
Bob Walden