Opponent pushing for two TO's

[Bruce]

I suggested playing the game as designed - with three TO's for each side. My opponent says he wants to play with two.

After some thought I've decided to tell him to stuff it, if necessary I'll push for the historical setup.

The only Russian TO really worth having is the early release of the Don front reinforcements - the others are pretty feeble.

I come to MikeJ's viewpoint regarding the early release of the 1st Pz Armee - leaving it sitting in the South is defeatist! I've also decided to use the Operation Thunderclap option.

I'm planning to use a southern deployment, but move the 17th Pz into the centre to support a push to the pocket from there ( and also to rescue my Brandenberg units - see below).

I think someone has mentioned this before, but the bridge at 69,30 is crucial - without this bridge there is no way for the Soviet player to quickly move troops north or south of the major river. I plan to target this bridge with a first turn air drop with the Brandenberg unit. I've tried dividing the unit, but it ends up in reorganisation after the drop and isn't able to destroy the bridge - it needs to be dropped as a whole. The other thing that is important (and I think I've seen someone mention this too) is the destruction of the Soviet engineer unit at 69,29 - the bridging capacity of this unit is the only way for the Soviets to get across the river once the bridge is gone.

[MikeJ]

Are you sure they can't cross the super river though? All they need to do is retake the bridge hex and any Soviet unit with over 10% engineering can move across that hex (albeit with a penalty on movement). Soviet divisions typically have around 30-50% engineering... they'll be able to repair it.

If JoeBob only wants to go 2 TOs, forcing historical would be a good bet. 2nd Guards starting in the North ensures you a hassle free set of shock tuns, more or less. More if you make a successful secondary attack towards Kalach to block the bridge as you mentioned earlier (just make sure you don't step into the * hexes or you're going to be looking at Don Front reinforcements).

As for 1st Pz Armee, if you're nervous rail some infantry to rostov... not the useful kind.. but the crappy, low-proficiency kind to use as fodder while you use your panzer divisions to move on the flanks. You have a lot of flexibility anyways.

[Furocity]

Foggy wanted to go with 2 TO so I went with it.

I took the southern deployment, and early release of 1st PZ Army.

regardless what the organic Soviet untis have for engineering, the 1 eng unit there is a primary tgt. If it is destroyed, then the defense of that one bridge hex is easy. I held with the Brandendurg trying to retake the bridge hex as the Soviets, then on the next turn I had sufficient forces there to hold the area, and push towards the pocket.

[MikeJ]

Just note that taking the bridge allows Don Front to move anywhere (bridge is a * hex).

I don't want to trigger them until I'm ready, which will be after 5TA dies a violent death.

[Bruce]

S**t - I hadn't noticed the asterix - thanks Mike!

In play tests I've found that I can get 11th Panzer division units adjacent to the bridge on turn two - that should restrict the rate at which the nasty's can cross.

I was also planning to launch operation Thunderclap at the start of the game. It will allow me to push out of the pocket to the west or south and link up with Pz Divisions. What I'm hoping to do is to pocket a 'slice' of the Don front troops encircling Stalingrad.