Craig Benn
Senior Member
The lockdown delayed this for something like 4 months but I've finally been able to pick it up again.
Briefly, as the Russians for the first date I went for maximum infantry - 3 companies and a 80mm mortar OBA for each map group. The German purchases were also largely infantry - it stacked up in total as something like 168 German vs 148 Russian squads (from memory). Because a large chunk of the Russian force was reserves (difficult to avoid with only 12CPP on the Red October map) it felt like more.
The Germans made good progress on the Red October map (where they start with 7 companies + 2 as reinforcements vs 3 Russian with 2 as reserves +1 as reinforcements. They made some but not much progress on the Red Barricades map. The total death toll was 61.5 Russian vs 54.5 German squads.
So...it wasn't terrible...but it wasn't great either.
The statistical analysis people in my brain said carry on like that and things will only get worse.
So I made a big call. Use an attack chit for Date2, gamble on Germans setting up first, abandon the Red October map in its entirety and attack on the Red Barricades map and hopefully recapture enough ground for the breathing space to last 5 dates.
It's a counsel of despair - if you win on the Barricades map and lose on the October map, its only a draw. But in my view clearly the Russian player gets the moral victory - all them german boys will be in a kessel soon enough and the whole campaign looks pretty pro-German. Playing for a draw seems achievable and for a brief period of say 3-4 turns (before the German reinforcements reach the front lines/the October forces redeploy) the Russians actually get numerical superiority and can attack.
We rolled and the Germans got to set up first.
To my disgust, Mark put what seemed like 2/3rd's of his forces on the Barricades map and only 1/3rd on the October map. I briefly considered switching the attack to the other map. However the Barricades map is easier to defend - we were using the historical overlays and I had all the Level 2 buildings around the Commissars House and the perimeter line was straight-ish. The October map ended with crazy salients and the Germans with the best terrain. I decided to stick with the plan. I later found out he'd put all his guns on the October map hoping to lure me out...
I bought 4 rifle companies (3 in reserve) - I would actually defend a very thin slice of the October Map on the border with the Barricades map - just enough space to put a company in reserve protected by mines. I bought a heavy weapon platoon for the Barricades map, two 80mm OBA modules (at 1 CPP each - use it till you run out) and something that wasn't revealed.
I think against a normal opponent such a strategy would have resulted in some mental consternation....but Mark shrugged when he saw my set up and said 'that's what I would have done'. He's a good player.
So...the Germans get first move. It means at least I get the last move, but it means his reinforcements are closer to any breakthrough point.
My attack doesn't go particularly well. Some bad shooting and close combat dice, my sewer troops get lost at crucial points, and both OBA modules get two reds so roll over into the next date. The Germans pull back a little, keep concealment where possible get reinforced. On the other hand I do have a 30 firepower kill stack which does a bit of damage. At Turn 3 I pretty much call off the attack with the death toll about 19 Russian vs 20 German squads. The Germans have bought no less than 5 companies of infantry as reinforcements and the 60 squads start to arrive.
He has very few toys - I even managed to capture an 81mm mortar that was too far forward - and there's a lot of short range sturm troops. I lose a small bit of the Barricades map but I outscore him on the casualties. Final death toll is 44 German vs 36 Russian squads.
Quite gentile by Stalingrad standards - reinforcements on both sides more than casualties. Headcount at the end was 97 Russian vs around 130 German squads. Across a fair chunk of the center of the Barricades map he's only advanced 1hex in 2 dates which I take some pride in. More on the flanks of course.
I'm moderately happy but I still think the Germans are in the driving seat. I had a lot of advantages for the 2nd date which won't be replicated. I'm setting up first. All 130 German squads will be concentrated around me to hit me hard from Turn1. And with so much infantry he can spare some for toys to neutralize my kill stacks or set up some of his own. He's been light on HMG's because he keeps buying Sturm Coys - and he hasn't bought Stukas yet which is just a foolish oversight considering the rule has been rewritten so you get 2-4 instead of 1 but still only 1 point. Its clear weather and I'm sure he will.
Date 3 starts on wednesday.
I've enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but I think it's very hard for the Russians. If I was the Germans I think I'd be doing much better and I still think I will lose it (although inflicting fearsome casualties). I think it would be better with a CVP cap for the Germans, quite a high one - maybe 450 CVP or so - but it would give the Russians a chance. (And as the German troops would have been used to attack the Lazur chemical factory after taking these maps it seems historical).
Anyway the 3rd date will be absolutely crucial - if I can survive that in reasonably okay state I'll have a chance - the Germans do have to sweep you off virtually the entire map, and there are limited infantry buys for dates 4 and 5.
Anyone else played this?
Briefly, as the Russians for the first date I went for maximum infantry - 3 companies and a 80mm mortar OBA for each map group. The German purchases were also largely infantry - it stacked up in total as something like 168 German vs 148 Russian squads (from memory). Because a large chunk of the Russian force was reserves (difficult to avoid with only 12CPP on the Red October map) it felt like more.
The Germans made good progress on the Red October map (where they start with 7 companies + 2 as reinforcements vs 3 Russian with 2 as reserves +1 as reinforcements. They made some but not much progress on the Red Barricades map. The total death toll was 61.5 Russian vs 54.5 German squads.
So...it wasn't terrible...but it wasn't great either.
The statistical analysis people in my brain said carry on like that and things will only get worse.
So I made a big call. Use an attack chit for Date2, gamble on Germans setting up first, abandon the Red October map in its entirety and attack on the Red Barricades map and hopefully recapture enough ground for the breathing space to last 5 dates.
It's a counsel of despair - if you win on the Barricades map and lose on the October map, its only a draw. But in my view clearly the Russian player gets the moral victory - all them german boys will be in a kessel soon enough and the whole campaign looks pretty pro-German. Playing for a draw seems achievable and for a brief period of say 3-4 turns (before the German reinforcements reach the front lines/the October forces redeploy) the Russians actually get numerical superiority and can attack.
We rolled and the Germans got to set up first.
To my disgust, Mark put what seemed like 2/3rd's of his forces on the Barricades map and only 1/3rd on the October map. I briefly considered switching the attack to the other map. However the Barricades map is easier to defend - we were using the historical overlays and I had all the Level 2 buildings around the Commissars House and the perimeter line was straight-ish. The October map ended with crazy salients and the Germans with the best terrain. I decided to stick with the plan. I later found out he'd put all his guns on the October map hoping to lure me out...
I bought 4 rifle companies (3 in reserve) - I would actually defend a very thin slice of the October Map on the border with the Barricades map - just enough space to put a company in reserve protected by mines. I bought a heavy weapon platoon for the Barricades map, two 80mm OBA modules (at 1 CPP each - use it till you run out) and something that wasn't revealed.
I think against a normal opponent such a strategy would have resulted in some mental consternation....but Mark shrugged when he saw my set up and said 'that's what I would have done'. He's a good player.
So...the Germans get first move. It means at least I get the last move, but it means his reinforcements are closer to any breakthrough point.
My attack doesn't go particularly well. Some bad shooting and close combat dice, my sewer troops get lost at crucial points, and both OBA modules get two reds so roll over into the next date. The Germans pull back a little, keep concealment where possible get reinforced. On the other hand I do have a 30 firepower kill stack which does a bit of damage. At Turn 3 I pretty much call off the attack with the death toll about 19 Russian vs 20 German squads. The Germans have bought no less than 5 companies of infantry as reinforcements and the 60 squads start to arrive.
He has very few toys - I even managed to capture an 81mm mortar that was too far forward - and there's a lot of short range sturm troops. I lose a small bit of the Barricades map but I outscore him on the casualties. Final death toll is 44 German vs 36 Russian squads.
Quite gentile by Stalingrad standards - reinforcements on both sides more than casualties. Headcount at the end was 97 Russian vs around 130 German squads. Across a fair chunk of the center of the Barricades map he's only advanced 1hex in 2 dates which I take some pride in. More on the flanks of course.
I'm moderately happy but I still think the Germans are in the driving seat. I had a lot of advantages for the 2nd date which won't be replicated. I'm setting up first. All 130 German squads will be concentrated around me to hit me hard from Turn1. And with so much infantry he can spare some for toys to neutralize my kill stacks or set up some of his own. He's been light on HMG's because he keeps buying Sturm Coys - and he hasn't bought Stukas yet which is just a foolish oversight considering the rule has been rewritten so you get 2-4 instead of 1 but still only 1 point. Its clear weather and I'm sure he will.
Date 3 starts on wednesday.
I've enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but I think it's very hard for the Russians. If I was the Germans I think I'd be doing much better and I still think I will lose it (although inflicting fearsome casualties). I think it would be better with a CVP cap for the Germans, quite a high one - maybe 450 CVP or so - but it would give the Russians a chance. (And as the German troops would have been used to attack the Lazur chemical factory after taking these maps it seems historical).
Anyway the 3rd date will be absolutely crucial - if I can survive that in reasonably okay state I'll have a chance - the Germans do have to sweep you off virtually the entire map, and there are limited infantry buys for dates 4 and 5.
Anyone else played this?
Last time I looked he was the top UK player...........he's a great player. I played someone similar recently - Lionel Colin. His goal was to kill everything I had on the board. He and Mark should have a game.
