S2 Russian setup

igycrctl

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How do you setup the Russians in S2 War of the Rats? I have read that it is hard for the Russians to hold on to everything, so one option is to abandon one building. Thanks in advance.
 

Eagle4ty

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I think my reply to that would be: What is your mission? Do you have to control all the buildings? No. In other words, where do you want to be at the end game.
  • Next review the enemy OB and see what his capabilities are. What are going to be his most likely courses of action? Can he dissect your defense by making it almost impossible to shift forces to threatened areas?Does he have the ability to assault several areas at the same time, etc.?
  • Now review your forces. Do you have sufficient forces to put a few squads outside of your main defensive position to force him to disperse his attack or perhaps to support your main defensive position by fire? What is to be gained by dispersion of your forces? Can the sacrifice of a couple of units outside your main defensive position be an advantage to you and a detriment in time spent taking them out to your opponent? Do you have enough forces for a small (squad or two) reserve to plug gaps or move to a threatened area? And, can they effectively be protected against an early and untimely commitment? Do you have Leaders in the right places to keep kicking your brokies back into action?
  • Review the terrain to see what terrain offers the attacking force his greatest opportunities for a covered and concealed approach and how you can deny or retard his advance into these areas. Ask yourself, what is to be gained by defending such and such buildings, and to what strength? What buildings are better placed to allow skulking, offer best fields of fire and are the hardest to get at if defended and supported adequately? Finally, if this is the Alamo, can it be defended properly in a last ditch defense.
  • Finally, you should take into account the time element. That is to say where do do expect to be at a particular point in the game. Use the backward planning process if possible - Here's the Alamo (end game), now if I can deny him this area by turn "x" or he should be to positions A-B-C by turn "y", I'll be in good shape.
In ASL (ASLSK being a part of the bigger game), there is usually no perfect or best defense (though there are certainly poor or worse ones), it's all how you approach the scenario. A good adage is still the timeless "He who defends everything, defends nothing".

As an aside: There is a thread page dedicated primarily for ASLSK Q&A's, for future reference you may want to consider that area of the forum for such questions as you're more likely to get a more rapid and appropriate response if you post there.:nod::)
 

Robin Reeve

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Don't put too much up front.
Don't stack too much.
Use skulking (move out of LOS during MPh and advance back during APh).
Orient your reinforcements towards the best defended place.
Be conscious that there are two zones to defend : the building on your left and the buildings on your right. Don't hope to be able to divert units from one zone to defend the other one during play : there is too much open ground between them.
Put substantial defences in both zones. Don't concede one from the start, otherwise the German will concentrate his attack and you don't want him to do that.
And keep your teeth clentched, don't concede victory, pass successfully your many Personal Morale Checks.
Stalin is watching you - through the eyes if the NKVD spies of your unit.
 

xenovin

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Put a small delay force in the left clump of buildings but make sure they are not within any building 2 hexes from German setup else the flamethrower will zap them. They are all going to die so trade space for time so skulk and assault moving to the right as maybe a few can make it back to the main defense. As your reinforcements will enter through the rear woods, base most of your defenders in the right-hand clump of buildings and the large building (sorry to lazy to pull map). Some guys with an MG in the building right of the rear road will help left-side forces hold out, will delay Germans from crossing that roadway (once left side falls) and hold left flank of large building. You don't have to control all the buildings just enough to keep the Germans from meeting their victory conditions. Good luck if you can figure out what I just wrote!
 

igycrctl

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I guess I should have been more specific about why I was asking. It is hard, when playing solo, to do setup because I know what I am thinking. Not looking for a Russian setup because I'm playing them, but I am attacking and didn't want to produce a weak defense that would play into my offensive plans. That being said, all of the above give me good ideas for how to setup the defense. Now I need to rethink my attack plans!
 

Robin Reeve

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Well, the title of the thread way misleading, if you are not asking advice for the Russian set up.
If you are playing solo, you will be playing both sides - and don't be too annoyed about thinking for both : the chaos of battle will kick in very quickly and your first plans will have to be adapted, anyway.
Now, once the Russians have set up, think of two or three points where you will concentrate your attack. My remark about the two zones of the battle works for the Germans too.
Don't lose time Prep Firing (excepted to flame a Russian at two hex range with your FT).
ASL is a game of maneuvre, so privilege moving.
Assault move on the road.
Don't move in stacks - a squad and a leader maximum, as you don't have a lot of ground to cover.
Keep the 0 leadership behind, to greet the routing brokies and to rally them.
During APh, spread and don't hesitate to move adjacent to the Russians: "hugging" them places them in the temptation to Prep fire rather than skulk.
That would be for the opening turn.
 

igycrctl

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Yes, I realized that the request was not what I meant to ask, hence the clarification. And you are certainly correct about the chaos of battle changing my plans, but I didn't want a defense that assumed the attack I knew was coming. Again, thanks very much for all of your insight.
 

jrv

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Yes, I realized that the request was not what I meant to ask, hence the clarification. And you are certainly correct about the chaos of battle changing my plans, but I didn't want a defense that assumed the attack I knew was coming. Again, thanks very much for all of your insight.
Setting up a defense is usually deemed harder than attempting an attack. A defense has to be prepared for all possible attacks. An attacker has to look over the defense and spot the weak point. You really shouldn't have an attack in mind without seeing a defense. The defense should be prepared for any attack, which means it is not prepared against one particular attack but against all possible attacks. Typically the defender will balance the defense with more units where there is more terrain and less where there is more open ground or difficult terrain for the force, but it would be unusual to see a defense stacked up against one approach with the other unguarded. The defense may be able to shift units in response to the attack, but the attacker may be able to get the jump on the defense and/or interfere with shifting. If there is a long road between two areas of the defense (fairly common in city battles), the attacker can make shifting the defense difficult.

Perhaps you can re-work your exercise. Rather than trying one attack, come up with several possibilities. Set up a defense then try two or three of the possible attacks against the same defense. If any of the attacks is substantially easier (and here you have to estimate the effect of the dice), then your defense favored some attacks over others and needs to be re-thought.

JR
 
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xenovin

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IGY,

Here's an example setup for you sacrificing F8 to hold L6 and/or O6 (again, your reinforcements will most likely come up through N9 woods). This setup limits German prep fire (FT) while allowing Russian fire on Heinz moving through most of the open streets. The Germans will most likely take path of least resistance and head for F8 first. This will allow you to shift the MMG L6 and it will take them a few turns to cross the I5-I10 roadway. L7 has the reserve to move towards threatened sector. Good luck!
S2_RUS_setup.jpg
 

igycrctl

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Wow. Thanks. This was exactly what I needed. Maybe next time I'll ask for a picture. After all, they are worth 1000 words.
 

Gunner Scott

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If you want try some real scenarios on Stalingrad, play Red Barricades or Valor of the Guards. Excellent scenarios on very nice HASL maps.
 

HansK

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IGY,

Here's an example setup for you sacrificing F8 to hold L6 and/or O6 (again, your reinforcements will most likely come up through N9 woods). This setup limits German prep fire (FT) while allowing Russian fire on Heinz moving through most of the open streets. The Germans will most likely take path of least resistance and head for F8 first. This will allow you to shift the MMG L6 and it will take them a few turns to cross the I5-I10 roadway. L7 has the reserve to move towards threatened sector. Good luck!
View attachment 2392
Will be using this shortly. Thanks!
 
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