This was a refreshing change of pace - we played this scenario on an actual table at my home in 2 longish sessions. I was played the hapless Soviets, and the dauntless & stimulating, Sonora, played the ultimately successful German commander. We used the FOW, Smoke/illum, consolidation and excess initiative optional rules. There were 6, very disheartening, FOW-shortened turns in our 12-turn play-through. Together we threw SIXTEEN, combat 7-die rolls. the Germans drew a good set of leaders, the Soviet leader draw was awful.

This fight started out with the Bolsheviks getting the worst possible - most exposed - of the three potential entry points, where they were under fire from the get go. Another entry point might have turned this one into a slightly better opportunity for the Soviets. German artillery was deadly through out this fiasco. At times it looks like the Soviet KV-1 platoons might have been enough to ensure a win in combined arms attacks, but this was not to be. However, it was great fun using these mighty tanks to eliminate the nasty AT & AA guns that supported the German pioneer contingent at the doggone bridge. This was until all the German 105mm artillery units moved into range and began slowly decimating the Soviet infantry formations, stunning the heavy tanks, and killing their leaders. The vicinity of the bridge hex was hotly-contested for most of our play-through. There was very little room for maneuver and Russian converging attacks were repeatedly discombobulated. Both sides suffered senior leader decapitations during game turns 9-10, which provide a short-lived glimmer of hope for the Soviets. The Germans were too strong to overcome in the end. Call this one a hard-fought, but-well-played, German victory.

This one is simply too unbalanced for the Russian Commies to have a realistic chance of winning. I suggest that this is best played in SOLO and not in SHARED mode. It was fun to play face-to-face with a challenging opponent, but it only gets a generous 2, from me in shared play.