Panzer Grenadier Battles on March 29th:
Spearhead Division #16 - Final Accounting
Aren't we dead yet?
Author plloyd1010 (Soviet Union)
Method Face to Face
Victor Soviet Union
Participants WightTiger
Play Date 2012-10-14
Language English
Scenario PotE001

In previous and never completed AAR, I was going to say that I don't like blame my defeats on bad luck. Here I will say, don't like to credit my victories to good luck either, but I did have very useful luck. That said, this scenario required good play on my part, a critical blunder on my opponent's, plus the a fore mentioned good luck, to barely eek out a victory. This play imbalance is part of the reason for the low rating I gave.

A second reason is the reinforcement march times do not seem have been well calculated. (Konstantin, I hope you take this as constructive, because that is how I intend it.) The marches are critical in 2 instances. First the reinforcing T-26, using the standard TEC, only just has time to make the edge of the southern 40-meter hill. That makes for a very gamey snatch/deny victory situation (I don't like that). The second reinforcement issue is the unarmed arriving infantry. Flat-out, between the lakes and around the woods, they get to the base of the northern hill. This makes them an interesting footnote, and completely useless. Add in FoW, with its 4.8% chance at night, odds are the hill guys will be on their own. Criticism done, on to what happened.

The far north group set on the edge of the northern most hill. Far south on the edge of the woods. The 2 more central groups were on the elevation lines in their respective start zones. The Japanese came on in 2 roughly equal groups, aimed at the northern groups on each hill. (This contributes the critical blunder.) On turn 2 the southern Jap group reaches the northern south hill position, on the northwest hex. This is what gave me small chance to make a fight of the scenario, and completes the blunder. My southern south hill group rushes to the aid of the northern south hill position. The southern north hill position is also moving to help, and will arrive a couple turns later. Meanwhile the northern Jap group is slogging through the massive hill-field.

The Japanese reinforcements arrive very late, turn 4. The, now larger, south hill position with stands the first rush against it (important luck here, along with the uphill defense and some first fire). I inflict causalities, cause some demoralizations and generally discombobulate the Japanese attack, for the moment. in the debit side my reinforcements are delayed due to FoW.

About turn 6, I feel like the outlaws in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. I beat the first rush, but now the Japanese are recovering and have more guys. The plan shifts to delay, then make them chase me around the hill. The north Japanese finally reach me. A lucky op-fire demoralizes the Lt-Col leading the charge, that buys me turn. After that the first position starts to crumble. The second position moves to cover the previously hidden tank & NKVD movement.

More FoW terminations occur. At this point they help me more than my opponent. A reduced NKVD & ING, and HMG have evaded the massacre in the south. The small force which as on the west side of the northern hill has moved onto its southern tip. It is turn 10, the Japanese don't have time to mop me up anymore. I win! Sheesh!

1 Comment
(edited 2012-12-02 15:41)

Hi Peter,

thank you very much for your well thought-out comment, I found it very interesting to read.

I have to admit that you are completely right, the delayed arrival of the unarmed infantry is obviously an ommission on my part. I cannot remember how this could happen. Maybe I did some changes and forgot to adjust the entry time of the reinforcements. Anyway, such things simply shouldn't happen.

But there is a way to fix it without changing the scenario: you could simply use the "Strategic Movement" optional rule Nr. 17.3. This will ensure that the reinforcements arrive just in time to take part in the battle.

The implimentation of this rule should also help to asjust any problems with the game balance. Remember that even a single one, even demoralized, soviet unit will ensure a soviet victory. Yes, I know, this sounds rather gamey. But in reality the Japanese numerical superiority was even bigger than in this scenario, so I don't think that the defenders had any chance to stop them. So in my opinion this is the only way to give the soviet player a chance to "win".

Nevertheless it sounds that you had a very close and interesting game. So I sincerely hope that you had fun playing this one and that you don't regret it.

If you try other scenarios from "PotE", please let me know, how you find them. I am looking forward to hear from you!

Best,

Konstantin

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