This scenario was played as a team event by my gaming group. I act as moderator and facilitator for each game, and I do not participate directly as a player. My listing of “winning” is based on the PG HQ site cannot support a neutral role in AARs.

I examined the forces in this scenario prior to play, and figured the Germans had an advantage. Even though the Brits had twice as many tanks, the German tanks were all solid excepting the PzIIs, and the Brits had 50% Stuarts. Add two 88mm and three 50mm ATGs versus two Brit 6 lbers, and the Germans just seemed to have a distinct edge in forces. Based on that, I eliminated the 88 or so points of German OBA. Anything that stepped outside a Bren would be vaporized with that much arty available, especially as the Brits had absolutely nothing.

The Brits entered around center board, and the Germans came in on a corner. The Brits wheeled to face the Germans, and the Germans quickly dug in and placed tanks on the flanks. The Brits initially looked like they would try to go for a double envelopment, but instead crashed directly on the flanks of the German line. The Brit tanks tried to go head to head with the German tanks, facing off in a line like the movies. Grants or Stuarts, it didn’t matter; just line up and shoot. At first it looked promising, as the German PzIVF2 took a quick step loss for a couple Brit steps. If that kept up, the German tank force would be too weak to protect the line. But it didn’t. And the German tanks, coupled with the ATGs, began to ravage the Brits. In nine turns, the Brits lost 75% of their tanks, and three loaded Brens as well, in exchange for the one step of PzIVF2 and three steps of PzIIs, plus two empty SPW251s. On turn 10 the Brits had enough, and ran for the barren wastelands. A total slaughter, with a score of 83 to 10 Germans over Brits.

Anticipating Road of Slaves in a couple months, a similar scenario, we had a desert tank combat tactics discussion to better prepare the Brits for the next time. Still, it was a fun scenario with plenty of combat shooting. With pretty much all the combat being AT (the Brit infantry did not reach the German line), the scenario moved a good speed, everyone had mobile forces, and nothing was slowed down by repeated large scale morale checks. I am really glad I removed the OBA, though. And I think the next scenario will be all the better for the lessons learned here.