I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where the local American football team is revered. After they had won a couple championships the pre-season predictions were all quite sure that they would win the championship again. A journalist asked for the ability to follow the team during the season and chronicle what was supposed to be another championship. As you would expect with a build-up like that, the team did not win the championship that year due to several small but ultimately critical failings. The book that resulted from the journalist's observations was titled "Three Bricks Shy of a Load" and was received quite well in sports and critical circles.

In this scenario, the Germans will probably find themselves three bricks shy as well. Their job is to cross two boards of open ground, dislodge a larger force than their own and take a town. They do have a morale advantage and they do have decent OBA but the task is difficult. While I found that the Germans had the strength to get into the town they were just a little short of having the force to "take" the town. I ended up with two hexes of the town controlled by Germans, two hexes contested and one held by the Soviets.

There were a number of points in the game at which a better roll would have meant a better chance at German victory but there were also four straight Kommisar morale checks in the early game which led to "reeducations". This despite the fact that the Kommisar was a "10" rated Komissar, so luck would seem to have been pretty even.

Don't get me wrong, with another 4-6 turns the Germans would probably have taken the town but the attackers would have been completely fought out. As it was, they were not full of vim and vigor at the end of turn 20. Only the comparative weakness of the Soviets kept the Germans from being ejected from the town. Lots of choices for both sides in this one. I give it a "4".

The Germans have a ton of tools to work with in this scenario, even a 150, but it just isnt enough to crack the Russian defenses in the town. The Germans are slow moving, relying on wagons in this one, so it becomes difficult to focus their weaponry on a single point without being blown apart by the large amount of mortars the Russians have. The Russian train arrived on turn 3, and was able to intercept the German advance, slowing and unravelling it before they could get their AT guns in place to receive it. The German attack really just dissolved once it emerged from the treeline on board 3, not much else to say. It was the Russians day.

This was a supposed to be an introductory lesson in how to play Panzergrenadier. It turned into a bloody fight for town hexes that was too long to play comfortably over 4 evening get togethers. We decided on a draw when both sides were nearly running out of troops at the end of turn 18: although a draw is not allowed by the written instructions for this "all or nothing" game. We used the smoke, excess initiative and Fog of War rule which helped my side as the Russian player, but this ended 7 of our turns before either of us were ready.

I give this one a 3 because I learned how Soviet Commissars and armored trains work in the game, and had fun doing it with a knowledgeable and more experienced friend to show me how. But really, it deserves a lower rating because either side should have the possibility of a drawn game. There are not enough German units provided for the Axis to win IMHO. That side is handicapped by having to take every single town hex on Map 33. That may be what really happened, but when we played it, there were very few Soviets left by the end of turn 16, so I was happy to offer a drawn game.