Perhaps another look at what WW I would look like with WW II weapons, etc. In this case the extra mobility of cavalry and the relative lack of coverage of a lot of terrain gives the Germans the chance to infiltrate through the Soviet lines. Let's face it, they don't have the strength to go toe to toe with even Soviet infantry, so the best thing is to hide and then run for it. The game itself was very close with the Germans managing to reach their victory level on turn 19 (of 20), so it seemed very balanced and tight.

Another small and accessible scenario, easy to get into and easy to play.

The Germans used the superior speed of their trucks and cavalry to move east onto board 21 just west of the main town. The Soviets advanced to west of the town and the two sides formed lines opposite each other. Both sides spent turns shooting from two hex range to try and reduce the other. Initial German successes were followed by late Soviet success with their combined artillery on the cavalry. As the game concluded both sides had taken numerous losses and were still on the western part of the east board. Per the victory conditions the Germans won a minor victory but this scenario could go either way and would warrant replaying in the future.

"Cavalry Reborn" is an interesting scenario, but one that is a real challenge for the Germans to win. The problem is how to exit roughly half your force, AFTER having eliminated 6 steps of a numerically equal but morale- and firepower-advantaged Soviet Guards force WHILE still preventing them from controlling three widely-spaced towns after 20 turns.

My initial strategies were as follows: the German plan was to swing about 3/4 of their cavalry force in a wide flanking move to the south around a 40m hill, with the goal to position themselves both for a flank or rear attack on Soviets moving in the open and for a quick exit from the board. The remainder of the cavalry plus a company of HMGs and some mortars were to screen and hold the rest of the board to slow or stop a Soviet advance toward the westernmost town.

The Soviet strategy was to quickly occupy the easternmost towns with two companies, place their mortar company on the 40m hill, and send a probing company forward to try to take the westernmost town.

In the first hour of battle, the Soviets recognized the large cavalry flanking force and sent a detachment of inf and hmg from their eastern towns force to shoot them up. The German cavalry outpaced the Soviets and split their force, one half to circle the 40m hill and hit the mortar position while the other half attacked the Soviet response force. The mortar attack was an abysmal failure, inflicting no harm. While the 81mm units calmly retreated from the assault, the 120mm bravely sacrificed itself to buy time for more Soviets from the towns to come to their aid. The other half of the cavalry force was reasonably successful in inflicting some step losses while miraculously avoiding any negative effects.

In the north, the Soviet probing force was hunted down by a weak squadron of German cavalry, whose charge again failed to do any damage at all. One platoon of Soviet inf managed to enter the western town while another platoon held the cavalry at bay.

In the center, German HMGs gunned down a platoon of Soviet infantry that was challenging them in the open. This was enough to satisfy the German's VC for step losses, so now the game became one of disengaging enough German units to exit 10 steps. The cavalry squadron that attacked the mortars was wiped out to a man in a counterattack, but a brilliant disengagement and delaying action by the other squadron saw enough steps exit to satisfy the conditions for a major German victory.

However, with six turns remaining, there weren't enough German effectives remaining to challenge the Soviet occupation of any towns, so they satisfied their major victory conditions as well, resulting in a draw.

This is an interesting puzzle for the Germans. Perhaps occupying the westernmost town with all but 10 steps of cavalry is the best plan. The Soviets have to come after you in the town, and if you can keep your exit force out of harms way, then you just have to hope that the Soviets lose 6 steps in trying (and failing) to take the western town. It is just very hard for me not to want to charge all over the place with cavalry!