Author	t1M0t8yk
Method	Solo
Victor	Soviet Union
Play Date	2021-03-21
Language	English
Scenario	EFDx011

The most likely path to RKKA major victory is elimination of 12 Romanian steps. The Romanians must keep the Reds more than four hexes from the board 3 bridge, and none occupying any board 7 town hex. Supplemental victory conditions I used are RKKA minor victory for capturing the board 3 bridge or complete control of the board 7 town, and Romanian minor victory for keeping the Reds more than 3 hexes from the bridge and Romanian control of two board 7 town hexes.

Five Romanian platoons set up on the eastern side of the town. The remainder create an unbroken perimeter four hexes from the bridge and east off the river. HMG and AT guns man the north, northwest, and southwest corners.

The Red Army plan is to attack west side of the bridge perimeter first using AFVs to disrupt or demoralize defenders before sending in infantry. Remaining forces will take positions two hexes from the rest of the perimeter without attacking during the night, pinning the Romanian defenders lest they concede any portion of the perimeter. A portion of the infantry supplemented by one of the T-37s will position between the Romanian-occupied town and the perimeter, in the event those Romanians try to reinforce the bridge perimeter. The Romanian plan is to hold the perimeter positions until the RKKA meaningfully break the perimeter. At that point they will withdraw at least two platoons back to the bridge. The Romanians just outside the town will fall back into the town if attacked. If not they will bide their time before considering possibly flanking the RKKA perimeter attack.

The first several turns are mostly uneventful. The German AFVs do eliminate a couple of Romanian infantry steps. Other troops position themselves for dawn, digging in outside the perimeter. Two Romanian platoons transfer from east of the town to north of the town and also dig in to their new positions. Meanwhile the Reds methodically attack the small portion of the east side of the perimeter.

As dawn breaks only two Romanian steps have been eliminated. A portion of the cavalry finally gets into action, charging the northeast corner of the perimeter. They soon get the worst of it, as the Romanian defender are helped by OBA. Meanwhile, at 0630 RKKA infantry have pushed through to three hexes from the bridge, and two platoons close to assault range on the southeast corner, now defended only by the AT battery.

Hard hit on the Romanians at 0630, when German OBA scores a double hit on a full HMG platoon positioned to defend the bridge. At 0730 the battke is devolving to a race to 12 Romanian casualty steps; only six turns left, and four casualties to go.

Finally, the last turn and only one step left to eliminate... and the Reds come in under the wire, taking out their 12th step with an early assault!

This was a pretty good scenario, and I believe the closest PG battle I've ever seen. That being said, even with the supplemental victory conditions I think it's difficult for the Romanians to win. It also drags a bit, which seems common for PG given its combat system of slowly building cummulative effects and scenarios with countless turns. The Romanians did come very close to acheiving a draw. Some might argue I was hypercautious with the Soviets, but my plan played out to their success. In retrospect perhaps the RKKA cavalry needed to be a lot more aggressive. They are very vulnerable to the strong Romanian OBA after dawn. Consequently take your chances with opportunity fire and charge with all cavalry at dawn.