Author	treadasaurusrex (Soviet Union)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Soviet Union
Participants	Miguelibal
Play Date	2023-01-08
Language	English
Scenario	BluD006

This was a fun-filled, 4-session play-through with a witty & clever newbie to the ranks of the Southern Arizona Beer & Jolly Foils group leading the Spanish/German side. I played the attacking, Bolshevik Commander as has become the norm in this extended Blue Division series of group plays - with the added bonus of my side not having a single tank! We played using the awful FOW rule, in addition to the smoke, consolidation and excess initiative optional rules. The Spanish side drew a good set of leaders. In contrast, the Germans & Soviets drew a middling-to-very-poor selection of leaders.

This scenario plays quite fast and is basically a rescue mission for the Spanish ski troops to bail out their wretched German allies trapped by onrushing Soviet hordes in a small town. My badly-led, proletariat soldiers approached the town in question via the woods to the west. Later Soviet reinforcements approached from the south edge of the battle map during game turns 2 and 3. The rescuing Spanish skiers moved to contact from the north, while the Soviets prompted a fast - and mostly ineffective - fire fight with the German garrison. The premature & ill-ordered Soviets began rushed, close assaults just as the relieving Spanish begin entering the town. They draw first blood on game turn 3 as a German platoon is shot to pieces. Not surprisingly, the Germans begin routing and fleeing just as the Spanish begin moving to cover the town before the arrival of the mass of Soviet reinforcements. The fresh Spaniards were able to drive off the initial Commie wave and push them back into the woods, before the mass of Soviet reinforcements close the town. The overeager Soviet Kommissar is killed on game turn 7 along with a platoon that he was trying to rally. Slowly the Soviet mass assault begins to add momentum at a heavy cost to both sides. The heroic Spanish gradually are reduced in number and effectiveness as they are pinned in-place, while the last of the original German garrison is eliminated. By the end of our 4th session, the Soviets have liberated enough of the town to earn a minor victory. Between us, we managed to throw a combined 15 combat 7-die rolls, which repeatedly undermined Spanish counter attacks in close assault. The Russians were able to feed fresh, reserves into the close assault maelstroms, to keep up the pressure until the Axis forces gave way. In all, we experienced 8 FOW-shortened turns that materially benefited the Axis side of things.

This scenario could use a rewrite as it was rather easy for the Soviets to achieve their minimal victory condition, and a bit of additional play testing would also have helped. However, it was fun to play with a gracious and hard-fighting, online opponent. I give it a 3.