Author	treadasaurusrex (Spain)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Soviet Union
Participants	Reconquista
Play Date	2023-02-28
Language	English
Scenario	BluD017

This was another extended 5-session play-through of an infantry-heavy slugfest with the undaunted and eager, Reconquista, leading the Red Army troops. I led the defending, and overmatched Spanish side, in what was almost a very costly draw. We used the FOW, consolidation, excess initiative and smoke/illum optional rules and experimented with the following 2 house rules:

1)Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, and 2) Standard Movement for Mechanized Units All mechanized units may move through clear hexes at a movement cost of only 1 movement point (MP) per hex, instead of 1 1/2. Add one to this cost if moving up, across, or down slopes hexes, and Both sides drew poor leaders, with the Spanish having a slight morale advantage. Together, we threw an amazing 25 combat 7-die rolls in only 24 game turns -- 13 of which were FOW-shortened!

The bulk of the entrenched Spanish force was concentrated on two hills in the southwest sector of the battle map, but they also held a 20-meter hill in the northeast sector with two entrenchments that was surrounded by minefields. the Red Army's slow, mass movement-to-contact from the northeast to southwest began in the pre-dawn gloom at a visibility of only 2 hexes. Their skirmisher penal units were on point in the early turns taking heavy casualties, mostly to adjacent-hex direct fire, once they were in range during game turns 5-6. Multiple close assaults, proceeded by remarkably accurate Soviet OBA ensued as the penal platoons attacked straight uphill in the face of very heavy fire. As it turned out, this was a clever but costly feint attack intended to draw Spanish attention away from the followup Red Storm of regular INF and SMG units. The first Spanish casualties did not occur until the 7th game turn, but then they rapidly accumulated as the Soviets reached decisive engagement range. Entrenchments fell to the Soviets on the northeast hill, and the remaining Spanish fell back to the south, in a desperate foot race with the bulk of the Bolshevik force. Very soon, during game turns 9-14, the Red storms breaks over the other two Spanish-held hills in the southwest. Many morale collapses occur on both sides in fierce, close range fighting in the waning darkness of the woods. Dawn revealed a series of a repeated seesaw, attack & counter attacks with many losses by the end of game turn 21. OB Artillery is deadly at this stage of the fight as visibility improves. Eventually 3 contested entrenchments permanently fell to the relentless Red tide by the end of game turn 22, though at a heavy cost. Brave Spanish counter attacks slowly weakened, and they failed to recapture 2 of the entrenchment in spite of heroic efforts by their relatively few remaining leaders. With enhanced visibility, units in wooded hexes are constantly losing steps to OBA ad onboard mortar barrages.

At the end, step losses are 40 for the Soviets, and also 6 leaders/Kommissars, while the Spanish lost 24 steps and 5 leaders. The Soviets prevailed in this infantry slugfest, thanks to their ability to hold on in 3 of the captured entrenchments. The Spanish probably should have stayed in their dug-in positions, rather than going over the top and into close assaults, though this did result in the elimination of crucial Soviet HMG units.

I give this relatively balanced scenario a 3, and recommend it for both SHARED & SOLO play. There was a lot more maneuver and critical decision points than we expected, in what was a fast-paced encounter. While the FOW clearly helped the Spanish side, it came down to the last 7 game turns to determine the final outcome. In a daylight situation, I think that it would be a better play-through, which is why I am not joining my gracious opponent in giving this one a 4. The house rules we tried worked pretty well in this play-through.