Author	treadasaurusrex (Soviet Union)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	CavDo
Play Date	2023-11-14
Language	English
Scenario	PaGr024

This was a 5-session play-through, of a 18-game turn scenario with the clever & determined, CavDo, leading a combined arms German invaders of the 13th Panzer Division in a desperate attack on a strategic town on a 4-map battlefield. I played the fragile-morale, Russian defenders of the 60th Rifle Brigade clustered around a 22-hex town & critical road junction in the Caucasus. Both sides drew middling leaders, and we used the consolidation, smoke/illum, excessinitiaitive and extended assault optional rules. We ignored the defense-favoring, FOW rule in this relatively short scenario, and experimented with these 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) Standardized 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. We felt that the use of these two house rules significantly eased & improved game flow. They also lessened the horror of my having to play the side without any armor

There is a problem in the Russian setup that calls for the placement of a: 1xHQ 7/5. Not knowing what in the world that is, we substituted an additional Soviet HMG platoon, bringing their total to 7.

This fight eventually resulted in a costly German victory as the final pair if town hexes were taken on the very last turn! Total step losses for the Soviets was 22 and 4 leaders, against a nearly-overwhelming Axis step loss of 37 and 5 leaders, in what proved a fiercely-contested battle for control of the large town of Elkhotovo.

This was a relatively balanced match with many decision points that we recommend for either SOLO or SHARED play.