A most excellent scenario. I played this with Fog-of-War, Smoke, and Road to Berlin optional "Razvedka" rule. This scenario is one of the better designed ones in all of PG. It captured the desperate final days' battle of the Reich. The Soviets are coming like a steam roller and the Germans are desperately trying to cobble together a defense. I liked the low fuel rule for the Germans and the lowered morale of the German tankers; both aspects made the German commander think hard about what to do with the panzers.

The Germans defender the two Board 17 towns stoutly and but tanks forward, with the Panther in the center forward town. This forced the Soviets to deploy early and get the infantry moving on foot. They Soviets cam with a main attack moving on the east side of the Board 18 woods with the goal of clearing the first town while a supporting attack of a company of tanks and infantry went down the west side to fix the two Pz IV platoons anchoring the German left. The attack on the town immediately fell apart as the Panther clobbered tow Emcha (Sherman) platoons. The Soviet commander immediately reassessed his plan.

he chose to bypass the Germans in the town by going east around the southeast woods which was defended by a some infantry and a PZ IV platoon. The Soviets figured they would get bogged down in a tough fight for the towns and the Emchas were way outgunned.

Using cover of smoke and the fields the Soviets headed for the woods, dispatched the Pz IV and pushed the landsers into the woods. The Germans reinforced the woods and suddenly the Soviets were bogged in a fight in the woods. But the attack on the German left battered the Pz IVs defending there and broke through. Now the Jerries were threatened on both flanks. The Soviets disengaged from the fight in the woods and set up for a run off the map. Once the tanks that attacked in the west were poised to run off the board, the Soviets executed their ext. A Pz IV platoon and JagPz IV platoon were set to fire at any Emchas trying to ext. The remaining Soviet smoke concentration allowed the west tank company to exit and then the east flank moved. The German armor took a step of Shermans but the rest, along with some infantry got off the board for the Soviet win.

Plenty of tactical options for both sides and plenty of maneuver made for a great scenario.