Author	treadasaurusrex (Soviet Union)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Soviet Union
Participants	Grognard Gunny (AAR)
Play Date	2024-12-30
Language	English
Scenario	ARom005

This was a 3-session play-through (22 game turns) with the resolute & stimulating, Grognard Gunny, leading defending elements of the Romanian 35th Reserve Infantry Division in hasty defensive positions on three hills. I commanded the attacking elements of the Soviet 95th Motorized Rifle Division. Both sides drew marginal sets of leaders.

We used the FOW, consolidation, excess initiative and extended assault optional rules, along with the following two house rules: 1) Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units - All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 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.

The initial session (game turns 1-4) featured the deliberate Soviet movement to contact, north of the east-west road where they were greeted with a significant amount of opfire that did surprisingly little damage. This was thanks in part to a mortar-deployed smoke screen on the northeast margins of the 21-hex hill, one the Russians drew into decisive range. Step losses for the Romanians were 4 and a leader was captured, resulting in a decline in their initiative level, while the Soviets lost 2 steps in a pair of fierce, adjacent-hex firefights. By session’s end, the Soviets had secured 3 hexes of the largest hill, and were on the verge of seizing 2 more, having driven back the Romanian’s supporting mortar platoon.

Our second session (game turns 5-10) featured multiple, adjacent-hex firefights on the large hill, and the Soviets also moved to secure the south hill. The dwindling Romanian Reservists continued the brave fight on the big hill, but suffered 7 step losses, plus a leader casualty> while the Russians lost just one more step this session. So far, there have been no close assaults attempted by either side, but a great many morale recovery rolls were thrown. The Russians Kommissar has been extremely bust recovering demoralized units as the Bolshevik wave moves inexorably over the big hill. Twelve game turns remain to be played.

The third session (game turns 11-15) featured the inexorable advance of the Commies, accompanied by many adjacent-hex firefights on the largest hill, leading to the inevitable loss of 20 Romanian steps, plus a leader, this session. My worthy and hard-fighting opponent conceded defeat at the end of the 15th game turn when it was apparent that there was no chance for a draw, or a Romanian victory. Score a Soviet minor victory for the Russian horde in this unbalanced scenario.

A couple questions occurred to us: 1) Where is the Romanian artillery “firing over open sights” mentioned in the scenario writeup? Only the Soviets have off-board artillery and a pair of mortar platoons. 2) We assume that the 22-hex town that is supposed to be a hill, is only 20-meters high with no relief features on top – in other words – it is a flat mesa.

Though this was fun to play with a challenging opponent, there is little chance of the Romanians pulling off a win in this rather unbalanced & overlong scenario. I give it a generous 3 in shared play and recommend it for SOLO play, only.