Author	t1M0t8yk (Soviet Union)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	unknown
Play Date	2015-10-15
Language	English
Scenario	RtBr048

This is really a jim-dandy of a scenario. It is perhaps worth a 5. Rich and I actually played it twice. Both times I was the Soviets, and both times I lost. The last time I checked no one had written an AAR for it. If I am indeed the first to do so it is my pleasure.

The script is a really good one. The Soviets have the numbers, in both tanks and infantry. Clearly though they need to solve the problem of Germany's superior armor. They outnumber the German armor two to one, so I believe it can be done. Unfortunately, I lack the experience to know how to apply the Soviet numerical superiority to make the difference they need.

Rich's Germans were fairly evenly distributed west to east on all three maps. The Panthers were in the west, and the other German armor in center and east. The first time I swept in on the west side. Soon the armor were trading shots, and I was getting the worst of it. At that point I suggested we start over, lamenting that I thought the Soviets should use their abundant OBA to target German armor. I didn't do that in this first version of the scenario.

The second time I swept in on the east side. An advantage of this approach is it provides more cover to advancing infantry. Unfortunately, the Soviet OBA was almost completely ineffective. I also had an early FoW 16+ and lost an initiative roll at a critical point when I was trying to leverage my armor numbers in a decisive armor exchange. Alas, before long the Panthers and other German armor chewed up the Soviets again.

I definitely want to revisit this scenario. I'd like to try the Germans since my setup would be much different than Rich's. I also want to play the Soviets again. I will however prefer to play it face-to-face. Vassal is great with a friend like Rich with whom I can rarely meet. Some scenarios, however, beg for face-to-face play. And I think FTF will help me polish my tactical skills for PG.