[SotM] 2012 December - Scenario Selection Voting

[campsawyer]

With that defense being strung out, I would have the whole lot of Germans go right after the crossroads as that it the key to any German win. Cut that force to pieces and that gets them a minor victory with no Soviets on the northern part of the road. The Soviet left and right are going to have a job to get back to help to defend.

Firstly, "cutting that force to pieces" is not as simple a matter of doing as it is writing. Secondly, the Soviet "right" (2xINF) is only a few hexes away (with movement westward along a road); and those 2xINF "reinforcing elements" on the board edge are also quite close. Thirdly, the "Left" would be able then to counter-attack using the road to move at least as quickly eastwards as the Germans could advance northwards (particularly given the northerly advance on Board 9 would be through LOTS of frozen swamp save for the N/S road). I don't believe that the Soviet "left" in my set-up is as isolated as you suggest given observation of an all-out German move north along the road or even via a "right hook" approach. {guess I should articulate for others that right/left are based on north being "up."} In point of fact, the westernmost Soviet units are no farther from the cross-roads than the entering SS units.

One might advocate a hold-the-crossroads with everything, sure. One of the nice things about the SotM is that we get to see what different approaches yield. Still, I don't usually like to button-up the defense completely.

Agreed, nothing is for sure. But it is easier for the Germans if the Soviet units are dispersed. The Germans can mass up the road, giving them better mobility as well as the possibility of OP fire on the moving Soviets as well as BF fire on them in the open. This just gives the Germans more of a chance. If the Soviets are all grouped together and dugin the swamps they are very hard to dislodge. The crossroads are the key for the Germans so the Soviets will need to defend with the most force. The trickier part for the Soviets is how to get all the German casualties for a win.

As for the swamps, remember they are frozen but still a 1 hex visibility.