This scenario gives the Germans a plenty of room to deploy and a wide variety of terrain to use to their advantage with plenty of time to have units dig-in before the Soviets can get anywhere near them entering from the south edge. I deployed the Germans far back on the on the northern maps instead of racing out to meet the Soviets head-on, using the northern hill to increase the spotting range to 18 hexes for the massive amount of OBA (4x16) alotted to them. The Soviet foot units had the choice of slowly trudging through forest hexes to avoid getting spotted or taking the quicker path, leap-frogging it to the southern hill and then to the fields but in turn exposing themselves to OBA more early on. I wanted to keep the Soviet armored units close to the foot units so the woods were avoided as it would take too long to coordinate an attack. The first salvo of German OBA eliminated a whole Soviet INF platoon as soon as they were spotted attempting a dash to the hill at 07:15/turn 2, after double 6's were rolled on the 42 column of the bombardment table. This broke-up the initial advance and left units stranded out in the open. Between 08:00 and 08:30, 2 steps of SMGs would also be eliminated before making it to the fields. At 08:45/turn 8, German OBA also takes it's toll on Soviet tanks; disrupting one BT-5 and demoralizing another, setting them up for an assault the following turn by adjacent German INF units. By 09:00/turn 9, German panzers begin to engage the Soviet tanks and a step of T-34As are eliminated by PzIVEs. At 09:15/turn 10, the Germans have met their VCs after a platoon each of both BT-5 and Bt-7s are eliminated in assaults. Now the Soviets would have to work very hard for a draw. The carnage continued with even more Soviet units getting annihilated, both armored and foot, before the Germans took their first step loss at 09:45/turn 12, after a PzIIIF unit was reduced by a KV-1. Things continue to get worse for the Soviets after the KV-1 and KV-2 units find themselves drawn into crossfire and soon to be assaulted by German INF. However, at 10:15/turn 14, the Soviets actually get the initiative and the KV-1's are able to blast a step of German INF away at point-blank range before they are assaulted and demoralized.

More turns continue to pass and the turns get shorter as there is not much of the Soviet attack left. One Soviet Lieutenant had had enough and deserted by 10:30/turn 15. The Soviets still needed to inflict 5 more step losses on the Germans to shrug away with a draw. The situation looked pretty hopeless until the Land Battleships, the T-35s scored a hit on the PzIVEs which just left the safety of the woods to get in closer. The T-35s were the last hope of the Soviets and had had time to dig-in in the fields increasing their defense. All other Soviet tanks were smoking wrecks or demoralized. The Germans had to be more careful from this point on and removing the T-35s without taking many more losses from either armored or foot units. At 12:15/turn 22, the T-35s finish off the last of the PzIVEs. German step losses are at 7 with tanks counting double; one more German step loss and the Soviets can force a draw out the mess. However, the all-powerful German OBA rains down on the Land Battleships; disrupting one unit and demoralizing the other. At 13:15/turn 26, the 37mm AT guns get lucky and remove a step of T-35s leaving just one full and disrupted platoon of them left. The remaining PzIIIFs and German INF waste no time moving in adjacent to them on the flanks. At 13:45/turn 28, a crucial decision had to be made by the Soviets; either attempt to recover the disrupted T-35s or fire point-blank, one shot with 1/2 firepower at the panzers. They decide to fire and miss. Then the adjacent INF assault and they are reduced and demoralized. Between 14:00-14:30 the rest of the battle was a mop-up operation and at the conclusion of turn 31 all Soviet units had been eliminated and the lone Soviet Major had been surrounded and captured.

I got a great solo play out of this one but had it been a shared match I would of most likely of pulled back German units after inflicting 12 step losses on the Soviets to secure the win. Of course the Soviets may have done better if they had of taken the safer and slower route through the southern wooded area. But even then, the way the Germans were deployed, they would of gotten hammered as soon as they stuck their necks out and that slow trek through the woods would of given the Germans plenty of time to manuever units around them as well, especially since they had 20 trucks available to them. I also liked the way that T-35s ended up playing a major role in this one and did not expect them to be such a wildcard. I really don't think any two plays of this one will come out the same, from the either the initial deployment to the finish which merits replay value and a "4" rating from me. This one really cuold go either way with a high probability of a draw.

Author	t1M0t8yk
Method	Solo
Victor	Germany
Play Date	2022-02-13
Language	English
Scenario	EFDx017

Using rules_heretics's supplemental scenario victory conditions, this could be an interesting scenario. He adds the requirement for the Soviets to reach boards 1 & 4, but casualties inflicted is still the priority for both sides.

The Germans set up dispersed across all of boards 5 and 6 north of the road. Infantry are spaced generally two hexes apart. The PzIIIs and mortars are concealed in the bigger field on board 5. The PzIVs are deployed with the infantry north of the big forest. AT batteries are about equally spaced just behind the front line infantry.

The Soviets bring the tanks and infantry onto board 6. Infantry advance through the forest, maintaining concealment to avoid the big German OBA. The tanks advance on the right German flank, which is out of range of the German mortars, at least during initial setup. First the KV1s, KV2s, and T35s peaked around the corner of the forest - the KV1s to threaten the PzIVs, and the KV2s and T35s to take long-range HE shots at the closest German AT battery.

Both sides settled into a distant exchange of volleys. The longest-range Red Army AFVs targeted the closest German AT batteries. Shorter range Russian AFVs and mortars targeted the German grenadiers dug in on the flank. The Russian infantry bided their time in the forest, one hex back from the edge to avoid German OBA. The main German firepower was their OBA, which thus could only target Red Army tanks. The German AT batteries and tanks took whatever low-odds shots the RKKA allowed them. The Germans also started gradually moving other forces eastward.

The RKKA gradually took out a majority of the German AT batteries, but the Germans were able to pick off a few Russian tank steps, too. With a few turns to go both needed two steps to reach the casualty threshold. The Germans got there first. At that point they could retreat to avoid further casualties, so it ended in a slight German victory.

It was at least mildly interesting, but true to PG it required tons of turns with limited action before a result was clear.

Simple victory conditions keep this one fast and basic. Both sides are just trying to knock out enemy steps. Russians have a mix of just about every tank in their inventory, plus a battalion of inf and smgs. Germans have 2 PzIII platoons and a PzIV platoon, plus 4 batteries of a/t guns and a battalion of infantry. Germans need to kill 12 steps, the Soviets 8.

In my play, the Soviet infantry split up and were defeated in detail by the superior morale German infantry. The Soviet T34 platoon broke out and killed a PzIII platoon. The group of Land Battleships (1.5 platoons of T35 and 1 each of KV1 and KV2) joined some surviving Soviet inf and smg to assault a strong line of German infantry, causing heavy casualties. 3 platoons of Soviet light tanks were wiped out.

In just over 2 hours both side achieved their VCs and basically disengaged after that.

Draw.