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This was another fun-filled, but slightly gamey, 2-session battle with the bold & quick-thinking, goosebrown, leading 13 attacking, tank platoons of the Soviet 28th Tank Division, in a 2-map, 16-game turn, shoot ‘em up on the steppes. I led road bound elements of the German 21st infantry Division. The German side drew better than average leaders. The Soviets drew 7 tank leaders, and had no infantry, or artillery support. Oddly, there were no geographical objectives designated in this unusual, conflict simulation.
We used the FOW, smoke/illum, excess initiative and consolidation optional rules, as well as trying these FOUR experimental house rules: 1) Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units — All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 of a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, 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, 3) Small Caliber AT & AA Rapid Fire Optional Rule — All small caliber (<48mm or less) anti-tank (AT) as well as automatic, anti-aircraft (AA) towed or self-propelled artillery units may fire twice in OPPORTUNITY FIRE (OPFIRE) against moving enemy formations using the same rules as apply for personnel units (INF, RIF, GREN, HMG, ENG, et al) when using OPFIRE. For example, British towed or portee 2-pdr AT guns, all 20mm, 25mm, 28mm, 37mm, 45mm, 47mm towed AT guns, and towed or self-propelled 37mm or 40mm AA guns may fire two OPFIRE missions at individual, moving enemy vehicular or personnel unit targets. Units firing OPFIRE may not move or be limbered and loaded in the same turn in which they OPFIRE, and 4) Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV) Consolidation — Unless prohibited by special scenario rules, reduced 2-step tanks, and other AFV units of the same type, nationality, and morale condition may be combined to form a single, full-strength unit. Both reduced units must start their activation in the same hex and be activated by an adjacent – or same-hex – good order, Tank Leader. This action costs both units all their movement points. Remove one of the units, flip the other to its full-strength side and mark it activated.
Happily, this rule set provided improved playability & simplicity to our play-through.
Our fast-paced, first session (game turns 1-4) featured a broad-front, tactical withdrawal of selected German elements to the east on both maps, closely pursued by quick-marching, Soviet armored units. The Russians drew first blood in adjacent-hex firefights as the Wehrmacht force consolidated their infantry in the center of the battle map, as close the Soviet armor as possible, while their AT gun & IG units deployed to the east. A pair of close assaults began on the second game turn that eliminated 3 steps of BT-7 light tanks, causing Russian initiative to fall two levels in heavy fighting. Soviet reinforcements arrived during game turn 3. The victory point score was 6-3 at the end of the session in favor of the scrambling German side.
The exciting and fun, second session (game turns 5-10) included multiple, adjacent-hex firefights and 4 successful German close assaults on tank platoons in the open. During game turn 7, Wehrmacht troops began forming square with the AT guns and HMG units at the corners. This ponderous formation moved slowly forward to the northeast in pursuit of the slowly withdrawing Russians. After exchanging, sporadic long-range fires, the session abruptly ended when the Soviet side conceded at the beginning of game turn 10. The final step loss tally was: 24-6 in favor of the Third Reich. There were 5 FOW-shortened game turns of the 10 played.
This was a slightly gamey, but extremely fun-to-play scenario, with plenty of decision points and the opportunity for considerable maneuver by the Soviet tank units. I give it a solid 4, and recommend it for both SHARED and SOLO play, though it is notable that the victory conditions do not include geographical objectives. Also note that the more experienced player should lead the initially scattered, Wehrmacht force.
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TBRa007 
