Getting through the line in Objective Kiev
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I have a theory that Chadwick's little East Front games require the Germans to get through the Russian line either on Turn 1 or Turn 2 as a prerequisite to winning as the Germans. My thinking is influenced by never being able to win as the Germans because I always run out of time (game turns). For this seventh game, I'm playing solo to see what it takes to get a clear shot at Kiev by the end of Turn 2. My hunch is that the Germans need to be willing to take casualties early on, instead of conserving strength "for later."
Here's the setup:
Here's a close up of the line:
Turn 1
The Germans fight first.
From north to south, here's what the Germans are going to do:
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11 Inf corps attacks across river to hex 0503, on what turns out to be a 4-2-6 mechanized unit. So the odds are 8-2 or 4:1 raw, which is 3:1 across the river, and back to 4:1 with Air. Roll 4,
EX, not the best result, but workable if I stack another unit on it during reserve. 11 Corps advances. -
48 armor corps (hex 0203) and 4th Inf corps attack hex 0304 with 4-2-6 mechanized. This is 6:1 for sure. 48 Armor advances.
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3rd and 14th armor corps attack hex 0403 with 9th Army at 3:1 raw, 4:1 with Air. Roll 3,
EX, darn, has to come out of one of the Big Boy Armor corps. Since 9th Army has to retreat through EZOC, it's now eliminated. -
17 Inf corps attacks hex 0205, containing another 4-2-6 mechanized. This is not a high odds situation, and is as much to expose the unit in the woods as to do anything else. This is a raw 4:1 shift left for woods defense for net 3:1 attack. Roll 5,
EX, 17 Corps advances. -
Down in Romania, the Germans expel a mechanized 2-1-6 and advance across the Prut river at 6:1.
Lucky rolls for the Russians, an exchange on every roll.
The key here is the order in which attacks are prosecuted.
I'm actually kind of OK with just wrapping it up here, I think I learned what I wanted to learn. I'll play it out anyway, probably without taking many notes, and definitely with fewer pictures.
Turn 1 Russian
The Russians fall back as fast as they can, and actually manage to put something like a defensive line together around Shepetovka.
Turn 2
This will be another curcial turn for the Germans as they do not have a straight shot to Kiev. However, they can get pretty close, and can block the Russians from getting into Kiev. They can't block getting replacements into Kiev though…except Kiev is in an EZOC…
Turn 2 Russian
The Russians are in a real bind here. They get two replacements, but that can't get those replacements into Kiev directly. They can get them get them into Cheringov and Uman though, and the replacement in Chernigov can get into Kiev on its regular movement phase.
Russians can also get a mech unit in Kiev.
Turn 3
Germans taking some big, big risks, going after the Russians with 1:1 odds at Kiev! Also 1:1 in a couple of other places as well. Should be bloody. Rolled a 6 at Kiev! Attacker loses one step!
Germans need to regroup here.
Russian 3
Russians are doing a pretty good job of boxing in the Germans. Probably going to be able to take out some big armor.
Turn 4
I'm just going to play it out now, being really aggressive as the Germans.
AAR
First German win, barely. It's slightly tainted as I forgot to bring in 38th Army on Russian Turn 6. This probably would not have mattered, as can be seen by the photo below.
In short, the aggression paid off.
The key for the Germans is to be really, really aggressive, get the breakthrough on the first turn if possible, and accept step losses.
At the end of the game the Germans had 6 step losses, one of which was armor. At one point, all 3 armor corps had step losses. One unit was chosen to be completely eliminated, 54 Inf Corps. The Slovenian SEA Corps was also eliminated.
The Germans also rolled up the red line in the east, so only the northeast corner of the map was available for replacements and reinforcements by the end of the game.
The German panzers were able to get into Chernikov from an attack on defenders in 1703 and 1603. The defenders had to retreat, allowing the 1 hex advance. German armor and reserve movement needed only a single hex to seal the deal.
The game actually shows the bottom of Turn 7, but there is no way for the Russians to Chernikov back during their turn, so the game is effectively over.