Situation #8 Game 2

After the first two debacles attempting this scenario, I've set up identically to the solo game 1 to take another stab at cracking this puzzle. This time, I'm going to attempt to get around the south end of the map, with some decoy elements up at the north and in the center area to try to take some of the heat off the southern push.

We'll see how it goes.

Set up

As noted above, the Russian set up identically to the first solo game. The Germans set up as far forward as possibly while maintaining cover.

Turn 1

And the Germans are off to the races, taking a line along the southern edge of the map. While this feels a bit "gamey," the scenario, and the boards, don't provide much of anything else to do. This time, the heavy guns are coming forward, as it's too hard to get the CP into position. If I can take out 6 Russian infantry, that will be worth it.

The single direct fire on a Rifle company whiffed, but the close assault did the trick with a roll of 1 at 2:1 odds. Engineers are awesome that way.

The Russians don't have a lot of targets at the moment. The ATG took a shot at the H stack threating the lane of death, but missed. One of the Russian close assaults failed, the other dispersed a stack of 3 Panthers with a luck roll of 1. The SU 85s decided to get in on any future action on the south side, and most of the infantry started moving south as well.

Here's the end of Turn 1:

The Germans, with a little bit of dice rolling luck, may be able to not lose too terribly badly.

Turn 2

The Germans now have to figure out exactly where they want to use the huge guns. This will really matter in the early game. Unless 2 or 3 infantry companies can be knocked out fast, it won't go well for the Germans. The fire phase got Russian Recon and Rifle companies elimated, missed on the shot to Hill 126, dispersed a Guards unit. After fire, Germans are mounting up and moving south. There is just no way through the north end of the map, what with the swamp and green bars blocking so much terrain.

Russians apparently only have 1 direct fire target, a Russian rifle company firing on a German platoon. That's a miss at 1:2 odds roll 5. That probably would have been better with a close assault, since the Su 85 can move to the top of Hill 126 and be in cover. This is going to suck for the Germans, really slow them down, and will cost them units as being able to spot for that hex is 4/6 exposed. Nasty.

Here's the end of Turn 2:

It's dark outside now, hence the mellower yellow of the game photo.

Turn 3

The Germans are going to have a really hard time taking out the Russian 145 and 146 Rifle companies, being that they are stacked on a hilltop in a forest hex (1B6). A better idea for the Germans might be to chew the Russian up as they advance to the south. For example, the Wespe and some mortars took out a Guards unit foolishly left in the clear. As the Russian player, I didn't think the Germans would have enough firepower to touch it, in the clear or not. Roll 4 eliminates another guards units, and a roll 2 disperses a third. This third one was a bit dicey, as it could have spotted for the Su 85s sitting in hex 1C6. In that case, I might have sacrificed the SG III-75s to threaten the Su 85s. Thankfully won't need to. That's it for fire phase.

German movement: everything moves south.

Russian fire phase: nyet. There is nothing the Russians can spot. The Germans are all hunkered down. There is only movement, and this turn, that's leg movement only. The SU 85s can stay put for now. They might move to Zabvenia a little later.

As can be seen in the photo, it's daylight out again.

Onward, through the fog.

Turn 4

I've had this scenario set up for at least two weeks (possibly even four weeks, can't really recall), with the intention of playing through it one phasing player's turn at a time. That's not how it is working out. Over the last 24 hours, I've played 2.5 turns (5 phases). There is an off-chance I'll knock it out through the afternoon and evening today (December 7, 2014). We'll see. In the meantime, it is Turn 4, and the Germans have to decide what to fire on.

The Germans are rolling lucky, not getting 6's on d6 rolls at 4:1 in forest. It seems like so many games of PanzerBlitz turn out to collapse on the German inability to roll anything but 6's at 4:1 against defender in forest. This is just broken, it should have a 'DD' or at least a 'D' result for a 6 + 1 roll at 4:1. The game would play better.

The Russians, for the first time in quite a while in these games, are looking a little weak where it counts. In fact, if the Germans can shuttle over enough infantry to spot and engage the incoming Russian infantry, the artillery units may be able to continue picking them off one at a time. This is problem, as the Russian have been average 2 infantry companies per turn.

And the afternoon drifts into evening, the close of Turn 4:

Turn 5

Fire phase eliminates two more Russian infantry units. The Russian are now in trouble. There is going to be a big firefight at Adski, which the Germans will definitely win. So far, the Russians don't have any German units destroyed. Continue moving south.

Russians may be able to slow things down just a little bit. It might be time to send the SU 85s off to collect some infantry units. Might be too late already as it will take 3 turns minimum to acquire and unload.

Turn 6

Not seeing any targets for the Germans to fire on, move only turn. Nice close assault on the SU 85 at 1:3, roll 1 dispersed. Bummer for Russians, those AFVs are goners next turn. They stayed on the hill too long. Bummer for them.

The Russians waited too long to move the SU 85s, now they can't. All infantry moving south as best as can. But the Germans do have to get off the map starting about right now.

Germans haven't taken any losses yet, but they are jammed up and will lose if they can't get off the board.

Turn 7

The clock is running fast for the Germans. It's the top of Turn 7, and they don't have any units off the board, nor any which are even all that close to getting off. Time to take some serious lumps to clear the towns and get off the board.

Since all the long range artillery is too close to anything to shoot, the stack of Panthers takes out an SU 85, leaving the remaining SU 85 and an ATG on Hill 126. The fighting at Adski is about to get intense. The Russian now have some decent targets. Or would have except the other SU 85 got dispersed on a close assault. That leaves only the ATG gun with capability to kill armor now. Also, that dispersal was kind of important as those infantry would be nailed by Russian artillery otherwise.

ATG takes a 1:1 shot at PzKpfw IV, misses. Might have been better to take sure shot at the halftracks which will be spotting on the next German phase. Russian infantry is in a bind at Adski. Move forward to close assault halftracks, German armor can occupy one of the Adski hexes behind the Guards. That's bad. The best that can be done is keep moving infantry forward.

Here's the end of Turn 7:

Turn 8

Germans really packing it in around Adski now. The Russians don't have much there, but the terrain is really restricted, so they don't need much either. Direct fire on the SU 85 was a miss, but the infantry was able to disperse again on a close assault.

The Germans really are getting lucky on rolls this game, no doubt about it.

ATG gun disperses German AFV on the block, which is a bummer for the Germans as this PzKgfw IV was going to flank the Guards unit in Adksi. Lacking anything better to do, the Guards units CAT the stack of trucks which is blocking the hill. They can't really move without opening a massive hole.

Turn 9

Another roll 6 on the Russian ATG on Hill 126! That thing just won't die. However, 1:1 mortar attack on the SU 85 rolled a 1, which is a disperse. A 1 or 2 on a followup CAT will kill it. Some AFV took out the Guard unit from Adksi, producing a hole in the Russian defense. Time to move through it! But it's not enough! Germans will get less than 10 pieces off the board by Turn 10.

Russian ATG fires: disperse PzKpfw IV on the block. Good move, will continue to slow down Germans. Mortar platoon took out some German trucks. SMG dispersed German Rifle on 1:1 CAT in Adski. Make it even more inconvenient for the Germans.

Situation at end of Turn 9:

Note a few units to the extreme left are not in the picture. These are the only units which will be able to exit in 10 turns.

Turn 10

The ATG is finally taken out. The SMG in Adksi survives a 4:1 odds, the AFV roll a 6! 7 units make it off the board.

Russians disperse halftrack and infantry in Adski.

And that's the game:

The counters on Board 3 above Opustchenia are casualties. The counters below Opustchenia are the 7 the Germans were able to get off the map.

AAR

I'm calling this a draw.

As previously noted, the victory conditions seem ridiculous with respect to playing the the standard rules as I understand those rules. I may be playing it all wrong. Hard to tell at present.

This was an odd game as I moved the heavy artillery all the way to the front, and used it in direct fire mode to blast away at Russian infantry units. This is not how heavy artillery should be used, in real life or in the game. It's one of those zooey things about PanzerBlitz.

It might be interesting to try the same technique on the north end of the board. Getting through the gullies would be hard, but it might work.

It's deeply unsatisfying to have to drive the half hexes on the edge of the map. Also deeply unsatisfying relying on a series of lucky rolls in the first couple of turns.

Let's play a few more turns to see what happens.

Turn 11

Germans get 7 more off the board, killed the SMG in Adski.

Turn 12

12 more German units off Board 3.

Turn 13

7 more exit.

That totals 33 in 13 turns.

Just not seeing the victory conditions as stated on the situation card. Not even if the counts were reversed for Russian or German. The game would have to go 15 turns.

Blunders

• The Russians should mount a guards unit on each SU 85. For that matter, the SU 85 should just shuttle infantry units around the board and not even worry about firing.
• The lower map edge hexes are the only line of hexes not covered by fire from Hill 135. The Russians should have put another mine or block on this route.
• Limiting German 120 mm mortars to 15 hex range, instead of 20 hexes as printed on the counter. Dumb. I've done similar things before, for example, conflating movement and DF on the Wespe.