Set up started on July 10, 2014.
Playing solitaire, one is always subject to bias, both conscious and unconscious. Finding a way to randomizing behavior of one side or another always helps. In PanzerBlitz, the initial set up is often critically important. The terrain on the map boards limits effective movement for both sides. With the German defense consisting mostly of infantry and medium artillery, their defense has to be strong in key places, without leaving terrain uncovered by fire, or out of range of fast redeployment with the limited trucks and wagons.
In this second game, the Russian will attempt to cross the German line either in the north, middle or south, to be determined by die roll. To the north and south, narrow but clear open country allows rapid passage east to west. The middle boasts the road, which can be traversed in just over 2 turns by trucks. Clearing the road over Hill 132 via Bednost allows Russian forces extremely rapid movement.
The Germans set up first. Mines and blocks to cut off access at the extreme bounds, and placed far east to bunch up the Russian units in the clear terrain on Board 3 as much as possible. Artillery is split between mortars emplaced to deal fire immediately, and other units on transport as mobile reserve. Infantry garrisons Bednost, and provides a "no-pass" line to the south of Hill 132.
The die dictates: 1-2 Russians go north, 3-4 center, 5-6 south. Roll 3, Russian will take on Hill 132 and attempt to clear the road through Bednost.
Russians move first, and it's instant analysis-paralysis: how to get as many units on the board without attracting sure 4:1 kills from German artillery pounding on trucks. Not much I can do if I want to get everything on the board in the first turn.
Now that the Russians are all on the board, it's party time for German artillery. Lucky shot for one of the 75mm howitzers: rolled a 1 for a truck kill at 2:1 odds. Moved the ATGs into Bednost to protect against those SU-152s.
Score: Germans 4, Russians 0.
The Russians are already in a hard place. No matter where they go, something a-gonna get fired on. However, a bunch of units can be stacked in Opustchenia, and most of the rest can be tucked away behind hills, forests, etc. Upshot, 3 trucks remain exposed, which is 3 too many, but there are only 3 German guns which can reach them, and two of those are weak, 75mm howitzers.
The Germans seem to be in a fairly good position. Only one ATG taken out though, the other attacks resulted in dispersals from the 75mm firing on trucks. Dispersal won't be enough, but it's a start.
Score: Germans 5, Russians 0.
Russians have no fire targets yet, nothing is technically spotted. Time to move then. The main goal is to get everything set up to make a rush on Bednost, and take out the long range guns. At that point, I should be able to move units with impunity across the map. Not willing to risk the SU-152s yet, so they continue to position.
Germans are about to lose some units, almost surely, hopefully they can take another 2 or 3 Russian units with them. And it turns out the Russians left a stack of trucks where the 120mm mortar could take them out. Great for the Germans, honest blunder on my part playing the Russians. Germans otherwise didn't fire so well this turn, only managing to disperse an SMG company. Close assaults failed. Luckily, I get another chance at a close assault because the Russians forgot to move the armor into position to take advantage of the spotting.
Score: Germans 9, Russians 0.
Russians picked off guns on Hill 129, which will slow down casualties. Then more positioning, and dispersing some infantry around Bednost. The armor is swinging west to ensure an easy retreat path by knocking the howitzer off Hill 135.
Germans are in a boat load of hurt. A couple of dispersals, no units eliminated this turn.
Score: Germans 9, Russians 2.
Russians positioning, not taking any units, trying to get into position to squash Bednost. Time is getting critical.
Germans managing to whiff all direct fire. Managed to disperse some T-34s, but that is all.
Score: Germans 9, Russians 2.
Russians move armor around Bednost, just at the half way range of 3 hexes on a range 6 75mm ATG. It's a risk as two ATGs in Bednost could keep two armor pieces pinned. However, a massive close assault removes one of the ATGs, hence, worst case for Russians is losing 1 armor.
Germans were only able to disperse, but they have reoccupied Bednost, which makes it hard for the Russians.
Score: Germans 9, Russians 6.
The Russians are going to have a really hard time getting off the board. The Germans are just hard enough to kill to slow everything down, and have just enough firepower to kill lots and lots of trucks. Given 11, 12 turns, it would be decisive Russian victory no problem at all. As it stands right now, the Germans have the Russians all bottled up, with just enough firepower to reliably pick off trucks. I need to play the scenario again, and next time, make the Germans run all over the map instead of getting all bottled up.
Germans whiffed direct fire, managed a single CAT, still in the running if the Russians don't make the necessary kills.
Score: Russians 10, Germans 9.
Russians chewing away at Bednost, very slow progress, going to be a lot of Russian units on the board at the end of the game.
And I think I've lost track of the turn counter here, and made a double move by the Germans, because the way it looks right now, it's a decisive victory for the Germans. The reason is the Germans set up units on the escape road out, and there is no way the Russians will be able to dislodge them in two turns.
Playing it out…Russians missed a 4:1 roll 6 on mortar in forest, which traps the two tanks on the board.
Germans picked off another truck.
Score: Germans 17, Russians 13.
Russians get 4 units off the board. Total crush by the Germans, despite the German losses. Embarrassing.
The German victory here is spoiled by the fact I lost track of the turn counter around Turn 8, and may have both fired and moved the Germans twice. If this is true, the second move blocked the Russian exit from the board almost completely by occupying the road on the way out.
For both these games, I've been assuming that the entire Russian force must enter the east edge of Board 3 on Turn 1. That is, all the Russian units must enter on Turn 1, none may be left off the board for entering at a later time. Moreover, I've been assuming the best bet is to bring the Russians up the road as a column.
It might be worthwhile to play this scenario having the Russians come in as a front across the east edge of the map. This would let many units get into cover much quicker.
The biggest lesson from this game is just avoid the German ATGs. Wherever they are, go somewhere else. If they're in Bednost, let them stay there, and trap them with sacrificial guards units so they can't get out. Then bolt to secure the exit road immediately, before the Germans figure out they need to block it.
It might be interesting to allow the Russians to enter Board 3 whenever they want. On the one hand, it would allow the Russian armor to eliminate at least some of the German artillery before the unarmored Russian column continues to advance. On the other hand, it puts the Russians that much further behind on getting units off the board by the end of Turn 10.
Russians should have held the trucks back a couple of turns until either the German 75mms were cleared, or the trucks could fund cover from them. This cost several units.
Tracks could be used to get guards units onto the German 75mm in two turns, which would remove a pesky source of annoyance as those guns keep picking off trucks. However, the guards were all deployed on trucks.
Losing too many trucks to Germans, some of these were just blunders from leaving stacks in the clear. The whole point of stacking is to get all the vehicles behind cover.