CH71 - Bottom of the Barrel
This is an interesting late war scenario that uses Boards 43 and 4. The defending Germans get a mixed bag of 7 squads and SW along with an 88L AA Gun,some Flak Vehicles and some AC?s, along with some Fortifications. There are ways for the Germans and for the Russian to win separate from preventing the others VC. The Germans win at game end if they control the entire board 43 village. The Russian VC are sudden death for the Germans in that they have to capture 2 of 3 buildings (42B3, 42P1 or 43I1) while exiting a Russian tank and MMC along the north board edge near to 43Q1. The Germans are basically given two diverse tasks to perform to win. Delay the Russians from capturing the victory buildings long enough and holding on to the village. IMHO the Germans holding the village is a Red Herring as any decent Russian player will be going for his own victory conditions. BTW dont be confused into thinking the Russians have to control any of the village since the Russian VC is an immediat Victory condition.
The Russians are given adequate forces to achieve his the victory conditions including 12 squads, 4 tanks (T34-85's and Lend Lease Shermans), a SU-57(a) and a HT plus a couple of FB?s. Most of the squads setup on board 4 while the armor and a few squads enter on turn 1. 6 Turns seems to balance the firepower differential as the Russians will necessarily have to divide his forces to capture the required 2 buildings in the time allowed as well as having to cross much open ground to get to em.
The Germans have setup strongly within the village and have what appears to be one vehicle supporting each of the 43B3 and 43P1 buildings (a vehicle in 43B7 and 43X0). His heavy AA Gun will likely be setup near the board 43 village to fulfill an SSR. Small concealed stacks are in each of 43B3, P1, and I1. Knowing my opponent (HI Pierce) there will be a number of surprises out there for me!
My Russians setup on the west side of board 4 while my reinforcing group enters along the northern side of the eastern board edge. I of course proceed to forget I have FB?s! My plan is to send the infantry along with a little armor support along the west board edge to capture the B3 building and then turn and assault the village if it becomes necessary to take a village building to prevent a German victory. The eastern reinforcement group will overcome the blocking unit in 43EE5 (concealed stack) run along the northern playing edge to the 43U1 wood group and then assault the 43P1 building. If all goes well I should be in a position to capture this building by game end along with an easy exit. Time will be the crusher.
The 43H10 woods will provide my infantry advancing along the western flank decent cover from the village. Some armor (a Tank and the SU-57) will rush up to engage whatever is in 43B7. Turn 1 for this flank goes well with me advancing smoothly under cover, to the 4B3 area. My armor rushes on board to the border between the 2 boards and uses bounding fire to acquire what turns out to be an armored car in 43B7. My eastern group overcomes the dummy stack in 43EE5 and races along the northern edge. One of my Tanks BFF the Flak Pz38t in 43X1 flaming it, but Pierce immediatly responds with a HIP HS with a Psk nearby which promptly nails my tank. The crew passes it?s CS. Despite this all is going very well as I am able to get the rest of this flanking force up to this area and am quickly able to break the Psk toting HS. This early turn appears to have been quite key because with me being able to reach the 43U1 woods group so swiftly I am able to apply pressure against the 43P1 building with plenty of time to complete the Russian Victory Conditions.
Pierce tries to rush his AC from 43B7 (he had chosen a motion attempt instead of firing) but gets nowhere as my guns stop him. His stack in 43B3 is acting suspiciously like a dummy stack as it hides instead of firing at my approaching troops who are in the open. Along the eastern flank my group steadily advances breaking and subsequently taking prisoner his Psk toting HS. I now have a Psk Toting crew! I begin positioning myself for an assault on P1. Meanwhile I had moved a tank up to interdict any movement from the village in support of the eastern flank. This tank is able to nail a HD AC in village.
Once the 43B7 AC was dispatched I rushed forward a few squads to capture the B3 building which as I suspected was covered only by a dummy stack. My western flank tank turned toward the village and dispatched using BFF the Flak Pz IV/20 which had come out to cover that flank. On the eastern flank I moved up and smoked the P1 building which allowed me to swarm squads all over the building. Seeing the imminent collapse of the P1 building I exit a squad and a tank for the victory.
This one looks pretty tough on the Germans. The Russian has a definite advantage with his armor. It is imperative that the German cover his flak vehicles with squads (PF) and Psk or he will be getting nailed with bounding fire. The flak vehicles are his best weapons against infantry but are extremely vulnerable. Of course the flak wagons would come in handy if I had remembered my FB?s! Be careful of the victory conditions, the Russian player wins immediately if he captures 2 of the 3 buildings and exits a squad and a tank. He need not worry about the village unless he cant get those buildings. So the village becomes a white elephant for the Germans. Remember if you dont hold the village and stop the Russian from his VC you only have a draw. So as the German I would concentrate on defending the B3 and P1 buildings. Those are more vulnerable than I1. Remember to delay, delay, delay and dont leave your Flak Trucks vulnerable. Cover em with Psk and PF. Also be creative with your AA Gun setup. Although it is restricted by SSR (and is thereby almost forced into the village) it may be setup to defend a flank, ie. in 43L6.
Despite the relative ease of victory for the Russians I think this is a decent scenario. Both players have a number of options so it has replay value. The German really has to keep on his toes though and make the most of all of his weapons.
