Accross the Dnepr

[keoman_Slitherine]

Regarding Accross the Dnepr, it appears to be a close remake of the old Panzer Group Guderian SPI magazine game, always a favorite. This game has the same flavor -- low number of German units wading into a sea of Soviet units that range from excellent to poor quality, usually unknown. I played one game through, managed to capture Vitebsk, Orsha and Mogilev and Smolensk, got within five hexes of Vyazma and very close to the others at the far end of the map. Destroyed hundreds of Soviet units (only remnants remained), but still lost the game by -1500 points. Ergo, the object of the game, for my second play through, will be speed -- push the mobile units forward at all costs avoiding battle unless unavoidable, try to surround large pockets and wait for the infantry to advance and wear them down. Great danger of being cut off with this strategy, it seems, but I plan to take mobile artillery, mobile suppy trucks and mobile construction units for rear area defence with me into the void. But there are always more and more soviets . . .

I am interested in any one else's take on this scenario of Korsun Pocket.

Mark

[JSS]

Mark,

I see what you've described as the strategy required. Reading von Luck's account of the rush toward Smolensk it sounds as if AtD and the strategy you covered are historically account in the extreme [:D]

JSS

[keoman_Slitherine]

The strategy does not seem to be working. Captured Vyazma and Roslavl by turn 15 but my spearheads are isolated and vulnerable; Mogilev has not fallen. Orsha fell very late although Smolensk went down by turn 7. All of the victory points seem to want the German player to capture Orsha and Mogilev immediately. These are tough nuts with lots of terrain barriers and Russian troops. With the meager resources available to the German early in the battle, I don't see how they can move on these victory point prizes and still move east as fast as possible.

[Real and Simulated Wars]

Hello guys,
IMHO, several factors contribute to German defeats:
-Too much reward for the Russians for keeping their cities (Huge territory, Huge Army). It gives the impression that just sitting there they could obtain a victory
-The Russians have a high degree of mobility and Armies re-deploy too fast. It adds for the challenge, but the Russian Army at that time had a terribly stiff command structure. Have you ever heard of the cut-off Russian Regiment that kept attacking a fortified German position just because the week-old orders sitting on the commander's desk?
Cheers,

[keoman_Slitherine]

I agree the Russians seem to redeploy rapidly, but they are still pretty stupid. There is a lot of shuffling here and there, but often if you leave a great gap in your lines, they do not exploit it. The armies tend to stay in the general area where they are assigned. Pretty inflexible. The AI does go for easy pickings, however. If you leave a small unit hanging out exposed, a million Russian regiments smother it. You could use this as a game ploy -- stick a recon unit out where you want the Russians to go .... But I agree that Russian victory comes from just sitting on objectives. The Germans must take them aggresively. But I think that reflects the reality of the historical situation, too.

[BossGnome]

this is why you should play "a wolf by the ears". It is much more balanced for the poor german player!

ps: I am desperately looking for opponents if you are interested e-mail me a first turn kp or bulge scenario at guillaume_lamothe@hotmail.com

thanks!

[Real and Simulated Wars]

Yes, that's right. It is very noticeable how the Russians give up the cities when they are not worth the points: Velizh, Orsha, Mogilev...
As for the Russian AI being very attracted by lonely understrenghted units, that's a thing I didn't learn to use yet. I will try soon.
Cheers,

[keoman_Slitherine]

I finished my last game with a "victory" of 121 points. Had destroyed 232 soviet units and captured all the objectives on the map except Demidov and the one in the top right corner (I was 5 hexes away from that). Did better than the historical Germans and got only a "draw". What an incentive to try another game! Mogilev seems to be impregnable -- it is a supply source so even with its garrison surrounded on all six sides it does not become isolated. The best result even at 10-1 is a D1 or D2, no retreats. Orsha can be taken within 5 turns with difficulty head on from the West, or with luck, if you put all available mobile units across the Dnepr between Orsha and Mogilev and drive on Orsha from the south and ignore Mogilev. I am still working on it. I am fasinated by this scenario, probably from its "Panzer Group Guderian" roots. I still have all the old SPI board games utilizing that game system, and hope SSG decides to convert them to the Kosun system.