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Hi all,

in my game against Nix77 I came across quite a tricky situation where Nix put me due to my own stupid insistence not to withdraw earlier from the river. See picture below from Smolensk.



I am currently pondering how to best salvage the situation and would appreciate any tips and some clarification on how ezoc-movements generally work.

1st option is just to ditch three westernmost stacks and just run with the 3-14 stack that can reach safety due to good movement rolls. For them it costs 9 mp to move one hex west and rest is free range. This would leave rest of the divisions to their fate as 6-16 stack can only move one hex west (9mp for them also). I am bit reluctant to surrender those divisions to their fate as they contain the best Soviet inf division I have (morale 60+, cv 5).

2nd option is to try to fight my way out by driving those 2 motorized regiments away. I am fairly convinced that with deliberate attacks from these high cv units could drive them off. My question here is that does it help a bit if I manage to drive them one hex SW from their current positions? Is my understanding correct that my troops would still have to move from eZoc to eZoc even if they were moving first SE, then SE, then SE again (zigzagging between german units)? Is the zoc from a regiment as sticky in regard to mp costs as a zoc from division?

I am also considering just trying to drive the westernmost regiment away (preferably to sw) with just hasty attack (more mps left to escape), but there is a big risk of that hasty failing (I could bring around 10 cv to that hasty). If succesfull I might be able to rout the eastern regiment if it would help more. Is the ezoc to ezoc movement always as expensive regardles if the zocs are projected by different units? In this example (if succesfull) there would be a motorized regiment W from 12=12 stack and my inf would be moving SW (black arrow) to from the zoc of 12=14 and 7=9 to the zoc of the regiment. Is it as expensive move as moving directly from zoc of 7=9 to west to another hex zocced by the same unit?

Hopefully someone can shed some light to these zoclock-related movement rules.

Don't bother. Losing 5 divisions in Summer 41 while Germans have to spend 2 turns to accomplish it is literally win for Soviets. Let him get it but trash those motorised regiments.

One question : The motorized german units south are brigades, right ?

If they are brigade they do not have zone of control. Only division have zone of control.

So if you push both of them one step south, you will then be able to move your troops east without Ennemy zone of control.
Just try not to attack too much with the troops you want to evacuate or they will not have movement points left.

A corridor of 2 hexes will not save you from ZOC-to-ZOC movement costs, for that you need to have a 3 hexes wide corridor. So pushing those regiments one hex to SW won't change much. IMHO those units are lost, if not this turn, then he will take the city and go through your (as of now) fort level 0 hexes and encircle even more units (provided he has fuel). Sometimes if you know your units are already lost, you may consider offering maximum delay by spreading to every free hex to increase the number of MPs he will have to spend pushing you back or moving from ZOC (and sometimes disabling the bonus from refit). If not, turtle and move one hex east with each stack, possibly saving one stack (if he is immobile next turn).

You're playing the Soviets, don't become too attached to a single rifle division, many more will be hurt in the process of saving one. You have to ruthlessly discard them, after all they are traitors to the Motherland for being threatened with encirclement and destruction and putting you in a dilemma.

Anyway, before an attack (if you decide to make one) make sure you will do two bombing runs on those units first with everything you have in range.

ORIGINAL: Stelteck
If they are brigade they do not have zone of control. Only division have zone of control.

They have passive ZOC, they just don't conquer hexes as they move.

Stelteck, that was exactly the question I was wondering. Do the regiments have zoc that makes movement more expensive or not? I haven't quite grasped the zoc-differences (if there are any) between division sized units and smaller ones.

ORIGINAL: Kantti

Stelteck, that was exactly the question I was wondering. Do the regiments have zoc that makes movement more expensive or not? I haven't quite grasped the zoc-differences (if there are any) between division sized units and smaller ones.

morvael answer to the question previously, they have zone of control. But you can probably rout them if you cut them first using your cavalry division.
(Or run away and take the looses).

The german units are quite dry fuel-wise. There has not been a build-up in the center (as far as I know of), the formations have been continuously fighting (I have rigorously reinforced land bridge) and soft factor shows all of them with red fuel. I also have quite strong position on the actual land bridge that can't be (hopefully) penetrated too deeply as only on pz corps hugs the land bridge unit wall and 2 panzer corps are south of Smolensk (in the area shown in the picture and SW of it). Encirclement of the main line of the resistance from the south is a real threat that I have to cope with, but otherwise I am fairly confident that I might be able to stand here without major encirclement if I manage to break those units free. I know the Soviet mentality and am just pondering if there is any benefit in trying to break out or should I just cut my losses and run. Most of the units doing the attacks against regiments would be the guys already zoclocked so I wouldn't need to feed more units into the fray.

Another aspect here is that if I decide to run for it, I'll also have to abandon my fortified line north from the picture and withdraw to the forests couple hexes east of Smolensk. I know that I'll have to eventually do so, but would love to force the germies fight for it. If I don't manage to save those units I don't have enough unit density south of Smolensk to cover for that southern hook aiming behind my main line. If there is some way to save those units (with couple mp's left) I might be able to make my stand on that river as they're really strong units (compared to general Soviet rabble).

If I decide to attack those regiments (with escape in mind, so saving mps) is it wise to concentrate all available units on a single attack or use some bad (cv 1) division to do couple soaking attacks first so get defenders' fatigue up and ammo down?

Do you have soviet attack bonus ? The general is good ?

Event without soviet attack bonus, you can be quite sûre of a win with 2vs1 CV deliberate attack. If you have, 1vs1 will win.

Just before the attack, do not forget as advise above to send 2 air raid.

No attack bonus. General is average if I recall correctly (inf 5, mayhaps 6, can't check at the moment). Bombers are surely going to go in full force if I attack.