Matrix Games Forums

Valley of Tears - 10/6/73 (tears 1.scn), from Alan R. Arvold's Ode to Divided Ground, H2H solitaire.

After playing well into this scenario earlier, with the Israelis badly trouncing the Syrians, and having learned from my mistakes the first time around, I decided to try, try again.

The first time around, I led with my MT-55KS AVLB armored vehicle-launched bridge layers, and attempted to get my T-54s across the AT ditch ASAP. Bad strategy. The Israeli Magach 5 tanks pack a bigger punch at much farther range. (For instance, at max hard target range 9, the T-54 fires with a strength of just 13. At that range, the Magach 5 fires with a strength of 48. At max hard target range of 16, the Magach 5 fires at strength 30, what the T-54s can manage at a range of only 6.) If the Syrians are not careful, the Israelis will obliterate the Syrian armored force at and around the AT ditch with near impunity. And obliterate much of the rest of the Syrian force besides.

This second time around, and playing the terrain better trying to stay out of Israeli LOS as much as possible, I led with the Syrian armored engineers. First, lay down some foot bridges across the AT ditch. Get some infantry across, as many as I can. By sheer force of numbers, try to push the Israeli armor upslope, away from the AT ditch. Out of Israeli LOS, advance the MT-55KS AVLBs, build a few vehicle bridges. Then get the T-54s across.

The Syrians are still paying dearly, but things are going better this second time around:



The Syrian left wing has crossed the AT ditch in force and is positioned to take Kuneitra perhaps, in any case to kill a few more Israeli tanks in the attempt.

To the right, note where -- finally! -- those Syrian armored engineers have succeeded in building a foot bridge (magenta circle). Much too late, the Syrian right wing can enter the fray.

This is one very tough scenario for the Syrians. I will report back later how it all turns out.

The Israelis are in for a big surprise. From the Israeli side, all of those units within the yellow circle are hidden from view:



On the right, Syrian infantry is pouring across the AT ditch, albeit too little too late.

How tough is this scenario for the Syrians? Look at their Point Loss! Look at those Total Points!

The Syrians take Kuneitra!



The Syrians gotta love their ZSU-23-4 SPAA Guns (turquoise circles). They reduced that Israeli recon platoon (magenta circle) from 6 SPs down to just 1 SP this phase.

Elsewhere, attacks were mostly feckless.

And so it ends:

After the Syrians captured Kuneitra, the Israeli right flank of course crumbled. In an attempt to forestall that, and to meet the newly developing challenge on their left flank, the Israelis pulled units away from the center, leaving more and larger gaps in the middle of the line. Ultimately, numbers prevailed. There were simply too many onrushing Syrian hordes that the Israelis couldn't stop them all. In the end, the Syrians took Ahmadiyeh and Lookout Post A-3 also. They were not to be denied.

Here is the final tally:



Initially a Syrian bloodbath, towards the end the Syrians got in their share of hits. Together with their objective captures, the Syrians managed to better than even the score.

Despite the stated outcome -- "Side B [Syrian] Minor Defeat" -- I consider this a substantial Syrian victory. Sure they suffered heavy losses. But the Israelis did too. More importantly, the Syrians broke through on the Golan. From here on out, the Israelis would be hard pressed to stop them.

I had mentioned elsewhere that we have achieved, for the first time, a bridge building AI. I replayed this "Valley of Tears -- The Opening Round" scenario (tears 1.scn) in order to convince myself that this scenario doesn't favor the Israelis so much as it first seems; and to give me a better sense of how a human being might play each side. Teaching the AI to do any of this is a daunting challenge. It's not enough that the AI can build bridges over that AT ditch. It's what the Syrians do before, and what they do after, that counts. Equally so how the Israelis defend this sector. This is a tough scenario in so many respects. Tough for the AI most of all.