Short AAR Sixth Army Strikes

[comsolut]

This is not a detailed AAR but a summation of the scenario I played as the Germans vs AI Soviets. And a bit of a game review tossed into the mix.
WEGO series has eluded my time investment, but with WEGO Overlord release I tried the Introductory scenario there and was impressed. So I dropped back to Stalingrad to play the game without all the bells and whistles in Overlord.
I played the Stalingrad introductory scenario about five times, delving deeper into the mechanics and UI each time. Then I actually read the manual. lol.
First, I like games where decisions are the main focus, and mechanics are easy to then implement your decisions. The UI, while unlike most games, works very well once you learn where all the layers are. The UI becomes easier and easier the more you play. And before long is seamless.
I prefer short scenarios which for me were about 2 hours long, and the Sixth Army Strikes is a medium which was 9 hours for me. But I play slow. The advantage of the medium is time frame vs opportunity to maneuver your forces. I feel immediately that this is not a puzzle game where only one strategy will win. In fact, I suspect replayability is extremely high with the game.

Anyway, I read the briefing and decided that going for Bridgehead #1 offered the best chance of victory. As such the 14th PzK would be the knife to slice through the Soviet defenses. I believe you could win on VP just by eliminating Soviet forces, but it's the Germans and German doctrine was all about the breakthrough. And against the Ai probably more challenging.
The next most important aspect of the game is intelligence. The mechanics are exceptionally easy here, recon units are critical as are air recon, and intelligence assets. They affect combat effectiveness as well as where to maneuver forces to advance with least resistance, and where to guard flanks.
It was tempting to cross the Don in the North with the 14th AK but in the end decided to just hold the Soviets there and hold the left flank of the advance.
In the South 297 ID and 44 ID engaged the Soviets to fix those forces in place.
The 14th PZK advanced broke through on the left flank and pushed all the way to the Don. Surprisingly the 16th PZ Div, which I thought would lead the advance ran into two Soviet formations and became bogged down. It was the two motorized infantry divisions, the 6th and 3rd, that achieved the breakthrough, with the 3rd Mot Div eventually crossing the Don and securing the high value VP location.
Although Soviet losses accounted for 2/3 rds of the VPs. See right side bar in pic.

In summary, the medium scenario offered an excellent balance of size and maneuver, with many ways to approach a strategy. Been a long time since I had this much fun with a wargame.

[StuccoFresco]

I played the scenario on the Soviet Side, what did the Soviet AI tried to do against the Germans? Are there counterattacks scheduled for it? IIRC the starting deployment of the Soviet AI was a complete mess, with units scattered everywhere and ready to get overran by the Germans on the first turn already.

Did you alter the starting deployment of the German units?

[comsolut]

Yes I did alter the German setup pushing forward in most cases.

The AI pushed the German 16th German Panzer hard, bringing it to a complete standstill. The AI also attacked the flank of the advance tying down many units leaving barely enough to cross the Don.