So Herb and I picked up the Panzer Battles Demo and tried out one of the scenarios. I am going to try a turn by turn AAR using PDF shots of the map. I think this will allow a nice large scale look at the massive map. I think Herb is going to comment each turn as well. Our match is over but I will save the result until the end as it was a great battle up to the end. It was very interesting and hopefully shows the versatility of the game. This scenario could play out many ways I am sure. Hope you enjoy it.
So the match commences and here is turn one. So I mostly react to the positioning of the objectives and the fact that apparently there are two crossings of the river and two columns heading south. Basically staying to the plan from the setup slide.
I am blessed with crack troops but do not yet know the ratio of what I have to what my opponent has. We are both playing the scenario blind. For the most part little contact except for a solo tank at one of the objectives. Turn one and the plan is still intact.
Turn two and the battle is starting to play out. This is a very critical part of this battle. I know that there are two areas of breakthrough (from the briefing) and the two ( one in the east and one in the west) formations have started to come into play. Picking how to defend is a tough call at this point. Do I spread out and try to delay my opponent? I don't appear capable of defending the line - he could break through anywhere. Do I hunker down on the objectives only? Do I go on the attack with my more experienced troops? I also have an incredible lack of armor or anti-armor assets. Initial contact is revealing a troubling amount of enemy armor. In general I am starting to congregate around the objectives this turn and hopefully start to make my opponent unsure of what he is up against. This is the beauty of playing blind - he has challenges too.
Great AAR, please keep it coming!
So I am out of space for attachments and I will use a dropbox link for the remaining turns.
For turn 3, on the western flank, I am faced with a choice of hunkering down on the objective or try and block all paths south. I quickly realize that not only do I not have enough units to do this, but more specifically I have very little AT assets to stop the tanks. My opponent will soon be able to get past me and go anywhere he pleases. So now that I know what I have to do, I regret not keeping my units closer so they can't be picked off. Especially my main AT gun is very exposed and likely stuck. I also have to figure out what to do with my vulnerable soft skinned units.
On the eastern flank the battle has yet to get going - still a lot of positioning and more enemy units to see. I don't yet know what he plans to do well enough to adjust my positions. The good news is I was able to secure good defensive positions ahead of my opponent. So I have a little leeway around reacting just yet.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ljhdul87gfii4c...3.pdf?dl=0
(05-12-2017, 04:13 AM)Gstockbridge Wrote: [ -> ]So I am out of space for attachments and I will use a dropbox link for the remaining turns.
For turn 3, on the western flank, I am faced with a choice of hunkering down on the objective or try and block all paths south. I quickly realize that not only do I not have enough units to do this, but more specifically I have very little AT assets to stop the tanks. My opponent will soon be able to get past me and go anywhere he pleases. So now that I know what I have to do, I regret not keeping my units closer so they can't be picked off. Especially my main AT gun is very exposed and likely stuck. I also have to figure out what to do with my vulnerable soft skinned units.
On the eastern flank the battle has yet to get going - still a lot of positioning and more enemy units to see. I don't yet know what he plans to do well enough to adjust my positions. The good news is I was able to secure good defensive positions ahead of my opponent. So I have a little leeway around reacting just yet.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ljhdul87gfii4c...3.pdf?dl=0
Don't know if it is OK to ask questions here or start a new thread? Let me know if not OK.
How do you go about planning in a scenario with such a big map (for me it is big)? I assume the victory locations help so you know you have to move north and take and keep some of them. So the designer is helping you in that way? Also there is one Soviet-controlled location at Gurinovka so does that mean there are Soviets in the location now? Or the designer just gave them that location to start with?
I see all the Recon units are south of Maksimovka, rather than spread out over the map. If you split them and move them to different map sections you will incur command problems of some kind, right?
Any recommended books that cover a battle like this? I assume one of the reasons many people have little problems playing large scenarios in PzB and PzC games is they they know the place names, what happened, etc.
Thanks for any help.
(05-14-2017, 03:37 AM)GerryM Wrote: [ -> ][quote pid='420536' dateline='1494526408']
Don't know if it is OK to ask questions here or start a new thread? Let me know if not OK.
How do you go about planning in a scenario with such a big map (for me it is big)? I assume the victory locations help so you know you have to move north and take and keep some of them. So the designer is helping you in that way? Also there is one Soviet-controlled location at Gurinovka so does that mean there are Soviets in the location now? Or the designer just gave them that location to start with?
I see all the Recon units are south of Maksimovka, rather than spread out over the map. If you split them and move them to different map sections you will incur command problems of some kind, right?
Any recommended books that cover a battle like this? I assume one of the reasons many people have little problems playing large scenarios in PzB and PzC games is they they know the place names, what happened, etc.
Thanks for any help.
[/quote]
So from my perspective the planning revolves around a few things here. First is the briefing given for the scenario. So we know we likely have two avenues of attack given the briefing. Second, as you mention, the objectives are a big help, especially the weight of the various objectives. Third we have the terrain. Looking for good roads and key bridges in this one are critical. The Recon can be used as would be expected - to quickly spread across key areas and get a good line of sight on the likely approaches. Because of the substantial amount of armor in my opponents breakthrough this battle closed quickly. I do try and continue to use the recon on the flanks and even in the enemy rear during this scenario to harass his advance where possible. I probably should have used it more.
Thanks for the very nice AAR btw.
On my West there is very little maneuver left. It is a constricting battle for the objective here. I can only hope to constrict slowly around the objective and hold out. The balance of my units that are more vulnerable (to his tanks) will; slow down any west to east movement of this force, prevent him going south to my 100 pt objective, and try and harass his rear units. In the East the story is different. He has definitely committed to a line of attack and I have units not engaged since he is leaving their objective alone (far east). Some ideas are coming to mind for the turns coming - first I need to let this play out a bit.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/n3pun01ic84hn1...5.pdf?dl=0
What can one use the PzPio Zug (mine clearing engineers, 57 men) for in a scenario such as this? Thanks.