Am I missing something / Beginners questions

[philsublime]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to this forum and I registered simply because I didn't find any other discussions about John Tillers Panzer Battles yet. I'm a registered member of the Wargamer, but not a very active one. I play wargames since many years, mostly Squad Battles and Combat Mission. When I saw the new Panzer Battles system from John Tiller, I decided to give it a go.

My main problem is, that I don't have a chance to win even the simplest scenario against the AI. I'm simply not making enough progress in the turn limit to reach my goals. If I do, my losses are so high I therefore lose because of the negative score effect. I always get a major defeat. It starts to hurt my wargaming pride!

For example the Gertsovska scenario. How is it possible to reach the goals there? I played this scenario maybe five times. Sometimes I can reach one or two goals, but in general, my attacks are just worthless. It seems to be almost impossible to overrun the enemy positions, even when the odds are in my favor big time.

Does anyone has some advice for me? Maybe I'm getting something wrong. Maybe having played Squad Battles for years has left me unable to play wargames at a bigger scale...

Thanks and regards, Phil

[Compass Rose]

[Compass Rose]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to this forum and I registered simply because I didn't find any other discussions about John Tillers Panzer Battles yet.

You could have not picked a better place to talk and find info about the PzB Series.

There are members of the PzB play-testing team who are very active on the Blitz and if that isn't enough for you, the Head Project Coordinator for PzB Kursk is also very active here as well.

So feel free to ask as many questions as you like.

[ComradeP]

Generally speaking, the smaller scenarios with bunkers will depend more on you getting a couple of good disruption rolls on the defenders, whilst in the larger scenarios there's more room for a mistake or poor roll.

The point totals in some scenarios are also odd in the sense that more than the on-map VP's are required for a major victory. In a scenario with low points per objective, like Gertsovka, points from guns and vehicles can become quite important, though it can feel gamey to specifically target units with guns for their points.

In Gertsovka, the only way I can win consistently against the AI without spectacular disruption rolls is by killing the mortar unit.

[TheBigRedOne]

Indeed, welcome. Since you play SB, hop on over to our board as well. Always something going on over there as well!

[philsublime]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

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Generally speaking, the smaller scenarios with bunkers will depend more on you getting a couple of good disruption rolls on the defenders, whilst in the larger scenarios there's more room for a mistake or poor roll.

The point totals in some scenarios are also odd in the sense that more than the on-map VP's are required for a major victory. In a scenario with low points per objective, like Gertsovka, points from guns and vehicles can become quite important, though it can feel gamey to specifically target units with guns for their points.

In Gertsovka, the only way I can win consistently against the AI without spectacular disruption rolls is by killing the mortar unit.

Thank you! When playing a new wargame, I usually try to get some skills on the smaller scenarios, before I try the big ones. This way I can get the mechanics done without "wasting" to much time.

In Gertsovka, I'm just advancing to slow and in the end, there isn't enough time to set up a decent attack on multiple victory hexes. I have to bind my forces on each single victory hex and in the process just lose way too much time.

I played another scenario with a couple of tanks having to get through some marsh terrain (I can't recall the name right now). I planned well and pushed very hard to the victory locations, ignoring losses as a compromise to be able to reach them. I did reach most of them and was quite happy with myself. However, it was still a major defeat, due to the heavy losses. Seems more like a puzzle game than decision making wargaming to me at this point...

[Xaver]

In Tiller games the key is be systematic, do an oportinity fire is an exception, you need take a decision about "go for x objetive", see what you have and what you can use to have it and when you go try dont distract forces to other secondary missions.

Maybe this scen

#0709_05 Hill 253.6 - Aufklarüngs Assault

is a good scen to start as attacker or defender is a scen to be systematic and follow a predefined plan, is short and you can try diferent options... maybe is easier as german because i dont know why AI try counter when you take first objetives... but as soviet defending is a good scen.

[philsublime]

Maybe this scen

#0709_05 Hill 253.6 - Aufklarüngs Assault

Thanks. I will try this scenario and report back!

[Dog Soldier]

In Gertsovka, use smoke to cover your fast approach to the railroad embankment the 1st turn. Move in your trucks right up the road. Engineers in the fore. One should be able to reach a minefield and begin clearing it.

2nd turn - Engineer companies continue to clear mines. Infantry goes 'on foot' and moves up behind the engineers to assault both bunkers on the railroad embankment next turn. Smoke covers the German forces from serious Russian fire. Recon M/C unit is already up on the RR embankment spotting any Soviet units moving up to support the bunkers on the railroad embankment. Rain artillery down on any Soviet unit not in a bunker. Begin air strikes on the railroad embankments or on Soviet units in the village to soften them up.

3rd turn. Begin assaults with engineers and infantry on both bunkers guarding the entrance to the village. Have one company of engineers continue to push up the main road through the cut in the railroad embankment. Remove mines you find. Other two engineer companies join in assaults on railroad embankment bunkers. Try to get as close to a full 250 men in each assault. You should be able to get 3-4 assaults in this turn. Of those at least one will drive the Soviets out of their hard positions. Once out of their shells, fire any units with MP left on the Soviet units in the open.
Stuff any railroad embankment bunker you take this turn with troops so you can advance next turn into the village.

From here you have seven turns against the AI. Work on a single bunker or if you can two per turn. Aim only for VP locations. Now you can use two reduced infantry companies to assault a single bunker together. Do not stack your reduced PzGr units but hit with a single assault as close to 250 men each time from multiple hexes. Stacking makes you more vulnerable to return fire.
Do not miss any opportunity to shoot up a Soviet unit outside of the bunkers. This includes direct fire and artillery.
Air strikes are best used to bust bunkers.

Good Luck!

Dog Soldier

[philsublime]

Thanks a lot, Dog Soldier. I will try and report back!