GL In for a Pound - Combat Mission: Fortress Italy

This map as infantry QB would be great I think. the addition of armor made it less enjoyable.

This was a good scenario - excellent premise and interesting forces. But we both found a bit difficult to maneuver with our armor and to deploy our ATG's - the map perhaps should have some more depth for both sides.

The engagement ranges, in general, were very close, and the armor game turned out a bit 'random' as 'who spots first'. Which basically means that the one doing the attacking and therefore, changing position - in this scenario, can be either side - is going to be in the receiving end more often than not.

A well balanced meeting engagement with good opportunities on both sides.

A well balanced ME, with a nice mix of equipment, on an interesting map.

My Brit Tankers performed great so I won, but I think a lot of that was luck. It appears well balanced. Good mix of troop types. Fun sized scenario.

Due to small battlefield size, should have only light armour as tanks/AFVs completely dominate the battle from turn 1 on.

First off, the terrain and layout of this battlefield is one of the better ones. However, I believe this would be a better battle with fewer tanks/AFVs, as they will always dominate the tiny battlefield. With Shermans both outnumbering and outclassing the MkIVs, I believe the rating is slightly pro-British. From this battle, it is no wonder why the Germans developed masses of handheld anti-tank weapons later in the war as the infantry in this battle is very vulnerable to allied armour.

Good balance of forces on both sides with many options. An excellent smaller battle with mixed terrain allowing for good use of cover, buildings and high ground. Also, it was nice to only have limited mortar support on both sides so that fire and manoeuvre was both possible and necessary to achieve victory.

The more aggressive player will win this scenario. Don't be passive like me.

To win you need to be aggressive early on.

A good mix of infantry/tank forces for both sides on a good map. LOS is a challenge so you have to move about a lot to square up a target. A very good scenario.

To much armor in my opinion, and to few infantry.

This scenario is a good example of how the uninitiated and the novice scenario designers imagine a "well balanced" scenario and then screw it up in the end. They are just counting the number of vehicles and then try to "adjust" the balance of power by adding some light tanks here, a few self-propelled guns there and a handfull of halftracks without paying attention to the armament and ammunition of the units. They do the same with the infantry.

Aside from that poorly constructed "two hills" map with a lot of houses and low growing trees which makes the terrain absolutely unsuitable for tanks, as they can never spot anything, this scenario is just too exemplary for a bad balancing:

1.) The British have three Sextons, EACH of them carries 80(!) HE grenades! With this firepower you can just flatten the German positions and victory locations.
It's the absolute overkill on this small map.

2.) The British Bedfordtrucks have PIATs on board which can be used to form two anti-tank teams within the British infantry while the Germans don't even have one single rifle grenade or any AT infantry at all.

3.) The British have two sniper teams - the Germans have none.

All in all a very unfair setting and anything but "balanced".