Dog Fight - Ostkreig Tournament Round 2

[Dog Soldier]

Panzer VI,

Interesting suggestion. There was a problem as I saw it during the game.

The "units in the far west" are LW infantry. They are morale level D. With the snow conditions in the scenario, they can only move two hexes per turn. A good player, like RickyB will keep in contact with them until he sees a break with the board edge. Remember, There is a lone Russian T-34 unit deep in the Axis rear. Once he sees a status of no longer isolated, RickyB will know the door is open somewhere.

Yeah, I know. An isolated unit should not work like a powerful 20 km radio spotter to call the VST trucks in and end their isolation. It would be an improvement to the game engine to have an isolated unit require the existing conditions and a LOS to a friendly unit before ending isolation. Low fuel, and low ammo markers could be checked for removal the next turn after isolation ends
That way such a unit as RickyB's T-34's would not know the status of the front since they can not see or really communicate to have a supply truck wander though no mans land in the vast Russian steppe and find them in less than two hours. The isolated unit would behave very cautiously, due to lower morale from isolation status, low fuel and or low ammo. Think that these status markers cause the unit to perform below the level it would if it was secure on it's side of the front and had friends on it's flanks. It does not mean the unit dumped what supply it was carrying. We God like commanders can click and order our units to move in an aggressive manner far beyond what the sane unit commander would do. In fact, you, the player as overall commander might just think the isolated unit was a write off after some time with no contact with friendly forces. You would at least be ignorant of where they are and what shape they were in.

Then those T-34s will put the pedal down and just run right around the Axis left. Bye, Bye, surrounded LW infantry and later the entire Axis force. The motorized infantry will follow behind in the wake of those T-34's. The 250 point VP hex south of the State Farm would be over run. Russians could link up with the Red Cavalry deep in the German rear. Russian units could then exit the south edge VP hexes at will until victory is achieved. Or they could push north and squeeze the Axis army like dolphins circling a ball of mackerel on the Discovery channel.

That is my case for maintaining contact with the western board edge until it becomes necessary to run for the area around Verkhne-Solo'skiy.

The low morale level of the LW division is exactly why I am trying to keep them out of contact with the Russians on that flank. A force in being is better than a dead one.

Dog Soldier