Alt Version of K44 - Community Request

[Dog Soldier]

Interesting to see the different perspectives on which side is stronger!

Personally, I can see the advantages the Germans have with their plethora of small mobile units. Its easy to throw speed bumps onto the map with the 3 vehicle half track units and to also isolate the slower moving Russians. That said their staying power is minimal and an assault or indirect attack will soon remove them.

David

David,
I have played the stock K44 from both sides against competent and good players. The Germans plethora of units, esp. the STG companies makes it nearly impossible for the Soviets to close the ring or surround and kill the numbers of Axis units needed to win the CG.

No smart Axis player will leave those small units in a position to be close assaulted. Axis infantry can move adjacent to the Russian infantry while the panzers and PzGr break the Russian lines. Then the small HT and flak units move in behind the Red infantry, but leave one hex distance so they can not be assaulted. Panzers either wait to punce on the small T-34 units that show up to break the isolation of the Red front line troops or the panzers form a thrid ring is there is space an MP deeper in the Russian rear to protect the backs of the exploiting HT and flak units. Another use for so many small Axis vehicle units is to go spot Russian artillery for air strikes like so many recon units when the Pz divisions attack.

The STG units can form a line around a 20 -25 km of assault proof front for the Axis side if facing only Russian infantry. The Red infantry can not close with these mobile units if the Axis player does not want that to happen. This frees more Axis infantry to concentrate on the Soviet point of attack.

Russian tank units are small and quickly pounced on by superior numbers and quality Axis armor while the rest of the Axis forces dance just out of range of the Russian infantry until the Russian infantry is worn down causing the offensive to stop.

Commitment of large stacks of Red Armor to try and break through is futile since the Soviet Armored corps in the stock CG can be destroyed piecemeal by concentrated wolf packs of Axis armor. These wolf packs are assisted by the artillery and stuka air attacks. Whole Soviet armor corps are destroyed in a single day of fighting leaving the mech infantry to fend on foot for themselves.

If the weather clears so the Axis units can fight at two hex ranges, the Soviet tactical situation gets much worse.

I am speaking solely of the campaign game. Given freedom to act, the German forces will simply trade space for time until the relief panzer divisions are released. I say relief panzer divisions as they do not have to deal any Axis pocket. These forces will appear at the front before the plodding Soviet armies can wade through the deep snow to form an encirclement of the Axis forces. The Axis have too many units in the stock game so their lines only bend and never break with good management. The Russian infantry, except for some Guards units are C or D morale and can not assault enemy units two hexes away. So the game after the first day becomes a slow motion race with the odd Axis unit hamstrung and caught by a creeping Red wave.

Then the relief panzer divisions move up and combine with the at start panzer divisions to smash any Soviet mobile forces left or penetrate and surround whole Russian infantry divisions.

So scaling back the Axis ability to spread out their large number of units and conduct a Fabian defense will go a long way to balancing the Russian chances in the CG.

The new partisan rules from Minsk 44 might also make the Russian partisans in Korsun 44 more than just easy VP for the Cossack cavalry. I have not played K44 again since this change in the partisan rules.

I would not add additional rings of entrenchments for the Axis to fall back on. A mobile defense is all that is needed to pass the time until the panzer division reserves arrive and turn the tables on the Soviets.

Dog Soldier