1st Ukraine Front - Insiders look at a Play Test

[Strela]

And Foul is completely correct.

This scenario is all about a desperate defense. If the Soviets don't breakthrough then something is seriously awry.

That said - they are breaking through in the wrong place much too early. Its a difficult scenario to get to follow the historical precedent - and thats why we are playtesting it extensively. All our learnings here will then be replicated in the setup for the campaign scenario.

The main issue is in the 40th Army area - it needs to hold for two days, but is essentially lasting only one. We are playtesting a new version that puts another line of bunkers behind the front line and have also upped a few critical points to full 'BUNKER'. We have also delayed the release of 5th MC anf 5th GTC by 1 turn. I have played a fair bit of Smolensk '41 and this scenario has similar parrallels - a highly mobile, mechanised attacker vs ground pounding infantry. Very hard to keep the infantry from being isolated and destroyed.

ideally we want 40th army to bog down and the major progress to come from 27th Army. That way 198th Infantry is pushed south / south - east and can cross the river without Soviets behind them. As the Russians advance, more forces from 40th Army will cross the river and follow up 27th Army's success.

The latest playtest also has exit points for the Russians near Zvenigorodka so that they DON'T have to kill all the Germans to win, but rather push forward and close the pocket as was the historical aim.

Finally this AAR was intended to give the reader some idea of what a scenario designer is looking for when balancing up a game as well as show that the game can follow history and the Russians can effect a breakthrough and ultimately form the pocket.

Its been a very interesting project and you should hopefully all have these revised scenarios in your hands soon....