New R42 Mod scenario by Indragnir !!

[Mr Grumpy]

Brand new Mod scenario for R42, the scenario is listed in the Mod scenario forum if you wish to DL the files, of course the scenario can be reported and earns the same points as any other scenario. ;)

Zukhov's Greatest Defeat - Operation Mars by Indragnir

Rzhev Salient, November 25th 1942: The Soviet High Command had been convinced by Marshal Zhukov's proposal that two strategic operations be carried out, almost concurrently, in the winter of 1942. Both were assigned codenames of a planet, and were scheduled to be the opening gambits of two further reaching strategic plans. Operation Uranus, which, if successful, would open Operation Saturn, became the focus of world attention and is better known as the Battle of Stalingrad. The northern action, Operation Mars, if successful, was to be the opener for Operation Jupiter. Mars is one of the least known and least publicised Soviet battle’s, it is also one of the greatest defeats the Soviet Army suffered in World War II. Basically, the Mars plan was to annihilate the German 9th Army in the Rzhev Salient. To accomplish this entailed four Soviet Armies attacking simultaneously at four different locations around the salient. The two main thrusts were to be carried out by the 20th Army on the east side and the 41st Army on the west. Massed infantry was to be used to punch holes in the line, then mobile forces would race through to meet, and cut off, all German forces north of this line, these would then be destroyed. Two other thrusts, in the Luchesa valley by the 22nd Army and close to the town of Molodoi Tud by the 39th Army, were to tie up the use of mobile German operational reserves. Zhukov had overwhelming odds in his favor and was so confident that he took a Mechanized Corps, earmarked to exploit the gap at Belyi, and moved it to the Velikie Luki sector. The plans were complete, the Armies were ready, but, ominously, so were the Germans and the forces of Mother Nature.

V1.0
Note:this Mod uses the stock .PDT file so it’s not included, only SCN and OOB files (plus some art). The Volcano Man art pack for Rzhev is highly recommended.
Some Art included will overwrite old one so check them first or download again Volcano Man art pack.

Highlights and Changes:
-Consolidated small sized units into larger parents ones (mainly German tanks) to improve tank combat and avoid thinning the line tactic.
-Reasignated (mainly) regiments from Flak Div 18 to Korps, since they were Army troops and once they go low fuel or ammo have no way to recover (Model HQ radius was 27 and two regiments were more than 100 hexes away).
-Improved a little some key German HQs.
-Some OOB research: changing, swapping and adding minor units (Stugs, Artillerie Kompanies, some Infantry btls missing).
-New release date for Florian Geyer Kav Division.
- Raised mines and defenses on non historical attacked areas to discourage ahistorical attacks, and lowered defenses and mines around Osuga-Sychevska railroad and south of Belyi.
-Also added lots of VP locations for encouraging historical axis of advance. Some VP locations were added on other map areas to prevent Germans retreating ahistorically.
-Adjusted some Russian qualities (some were up and some were down).
-IMPORTANT: all Russian tank brigades have their own HQ unit. This is a big change, a great advantage for the Russian player.
-OOB values: upped AT guns HA fire, eliminated HA range 2 due the historical weather and terrain. Lowered a bit Russian infantry values.
-Added some colourful art (not mine but collected from various sources).

General Overview
Those changes will direct the battle to historical areas, it will be easier to achieve the initial breakthrough and more important if neither side is able to break it the game would end in a Draw.
AT guns are more dangerous, watch out for them in prepared defensive terrain (specially the 88mm). German tanks will hold longer and better and Russian infantry is not on par with German infantry (values related of course).