Moscow '42 balance opinions thus far?

[ComradeP]

Snow MP multiplier is 200%, clear terrain costs 7 MP's to move through when using Foot movement, German motorized infantry has 28 MP when deployed, so they can move precisely two hexes. The Germans have, I believe, 7 A quality Motorized divisions.

As the majority of the Soviet forces can advance only 1 hex per turn, and as the map is quite large with numerous roads suitable for use as interior lines for unit movement, when advancing in a historical manner they are open to backhand blows from revitalized German Panzer and Motorized divisions. The Germans have a significant advantage in mobility throughout the battle that didn't really manifest itself during the historical battle aside from a handful of instances where the Panzers cut off highly exposed Soviet penetrations.

The Soviets get a total of 26 Tank brigades I believe, 5 of which withdraw. After refitting, that's about 7 D quality Tank corps worth of tanks. The Soviets also get, I believe, 2 Tank divisions and at least one of their motorized divisions still has a Tank regiment. You'll have to fight 13 A quality Panzer divisions with them in a mobile war. Due to the numerous forests, there are not a lot of areas where tanks can be used to good effect, and the German armour is logically already concentrated in or near the two main areas where they could be used.

The Germans have (much) better units and can currently sort of dictate the pace of the Soviet offensive should they decide to withdraw. As the Soviets are still partially in a defensive deployment, concentrating and refitting forces for a decisive attack with mobile units will take 2-3 weeks, at which point German Panzer divisions of 3. and 4. Panzergruppe will have refitted. 2. Panzergruppe first has to pull back out of the Tula bulge before it can refit.

Currently, the historical standfast order probably won't happen, as there isn't much of an incentive for doing so. The damage you could do with a carefully prepared backhand blow with your mobile units outweighs the loss of a bit over a dozen or so 1000 point objectives.

goomohn: the campaign itself is of a high quality, it's just how it can currently play out that could use some finetuning. The short scenarios work well, it's just that in the long campaign the Germans currently have too many options to recover their strength for the Soviet offensive to be fought on Soviet terms, instead of the Soviets sort of walking into a prepared trap of German mobile units waiting for them at some chokepoint.