PB Kursk '43 South impressions/discussion

[Strela]

Gertsovka's an odd battle in terms of VP's. Even against the AI, the only way I can actually get a victory is by destroying the mortar unit and getting ~10 Guns loss points. You need 35 to win a minor victory, but there are only 30 points on the map and with the Soviets dug-in, you're not likely to get many extra points from losses in men.

In my most recent try, I lost 134 men to the Soviet 205. The Soviets also tend to get isolated if you outflank them because of all the minefields.

As soon as they know where you're concentrating, the Soviets can create good stacks in the bunkers.

The same goes for the Hill 228_6 scenario: after 5 am, the Soviets can move infantry into the objective bunkers and capturing them becomes much more difficult if not impossible in the given time as you have only two reinforced companies to work with.

Do you think it was easy for the Germans at Kursk?

Gertsovka is a great little scenario as it illustrates two things. Firstly, it takes time, tactics and combined arms to take out a fortified position. Secondly, once compromised a fortified position can be 'turned' against the owner by rolling it up from the flanks and using the defenders own barrier fortifications to isolate them. That's the way it was done.

Gertsovka was played almost by everyone in the play test team. Everyone pretty much lost the scenario the first couple of times. It then become a 'just one more turn' scenario where players were on the cusp of winning but need a little longer. It's a good intro scenario as it teaches a lot of basics and has good replayability due to the AI usually cooperating.

Hill 228_6 was a very bloody affair. The unit involved latter wrote it was probably their hardest battle at Kursk. Again, you can't seem to move fast enough before the Soviet company counterattack kicks off. Trust me you can win this battle though.

If I get a chance I'll do a short AAR of one or both in the next couple of days.

Finally, if you want a bigger more open battle where the you get some 'oh crap' moments try 'Ozerovskii' as the Germans. Very, very intense, but play a few smaller scenarios first.

David