Klyuchi – Attrition (a tutorial)

[Dog Soldier]

Axis Turn One
07:00 11 July 1943, Soft Conditions, Day, Visibility One Kilometer
It is best to start off using your artillery to soften up the defenders each turn. Unlike other JT/HPS games, units that fire or move cannot spot later for artillery.



Artillery dialog allows you to highlight targets or spotters. You can designate normal or special ammunition like smoke. Grayed out ammunition is not available to the weapon selected for this scenario.

My first move will be to concentrate my barrage on the trenches SE of the Barracks. When these positions are not spotted for a battery, I will choose targets that support my units which will direct fire. The idea is to lessen the return fire by barrage weakening the enemy or smoke screening some of his units from firing on mine while I can concentrate on the Soviet defenders in detail.
There is a limit to the number of artillery attacks and direct fire attacks that can be made on a hex’s defenders.

End of German half of the turn victory points stand as follows.

After the AI Soviet turn victory points look like this.

There has been a fair uptick in losses during the Russian turn for both sides. You have to think more carefully about letting loose with your fire in your turn. The unlimited defensive fire makes it more difficult to achieve fire superiority than in previous Tiller titles where after three shots the defending unit was neutered.

Here is a shot of the front lines.

For those of you who own this game, download the zip folder attached to each turn post of this AAR. Copy the *.btr file from the zip to your game directory. Use the menu command File>Replay, and point to that turn’s btr file to watch each turn’s action. I saved the replay btr files at the end of the Russian AI turn. That is why you will be able to see the Russian perspective throughout the replay action.
Watch for the nasty Katashuka rocket artillery that takes out 16 men in a German entrenchment. Those rocket units are the bane of the German player. Do not get caught in the open by a Russian rocket salvo. It will ruin your day.

Dog Soldier