EP '14 mechanics/balance

[jim pfleck]

I have a few comments.

First off, there is digging in and then there are trenches capable of protection against WWI firepower (I do not have infantry experience so I cannot really comment on what is realistic in terms of field fortification with adequate head cover). I cannot remember the specific source, maybe Sweetman's Tannenberg, but the Russians did not build overhead cover and suffered from the Prussian guns. But I do not claim to be any sort of expert.  A good discussion of this sort of things is in the book Rocky Road to the Great War, which looks at the use of trenches in the wars leading up to WWI. 

Regarding the Russians and their rate of digging in, I think my comments on this reflect my comments on playing as the Russians in general---I find I have to move slow, but react quickly and largely defensively. In practice this means that I am not very good at attacking as the Russians but am finding that attacking with each corps on a single division front, with one division behind to move forward as progress is made, or two whole corps stacked up that way, can lead to local success. Similalry, the tight command range enforces tight, dense formations with often open flanks and also a certain lack of flexibility. My response to this (more later) , is what took my 10 years to learn in the Napoleonic Tiller games---when in doubt retreat, and retreat 1 turn before you think you need to, both tactically and on a larger scale.

Similarly, either on the defensive or if moving to contact, I have found the need (pounded into my head in my EP campaign game vs Doctor), to move in small spurts, often digging in with one brigade or division while the rest of the formation advances a few turns in a tight formation, always mindful of the flanks do to the morale rule that allowed Doctor to snatch up my flank troops...

Anyhow, I mostly disagree with Comrade P regarding the Russian capabilities. I am not saying he is totally wrong, but in my playing of numerous scenarios as the Russians I find that they can do well for the most part but, as I said, I have not come up with a good system for attacking as the Russians. Tactically, on the defensive, I find that if the Russians have a narrow front, the short command range enforces defense in depth (which also helps with digging in).  With the movement rates, the Russians can run away pretty well. 

The problems I really struggle with as the Russians operationally concern space and open flanks in the EP Campaign ( I have not played the Lodz Campaign). The short command ranges, low morale, and fragile morale make it nearly impossible for me to make headway against a good opponent and, with so much space on the map (compared to the unit density), to protect the Russian flanks and avoid destruction. I think that, as Ed says, it is very, very hard to win any level of victory as the Russians against an equally skilled German player.  I think that it would take a major strategic error AND tactical errors for the Germans to lose. On the flip side, the Russian two-step (taking two steps back each turn to avoid being meleed) is a saving grace.