PB Kursk '43 South impressions/discussion

[ComradeP]

The tutorial was a lot of fun. It felt really "smooth" as well. Of course, you're only using a handful of units, but still: it felt good to play it. It required a clever use of smoke and picking the right spot to scale the hill.

The objective was captured on turn 2.

The result:



I have the saves for a mini AAR, but considering that it's the tutorial, it's probably not going to be all that interesting.

Based on the tutorial: Good job on the game guys! It feels fresh yet familiar, I'm hoping it will be a winner.

[ComradeP]

Hmm, the manual includes some information that as far as I know at this point only applies to PzC and not to PB. It's somewhat confusing.

[Strela]

Hmm, the manual includes some information that as far as I know at this point only applies to PzC and not to PB. It's somewhat confusing.

ComradeP,

Let me know what is 'superfluous'. The manual wasn't done by me and there is a fair bit missing such as 'what are the coloured stripes down the sides of the counters' etc.

As the first game in the series there will be a few rough edges.

Glad you enjoyed the tutorial - it's simple but covers enough things for you to see how the system works. Nice quick victory by the way.

Don't forget to turn your low visibility air back on!!

David

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

I have the game and haven't even opened it yet and already looking forward to a WF title.

[ComradeP]

Don't forget to turn your low visibility air back on!!

It's on by default for me. I didn't even know the scenario included an air unit until I read the Getting Started document.

The difference between this scenario and Gertsovka (and any other scenario with Soviets in bunkers) is huge.

I'll check the manual over the weekend and report back.

[Xaver]

The first impresion is very good, i am not a "fan" of PzC Kursk but in PzB is a lot better as game for my taste, of course are some things that need improvements but in general is a good engine and a good title.

Ummm i find to something that is in the manual but not in the game, maybe Comrade P refers to the attachment rule??? i dont find in the command menu this option... i know that Kursk only have 1 day battles (except the 80 turn "scen" and here the option is not present to).

Maybe you can create a pair of extra threads, one for bugs (in game and documentation) and other for suggestions for serie (new features, alt scen versions and similar).

Again good job and cant wait the 2nd title (maybe in future a thread to explore fanbase tastes???).

[ComradeP]

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.

[Spud]

Could someone explain what the coloured stripes down the sides of the counters' means ....

Am downloading PB Kursk now.

Cheers.

Spud

[rzhev42]

Could someone explain what the coloured stripes down the sides of the counters' means ....

Am downloading PB Kursk now.

Cheers.

Spud

We need to add this to the Manual.

The side stripe is to help quickly identify units in a stack.

Yellow - Recon unit
Green - Engineers unit
Blue - Heavy Weapons unit (Usually MGs)
Red - Indirect Fire unit (indirect artillery, mortars an rockets)

Mike

[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