Patton Gauntlet On The Rhine - The Matrix Games version of West Front

Version 2.0 will be released soon.

Hello Everyone:

This is now REVISION 2 and it has all changes made for balance.
If you want to have some fun blasting through a running battle this may be the scenario for you.

Regards,

Old Man Dan

Dan CavinessVersion 2.0 will be released soon.

VERSION 2 IS NOW UPLOADED ENJOY

Well, Dan didn't fail in making this one very challenging for the allies. I would say if your the allies. Don't, attempt the taking of terrain too quickly, I found out how that goes! So many terrain advantages for the Germans makes for traps everywhere on the map. If I had a do over; it would be to move more deliberately. Its not so much advancing to gain the cross river at all the bridges. Its moving your troops in such a way as to keep the points close. Wait for your artillery to arrive to help dislodge the well entrenched German infantry.

Played as Axis/Germans. From my perspective, this is one of the most entertaining and interesting scenarios I've played. Dan did a fantastic job in creating an exciting map that offers numerous obstacles, opportunities, and strategies for both players, and a fun order-of-battle with late war tanks, vehicles, and weapons (some of which may be new or not often used by some players). As with any large scenario, there are a lot of units to account for and neither player's game is sabotaged if they lose a substantial number of forces in any sector of the map. There are several battles, offenses/defenses, plans, and victories/defeats across the map that impact the larger scenario. The match gives both players chances to poke, prod, and test different areas of the front lines and map.

For the Axis/German player, you are presented with a dilemma - do you make a stand and fight the Allies at or near the river, or deploy a defense-in-depth or in multiple layers? It is imperative to utilize the terrain wisely and to your advantage from a defensive perspective, and to focus on the strength of your units/weapons across the map. My sense is the Allied forces are numerically superior, and quite possibly at a substantial level, to the Axis/German forces, but that there are multiple opportunities to bloody, disrupt, or halt the Allied advance. The map is extensive and has a well-developed road network - mostly paved, and also some unpaved - that gives the Axis/German player good opportunities to move their forces around and choose the path of advance, retreat, or reinforcement.

Highly recommend this scenario to anyone and everyone!

[Dan - I had a few additional thoughts I can share with you if you are interested that I don't want to post here for fear of spoiling the scenario for any future players. Just let me know and I can send your way.]

My thanks for the kind words above.

This one does present options, and there are a few different ways to approach playing 1st side.

In our testing we found the best friend a winning Montgomery can have is a Patton.
Monte's troops are in a better position. Even more so if your team is making a play for the exit objectives.
Still, Monte won't reach them without some help, from you know who.
Patton will need to stand some ground, sacrificing his glory, thereby allowing the Brits a chance to reach the exits.

That was my goal here. Knowing all the stuff we all hear about their rivalries and such, it appealed to me making a scenario that required them to just shut up and both do their jobs. Here is the secret...they were both extremely competent commanders and more than just good at their jobs. In their case it was accomplished by hard work, and instilling that fight into their respective soldiers.

My Dad fought for General Patton.
I know he and his fellow 45th Division Thunderbirds were with him all the way back to the landings at Oran.
I know they weren't happy when they landed under Mark Clark later in the war...they respected and fought hard for Patton.

But...such were the fortunes of war...George was taking a little time out after showing some wounded soldiers the toe of his boot.

The scenario is a bit of a steam train, and once you get rolling it can be quite a challenge.

Regards,

Dan