Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Draw
Participants	NBGB
Play Date	2025-05-07
Language	English
Scenario	34BP001

This was a 7-session play through with the methodical & determined NBGB leading elements of the legendary Wielkopolsky Cavalry Brigade in a meeting engagement on the Polish plains. I led elements of the invading German 3rd Panzer Division, approaching from the west edge of the battle map in what turned into a free-wheeling, hard-hitting scenario.

We used the FOW (starting on game turn 14), consolidation, smoke/illum, excess initiative and extended assault optional rules, and also these 2 house rules: 1) Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units - All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, and 2) Standardized Movement for Mechanized Units — All mechanized units may move through clear hexes at a movement cost of only 1 movement point (MP) per hex, instead of 1 1/2. Add one to this cost if moving up, across, or down slopes hexes.

Our action-packed first session (game turns 1-3) featured the Poles getting the jump on the Jerries and quickly moving west to seize the 7-hex town on Map 4, while their armor also moved west in an amorphous mass to the middle of the plain north of the same town. The majority of the German force moved rapidly down the east-west road and into combat, losing a platoon of mortars in the process. Left and right flank armored columns moved on both sides of the central thrust, in combined arms columns. Oddly, the bulk of the Polish armor remained in-place, with a few units filtering south to support that town defenders, and a single 9TP unit moving north and west. This probe was successful in capturing some German trucks and the PaK-36 towed, AT guns they were hauling. By the end of this session, the Germans had lost 6 steps and a level of initiative, while the Poles has lost a mere 2 steps.

The second session (game turns 4-5) was a very grim one for the scrambling Germans who lost an additional 6 steps to accurate OBA, a close assault and some fierce adjacent hex firefights. The Poles suffered no step losses in the exciting session that featured a great deal of maneuver and many morale recoveries for the Wehrmacht. Four platoons of speeding Pz-II light tanks ran fled off the east map edge, which brought the victory point tally to: 13 for the brave Poles and 18 for the fast moving, but gamey, 3rd Panzer.

Our high-mobility, third session (game turns 6-7) saw the loss of another 5 German steps in heavy fighting, with 2 additional Polish steps lost. In spite of these casualties, the Wehrmacht got enough additional steps off the east map edge to change the victory point tally to: 38 for the Jerries and 18 for the defending Poles. Free-wheeling maneuver continued for both sides, which placing a premium on long-range AT gunnery and adjacent-hex firefights, and close assaults.

The very bloody, fourth session (game turns 8-10) was incredibly grim for the advancing Germans, with 25 more steps losses, to only a single step loss for the high-morale Poles. The only consolation for the 3rd Panzer was that a few more steps exited the east map edge & the Polish initiative level finally fell to 3.

During our fifth session (game turns 11-13) the Germans continued, desperately trying to get off the east edge of the map, while taking 8 more step losses in the bargain. Once again the Poles only lost 2 steps as they repeatedly surrounded & pinned various elements of the few remaining Wehrmacht infantry and HMG formations in the Southeast corner of the battle map. At this stage, the victory point tally was a very close: 50 for the Polish side, and 51 for the Third Reich boys.

The costly, sixth session (game turns 14-16) was characterized by repeated close assaults, some lucky German OBA strikes and fierce fighting in the southeast corner of the battle map. No additional German units were able to exit, and 6 more of Jerry steps were lost, along with 3 leaders, captured or killed! The Poles suffered 6 more step losses in the heavy fighting, but time expired before the end of the 17th game turn. As in the previous session, a draw was offered by the German side but was refused by the resolute Poles. The victory point count continued razor thin at very close: 56 for the Poles, and 57 for the Wehrmacht.

Our seventh session (game turns 17-19) featured the loss of a combined 7 steps as the Poles continued herding the now-hapless Germans into the southeast corner of the battle map. By mutual agreement, a draw was declared at the start of the 19th game turn. The final victory point totals were very close: 61 for the Germans, and 59 for the Poles -- too close for anything other than a draw. Surprisingly, there were only 7 FOW-shortened in the 18 full game turns that we played.

This was a fun-to-play, but far too long, and VERY gamey scenario, in which the German side may simply flow directly across that map in spite of the resulting casualties, and exit enough undemoralized steps to win by the end of the 18th game turn. Better play balance could be achieved by scoring just a single VP for every undemoralized, Pz-II light tank step that exits the east edge of the battle map. I give this deeply flawed scenario, a 4 in shared play, noting that it would normally merit a 2, without an experienced & cagey opponent. In any event, the more experienced player should helm the German side. Clearly unplaytested as published, it is manageable in SHARED play only, and not suited for SOLO play.