Shad's Note: I'm dumping in a bunch of my old BGG AARs. If you've followed my "work" on BGG then you've read these before...

There are rules, and then there are rules. Scenario 1 of Road to Berlin acquainted me with what has become my most hated rule in all of wargamedom. Not because it's bad...

5.75 Combat Effects of Rivers

...If the ENG assisting a crossing becomes disrupted or demoralized, so do all friendly units in the hex with it at the time.

...just because its application is brutal.

In Scenario 1 the river crossing numbers are 4 or less for foot and 3 or less for motorized on 2d6. If you stack 2 Engineers in a river hex (they do not count against stacking limits, but they DO count against attack bonuses) you can up those to 5 & 4, respectively. Never do this.

My first attempt at this scenario I happily sent two engineer platoons into the river to assist 3 infantry platoons in what I thought would be a quick crossing.

"What's that whistling sound?"

"Dunno, but it's getting louder..."

"Sounds like... artillery?!?"

BOOM! go the Soviet shells

BOOM! go the Engineers

BOOM! go everyone else in the hex thanks to Rule 5.75

Wash. Rinse. Repeat a few times and the Hungarian attack was in ribbons and Commander Shad was stood up against a nearby tree and shot.