OK, let's be honest. The Poles simply cannot lose this one. The initial rush to position will give the Soviets a 2 point lead but after that, if the Polish just sit still and use their air and artillery to punish the Soviets they will probably cause enough lost steps to win the game. But that's no fun.

If the Poles, on the other hand, actually decide to fight it gets quickly worse. These are Workers and Peasants Army tanks and therefore do not have efficiency and the Centurions will eat them up. The large infantry force has a morale of 7/6 and is therefore in a deficit against full strength Poles. If the Poles do not push the attack beyond their ability to hold what they have taken they will win.

Having said that, I must admit that for well beyond the point at which the outcome was known I enjoyed the play. The Poles will have a heck of a time pushing the Soviets back as they are just so darn many of them. A hit on a Soviet tank will most likely remove the tank from consideration for a long time (that darn "6" morale), but then again a hit on a Polish tank will cause a similar hiatus. As a result, although it is riskier, the Poles must look to their infantry to clear the way. Lose too much infantry and your advance halts.

My Poles ran out of offensive capability at about the 22nd turn as they were taking the town on board 4. The Poles at that point had something like a 70 point lead in VPs so victory wasn't at stake. Victory, however, in the strategic sense would have required more than just wearing the Soviets down to a nub. I would have expected something more dramatic required of the Poles. The victory conditions on the Indians in Indian Unity, where there are several objectives and the level of victory depends on acheiving a number of them might be a better choice for this one.

If you win as the Soviets chances are that you were able to enter the board, dig in, and avoid the Polish air force. I give it a "3" as it was fun to play, but can't go any higher as the Victory Conditions are way too skewed. As a meeting engagement it is enjoyable in any format.