AVL. The blurb: A harsh, cold wind blows across the steppes of Russia. With a flurry of thundering explosions, the Russian offensive Operation Saturn begins. Can the Russians encircle and trap the extended German armies? Originally published in Japanese in Game Journal Magazine #4 as Struggle of Army Group Manstein, A Victory Lost starts with the Russian offensive Operation Saturn and continuing through van Manstein’s famous “backhand blow”. It revives the simplicity of classic games such as Russian Campaign and Panzergruppe Guderian, but with some very modern twists. Easy to learn and with a compact playing time, A Victory Lost nevertheless offers a historical treatment of this subject that has seldom been seen in larger and more complicated games.

I wont labor the point here, the game has been out since 2006. So if you dont know it follow along and ask questions. If you do know the game then poke ME when I make a mistake. I have been interested for quiet some time. Just never had a copy I was prepared to pay the steep price for. Finally two friends offered to loan me theirs! The timing was perfect I had just finished the Stalingrad Pocket 2nd Edition, and this dovetailed right into the historical time flow. Very nice. Just of a dozen pages of rules and big color examples fill the rule book. After a false start not paying movement points to EXIT as well as ENTER eZOCs we were off to the races. I enjoy the ebb and flow of chit pull games. This one in particular however has a unique mechanic. The STAVKA chit allows for all the HQ’s to activate. A nice way to represent the offensive minded nature of the operation. Also a nice change for the Soviets to not be stymied by command and control  issues for now.

Opening positions.

Generally speaking I am going to flip the counter of the HQ just moved and make a note of its name. Note the Pink counter at the borrom of the image above. Images a re bit dark I realize, looking to show you frontage movement generally with detail shots below. I may revert to one shot per turn at some point…

6th Army conducts 2 attacks both at 4:1. D2 and 2r2 are the results, they are the freebie activation for Turn 1.

3rd Gd get retreat results from their 2 attacks

2rd activates next, then 2nd GD activates in the middle of the map next then STAVKA, this chit is brutal.

51st, 55th, 5th Tank 1Gd and 6A attack across a broad front. All in all tough on the Germans losing 5 steps in turn 1.

A series of attack result in cross the river at various locations. 1gd loses a step in its attack and 2 others are NA. But four results push the Axis back or kill steps.

!Gd had the lion share of the kills with an 8:1 near Boguchor, an attack in the Rough near  the Don river and near Rossoch.

EDIT_Note bottom screen 28th A is in wrong spot. Tehy come on – at far side and can use Strategic movement I believe.

The Axis pull back in the center. they attack with 17th Pzr at the 51st and cause a retreat.

Reinforcements arrive and they are placed mid map along the Donets River

The Formations in Activation order:

6A kicked off the offensive!

Building a new line and placing HQ’s carefully with T1 reinforcements.

EDIT- I decided post …post, that I would rail these guys up a bit further. No point sitting around waiting to be eaten! Kempf sets up by Italian 8A.

I also did not bring the 28th Army on in the right place. For the life of me I have no idea why I thought they came in on the rail …..ugh. Too distracted by editing this OCS file for the tutorials I think.