This guy Tom, decided he needed a new opponent to crush in TCS.  I was up for the challenge…sort of. I mean really, when you play  70 hours solo you must be able to pull something from your arse and at least put a good show in right?

Given the length of this campaign, I will focus on highlights and screen snaps and the strategy aspects, assuming I have one.  I am going to document my assumptions of his planned play in broad strokes and my plan to thwart that.

Lets look at my initial setup to see if that give you the reader any clues as to what I would like my to attempt:

You can see II Bn set back, The South is spread out,and set back in the middle also. So in essence we want to magnify our weaknesses, which is that our center does not have a lot of coverage.

Most battles and AARs I have seen seem to push II Bn forward to block the Center a bit, knowing that they can fall back in good order across the River.

My plan 

is to accelerate that perception so that Tom can’t resist attacking in the center. Invite the hapless Russian to attack center, and drive thru the woods at Noviki, and Goncharova. Meanwhile I will activate IBn to setup a PD in Starhuki.  We do however need some snow to slow him down a bit.  Lets all pray for that right now……OK…I got the request in.

The III Bn in Karskaya will put up a light defense, relying on Arty to stem the rush. I mis setup the 3Co Pio, thinking I had 5 platoons ( I have 3). So the defensive cover for a orderly retreat near Karskaya is going to be hard. We wil need to spend some arty ammo there.

The other thing to keep in mind is that if my plan works and he sends ALL of his initial onboard forces South, It frees up IBn to activate its alt plan to Attack 1GD TB.  I’d like to go on the offensive early and try and break up his cycle of OpSheets.  If I can have the tanks fail, that slows his advance, and weakens his offense.  Each tank counter is 4 steps,vs my 1 step tanks.  We need to beat on those to soften up his armor thrust.

The primary advantage to driving the Soviets South is the road network. This video helps explain that a little with this game.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rBPCy7mDJs]

I have my Opsheets done with Alt plans on them, I will post them once we get past the point where Tom can react.

Turn 1

0700 29th of Nov.

Tom dropped some arty, we made a few mistakes each on the scatter but its all good. I took 2 suppressions.

He had setup in move mode. Goodie! We picked up a handful of AT and mortar step kills and really smacked some tanks around first up inflicting 3 step losses on the 253rd near Travino. Good start.

Our Radio intercepts reveal that  Goncharova, Karskaya, Vasil’tsova, Travino are his target cities. Now given that he has 1MB & 445 coming in @ 1500 and the 185th/1319Rifle Regiment coming at 1600 we can bet confidently once we see  the movement in turn 1 that he is dedicated to a Southern strategy.

Lets break down where  he might be headed by Battalion.

@1500  1MB+ 445 SW arrive – Likely supporting South but could conceivably head to Travino.

OpSheet #1: 1319 Rifle Regiment NW -likely target Travino or if  445 comes NW then Vasil’stova.

That leaves 2 Intercept VP cities Goncharova and Karskaya. But 4 Opsheet groups (well 2 as 1 MB and 10 MB come on later). Hmm. I suspect he might have one target location that is not a VP location OR he is going to double down and go all out on the 2 targets. 49TB /1 GD is a 40/60 chance to attack a non VP location like Nikolskoe? But more likely Goncharova, thereby cutting off my forces in Karskaya.

*452nd MB [likely attached to 49TB.]

Op Sheet #5: 3TB (16TK)+453 Will attack Karskaya.

Opsheet #3: 1Gd TB = 253rd TB + 9th Guard MB [I’m guessing here but Nikolskoe seems like a good chance.

Op Sheet #2: 49TB likely has *452 attached to it.  49TB must be on same Op sheet as 1 Guard.

3MB + 451 [will likely attempt to overwhelm Karskaya, but could also threaten Goncharova.] Attached to Op sheet  #3.

30 September:

Lets see that move:

The Southern front looks like this:

My plan is as follows:

1. Activate Alt Plan for IBn and ski daddle to the South.

2. Activate the Fail, on Karskayas forces and do a slow pull back. IF I can get most of the 216 out , then they can support Goncharova, whilst he brews for a minimum of 10 or so turns a new OpSheet for all the Karskaya forces.

3. consider delaying the movement of reinforcements to Travino and push units to Vasils’tova and attack the rear of the Soviets !/49 Guard. By getting closer I can bring arty to bear and start accumulating Battalion morale on his troops.

Unfortunately this has gone no further due to my inherent inability to use VASSAL without making a million mistakes.