We tried two generic scenarios from Enemy at the Gates. Set up on the table, and played three games…!
Both of the scenarios were “The House” from the new Soviet source book for Stalingrad. Each set up was only 2×3 feet, and the playing areas were bordered by the streets. The defenders started with 40% of their points on the table, and they were holding the two objective buildings. Attackers started with 60% of their points, and started in one corner. Immediate reserves entered from opposite corners. All the terrain outside the buildings was rubble, which is bullet proof cover.
In the first game, the two players each picked a 60 point force, and then rolled for attacker/defender. The Soviets and ran a large rifle company, large penal company, and a hero SMG company, was the attacker, and started well when his flamethrower rolled three hits on its first shot, taking out a key German machine gun and pinning. He was able to swiftly assault that building, and then he took the second one with his reserves, winning the game on the third turn. The German reserves came in late, and there was little he could do to stop the horde.
In the second game, which we started, I organized the same two forces, as best I could given the figures we had, just to test the scenario again. The Russians were exactly the same as the other game, and the Germans had a little more firepower with two HMGs attached to each of the two platoons that started on the table. Those HMGs would prove decisive. When the next player arrived, he took the Germans on defense. My flamethrower team completely whiffed for several turns and I was unable to pin the gone-to-ground Germans with small arms fire alone. That made early assaults on the buildings not possible, and my Soviets kind of oozed around the buildings as the German reserves came in and assaulted, resulting in a melee that hurt both sides. The Soviets were finally able to storm one of the buildings, but had taken heavy losses in the SMG company and the penal company, and their hold on the building was weak. The rifle company broke into the second building and were set to finish taking it the following turn, but the Germans assaulted with one team and took back the objective in the first building, thus stealing a win for the Germans!
Meanwhile, the others swapped sides and played the scenario again. This time the Soviets easily won, but I don’t know the details.
We all made some mistakes with the new urban combat rules and the new force organization cards (I went about half the game without realizing that the Soviets now save on a 4+, not a 3+….!). That is why we ran these practice scenarios The new urban combat rules are interesting. They are an improvement over the old city fight rules, but the abstractions take a little getting used to. Also, the generic scenarios are very hard for the defender — they have to be very careful with the small force they start with.
Some lessons I learned from playing and observing the two games….
Soviet attackers need some firepower along with mass. Rifles alone can’t bring enough fire to bear on the target. More flamethrowers and SMGs would have helped.
Penal companies never benefit from bullet proof cover, which makes them six times more vulnerable to small arms fire. They die by the handful. They also can’t hold an objective. Not a unit I like.
Isolated buildings are challenging to defend Not many teams can fire, and you need attached HMGs to stop assaults. On the other hand, a lost building can be retaken because the new occupants have the same problem. This can create a dynamic situation, with buildings changing hands.
In scenarios where the objectives don’t go live until Turn 6, it might be feasible for the defense to concede the forward objectives, set up a tight defense in the rubble behind them, survive the initial turns, then counterattack to take back the objectives when the reserves come in. This might be the trick to surviving the early turns of the game with a small force. Bottom line, the new urban combat rules and new units can produce challenging and interesting games.
- TJ