Moscow Embattled, a free Print & Play game designed and released by Lou Coatney, is an introductory war board game that covers the ferocious battles between the Germans and Russians in World War II near Moscow. Lou has graciously provided this partial replay to give you a feel for how the game plays. Enjoy!
First turn setup and German attack/Russian interception allocations:
German Operational Combat Phase - 50% hit rate on dice - results:
The Red Air Force unit is shot down in its attempted interception of 2. Fliegerkorps. 2.Flkp's independent bombing of OpGrRzhev scores 2 hits, but independent bombing can do no worse than Disrupt. (This does reduce OGR's firepower by 1 die down to 1, thanks to the upper reaches of the Dnepr River.) 4.PzGp and 9.A (3 dice/shots) score 2 hits on OGR, eliminating it in the first combat round - only 1 more hit is necessary to eliminate an already-Disrupted unit. 4.PzGp advances (*un*Disrupted, because it is panzer) into Rzhev. (If 9.A had done so, it would have been Disrupted and not able to be used during Blitzkrieg).
3.PzGp, 4.A, and 2.A (5 shots) attack Bryansk Front (2 shots). 5 hits! eliminating BF, while BF scores 1, and 2.A absorbs that Disruption, preventing it from advancing. 3.PzGp advances into Bryansk with an eye to possibly Blitzkrieging on into hexagon C2, to pinch/isolate Western Front. (4.A stays back, again to remain Undisrupted so it can attack Western Front.)
8.Flkp independently attacks Reserve tanks with no hits! ... leaving independently attacking 2.PzGp vulnerable to being hit (back) and Disrupted/stopped in the very first turn. However, both 2.PzGp's shots score hits, eliminating Reserve tanks, while that unit's 1 shot back scores none. 2.PzGp advances into the Orel hex.
The elimination of the 3 Russian units in the first turn's operational phase bodes turning the German advance on Moscow into an onslaught.
So here is the situation at the start of Blitzkrieg. What is von Bock to do?
In the north, he could advance 9.A with its non-attacking bonus move into Rzhev and advance 4.PzGp on into Kalinin, grabbing A LOT of territory and directly threatening Moscow next turn ... unless 4.PzGp was kicked back out by a possibly Undisrupted Russian 16. Army (Rokossovsky) and the immortal Reserve tanks. (2 1-factor units against a single 2-factor unit in 2 battle rounds can be deadly. Although a 2-factor unit can absorb 2 Disrupting hits in one battle round without being eliminated, just one hit more on it in the second battle round would eliminate it: ergo, 4.PzGp would most probably have to be retreated if it were Disrupted in the first battle round.) Of course, if Western Front then remained Undisrupted and hex A1 is empty, both 9.A and 4.PzGp would be out of supply and highly vulnerable to annihilation.
What about 4.PzGp hitting 16.A, to deny Western Front a retreat (with 3.PzGp presumably moving into C2)? But it would be very difficult for only 4.A and 9.A even just to Disrupt powerful and fortified Western Front, and the air units are only 1 shot each during Blitzkrieg.
In the south, Guderian/2.PzGp can advance into C2 or D3, enabling an attack on Tula next turn, but what will 3.PzGp do? Will it join the attack on Western Front, for better odds of elimination ... and 4. and 9.As to advance, as they are vitally needed to do? ... or will it grab territory, advancing on into C2?
DECISION: 4.PzGp will attack 16.A - only 1 shot attacking into a forest but not along a road - hoping to Disrupt it, so it can't be used in a counterattack ... on it.
4.A, 9.A, and 3.PzGp will attack Western Front supported by both air units, which will get (just) one 1 shot bonus for 9.A and/or 3.PzGp attacking across a river.
And 2.PzGp will advance into D3.
4.PzGp's attack (1 shot, into a forest not along a road) on Rokossovsky's 16. Army (2 shots, thanks to the forest) goes ... [drum and dice roll] ... badly. Rokossovsky is Undisrupted, while 4.PzGp *is* (but since German units are now going to be recovered from Disruption at the end of the German player-turn, that itself is not dangerous.)
For the Battle of Vyazma, the Germans are getting 7 shots and the Russians 3 ... and the Germans really need to take Vyazma ... and in just Blitzkrieg's 1 battle round. The Germans score 4 hits - and 4 *were* necessary (I've just realized) to eliminate WF's fortification, then it can absorb 2 Disruption hits in 1 battle round, and then the final hit to eliminate it ... all well and good. HOWEVER, comma, all 3 of WF's shots were hits, so ... to advance otherwise slow but powerful 4. Army ... 9.A and 3.PzGp will absorb the hits, meaning they can't advance. Hmm ....
As replacements, the Russians get any one unit Disrupted plus either Kalinin Front or 50th Army - Disrupted - plus the irrepressible tank Reserve (not Disrupted, on Moscow or any eastern mapboard edge hex). SO ... WHERE should Zhukov deploy the replacements?
A LOT depends on the weather. If Turn 2 (21Oct-10Nov41) is rain/Mud as it historically was - a 66% probability in the game - the Germans will have no Blitzkrieg phase to advance on into Moscow if Zhukov defends up forward. On the other hand, if they do get continued Good weather, they'll blast on through into Moscow like schnapps through a dachshund.
(Disrupted) replacements Western Front returns to the fray ... on Moscow ... and Kalinin Front on Kalinin (appropriately enough), and Reserve tank is on Moscow. Irreplaceable 16.A will be left at Mozhaisk, hopefully to let Western Front recover from Disruption and fortify on Moscow next/2nd turn. As historically, tank Reserve will make its 1-hex operational movement to make a spoiling attack on 2.PzGp, possibly saving Tula.
2.Flkp is gone ... to the Mediterranean, historically ... at the end of the 1st turn, so that is one less hit-early-and/or-anywhere worry.
And the outcome of (historically 1st Guards Korps commander D.D. Lelyushenko's and 4. Tank Brigade commander Katukov's) against-the-odds (1 shot vs. 2) attack (at Mtsensk) is ... NOTHING against EITHER side in the 1st round ... ... and ... ALL HITS on the second! ... so at the cost of itself, tank Reserve has Disrupted 2.PzGp!
And the (ALL-IMPORTANT) weather for turn 2 is ... 6! ... (unhistorically) GOOD weather ... and the Blitzkrieg CONTINUES ...
Now, let's stand back and take an analytic look. While even Zhukov might have been disconcerted at the unhistorical weather and having only 3 effective units - 2 of them Disrupted! - von Bock has only 3 units able to engage in initial, 2-round operational combat: 4.A, 3.PzGp, and 4.PzGp. 2.A is all the way back at Glukhov! (It *could* move 1 non-attacking hex in each phase, of course, and at least get to D3 to hold the southern flank. (9.A *could* make a/its non-attack-move to Rzhev operationally and then, still Undisrupted, be able to attack Kalinin for the 1 Blitzkrieg round, I suppose.)
Moreover, Kalinin Front (if not attacked and Disrupted/eliminated ... but remember that major city Kalinin can absorb 1 hit) and Western Front (for sure) will recover from Disruption at the end of the German initial/operational combat phase, in time to try to beat off any German Blitzkrieg attack against Moscow.
We would soon see whether or not Zhukov would have to risk the game - a Japanese attack on a prematurely weakened Far Eastern Military District - by bringing in the Siberian Reserve early.
To be continued ... by you guys, maybe. :-)
