Subject: First impressions From: Clifford Bekar Turning Point: Stalingrad One mans view :-) First, I have to note that the physical components are of a very high quality. I rec'd SoA at the same time, and it had a large paper map, kind of dissapointing. However, TP:S has the same sort of map as does TaC, very nicely done. The playing area is slightly larger, 74 areas versus 66, and is very long and narrow (basically the Soviets have their back to the Volga throughout the whole game, scale is 1"=500 meters. Probaly the first major difference with the game is the way in which the turn ends. Each impulse generates a German DR, if this DR is less then the current impulse #, then the turn ends. If it is a day turn, it becomes night, and vice versa. During the day the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe reign supreme while at night the Red Army infiltrates back into the vital areas it needs to control through the sewers and gullies of Stalingrad. It sounds like, during play, each side will be praying that the others turn will be shorter then theirs (what do I mean by that? Well, just that the Soviets will always be hoping that the day turn will end, while the German will always be hoping the night turn will end). During the night German attacks become weaker and the Soviets MF increases. Lets see: - there is now no limit to the number of bonuses for regimental integrity, however, if you mix units up in an attack there is a -1 DRM for every other unit involved (e.g. in TaC, if 3x7/II/3 attack in combination with 7/I/3 and 5/II/3 those last two units would add -2 DRM) - no MG units, scale is too small I guess, no fresh units serve the same movement inhibiting role - units now become disrupted, and this level of disruption will have a *large* affect on play. For example, suppose you attack an area and the total AV < DV (after DRMs), then the attacking units are placed at level 4 disruption. This means their out of play for *four* turns! This seems like a big deal to me, don't know what it would mean for actual play however - units have trace a supply line to remain in a fresh (uncommitted) state - rubble plays an analogous role in TP:S to its role in TaC, only it also gives a positve DRM to defenders - German arty is pretty much the same, although their AVs are printed directly on the counter. The Soviet arty, however, is able to participate in every attack at a much lower value. However, every time they do, they have to survive a counterbattery attack by the Germans. The assymetry in arty rules adds a neat twist to the game (or so it seems, I haven't played it of course) - Luftwaffe roams at will over Stalingrad, kind of like the MATF in TaC - one inportant strategy is to get to the bank of the Volga and interdict Soviet reinforcement routes Lastly, and probably most importantly, units now spend MFs to attack and to move. In fact, if you move into an area, and inflict more CPs then the defenders there can take, you get an overrun result. It is possible for units to enter an area, destroy a weak defender, and keep moving, a very different result. Also, when a unit moves into a defended area, they must attack its defenders, if this attack fails, they are repulsed (Soviets are able to infiltrate at night, which means they don't have to launch a succesful attack to stay in a defended area). This makes it better to defend in high TEM areas. This is the biggest difference between TaC and TP:S, and, BTW, B:N. It makes the battle more fluid when you face a weak defender, and more static when you face a strong defender which is dug in. Looks like a GREAT game. I hope you can pick up a copy as soon as possible. I wouldn't mind if you picked up B:N either. :-) I think thats about all I can think of off the top of my head. Oh yeah, it comes with two white dice and two red dice -- the Germans use the white and the Soviets the red. :-P cb