Rod Miller - 06:43am Jul 15, 1999 PST (#15 of 43) 
In the old enemy at the gates folder

Hi Guys! 

Enemy at the Gates is easily my favorite game. The best of the best! I
figure I've played at least 20 campaign games of Enemy, and could add
another dozen games that started the campaign game, but ended early
(such as play-test games where we reset with new counters, or new rules
to try, etc). The point is not that I'm some expert, rather than this
game is so good...I'd play it again, but my gaming group now says
"anything but Enemy for a while" (I'm sure we'll start another one up
sometime). Whenever we think about what to play at the Retreat, a
massive 8-10 player game of Enemy always comes up as a possibility! 

One of the options I highly recommend is the Stick It rule. I've found
that this rule is perfect for making the campaign go much as the real
campaign game went, as each side experiences the situation that his
historical counterparts faced. Under the historical game framework, the
Russian player has little incentive to closing the pocket early. He
knows the German can't move his Panzers out of the Stalingrad area (the
pocket), since he knows what Hitler is going to order (he can read a
rule Book!), so he is free to pursue deep strategies, or concentrated
efforts at destroying certain German formations, etc, anything but the
desperate, nail-biting effort to lock down that pocket. On the other
hand, if the Russian's cost for not closing the pocket is risking
allowing pretty much the entire (mobile, at least) German Force out, the
Russian absolutely pays some very close attention to locking down that
pocket. Under the historical game Framework, the German just doesn't
have the incentive to break out, (and pretty much the only incentive for
relief is to drive more supply in). If I know the German has little
incentive to break-out, why bother garrisoning the pocket, oh right,
that 3 RE rule...If the German has a very strong incentive to break out,
I'll do whatever I can to prevent it, I have those Panzers bottled up,
and I sure don't want them to get loose. 

Virtually every game that I've seen without the Stick-It rules sees the
German hunker down inside the fortress (maybe driving 1 Pz Division out
if a hole exists, but after that initial move to create a defensive arc,
just sit there). Occasionally, I've seen a relief effort, but most
often, a Chir-Kotelnikovko defensive line is formed, and the pocket is
left to fend for itself. Most Russians will form the garrison around the
pocket and then move on to forward operations, waiting for the pocket to
starve (or employing the 1-barrage, 1-attack strategy). In other words,
after the 1st turn, the pocket turns into largely a non-event, save for
the air efforts (troops stay close, only due to the lines on the map
holding them there, etc). 

Each and every game I've seen under the Stick-It rules has seen a
breakout attempt (some succeed, others don't), and an accompanying
relief effort. Sometimes the breakout is right off the bat, often it is
early (within turns 2-4), but I've seen late breakouts, turns 6 and 7!!
A German player must carefully weigh the consequences of an effort to
escape (balancing the supply needs vs. the need to hold Stalingrad and
its Rail-Network), and the Russian carefully consider how much force to
leave guarding Stalingrad vs. how much to take on its Westward
offensives. 

Further benefits are relief from the "cones of silence" :)...the lines
on the ground that forces can't cross, less tracking of victory Points.
It is much better to have the correct, historical behavior exhibited,
and the same fears, concerns experienced as with our historical
counterparts, as a result of the situation presented, rather than some
behavior shapers in the form of victory Points and "thou shall nots".
For me and the folks I've played with, at least, playing with the
Stick-It rules provides exactly this! 

Especially with players who are running the Russians for the 1st time,
it isn't easy to close the pocket on the 1st turn, and the German could
then act ahistorically and take all his mobile troops and scoot (and
I've seen this happen). And, maybe my feelings are because I play with a
super bunch of guys, who'd much rather lose horribly than even stretch
an order, or employ some dippy tactic, and so playing with the option
carries no undue penalty. Further, we almost always play the game
without even looking much at the victory Points and so our orientation
is much more to fighting (we'll know who wins, or we feel it is a tie).
So we may not be like your group, and you may do things differently.
Also, if playing solitaire, these added decisions are not always what
you'd like to have, it is sometimes good to have certain decisions
enforced via rules and rule sets. 

So, read Dean's excellent "how-to" in Operations for some hints on
closing the Pocket on the initial turn if you don't know how, or are
unsure, and/or set up the map D situation and run through it a time or 2
on your own before embarking on the game with your group. Then, take a
stab at the Stick-It rule, it will make a Great Game even better! 

Rod