From: Jack Beckman <jack.beckman@grognard.com>
Subject: RE: SPI Compendium J-K

KHARKOV
Stephen Patrick

This game is based on the Panzergruppe Guderian system, whereby the Germans
are rewarded for keeping their Panzer Divisions together with doubled
offense/defense, and the Russian has a lot of units that he doesn't know the
strength of until they are committed to their first combat.  There are no
"0" units though, so the Soviet has no auto-removals like PGG.

Several playings here found that all the Germans have to do is dump a couple
of Panzer Divisions into Kharkov early on, and the Russian will lose.
Kharkov itself is worth a ton of points, so all the German needs to do is
back up a bit and keep the LOC to Kharkov open and maintain a front line and
the Russian is doomed.  The fact that German units get a mech movement phase
and the Russians don't is a big Axis advantage.  Also, the Russians are
severely hampered by their command/supply restrictions, which force their
units to trace supply via HQs on map.  The HQs can't be destroyed, but can
be made ineffective by surrounding them and putting their units OOS.

I'm not saying these rules don't accurately reflect the situation, but it
does seem pretty well impossible for the Russians to score enough points to
win unless he can get really lucky.  The Soviets get a first two or three
turn (can't remember) bonus in attacks, and they'd better use it to the max
to crush Germans as much as possible and score points that way, because
they'll never take Kharkov from a determined German player.

Jack

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Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.

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