To take Luga, a Soviet strongpoint on the "Leningrad Highway", the German 409th Infantry Regiment crossed the Oredezh River with plans to take the village of Panikovo. As they moved toward the village the Russians sprung a trap, sending troops and tanks into the flank of the Germans. In an effort to speed their attack through the dense woods, the Germans had brought no A-T guns. Their only course of action was to form a "hedgehog" and await relief.
I played German Defender. Turn 3 loss to due VP casualties. Central area defense. I had the 9-1 leader up front with the Radio to direct OBA. This did not work out as he was broken during turn 1, never got a chance to use the OBA. Russian tank tactics included keeping his tanks “In Motion” to ensure no Start movement rolls, and then put his AFVs in the same hex vs Infantry in woods and building hexes while using bypass movement. This essentially “pinned” the German infantry. While pinned, the Russians swarmed the Germans and forced broken/DM units to surrender in mass. Game was over before the Stug IIIs could have any effect. I got them on turn 3 but it was too late. March Madness 2021.
2020-12-31
(D) Shane Pask
vs
German win
First Russian shot of the game activated sniper who shot and killed Russian 8-1 leader and broke MMG squad. Sniper attacked this stack twice more before moving on. Stgs arrived turn 2 and went tank hunting. Forgot Stg III have limited AP initially, remembered after 2 guns malfed. Still managed a kill with HE.
5 tank MA malf, 3 disable including AL. 4 shocks, 2 fatal. At game end only 2 Russian AFV on board, both immob, 1 gun malf, 1 disabled.
Turn 6 Russians only had 13VP of 18 needed so rushed all they had left and almost won. A lucky CC scored 3 points but they could get no more.
2019-06-21
(D) Dave Mareske
vs
Mark Pandori
German win
Played at Texas Tournament. German Stugs came on late and the Russians had hard time getting the Germans broken. Two Russian tanks went down to MG fire!
2019-02-18
(D) Ulric Schwela
vs
Edo Giaroni
German win
As German I decided to string out as far back as possible in order to avoid a human wave in the opening MPh, with the farm marking the left flank. Everyone was in a continuous line, and I thought I would have a turn to entrench. The Russian assaulted spread out down the centre and on my right, with the T-26s in two platoons aiming to encircle the farm building. The OBA worked well, immediately disrupting the Russian infantry. My interlocking LMG were a dismal failure, however the HMG worked well and vapourised units bypassing woods even at 10 hexes with 9-3 shots. The entrenching was also a bad idea, too difficult to execute although the couple I managed added valuable protection. The StuGs arrived early and entered bottom right to further reinforce my strong flank (alternatively I could have entered left to take a T-26 platoon in the derrière); this was probably a poor use but luck was on my side as multiple 45 mm shots pinged off the StuGs. The Russian mortar was also underperforming, hitting my HMG in woods to no effect, while my MTR and ATR were quickly knocked out by Russian MMG and T-26s. Just as the Russian was closing in on the farm, in quick succession a T-26 was Shocked by the OBA, another was Shocked by a StuG and a third brewed up behind a wall by a CH. At this point my opponent lost his PMC as we were both down to 7 GO squads and 3 functioning AFV each, while the Russian only had one leader left and he had only clocked up 1 CVP, although being the 3rd turn I felt it could still have swung back to the Russian. More replayability than meets the eye.
2018-07-28
(A) Dave Mareske
vs
Tony Pierson
Russian win
Saw a recent playing of this and it made it to the top of my play list. Tony got the STUGs early and they almost tipped the game, but he Malf'ed one of the guns and another fell to one of the T-26s, but three of the Russian tanks lay smoking in the field. The German OBA really did not do its job and then the leader and radio fell to CC on turn three. The Russians never did a Human Wave, though I intended to do so. Germans were breaking so my Russians could move up slowly but surely.
