This guide is designed to evaluate the various scenarios of the SSI computer wargame Panzer General for the Leadeaters Wargaming Club. [Panzer General is a Trademark of Strategic Simulations Inc. 1994] This manual is design to be freely distributed for entertainment purpose only. All rights to the game and its contents is reserved to SSI.
Each scenario will be evaluated as to its "fairness" in regards to chances of winning with either the Allied side or the Axis. This analysis is, of course, subjective in the fact that one person's fairness may be another person's mismatch. But this conclusion is up to individual players to decide. Thus the need for a guide to assist those who don't have the time (Read...They have a life) to go through each scenario. Each evaluation will contain the assumption that the players on both sides are evenly matched in skill and familiarity of the scenario. Criteria for analysis will be based strictly on the variables provided by the computer game such as forces, time, number of objectives, etc. Some scenarios attempt to be a reflection of reality with little regard for fairness. This guide is an attempt to allow new boots not to be suckered into a scenario where the player who knows the deal waits grinning ear to ear.
All evaluations will be formatted as follows and each is followed by a comment:
Name of Scenario:
(Obviously to Identify the Scenario)
Number of Turns:
(Is time a factor and for which side. If the scenario is too long, it can favor the attacker.)
Number of Objectives:
(Clues in on time. Some objectives are deceptively hard to capture in the time allotted.
Prestige Axis: Allies:
(What are the prestige totals for both sides and which side has the advantage) New Unit Experience: (When a new unit is purchased what is the exp. level) Air Superiority: (Who starts the game with the edge in air power. More often than not I have toasted boots and pros when they immediately go and purchase that brand spanking new fighter only to be shot down in a hopeless battle.) Ground Superiority: (While the Germans almost always have better equipment, they may not be able to use it all or it just may not matter.) General Info: (Little quirks to the scenario -- Weather, terrain, unusual reinforcements, etc.) Final Evaluation: (How should the handicaps be placed to even up the scenario) I will endeavor to remove and keep silent any strategy aspects. No telling what units to buy or where to put them. That is up to the individual General. This is to give a guide on what the computer provides you. Points to Remember: Experience: High experienced units can be more advantageous than many of the same. By lowering experience of a side you only lower the experience of units gained by new purchases. The starting units keep their regular experience. If one side anticipates a fight for time rather than a battle of units then that player may feel free to penalize themselves in experience to reem the otherside. For example, in the Moscow scenarios the Soviets have little chance of wiping out the Tiger tanks. As the German player he may opt to give himself a penalty in experience to weaken the Soviets EVEN IF the Germans have a negative bid. Anti-tanks: The German player will inevitably rely on anti- tanks to suppliment their forces. These cheap units are very effective in taking out other Allied mainline tanks with little worry about the damage they might sustain. A horde of PzJaggers is the nightmare of any Allied general. A few things to remember about Anti-tanks: Against entrenched infantry the low end anti- tanks are virtually helpless. They are extremely vulnerable to air attacks even by fighters. Air Power: Many a mistake has been made by boots and pros in the airwars. The key for each player is to realize who is going to win the airwar early or if you can make a fight of it. As the German player, if you and your FW190s are going to toast the Soviet player early on, why go out and spend the 420+ prestige on a new fighter. Sure you might win the airwar a few turns earlier but you have wasted the prestige. Similarly, if you are going to lose the airwar no matter what you do (in many of the Soviet scenarios) then again why purchase aircraft. Wars are helped out in the air but it takes the infantry and the tanks to win on the ground. While it may seem sacraligious you can lose the airwar and win the scenario. You can also win the airwar and lose the scenario. So be careful. {Special Thanks to Xriz for his patience and gameplay knowledge. His playing me in select scenarios was crucial in evaluating so many. Also to Enforcer23, LE Edit and numerous others for there assistence in this evaluation. A big thanks to Fishbo/Leadeater for his patience through my new job, new computer, masters degree and various other delays that always seemed to take precendents over this project. My own disclaimer: This works took awhile playing and looking at the game with a fine tooth comb. I welcome comments on obvious oversights and errors that can be corrected. But I do not want my E-Mail filled with comments like "I have the unbeatable strategy for..." or "This evaluation is wrong because I have always won as..." This is for your information only and not ment to be gospel. Enjoy this piece to explore new depths of the game. Thanks and "Eat Lead!!!"} The Two Poland Scenarios are omitted as they are not really worthy scenarios to try your hand against a human opponent. If you do then you probably should give the Poland player +3 Everything. By Brad Trusso BTRU@aol.com NORWAY No. of Turns: 25 - Time is a slight favor to the allies. The terrain is prohibitive to fast advancement. The main body of German forces will need to slog it up the Lagan River where they are vulnerable to artillery and entrenched infantry attacks. The Western landing is too weak to move on Trondheim initially and is vulnerable to air and sea attacks. Number of Objectives Hexes: 7 - One is already in the hands of the Axis. Oslo and the Airfield are easy targets. But Lillehammer, Trondheim and Namsos are very difficult and are German primary concerns. Advantage Allies Prestige: Axis = 1014 Allies = 1276 - Allies are hampered by a small number of units available and purchasing capability of Norwegian units only in all but the Namsos objective. Advantage Axis. New Unit Exp: Axis = 1 Star Allies = 0 Stars Air Superiority: Advantage to the Axis planes. Axis begins with 3 BF109e's while the Allies begin with two Norwegian planes (one is usually shot down immediately), a Hurricane and a Spit II. The Spit II is about equal to the German BF109. But air superiority is contestable if the Allied player decides to make a fight of it and buy fighters. Ground Superiority: Complete advantage to Axis. German Pz IVd's outclass all of the Allied tanks until the Matilda II. The 15 sFA 18 Artillery is superior due to its high soft attack rating and its three hex range compare to the Nor. 75mm two range. German armor and Wehrmacht Infantry completely outclass Norwegian and even British forces. General Information: Terrain counters German ground superiority. Mountains, forests and rivers impede the ground progress. Good chance of bad weather can ground planes for a number of turns. Sea power is advantaged to the allies on paper but German U-Boats make it even. I have found the winner of the sea battle generally wins the game. With three turns left, reinforcements arrive to both sides with the allies getting the better of it with Matilda II tanks, 6" Artillery and ATGs. Final Evaluation: Prestige Experience Axis 0 0 Allies -1 0 This is a very even battle with an edge to the allies due to the extremely rough terrain and sea power. Even against the computer, it is not easy to get a major victory. I believe this scenario pretty even but a -1 penalty to Allied prestige may allow the Germans a better chance to reach the final objective. LOW COUNTRIES No. of Turns: 30 - Time is favoring the Axis. Plenty of time to move across the map and engage even the far city of Calais. But the German must beware of defensive lines and slow crossings of the Meuse, Escout and Leie Rivers. No. of Objectives: 11 - Number of objectives favors the Allies. Axis begin with two objectives already in possession and two more in LUX and Liege easily captured. All others are contestable. Large area and multiple attack groups needed shift advantage to the Allies as well as the most distant objectives are Calais and Abbeville. Prestige: Axis = 625 Allies = 1152 - Prestige numbers are a wash. Axis low prestige is countered by quick seizures of weakly defended cities and objectives at the beginning of the scenario. New Unit Exp: Axis = 0 Stars Allies = 0 Stars Air Superiority: Decided advantage to the axis side. Lack of British airfields prohibit purchase of Spitfire IIs. French fighters not a true threat unless backed up by ground AA guns but eventually the German airpower will overmatch French fighters. Ground Superiority: Even match. French armor in the CH B1-bis are superior to German armor. French artillery and the small amount of British forces equal Wehrmacht superiority. Use of German Anti-tank PzJager IB in support roles makes this even along with Stuka divebombers. General Information: The weather in the Low Countries is reliable with only a moderate chance of foul weather grounding Axis planes. Open terrain favors Axis movement but also Allied defensive choices and sneak attacks. With nine turns left, the Axis gets the vaunted 8.8 ATG but its high cost and low mobility makes this a non-factor. Allied new units are insignificant. Final Evaluation: Prestige Experience Axis 0 0 Allies 0 0 This is another fairly even battle with an edge going to the Axis only because of its overwhelming air power. Without the airpower, German's couldn't win this one because of the disperse nature of the objectives. This is an even match. FRANCE No. of Turns: 26 - Advantage goes to the Axis. Roads and open country give German forces access to deep objectives such as Vienne and undefended non-objective villages deep in the south of France for quick prestige. No. of Objectives: 8 - A slight advantage goes to the Axis again. Germans begin with one objective while all others are contestable by the Allies. However, only the top half of the map contains objectives for victory and all are part of a vast road network that favors quick Axis movement. Prestige: Axis = 375 Allies = 1594 - Big advantage allies. Relatively few open cities and objectives in the first part of the game prohibits rapid prestige gains by the Germans. If the Allied forces can hold the German advance then the Wehrmacht will be running very low on prestige. Later as the lower part of the map is exposed to the Germans more prestige can be gained. The allies can afford a fighter or quite a few tanks to blunt the German advance. New Unit Exp: Axis = 1 Star Allies = 0 Stars Air Superiority: Axis advantage. Once again no British airfields prohibit the purchase of Spits. Experienced Bf109s are more than a match for Hurricanes and French aircraft. But a patient Allied player can take advantage of the one intercept attack rule and destroy one or two German dive bombers that are too expensive to initially replace. Ground Superiority: This is a fairly even match. Many Allied units are exposed at the beginning of the game. Few Allied units are entrenched near key objectives. Axis units begin experienced and all reinforcements are experienced where few Allied units are experienced. But German forces begin with very few mainline tanks and will need to purchase them but with the little prestige they may be facing the big French tanks with PzIIs and PzIs. Allied hopes hinge on the turrets of the Ch B1-Bis tanks. The Germans will find Tours a difficult objective and will need to divide into separate battlegroups to take the two far western objectives. General Info: Don't pray for too much rain. Weather is mild. The terrain favors the quick Blitzkrieg action of Axis forces. Open fields and extensive road networks can move tanks and trucks fast. There are no new type of units. Final Evaluation: Prestige Experience Axis +1 0 Allies 0 0 This scenario favors the Axis forces in tactics. But the Allies begin with massive prestige and will likely go toward picking up tank support. If the Germans can get into the far southern areas with troops the German player can pick up new German units and quickly outpace French units in experience as the game progresses and there are so many villages and cities to give Germans prestige bonuses for little cost. A +1 advantage in prestige may allow the Axis to compete against the French in the ground battle. SEALION (40) No. of Turns: 15 - The deep objectives of Norwich and Birmigham and London's stubbornness to fall make the low turn number an advantage to the Allies. It is the low turn count and the distance through stiff opposition that sway this scenario deeply in the favor of the Allied forces. No. of Objectives: 10 - Three objectives are on the French coast an held by the Germans. Canterbury will fall quickly so the main contestable objectives are your two northern and western objectives and London. Each is readily defendable because of the distance and time constraints and almost reckless need to advance by the German forces. Major obstacles are the Thames River which the Wehrmacht must cross and go around to strike into the heart of Great Britain. Prestige: Axis = 675 Allied = 1320 - Even Advantage. Both sides start with numerous units. Allies have a large area to cover and no doubt will protect units with AA guns therefore much of their 1320 is spent before the game begins. Fortress London will eat up Axis prestige in repairing units. New Unit Exp: Axis = 1 Star Allies = 1 Star Air Superiority: Slight Axis advantage due to the number of planes available plus the intro of the FW190a which totally outclasses anything the Allies can put into the air at this time. However its high cost is prohibitive and the German player can probably only afford one. Cheap AA guns for the Allies in combo with fighters make this a contested struggle Ground Superiority: The advantage here is fairly even. The Germans begin with mostly top of the line units all experienced. They must land on the beaches which they are exposed until artillery cover and AA guns can come into play. The allies also begin with a number of units 1 star experience and spread out but effective. Those in cities and around London are already entrenched heavily The British equivalent to the Energizer Bunny, the Matilda II is available. General Info: The weather is mild with only a slight chance of bad weather grounding the airfleets. If it wasn't for the Thames and fortress London the terrain would be ideal for the Germans. But the afore mention obstacles tip this in favor of the Allies. The fleet battle is in favor of the Axis because the three subs available to them. Final Evaluation: Prestige Experience Axis +2 0 Allies 0 -1 I have played this scenario against humans and computer and I can't tell you how many times I have said "JUST A FEW MORE TURNS!" The lack of time shifts this scenario in favor of the Allies. A +1 to the Germans is not unreasonable. NORTH AFRICA No. of Turns: 23 - The advantage goes to the Axis. Open desert and a coastal road gives ease of movement for vehicles. First half of the game until Tobruk has little opportunity for the Allies to slow German advances. No. of Objectives: 7 - One is already in Axis hands and Benghazi is quickly to fall. Berta immediately falls under the guns of Axis ships. All others are contestable with the last three easily defendable due to the limited amount of attack avenues allowed for attacking forces. Advantage goes to the Allies. Prestige: Axis = 1006 Allied = 1022 - This is a fairly even distribution. And really the game can hinge on who spends what where. The high Axis prestige gives them the ability to really seize the air and drive the British from the skies. Allied prestige is already spent on ground defenses and AA guns. New Unit Experience: Axis = 1 Star Allies = 1 Star Air Superiority: Decidedly Axis. One British Hurricane is immediately shot down by the German first turn advantage limiting Allied airpower even further. High prestige for the Axis allows for replacements and reinforcements while Allied prestige is slow to recover from being drained. Ground Superiority: British Matilda IIs are the queens of the Desert. Their high defensive ratings and reasonably descent offensive ratings plus large ammo and fuel deposits against German armor make them effective in fighting in the high desert. They are vulnerable to dive bombing attacks however and this is where their main weakness lies. German armor is weaker but in combo with the airpower they can defeat the British mainline tanks. General Info: Fair skies all the time. Terrain is difficult for prolonged combat as the desert limits rearming and refueling capabilities and seriously limits replacements. For the defender this is the advantage. However large movement possibilities along with the ability to concentrate forces in a limited area give the Axis the advantage. So this part is even. Final Evaluation: Prestige Experience Axis -1 0 Allies +1 +1 Air power once again saves the day for the Germans. While it can be contested, more likely the Germans will take the air and start pounding everything. The German naval force is formidable and will usually win the sea engagement and once the sea engagement is one, shore based AA guns become easy targets. Generally the advantage goes to the Germans. +3 to the British. MIDDLE EAST No. of Turns: 26 - Favors Axis. It does seem a long way to the Bahgdad on the map but much of the area is open uncontested lands quickly traversed by wheeled and tracked vehicles. Axis aircraft will allow for good scouting reports to allow vehicles safe and speedy passage. No. of Objectives: 8 - Two are already in German hands and easily protected. All others are contested. The sequence is in the natural invasion corridor for this scenario no significant detours for the German armored columns. The advantage is to the Axis Prestige: Axis = 500 Allied = 890 - While the Axis are low in prestige in the beginning, the two city hexes in Jeruselem and Beruit along with the airfields add siginificantly to Axis prestige in time for the assault on Baghdad. Allied prestige is slow in coming and eaten up quickly. Advantage is to the Axis. New Unit Exp: Axis = 1 Star Allies = 1 Star Air Superiority: While the Axis has the single best plane in the lone FW190a, it is expensive to buy another. The BF109s are comparable to the British Spits. The British begin with four Spitfire IIs and two of those are overstrengthed to 12. So while the Germans may have dominance in the air, they can be challenged by British fighters in good conjunction with AA guns. Moderate advantage to the Axis. Ground Superiority: Once again German tanks are equal to if not slightly inferior to British armor at this time. The terrain is not ideally suited for defense. Open desert can be used to catch tanks out of fuel and wounded but it is more likely to allow the more numerous tanks of the German player to encircle defensive stands and lack of entrenchment possibilities makes units even more vulnerable to bombing. Matilda IIs are the main battle tank for the British and can serve as solid the roadblocks to Baghdad. Still the numbers of the German tanks will counteract British superiority. General Info: Clear skies will allow free rein to the airfleets. The most significant reinforcement is on Allied turn 12 the GB Grant becomes available. This is a good offensive tank. But its initiative of seven makes it more likely to shoot second against the lower armored PzIIIjs. Terrain is mostly desert with the Jordan River and the Tigris being the major single obstacles on the road to Baghdad. This is the best area for a solid defensive stand and the German player should be prepared for a good fight in this area. Final Evaluation: Prestige Experience Axis -1 0 Allies +1 0 The scenario is decidedly in favor of the German side. Quick gains of prestige and the ability to concentrate all forces on one objective at a time gives the Germans the advantage. Recommend a +2 to the Allied side. El ALAMEIN No. of Turns: 26 - It is a long way to Cairo and even twenty-six turns may not be enough. Still, it is open ground with lots of desert to move through and around in. No. of Objectives - 15 - Five are already in the hands of the Germans but all of the others are contestable and each could prove a vicious battle. All objectives are on a logical invasion route to Cairo therefore the German player may concentrate his/her entire attention on one objective at a time. But this also makes the defense easier. Presitge: Axis = 558 Allied = 1176 - This is the biggest disparity of the scenario. The Germans begin with an armor number disadvantage and the British begin with a pretty sizable airforce. Therefore British can spend the bulk of their prestige on ground defenses and AA guns. Germans will not get large bonus prestige as the cities are heavily defended and far apart. Allied prestige advantage give them a big boost in this scenario. New Unit Exp: Axis = 1 Star Allied = 1 Star Air Superiority: This is a very contestable. While the Germans have the superior fighter in the FW190, the British have the advantage of AA guns and adequate fighters in the Spit IIs, Vb and the IX. Plus the fact the British begin with 4 Mosquito Fighter/Bomber that can easily wax a wounded German fighter. The Germans can win the air war but only through careful attacks and planning. Still it is more likely that free reign through the air will not be gained by either side for quite a few turns. Ground Superiority: The British number of tanks are about equal at the beginning of the game. Matilda IIs are still one of the top tanks of the scenario and very difficult to kill in the desert. GB Grants are also available and give good offensive punch. I have found they are very vulnerable to dive bomber attacks and can be taken out pretty easily in this manner. They are fairly cheap and with the high prestige the British begin with, Matilda IIs and GB Grants may be a permanent sights in the desert. Germans have the advantage on turn 2 as the gain the new PzIVf2 tanks with their improved anti-armor gun. In a straight on fight, they outmatch the Matilda II and GB Grants. But the prestige cost may be prohibitive. Germans superiority lies in their cheap Anti-tank units which may be effective in this scenario. Expect the main fight to take place in and around Tobruk and Bir Hachiem. This fight can go on awhile limiting the German advance in a scenario where time is absolutely critical. General Information: The desert fighting is the same. Clear skies and hazardeous desert for the wounded and out-of-fuel. The coastal road allows access to all of the major objectives including Cairo. The sea forces favor the allies with twin battlecruisers and two subs. However, the Germans do get to fire first and can damage many Allied ships not to mention the liberal use of high Naval Attack rating level bombers to sink a few of those Battle Cruisers. On turn 12 the Germans gain access to the vaunted Tiger Tank and the British get the Church III tanks. The Germans may not be able to take advantage of the Tiger due to its high cost and German low prestige outlay. Final Evaluation: Prestige Experience Axis +2 0 Allied 0 0 The tide has turned against the Germans in this scenario. Their free reign of the skies in the earlier campaigns is now challenged and the distance to the final objectives is extremely prohibitive. Every objective is fought over and difficult to manuever around to out flank. Recommendation: +2 to the German side. CAUCUSAS No. of Turns: 30 - Advantage here goes to the Axis. While the map is large the objectives are centered in a small area and therefore should give the German player plenty of time to reach the objectives. No. of Objectives: 7 - One objectives is already held by the Germans and it is not threatened. All other objectives must be reached through Soviet forces and each one can be a battle. Prestige: Axis = 800 Allies = 2492 - Everytime I see such a disparity in prestige I wonder what's the deal. Here it is obvious that the famous Russian defense is designed to be implemented in this scenario. Russians will favor quantity over quality looking to flood the field with units. The Germans begin with plenty of high quality and experienced units to offset this advantage therefore this area is even match. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allied = 1 Star Air Superiority - The best Soviet fighter at this time is not equal to the weakest German aircraft the Bf109. The Germans begin with three FW190s and therefore rule the skies. They are more likely to run out of ammo shooting down Soviet fighters and bombers than take damage. The Soviets begin with about an equal number of aircraft but their quality is so outmatched as to make them a virtual non-factor. Best way to offset German airpower is from ground AA guns. Ground Superiority - At the beginning of the scenario, German and Soviet forces are about equal in quality and number. But with the immediate availability of PzIVf2s and, by turn eight, Tiger tanks, the ground war shifts in favor of the Germans. But the Soviets have massive amount of prestige to afford massive losses and still maintain a respectable fighting force. The weakest link in the German attack posture is the southern attack force coming through the Caucusus Mts. Two star experienced and overstrengthed German units of average quality are going against well entrenched-Arty covered positioned units with good AA covering fire. The cities of Poti and Tiblisi are difficult captures and are going to take time and probably a few units with them if the German player is not careful. The terrain is ideal for defensive stands by cheap partisans, ATGs, or even tanks. The Germans must push beyond the Terek River to get into some good open running country. German prestige will climb as the scenario pushes on due to the large number of cheaply captured cities and the high body count of Soviet units. General - The weather is reliable but you may encounter times when the airfleets will be grounded. The terrain is easy with few rivers, a number of roads and numerous non-objective cities ripe for the picking by German forces. New available units in the Tiger tanks are vital to the German player. Final Evaluations - Prestige Experience Axis 0 -1 Allies 0 0 Time is too much on the side of the Axis. Thirty turns to travel a relatively short distance to Stalingrad is easily traversed. The Soviet number advantage is severely hampered by the large turn count not to mention the lack of fun seeing ten to fifteen units wiped out per turn. Recommendation: A +1 advantage to the Soviets may be enough to balance this scenario. But not to add anything to the Soviet forces but to subtract from the Germans. TORCH No. of Turns - 24 - The Allies have a very small map to contend with therefore the advantage of time lies with the Allies. No. of Objectives - 8 - One objective is already in the hands of the allies and all of the other objectives are along normal invasion routes and two near the Medjerda river are easy targets. The Germans must hold Tunis and two other objectives by the end of the scenario to win the game. Prestige: Axis = 835 Allies = 1528 New Unit Exp: Axis = 3 Stars Allied = 1 Star Air Superiority: The Allies attack the Germans with 21 aircraft while the Germans possess only six. While the three German FW190s may cause some damage to slightly inferior Allied planes it is only a matter of time before they are overwhelmed by Spit IXs and P-38 Lightnings allowing American bombers to bomb the blazes out of German forces. Ground Superiority: The Germans have the best unit in the Tiger I in this scenario. But they begin with only two while the Allies begin with a variety of armor and large numbers of units. The numerically superior Allies are close enough to German units in quality to make the numbers a significant advantage. Germans do possess the 8.8 AA gun but this may not prove enough to offset Allied airpower because of its cost. General: The scenario is set in the desert so any reprieve granted to the Germans by foul weather is non-existent. German defenses will be centered around the Medjerda river and by necessity near the coast within range of Allied ship guns from two battleships and a couple of cruisers. This will be very damaging to AA guns bought near objectives as these units are extremely vulnerable to shore bombardment. Final Evaluation: Prestige Experience Axis +3 +2 Allies -1 0 This scenario is heavily weighted in favor of the Allied forces and probably should be avoided in head-to-head play. If the Germans got a +2 or +3 bonus to prestige then they may be able to afford two more FW190s and give the Allies a run for their money in the skies. But then the ground defenses will suffer as many units are overrun by superior numbers. Recommendation: Give the Germans +2 or +3 in prestige and experience to allow for the offset in Allied numerical superiority and reduce the Allied prestige total. HUSKY No. of Turns: 21 - The high number of objectives and their disperse nature gives the time advantage to the Axis. While roads do assist the Allies in movement, numerous cities breakup rapid advancement and allow for stubborn defensive stands around unimportant cities. No. of Objectives: 15 - The Allies only begin with two objectives and they may require defending if the German player feels brave. Foggia may be too far of an objective to fall because of its remoteness in the north of Italy. The Germans are required to hold two objectives at the end of the game. Prestige: Axis = 1532 Allies = 533 - This disparity gives the Axis a large advantage. It allows the German player to contest Allied airpower by purchasing extra fighters. The beginning German ground units are of high quality and experience and the availability of probably the best cheap unit in the game in the L-47 Italian Anti-Tank at a cost of 12 gives the Axis a significant advantage. Allied only reprieve is the large number of objectives and their corresponding prestige bonuses along with many cities available for the taking. But these bonuses will be offset by the damage Italian Anti-tanks do to your infantry and tanks. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allies = 1 Star Air Superiority: The allies begin with air superiority by numbers only. The Germans begin with three FW190s and a few Stuka dive bombers. The Allies have two P-51B Mustangs which are about an even match with the FWs. This coupled with British Spit IXs and a single Mosquito Fighter/Bomber can wax the FWs in a straight on fight. But the Germans player may opt to contest the air and purchase more FWs because of the beginning high prestige count which can make the fight in the air more difficult. One thing that is vital to Allied success is air power and this is a necessity to win the scenario. Ground Superiority: The Germans begin the game with the best high end units in the Tigers and Panthers especially in their defensive rolls. Panthers do seem to be unusually vulnerable to shore bombardment but the Tigers are pretty impervious. The Germans also possess the best low end unit in the L-47 Anti- Tanks. The Axis can flood the area with tough to kill Anti-tanks with really the only limit being the maximum unit count. The Allies have little recourse. Their best cheap unit is the US M10 Anti-tank but at the cost of 120. Instead the Allied player is forced to bomb anti-tanks instead of the main-line stuff. General Information: The weather is generally good until near the end of the scenario when rain tends to be in the forecast. The terrain is open at most places except in the center and north of Italy. Roads connect most of the cities. The most unusual part of this scenario is the Sicily/Italy crossing. Allied ships may position themselves on both sides of the crossing to inhibit easy passage by German reinforcements. Allied naval guns are a huge threat and historically allowed the Allies to win this one. Numerous cruisers can destroy tanks with a constant barrage. Their best effectiveness is to eliminate entrenchment values and decimate soft targets especially AA guns. Final Evaluation: Prestige Experience Axis -2 0 Allies 0 0 This is a tough one for the Allies. Air superiority is not a given due to the high prestige of the Germans. Most players will go for the anti-tank defense of Sicily so it is imperative that air power be seized as soon as possible. A -2 to German Prestige could help even things up. (Note: It has been discussed recently that the Axis player may opt to voluntarilly limit the amount of anti-tanks purchased. Three is a reasonable count. If this is the case, Axis penalty should be -1.) ANZIO No. of Turns: 14 - Though there are few objectives and, on the map, they don't seem very far, rough terrain and tough German units make the going treacherous. Every turn is needed for the allies. No. of Objectives: 7 Three are already in the hands of the allies and the Germans are required to hold Rome and two other objectives. So if the Allies can capture Rome and lose all others, the game is still won. Prestige: Axis = 574 Allies = 1064 Many Allied units will be destroyed or seriously damaged in the first German turn especially around Anzio. Therefore the majority of Allied prestige goes to replacing lost units. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allied = 2 Stars Air Superiority - The Germans possess the best fighter in the skies over Italy in the FW190d9 plus two normal FW190as. The Allies are very much limited compared to Husky in their airforce with only one P-51d and 3 P-47d Thunderbolts plus two Spitfire IX and 2 Mosquitoes. The P-51d is in immediate danger from attack from a brave German player because of the move order. However the FWs could move about the sky looking to pick off fighters and bombers as they see fit. Therefore air superiority is contested to either side. Ground Superiority - Not only do the Germans have better ground units in the Panthers, Tigers and Elefants but Allied formations are very spread out along the center of Italy known as the Gustov Line. This dispersion does not lend itself well for offensive action. Anzio is probably ultimately doomed despite shore bombardment from Allied battleships. Still only two objectives or Rome are needed to win the game. General Information - Weather can turn ugly in this scenario. Unlike Husky, Allied forces have the time but not the forces. The Allies must again contend with the cheap ATG defense and it is made even more difficult because of the terrain. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis 0 0 Allies +1 0 Another difficult one for the Allies even more so than Husky. German forces dominate the battlefield to a point where they may even take the offensive in certain areas. More prestige to the Allies may give them the advantage. +2 to their prestige. D-DAY No. of Turns: 15 - The Allies only need three objectives to complete the scenario and Caen is suspiciously close to the shoreline and is capable of being shore bombarded by battleships. The most difficult objective is Saint Lo in the south due to the rough terrain in the box country and the difficulty in getting good units to the position. Time is still on the side of the Allies because of the low objective count. No. of Objectives: 5 - Two objectives are in Great Britain and already guarded so these are fairly secure. I suppose a German player can launch a de facto Sealion but it is probably a waste. Caen is within range of long range battleship guns and the hexes around it are vulnerable to cruiser fire. Cherebourg is difficult only in its remoteness. Saint Lo is the most difficult objective because of the terrain surrounding it and the ease of its defense. Prestige: Axis = 1096 Allies = 2042 - The Allies begin with numerical superiority and airborne units already landed. The 2042 prestige points will no doubt go to purchasing battle tanks to contend with the losses suffered against superior German armor. Axis prestige is low and will be used up quickly shoring up defensive lines around the objectives and will not be enough to really contend with Allied airpower. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allied = 2 Stars Air Superiority - Allied airpower outnumbers and in a three cases outguns the Axis Luftwaffe. The American P-51h is more than a match for the FW190a and about even with FW190d9. So with these coupled with an assortment of weaker fighters make the five FWs have a difficult time to manuever. They may be reserved for specific attacks or even better, used in conjunction with AA guns to protect the skies over the objectives. But in a straight on fight, the Axis will lose the air war. Air supremacy goes to the Allies. Ground Superiority - German panzers are once again and really always superior to Allied equipment. But one Panther does not an army make. The power of these tanks can do little but slow down the tide of Allied forces as the rush to Saint Lo. Beware also the Panther tank is unusually vulnerable to shore bombardment. Numbers and air power nullify German armor advantage unless they are adequately covered by decent AA fire. General Information - The weather is fairly reliable but count on about two turns of rain to ground Allied planes. The only real difficult terrain is the box country around Saint Lo. There are numerous back French cities and areas that are undefended by Germans forces. An allied parachute drop deep into France can pick up some quick prestige so look for it. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis +2 0 Allies 0 -1 I don't think even the Allies had it this easy historically. Caen is too close to the shore to give the problems the real life Caen defenders did in Normandy. Allied shore bombardment will keep AA guns from setting up in the front of Caen. Saint Lo is probably the best place to try to win the scenario for the Germans. A +2 prestige bonus to the Germans and a -1 exp to the Allies might even this up. But then again the Allies are supposed to win. ANVIL No. of Turns: 23 - While there is difficult terrain to traverse the objectives are in a natural invasion route. The lack of good Axis units nullifies any advantage the Axis player has in terrain. No. of Objectives: - The Axis must hold two objectives in order to the win the game. Once again the horrible terrain cannot be taken advantage of as the Allies push northward. Prestige: Axis = 1060 Allies = 2014 - The Allies win this match up hands down. The Allies begin with 14 aircraft as opposed to the German's four. On the ground, the Germans are outgunned in artillery and armor with only two Panthers. The Axis must decide where to spend the limited prestige amount while the Allies can use their store to repair aircraft and wounded units without to much worry of running out. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allied = 2 Stars Air Superiority - The Allies rule the skies with three American Mustangs and four Thunderbolts The Axis have limited fighter power nor are their prospects for adding to the airfleet is very limited as the ground war is also outgunned. Numerous American bombers will make it difficult for even the AA guns to make much of a dent in the American airfleet. Ground Superiority - Normally the Germans own the ground with their armor. But in this scenario the Germans begin with an assortment of infantry units and only two Panther tanks. The allies have a variety of artillery and the versitle M4 tank series to handle German armor. American and Free French forces will have a difficult time with the terrain but with the mobile artillery units the allies shouldn't have too much of a problem with dug in infantry and their rugged defense. General Information - The terrain and rivers make it seem like a defenders paradise. But the Germans don't have the units to take advantage of the terrain. The weather is generally good but the weather can turn foul and ground the Allied airfleet for a few turns. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis +2 0 Allied -1 -1 The Germans are outmatched in the air and on the ground. The prestige count doesn't give enough ability to buy units except anti-tanks in much quantity. Unfortunately the Anti-tanks are extremely vulnerable to bombing attacks. Add +2 to german prestige. ARDENNES No. of Turns: 32 - There are few objectives but this campaign is a slugfest with hard fought battles fought for each objective. Americans will be reinforced three times with a big 5000 prestige bonus. It is because of this fact that the time favors the defender. The German units are slowly ground under by superior Allied numbers and by turn 20 they could be completely overrun. It is imperative that the Germans get out into the open roads early and lay seige to Liege and Namur. No. of Objectives: 8 - Three are in the hands of the Germans and Brussels is not a necessary objective to attain to win the game. Therefore forces can be concentrated on taking only four objectives. However it is necessary to capture as many cities as possible in order to deny staging areas for Allied reinforcements. In addition, the German player will find the prestige point boosts vital to carrying on the campaign. Prestige: Axis = 1106 Allies = 1288 - The Allies receive big bonuses of prestige to the tune of 5000 prestige points on the 4th, 12th, and 20th turns. This will serve as big defensive boosts to objective cities and the ability to form counterattacks upon wounded German units. This will give the advantage to the Allies. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allied = 2 Stars Air Superiority - This scenario is not meant to be decided in the air. The Allies start with four planes and the Germans begin with three and neither airfleet is sporting their best. While the Allies can later spend more on air power, more likely it will go to ground units to get some push on the Germans around objectives. Still the German player shouldn't be surprised to see a few extra planes around turn 20 or so. The advantage is even with the allies getting the advantage as the scenario progresses. Ground Superiority - The Germans will have a decided advantage in the beginning of the scenario. They completely outclass and outnumber the Allies in every category but air power. Even this may not be much of an advantaged when confronted by entrenched American infantry. One good rugged defense and that Tiger tank could be scrap metal. The primary duty of the Allied player is to delay long enough to receive reinforcements from the big prestige bonuses. So it is imperative that the Germans make use of their advantage while they can. The Axis has little prestige to waste on new units when many of the German's best units will be damaged by entrenched infantry during the initial assault. The defense for the Allies lies behind the Meuse River. If the Allies can hold Liege against the forces crossing the river and prevent a flanking manuever then the game reinforcements will win the day. General Information - "The Weather outside is frightful..." The scenario begins snowing and is wholly unreliable for the entire time. The terrain is difficult and vital to the Allied success because it is full of good defensive positions in the dense forests. Roads connect most cities but clever deployment can prevent rapid mechanized movement. Allied units can be positioned in heavily wooded areas to slow down swift moving mechanized units. Final Evaluation -- Prestige Experience Axis +3 +1 Allies 0 0 5000 prestige points can buy a lot of armor and troops to where even the Tiger and Panther tanks can't shoot that fast. The key for the German is to grab the initiative and keep it as long as possible to where the Allies, even with their big experience grabs can't contend with the German onslought in every arena. COBRA No. of Turns: 25 - There are seven objectives with three already under control. The other four and in all different directions of the rather large map. The advantage lies with the Axis because of the diverse nature of the objectives. No. of Objectives: 7 - Only four are true objectives but the are spread out and there will be a need to devote units to each objective. It may be difficult for the allied commander to divide the force provided to assault the objectives equally. The Axis must hold three objectives by the end of the scenario to win it. The Allied commander must divide forces into assault groups to lead them individually to objective points. This will weaken them somewhat but Allied aircraft will devestate most units in their way. Prestige: Axis = 816 Allied 1314 - The Germans are at a severe disadvantage in the unit strength and numbers and the low prestige is prohibitive in providing for a units to defend the objectives. The Allied presence is overwhelming and much of their prestige can be spent for repairs and replacements of lost units. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allied = 2 Stars Air Superiority - Allies 19 to an Axis 3....Nuff Said. Ground Superiority - Not only do the Allies outnumber and outclass the German units on the ground but many of the German units are close to the onrushing hordes so that even if they cut and run on the first turn they are libel to get plastered by aircraft as fighters scout ahead. So the German must rely on prestige reinforcment to carry out the defense of the objectives. General Information - Terrain is open. Weather is good. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis +3 +1 Allies 0 -1 Axis power is overwhelming in all areas. The large map area allows for quick movement and encirclements that leave artillery vulnerable. The Axis needs units and with a +3 to their prestige then it may be possible to dent the onrushing horde of Allied ground units. MARKET GARDEN No. of Turns: 16 - The map is unusually small and many of the units are spread out making it difficult to arrange for a concentrated attack on Arnham until the scenario moves along. Still the Allies must move quickly to seize dominance west of the Waal river and attempt a crossing as soon as possible to fight the big fight with Tigers and Panthers to reach Arnham. No. of Objectives: 16 - There are 16 objectives but only one counts in Arnham. The Germans must hold this in order to win the scenario. Allies can use these objectives to seize big prestige boosts to supplement their air and ground forces. Prestige: Axis = 2012 Allies = 1020 - The Germans and Allies begin in a generally static position looking to gain the advantage over the other. Both sides will probably be looking to bolster their defenses on the ground which give the Axis the advantage. Numerous secondary objectives will give the Allies a periodic boost in prestige levels. New Unit Exp: Axis = 1 Star Allied = 2 Stars Air Superiority - The Allies must face this scenario with the British air force without American aircraft. While the British outnumber the German airfleet 11-5, the Germans have the better plane in the FW190d9 and could make a run at denting the British airfleet by purchasing fighters. The Allies can purchase American P-51 Mustangs. Air superiority in numbers straight off the bat give the Allies an advantage. But clever use of prestige and the FW190s can make this a hotly contested battle. Ground Superiority - The numbers of units are about equal while the quality of units are decidedly on the side of the Germans. With their cheap anti-tank units, the Germans can afford to use secondary units to defend objectives while using the mainline stuff to counterattack Allied thrusts. Axis holds the advantage here. The German player must be aware of the massive number of airborne units the Allied player begins with and expect to see paratroopers in the skies east of the Rhine. General Information - The weather is not totally reliable so expect rain periodically throughout the scenario. The allies must seize a corridor to Nijmegen in order to build reinforcements there. The Waal and the Rhine Rivers are prime defensive positions for the German tanks. Crossing will be difficult at these points. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis 0 0 Allies +1 0 The +1 to Allied prestige will allow them to build the necessary tanks and anti-tanks as well as aircraft to dent the German armor. Otherwise units are used up so quickly that there may be nothing left for the final assault on Arnham proper. BERLIN (WEST) No. of Turns: 13 - It is a good ways to Berlin for the Allied portion of this scenario. Even though the Allied ground forces are more numerous than German forces it can be slowed down by judicous use of good anti-tank deployment. No. of Objectives: 10 - Allies already hold 4 objectives only need to acquire and hold one more to win the game. Therefore the number of objectives are decidedly in favor of the Allies Prestige: Axis = 1082 Allies = 1020 - The Allies and the Axis begin about even on the ground so much of this prestige will go to repairing damaged units rather than buying new ones. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allied = 2 Stars Air Superiority - The vaunted Allied airpower that help win Europe is unusually absent and instead the Allies must face the prototype jet aircraft of the Dorniers335, ME262s, Komets, HE62s. It would take a pretty decent airfleet to combat these aircraft and it is missing. The few planes the Allies begin with cannot hope to compete against these. Ground Superiority - The Allies have good tanks and lots of them compared to the German forces. If the Allies can defend their airfleet then the Panthers and Tigers are vulnerable to airstrikes. The huge about of undefended cities give the Allies a cheap and easy source of prestige which can be used to buy units right on the front line. Still the distance is far and the German player does not need to worry about Soviet forces and can work on a delaying strategy. General Information - The avenues to all cities have roads and allow for quick access by mechanized infantry units. The Allied player must beware of German defenses behind the rivers and the German player must beware of quick flanking moves. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis 0 0 Allies +2 0 BALKANS No. of Turns: 25 - Axis units are close to many of the objectives and ready to strike into others. Numerous battlegroups allow for the number of turns to give the Axis the advantage of having enough time to strike at them all. No. of Objectives: 19 - There are many objectives to be captured and the Greek objectives in Greece cannot be taken by the Italians alone. The Germans must sweep down out of Serbia and into Greece fighting through Yugoslav resistance and Greek resistance. Once there they are liable to find the British waiting for them. The Objectives are disperse and it is possible that partisans can reseize one before the end of the game. Prestige: Axis = 755 Allies = 702 - The Axis have more than enough units to seize the objectives as they are. A few extra tanks in the south makes it all the easier. The Allies suffer from a lack of quality units to buy with their prestige. They may opt to buy British but that is a very limited area and could possibly lose the war everywhere else to quickly. Therefore this advantage goes to the Axis. New Unit Exp: Axis = 1 Star Allies = 1 Star Air Superiority - The airpower is decidedly in the Axis favor. The Germans begin with two FW190s while the British fly two Spitfire IIs and a Mosquito...Easy pickings for the Luftwaffe. Add to the mix are numerous Italian aircraft that can be used to trap those planes that are destroyed by the first wave of shots. The P108 level bomber is murder on Allied ships and the Italians have a pretty effective dive bomber. All in all it is free reign in the skies over Greece and Yugoslavia. Ground Superiority - This is a classic struggle of the many versus the best. Unfortunately there is a lot of the best. The Italians are in trouble against the Greeks until the Wehrmacht arrive to bail them out then drive on the Greek penninsula. The German PzIVs are ideal against the large amounts of infantry not to mention the amount of artillery they already possess. General Information - Expect the weather to turn bad for a few turns during the scenario possibly making it muddy. There is quite a bit of rough terrain but roads go through passess around and through these mountainous areas. The Germans have only a small advantage in a straight on sea fight and with a few lucky rolls the allies could win it. But the Italian P108 Level bomber will swing the tide completely in favor of the German fleet. Also Italy is vulnerable and the German players may find that Italy has become the new home to Greece. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis -1 0 Allies +2 0 The Allies are outmanned and outgunned in the Air, Sea and Ground. They must rely on numbers and a +2 to their prestige may swing the scenario to a more even balance. CRETE No. of Turns: 13 - While this is a low turn count for PG the island of Crete is small and the objectives with one exception are packed close together in the western half of the island near the likely landing zone of German forces. No. of Objectives: 7 - One is already in Axis hands. Five are close together and concentrated on the western of the island of Crete. The last is in the eastern center. The close density and the connecting roads and pass through the mountains allow rather easy access to these objectives and gives the Axis the advantage. Prestige: Axis = 524 Allies = 1058 - The Germans begin with an impressive array of units at sea and airborne. Allies will need the prestige to replace units on the ground that will be bombed by German dive bombers. It would take much more prestige than is available to allow the the Allies to contest German airpower. New Unit Exp: Axis = 1 Star Allied = 1 Star Air Superiority - The Germans begin the game with 3 FW190s compared to the single Hurricane and Mosiquito at the lower right of the map. Any new allied aircraft will be spent uselessly as the FWs get target practice. There are areas where good AA gun crossfire may discourage Axis bombing runs but overall the Germans rule the air. Ground Superiority - The British have the initial advantage due to the chaotic nature of amphibious landings the Germans need to undertake in the Western portion of the island. British Matilida IIs and artillery can cause some serious damage to amphibious landings. This is where the battle needs to be won by the Allies. Also airborne drops are somewhat unreliable and the troopers are vulnerable without armor support. Once the Germans succeed in getting a foothold the battle then the Allies must fight a retreating and delaying action even though the ground strength advantage switches to German armor, artillery and bombers. They are to try to use concentrated attacks on objective after objective because of the spacing. This advantage is very much favors the allies. Because of the low turn count, a human player running the British in Crete can fight the Germans for every hex due to poor terrain. General Information - The Allied fleet outnumber the German fleet with two extra destroyers, a extra T-P boat and Sub. However this numerical advantage is countered by the possibility of the German player diverting the airpower to damage Allied ships. The weather is generally reliable with a small chance that the planes may be grounded for a turn or two. The terrain is hard in areas and paths of access to all objectives are narrow and easily bottlenecked. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis +2 0 Allied 0 0 The British must fight as the Germans come ashore. They are outnumbered and outgunned as German panzers begin to advance onto cities once they get organized. If the British fleet can penetrate and the British fight hard on the coast, the Germans can be stopped quickly. A +2 prestige bonus to the Axis gives them more ability to repair damaged units and push through before the low turn count ends the game for them. BARBAROSSA No. of Turns: 23 - It can take awhile for the Germans to cross the river and get going out in the flatlands and then it is hell bent for Smolensk. The two routes, one through the middle and one over the top have roads and wide fields that lend itself to rapid advancement. Therefore the turn count is a little high and favors the Axis. No. of Objectives: 10 - Two are held by the Germans. Vilna, Baranovichi, Volkvysk and Minsk are very much exposed by open terrain and roads and probably will fall pretty easily. There are also few units surrounding the objective sites which means the Soviet player would need to buy units and try to get them entrenched before the Germans arrive. The obectives are also pretty much in line toward Smolensk. It does require two German battle groups to across the top and through the middle. Prestige: Axis = 777 Allies = 908 - The prestige count is about even. Soviet tanks are about 25% more expensive than their German counterparts and their staying power is depleted due to ariel bombardment therefore much of the Soviet prestige goes to replacing expensive mainline tanks. The Axis has more of the luxury of deciding where initial prestge goes due to the large number of initially minimally guarded non-objective cities they can take for quick prestige boosts. As stated earlier, some objectives will be difficult to defend for the Soviet player. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allies = 0 Stars Air Superiority - The Soviet airfleet outnumbers the German fighters and bombers but their quality is not as good nor are they experienced. Their effectiveness can be enhanced by the judicious use of the high-quality but cheap cost of the Soviet AA gun. The Germans can risk and purchase another fighter to aid in their airpower but that may leave the ground units short. This is Axis advantage. Ground Superiority - The Soviets at this time have higher quality tank units in the KV-1s, KV-2s, and the T-34 but each cost more than the PZIIIh. Beware of the KV-2s as they only have three ammo shots and these could be used up on attacking PzJagers. The disperse nature of the objectives allows the Germans to encircle objectives and Soviet units and wipe them out. Not until the last objective is there are good defensive position but then Germans may have too much time left to take their time and wax the Soviet units with patience. General Information - Never trust Russian weather. It can turn ugly in a heartbeat and ground vital airsupport. Without airpower the Germans could not punch through Soviet armor. The terrain is good for mechanized units. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis +1 0 Allies 0 0 This a pretty good scenario because of the superior Soviet tanks and the cheap AA guns. Unlike the British and the Americans, the Soviets are more than willing to arm their citizenry and put out partisans as their cheapest unit along with an ATG gun. This is a pretty even scenario. KIEV No. of Turns: 28 - German units begin close to almost all major objectives but most of the time will be fighting stiff Soviet resistance. Kiev is heavily defended from the beginning and it will probably take the northern attack force, after it has taken care of the other objectives to come down and take it. It is a small map and the time allows the Axis to consolidate its forces on Kiev. No. of Objectives: 9 - Three are held by Germans. Kiev is already heavily defended and Mirgoran and Lokhvitsa are distant through heavily defended Russian terrain. Kiev is heavily defended but the low count of objectives always goes the Germans. Prestige: Axis = 1035 Allies = 1402 - The Soviets maintain the advantage due to the high amount of armor they begin with in the scenario. The Germans must rely on airpower to pop the Soviet armor enough so that the PzIIIjs can nail them. The Soviet player will be able to spend most of the prestige on new equipment as Soviet units seem to die with incredible rapidity in any scenario. Soviet tanks are a little more pricey than their German counterparts but their defense values are higher and withstand greater punishment. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allies = 0 Stars Air Superiority - The Germans have the obvious advantage beginning with three FW190s and four BF109s to take care of the hopelessly outclassed Soviet fighters. No doubt the Soviet player will look to invest heavily in AA guns to defend their vulnerable tanks. Without the Stuka divebombers, the Germans would have a really tough time moving through Soviet armor. Ground Superiority - As I have stated the Soviet Armor are about equal to the German armor with the KV-2 having better attack and defense values than anything the Germans can field. Unfortunately they have only three shots so become no more than mobile tank blockers until they are rearmed. And any general worth his salt will look to nail those tanks when they are out of ammo. The Soviets also have very cheap units in their partisans and their ATGs. The Germans may need to resort to the PzJager Anti-tanks to take care of these low end units. General Information - The Russian weather seems to be a little milder in Kiev with only a moderate chance of the weather turning ugly. Still never trust it and get in those bombing missions ASAP. The terrain is easy once the river is crossed except for the southern swamp area. The Germans have quite a few undefended cities so beware that they may become targets of opportunity when the Soviet prestige begins to run low. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis 0 +1 Allies 0 0 MOSCOW (41) No. of Turns: 22 - It is a long way to Moscow through stiff resistance and ideal defensive terrain. Tula is also very defendable against a much small southern German battlegroup. The time favors the Allies. No. of Objectives: 8 - While the number favors the Germans, their disperse nature requires multiple battlegroups to lay seige to them as soon as possible. Only if one of the final three objectives can be taken quickly can that battlegroup turn to aid others. Prestige: Axis = 524 Allies = 1204 - Massive advantage to the Soviet player. German armor is once again not much better than the Soviet T-34s or the KV series. Cheap partisans, ATGs and AA guns can create a nightmare of defensive areas around major objectives. The Allies begin with the prestige to buy quite a few new tanks to quash the German advancement early. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allies = 0 Stars Air Superiority - No doubt that the Germans have the advantage once again. But with the low beginning prestige count, the German player cannot afford to immediately take advantage of the air superiority and buy new bombers. It is more likely that the German player must make do with the starting planes. Ground Superiority - Soviet armor is good enough to slug it out with the German tanks toe-to-toe. Only the airforce swings the balance and they cannot be everywhere on the large map. The Soviets begin with many good units with the capability to build quite a few more and the time to accumulate more prestige. General Information - The Russian weather can and probably will turn ugly for a few turns depositing rain or snow upon the fields further slowing German advancement. Look to the Volga being a major defensive perimeter. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis +1 0 Allies 0 0 SEVASTOPOL No. of Turns: 17 - There is plenty of time to move about the map and achieve the densely packed objectives. Fighting in Sevastopol itself is slow going but once the area around the city is cleared the German armor can move freely to other objectives. No. of Objectives: 15 - This large number is deceiving due to the fact the objectives are very close together and at times multiple objectives will fall in a single turn. This just allows the Germans to add more prestige as they seize the initiative and take objectives. Prestige: Axis = 1232 Allies = 1491 - The high Axis prestige count allows them to offset the Allied prestige with infantry. Because of the close in city fighting, infantry and artillery are more important than tanks at this stage. Axis prestige is quickly replenished by taking city hex after city hex and they can take the luxury in exterminating all Soviet resistance. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allies = 1 Star Air Superiority - The Germans maintain the air advantage and will only need to contend with AA guns. Soviet aircraft is no match for the Luftwaffe and will be shot down if exposed. Ground Superiority - German units are almost all overstrengthed at the beginning of the scenario and occupy the northern and eastern edge of the map. While the Soviet tanks are equal to German tanks, city fighting favors infantry and the German infantry is experienced and powerful coupled with a generous helping of artillery shells. As the Germans move through Sevastopol, the city hexes will give them substantial prestige gains. General Information - The German player needs to beware of the Soviet fleet which can provide support to infantry counterattacks and wound vulnerable artillery pieces. The weather is fairly reliable. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis -2 0 Allies +1 +1 When playing the campaign I loved this scenario because it nets you a boatload of prestige. As the German progress through the city they will accumulate prestige to keep pushing and the Soviet units are just not good enough to counterattack and break through the Russian lines. A +1 to their experience may allow them to hold out longer than they would normally. MOSCOW (42) No. of Turns: 23 - The extra objectives makes this more of a race. Not only must the Germans push through Moscow but then divide to take the far eastern objective and the one slightly south. This dangerously divides forces where the opportunistic Soviet player may exploit. No. of Objectives: 14 - Two are held by the Germans and almost all the others require a separate attack group to seize and have advantageous defensive positions. It will be a slow battle with numerous sieges in order to drive the Soviets back. Prestige: Axis = 620 Allies = 1129 - The advantage lies here with the Axis. The Germans begin with six Stuka divebombers and four fighters. They also have access to the Tiger tanks which totally outclass Soviet armor at this time. The Axis can afford to buy tanks instead of aircraft as it will be necessary to have the decided edge on the ground. Soviet prestige will be eaten up by seeking replacements for those units destroyed by the Tiger's guns. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allies = 1 Star Air Superiority - The Soviets are at a disadvantage. Only the fact that it is a large map and a clever Soviet player may elude the Luftwaffe to do some damage on land transports moving artillery and infantry. The German player must take caution in the fact some areas may be out of range of their fighters and allow the Soviet airforces some free shots. Ground Superiority - The Tiger is king in this scenario. The Tiger tank can destroy any Soviet tank. Its main drawback is its fuel. You will find the need to stop and refuel these monsters often and they can suddenly run out of gas at the most inopportune times. The Soviet player would be wise to pounce on any out-of-gas Tigers they find. More than likely the Soviet player will follow the standard Russian strategy of flooding the field with ATGs and partisan units to slow down the onslaught and use up ammo. The size of the map also allow for units to sneak behind the lines and cause some damage. General Information - Expect snow to ground the Luftwaffe for a few turns. The map is the same as the other Moscow scenarios with the same entrenchment areas. The three extra objectives and the low turn count can give this win to the Soviets if they can play for time. The Soviet player really should hope for bad weather as it will allow entrenched units an extra turn of life. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis -2 -1 Allies 0 0 Taking the minus two to the prestige for the Axis units will help delay the buying of units near the end of the scenario by the Axis in order to get fresh units and push through Moscow. However the large number of cities will give the Axis big prestige boosts through the scenario. STALINGRAD No. of Turns: 31 - There is plenty of time to move with the western Battlegroup to Stalingrad and defeat it. The low number of objectives and the rather easy terrain make this high turn count an advantage for the Axis. No. of Objectives: 8 - Germans already hold two objectives and Stalingrad counts for three. All objectives are on a natural invasion route culminating at Stalingrad. The first three objectives will require separate invasion forces. Each one can be defended with good deployment by the Soviet player. Unfortunately for the Allies time is on the side of the Germans. They can take their time to take the outer objectives then turn and crush Stalingrad. So the advantage there goes to the Axis. Prestige: Axis = 606 Allies = 2450 - To compensate for the lack of depth and complexity of the Stalingrad seige, it is obvious that they attempted to make up for it by giving the Soviet player a massive prestige advantage. With this prestige, the Soviets can purchase huge quantities of low end units or a large amount of highend tanks and AA guns. The Axis prestige will probably go to repairing damaged units and purchasing those Tiger tanks on turn 9. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allies = 1 Star Air Superiority - The Germans still maintain complete air dominance over Soviet planes. But the German player does not have the prestige immediately to go around buying new planes. The German player could purchase more as other areas of the map become exposed. Clever deployment of Soviet aircraft can trap planes and expose them to ground AA fire and shoot down the undefended Stuka. But the Allied player must be prepared to lose the airwar. Ground Superiority - Until the Tiger tanks come on line the German armor will have rough going against comparable Svoiet tanks. Airpower will give the Germans the offensive advantage but the PzIIIs and the PzIVf2 don't have the hitting power the Tigers do. The Soviets are running with the KV-1/42s and the T- 34s. While they do not have good offensive numbers their defensive numbers are outstanding and can prove to be difficult against any advancement. General Information - Expect the weather to turn bad in Russia near the end of the scenario. The terrain is pretty good and the Axis player has the choice of striking south into the Caucusus with airborne troops at the vast number of undefended cities. The Don and the Volga are the only real siginificant natural defenses. But these are good ones in hitting weak tanks trying to cross with cheap anti-tank guns. Final Evaluation Prestige Experience Axis 0 0 Allies 0 0 While the Axis has better equipment the Soviet player totally outclasses the Germans in prestige. They can afford many good tanks and just stuff the German advancement very quickly before the Tigers come online. If the Soviet player can use up all the prestige at the beginning of the game in bold gameplay, then the German player will not have enough to swamp you with Tigers and push in through Stalingrad. In this scenario the game is won in the first ten turns rather than the last ten. KHARKOV No. of Turns: 22 - The German player should have plenty of time to move all the way up to Bolgorad. The terrain is open with roads leading up to the objectives. No. of Objectives: 9 - All objectives are in the center of the map and in a natural progression toward the Kharkov objectives. Prestige: Axis = 500 Allies = 610 - The Germans pickup good prestige by taking non-objective cities and destroying already weak Soviet units in the beginning of the scenario. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allies = 1 Star Air Superiority - Germans begin with Air superiority with four Bf109s - three are overstrengthed. Neither side really has the luxury of purchasing fighters or bombers. Axis begins with four Stukas so expect them to run fairly free through the skies. Ground Superiority - German units begin overstrengthed. Tigers are not in the army of the Germans at the beginning but are immediately available for purchase. Soviet armor is not capable of really denting a Tiger but the big map will make it necessary for refuelling often for the gas guzzling Tigers. General Information - - The weather will usually turn ugly during the scenario. But this can be a boon as it will freeze the rivers and allow the tanks to roll across the ice. The terrain is favorable to the attacker because of good road movement. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis -1 0 Allies +2 0 KURSK No. of Turns: 20 - There are three battle groups attacking toward a limited number of objectives in a relatively small map. The advantage lies with the Axis because of the limited amount of objectives. No. of Objectives: 6 - One German objectives is in immediate danger of being overrun by Soviet forces unless reinforced. All others are capable of being well defended. Still the small number allow the German player to bring the full weight of his forces upon them. Prestige: Axis = 558 Allies = 1172 - The Axis begins with most of the units they need to complete this scenario. They German prestige is needed to repair the German units. The Soviets begin with the prestige advantage and get bonuses throughout the scenario. However the expendeture of the prestige may be futile as the German units completely outclass the Soviet counterparts. New Unit Exp: Axis = 3 Stars Allies = 2 Stars Air Superiority - The Germans will see a sea of AA guns as the Soviets seek to support their entrenched units. The Soviet aircraft is still not up to snuff and cannot contest the German airpower in the air. Ground Superiority - This is the classic scenario of quantity versus quality. The German units are so much better and the Soviets so much more numerous that the contest seems to be good. But the Germans have quite a bit of good units and they can blow right through any line of defense the Soviet player attempts to put up. General Information - The biggest unique item about this scenario is the prestige boosts every five turns of 2000 prestige points. This allows the Soviet player to flood the area with partisans and AA guns that will hopefully wear down German armor and deplete their ammo. Final Evaluation Prestige Experience Axis -2 0 Allies 0 0 The biggest problem for the Soviets is their serious quality deficiency in their units. Their best tank is not close to the Tigers or the Panthers. Therefore by limiting prestige may limit the Germans ability to Elite Reinforce or purchase new high end units. MOSCOW (43) No. of Turns: 21 - It is still a long way to Moscow by the German player doesn't need to worry about the extra three objectives that are present in Moscow (42) scenario. Instead the Soviets begin with more units to throw before the treads of German panzers. No. of Objectives: 11 - With more Soviet units swarming the field the necessity of three battlegroups is more obvious. Two objectives are held by the Germans at the start and three objectives are on the road to Moscow. But Tula and Kulag are going to require separate sieges to destroy the resistance and then a sizeable defense force to hold the line against Soviet counterattacks. This gives the advantage to the Allies. Prestige: Axis = 520 Allies - 1492 - As with most Soviet scenarios the battle of quality and quantity ranges through this one also. The KV-85 is a good quality tank and the best by the numbers the Soviets can field at this time. It is pricy at 226 prestige. Instead the Soviet player can opt for the flood the field and slow them down with partisan bones technique. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allies = 2 Stars Air Superiority - The Germans begin with only two FW190as and 3 Bf109s but they can still destroy the best Soviet fighter in a heartbeat. It is a big map however and an opportunistic Soviet player can couple the cheap AA guns with selective fighter strikes to try to inflict some losses. A more simpler strategy is for the Soviet player to strike outside the range of the Luftwaffe. Don't expect too many extra German fighters because of the low beginning prestige of the Germans. Ground Superiority - To restate the obvious is the fact that the Tigers and the Panthers will run roughshod over Soviet armor in this scenario. They are slow moving once they start struggling for fuel and that is their most vulnerable time. All other units are vulnerable to the superior numbers of Soviet units. Tigers and Panthers begin to run low on fuel around Vyazma and a little later. General Information - Expect the weather to turn ugly and note the comments on earlier Moscow scenarios. Final Evaluation - Prestige Experience Axis +1 0 Allies 0 0 BYELORUSSIA No. of Turns: 23 - This is the reverse of the map in Barbarossa. Terrain is open and favors the attacker because of roads leading to most objectives and plains allow for swift mechanized movements. No. of Objectives: 10 - One is held by the Soviets and all others are fairly open and easily accessed by attacking units. Favorable terrain is located near the last objective only. Prestige: Axis = 852 Allies = 1521 - As the scenario begins the numbers are about even in the number of units. Unlike earlier Soviet/German scenarios, the Soviets have high quality units in the IS-2s tanks and the ISU- 122 anti-tanks which can stand toe-to-toe with the big heavies of the Germans except the Tiger IIs. For the Soviets, the high prestige will allow to make a few purchases of fighters to seize air superiority. The Axis can purchase one fighter but that may cripple future purchases of high end units for ground defense. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allies = 2 Stars Air Superiority - At the beginning the Soviet fighters, while weaker, outnumber the German fighters with five overstrength Yak- 9s and a Yak-7b. The two FW190s and the singe BF109 can take on the fighers but can be worn down by shear numbers. The Yak-9 has the same iniative and begin with the same experience as the German fighters and therefore have an even chance of getting the first shot. Once a FW190 is wounded then it becomes an easier target for trapping by the more numerous Soviet planes. The good 8.8 AA guns are conspicuously absent in numbers and will cause a serious disadvantage if the German planes are wiped from the skies without adequate aircover. Ground Superiority - The Soviets have finally fielded the IS-tank series to contend with the dominant German armor. With the tank superiority gone there is little hope to defeat the Soviet tanks in a straight on fight due to their superior numbers. However the tanks can cause significant damage in a delaying action as they slowly pull back and choose the battles. General Information - The terrain is good for the offensive action of the Soviets and the Germans must stay mobile because of the starting position of the units. Therefore there will be little chance for the frontline units to get good entrenchment to protect them from artillery and bombing attacks. Final Evaluation Prestige Experience Axis +2 0 Allies 0 0 BUDAPEST No. of Turns: 20 - Open terrain and an extensive road network facilitate rapid movement slowed only be battles. The Germans only have half the map to contend with. The objectives required to win are relatively close to the starting positions. No. of Objectives: 9 - Four are already held by the Axis and all other are within a few moves from the German start point. Simovtornya is off to the side and will probably take an independent attack force to assault the city. Prestige: Axis = 500 Allies = 717 - The Soviets begin this scenario with a numeric advantage with top of the line tank and anti-tank units. Germans have little prestige to spend on new units when the current ones will be damaged by good Soviet armor, so new units may be limited to low end anti-tank units and replacements. Air Superiority - The Axis begins with the exceptional DO335 fighter and two FW190d9 fighters while the Soviet begin with a severe disadvantage in the air. But the Germans have only two tactical bombers and cannot immediately afford more. So this is not as crucial as the ground battle. Ground Superiority - The eastern half of the German attack is overly strong where the western part is seriously weak with only defensive units in place. The western German line could be overrun by aggressive Soviet armor and expose the German interior. The Soviet forces are fairly evenly distributed with good quality in the IS-2s and the ISU-122. General Information - The terrain is pretty open. The opportunity for the Soviets to strike behind the German lines is a real possibility. If they can do this then they can gain the prestige to blunt the German main eastern offensive. Final Evaluation Prestige Experience Axis +2 0 Allies 0 0 - The lack of airpower limits the ability of the German forces to push through the cheap Soviet units and giving a chance for the Soviet tanks to counterattack without the need for AA cover. The Axis player could go for another bomber because of the lack of Soviet airpower, but this may keep their ground forces weak. A +2 to the German prestige should give them enough to get the extra bomber and deal with the good Soviet units. BERLIN (EAST) No. of Turns: 13 - All of the objectives are on the front lines for both sides. The short turn count would normally favor the defender but the Germans must hold on to Berlin and five other objectives. No. of Objectives: 13 - Six are held by the Soviets, seven by the Germans. This means the Soviets must either capture three objectives from the Germans and hold them or take Berlin. If the Soviet player holds Berlin and loses all the others then the game is won. Prestige: Axis = 520 Allies = 1133 - The numbers of units are about even but the prestige advantage to the Soviets gives them the ability to create new ground units right on the front to assist in the attack. New Unit Exp: Axis = 1 Star Allies = 2 Stars Air Superiority - The Germans have the best now - the ME262s, HE162 jets, the DO335 will totally dominate the Soviet air units. But with only 2 Stukas and little prestige they many be able to really take advantage of air superiority. Ground Superiority - The tank quality favors the German but with the numerical advantage of good quality units with the Soviets give them the advantage. Remember, Berlin must hold and the Germans need to keep at least five objectives to win the scenario. General Information - Access to the German interior is good for the Soviets and the lack of German airpower will allow rapid advancement. The weather is generally reliable. The major obstacle to Soviet advancement is the Oder River. Final Evaluation Prestige Experience Axis +2 +1 Allies 0 0 BERLIN No. of Turns: 13 - Berlin is the key. If Berlin falls all is lost for the Axis. The Germans must be held at all costs. It will usually be up to the Soviets to put pressure on Berlin as the American and British forces begin quite a ways distant from Berlin. The American and British forces will need to race to the final objective almost right from the start to make a push as the turn count winds down. No. of Objectives: 15 - Berlin is the only important objective. All others are peripheral for prestige only. Berlin is open from the West side but protected on the East by the Oder river. The Soviet armor will have a tough time pushing across the river and it cannot contend in a direct fight with German panzers. Prestige: Axis = 900 Allies = 1118 - The Axis is outnumbered on both fronts. They also begin with a serious lack of armor. The lines on both fronts for the German begin with serious holes. Much of the Axis prestige will be spent on armored units. New Unit Exp: Axis = 1 Star Allies = 2 Stars Air Superiority - Five of the best German fighters through the war against 27 mediocre aircraft for the Allies. Four Spitfire XII and a few Thunderbolts are no match for the German fighters as are the Soviet fighters. But the Germans have few planes and they can be trapped by good tactical placement and then widdled away. The German player may be wise to be more opportunistic in deploying the fighter cover. Ground Superiority - Crossing the Oder near Berlin is a tough process so the Allied player may choose to move the Soviet units up from the South while keeping the pressure on across the Oder. Beware the American and British forces. If ignored they can push fast into the Rhineland and attack Berlin from the exposed west. Germany begins with a serious armor disadvantage and needs to be made up probably with extensive purchasing of cheap Anti-Tank guns. General Information - The terrain is difficult and half of the Allied forces are far away to make an immediate impact on the capture of Berlin. The Russians have some good armor out but their airforce is completely undergunned and will be wiped out by the small German airfleet. Final Evaluation Prestige Experience Axis +3 +1 Allies 0 0 The Germans are outmanned but not outgunned. Their forces are significant and one good JadgTiger or JadgPanther can take out a number of Allied mainline tanks. Still, every tank and man will converge on Berlin for the final battle and that gives the advantage to the attacker. The Axis needs the +3 prestige and the extra +1 experience pop to give it a good run. WASHINGTON No. of Turns: 22 - The U.S. Capitol is a ways through difficult terrain in the east and numerous defending units. The Germans will need to move up quickly in the south and up the Potomic to lay siege to Washington. There is no time to waste for the Germans due to the high number of units the Americans possess. No. of Objectives: 11 Four are owned by the Germans at the start of the scenario and are vulnerable to Allied paratroopers. All others are in a natural invasion corridor to the multiple objecitve Washington city. Prestige: Axis = 1277 Allies = 2928 It is a tough air battle and much of the prestige on both sides will be used in repairing damaged fighters and purchasing new ones to seize the initiative air. The Allies have good anti-tanks units and generally good tanks. The massive Allied prestige to begin give the Allies the advantage here. New Unit Exp: Axis = 2 Stars Allies = 2 Stars Air Superiority - This is the mother of all air battles. The Germans have three ME262s, a HE162 and a Dor335 plus a few other fighter to attack the Allied airfleet. The Allies have two Meteors, four overstrengthed P-51H Mustangs and a number of the tough P-47s. The key to this battle is that the Allies cannot replace the Meteors because of the lack of British airfields while the Axis can replace the jet fighters. The jets are not invulnerable and concerted air attacks can destroy them. It is likely the air battle will continue well into the game unless one side gets very lucky. Both sides should not discount the use of the mobile AA offensive guns such as the M16 MGMC or the Wirblewind guns. They can weaken a fighter or a bomber to such an extent that a single shot can take them out with minimal damage to your planes. Good use of these can turn the tide of the air war. Ground Superiority - The American M-26 tank is the best they can field but they are weaker in battle against the Panthers and the Tigers. But the M-36 is a pretty good anti-tank unit and can provide excellent defensive punch. Time is on the side of the Allies so all they must do is defend. The Washington scenario is full of ideal defensive positions and entrenchment areas. Paratrooper counterattack by the Americans is a very real possibility and should be watched for. The German player will need to divide into at least two assault groups to advance on Washington thus weakening their attack capabilites. On the eastern shore the terrain is tough going with forests and rivers and will make it difficult for quick advancement of German forces. General Information Each side has its best out and ready to fight in this make- believe scenario. The Allied fleet is weak but not helpless. The need for shorebombardment by Axis ships can give the Allied fleet an opportunity to close and weaken the ships. The terrain is difficult in some areas and Washington itself is a nightmare of entrenchments and artillery fire ranges. Air defenses and losses from the airwar will no doubt prohibit good use of air power in the taking of Washington while the allies may have a few surviving bombers to waste incoming tanks enough for the weaker American armor to do some major damage. The weather is generally reliable and you can look forward to having some good airbattles. Final Evaluation Prestige Experience Axis +2 0 Allies 0 0 It is a very tough airwar. The Allies can choose their moment to strike whereas the Axis must be more cautious. No doubt the Axis will need to purchase a few more fighters for the party and hope to keep their bombers intact long enough so that the airwar is won and they can commence bombing tanks. By Brad Trusso BTRU@aol.com
Last updated 12 June 1997
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