SteerJock

I felt the Russians had a slight advantage and was wondering how players were able to get a decisive victory as the Axis. I lost a draw 46% to 56% as the germans dispite having my opponent on his heels at the end of regulation. I did the board edge creep with three platoons on the German left and was able to destroy his defenses with tank fire before he spotted them. This enabled me to get behind "the farm" and the other flag and attack from front and rear. Then I moved on the village from the flank and front and captured it. I had a couple of AFVs and a platoon on the flag closest to the German line to at least contest it and keep it neutral. So here I sit with intact but very tired infantry and my armour very much intact within stiking distance of the last two flags. I knew his T-34 was there but it had been ineffective so far and was immobile. So, feeling cocky and a little (a lot) greedy I thought I would lay smoke on the flags on turn 30 and time my armour to arrive just in time for the game to end. The smoke landed in the village by mistake and my tanks and what little infantry I could conjole into action, walked right into his infantry reinforcements and a red hot T-34. I lost the two flags and casualties put me behind. Any lessons to be learned here?. As the Russians, even knowing how and when the reinforcements from both side would arrive didn't affect my plan or setup. (We eliminated our third member and added an alternate halfway though, and after our first game was almost complete.)I set up a line running from the cemetary to the woods behind the village across the board to the right. The 76 mm was halfway between the cemetary and the woods with good fire lanes towards the hill flags and the approach to the village. The 45 pillbox was on the woods road facing the village to cover the road long range and hit anything in the village at close range. The MG bunkers were on the right board edge with infantry protection to lay down a crossfire between the the farm and the other flag. The TRPs were on the flags in the village and the farm. Everything else was scattered with good fields of fire supporting each other.(I put the ampoulets close to village and the grain and the flamethrowers in ambush positions in the grain thinking I could set the whole area on fire and force him into the open. It didn't come close to working) I waited until he took the flags, called arty down and with my ample reinforcements including T 34s, the 3 surviving T 26s and fresh infantry I pushed back his tired force. The key here though was the 76m gun. It killed tanks and infantry and survived the game. In my experience, I give the edge to the Russians.