Better Than Nothing ETO (id:#66394)
Designer: Pete Shelling
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
RussianGerman
57.5%

Overview:

Soviet attacks around Debrecen were winding down by mid-October while all across the Hungarian Plains German units of General der Artillerie Maximilian Fretter-Pico's VI Armee had bent but not broken. Often, General Rodion Malinovsky's cavalry-mechanized groups would penetrate too deeply too quickly-and end up encircled themselves. Such was the case around Dereske with cavalry-mechanized group Gorshkov being cut off. The only escape opportunity for Gorshkov was to attack the lines of Generalleutnaut Erich Abraham's Infanterie-Division 76.
Attacker: Russian (5th Guards Cavalry Corps)
Defender: German (Infanterie-Division 76)  
6.5 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: None     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:16.0 D:9.0
AFVs: A:3
Sherman III(a) x 2
SU-76M

AFVs: D:2
StuG IIIG (L)
StuG IIIG

Guns: A:0 D:2
5cm PaK 38
8cm GrW 34

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: Trenches are treated as woods for Rout (A10.5) and Rally (A10.61) purposes.
Overlays: NONE
Errata (source)
Use Russian Sherman III (Note 50) for Russian M4A2GS/Perry 19 Oct 2023
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:

Scenario info

Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentBal.ResultTimeComments
2024-11-16(D) Simon Staniforth vs Mike Davies German winA fall back defence, I set the trench line up near the gully and sacrificed some troops to allow others to fall back. I went for the ATG which got one of the Shermans T1 but then malfed out. Used a lot of Fire Lanes on the defence. Russians nailed the StuG(L) with the armour leader pretty quickly but they lacked the strength to force the trench line (aided by good dice in defensive fire) or exit sufficient troops for the win
2024-10-07(A) Michael Rodgers vs Ray Woloszyn Russian win
2023-12-04(D) John Garlic vs Giasone DE BONI Russian win[Imported from ROAR]
2023-08-26(A) Tuomo Lukkari vs Sami Pelkonen Russian win[Imported from ROAR]
2023-07-10(D) Andy Goldin vs Ed Barnes German winThis game played similarly as some of the other reports.

I chose the 50L ATG so the Shermans wouldn't have free reign over the map. I set up my infantry on-line at the edge of the wheatfield in foxholes with interlocking fields of fire. The grain would help obscure my planned withdrawal. I put one platoon (3x467, LMG and an 8-0) at the very rearward edge of my setup area, with their plan being to run as fast as they could to get to the trenches while their comrades held the line. I had a squad behind the line, as an uncommitted reserve, thinking they'd provide some covering fire for the main line as they attempted to withdraw. I used the concealment markers to help obscure me from what I feared would be an impressive Prep Fire.

Major style points for Ed, who skipped any Prep and lunged his entire force (minus the machine gunners he marked with Opp Fire) into a human wave on Turn 1. My interlocking fields of fire with fire lanes from my MGs and accurate rifle marksmanship made Ed pay a deadly price. I rolled 3s, 4s and 5s on my attacks while Ed rolled 8s and 9s on his checks, killing or breaking them all, with only a lone 8-0 getting past my line.

Ed then drove up his two Shermans. My hidden ATG hit one in the side, brewing it up, and missed the second, who's riders got picked off by my reserve squad. With only his MG-toting squads left, it was over and Ed conceded.

I'm told a more successful strategy for the attacker might be to Smoke the obvious MG positions with the Shermans, use fire and maneuver to try to get close the the line, and then rush it with a human wave.
View all or balance report
ActionDate
Simonstan Added a playing2024-11-18 17:55:41
mtrodgers99 Added a playing2024-10-16 01:27:50
Augie Linked the scenario to ROAR2024-01-03 21:47:46
worksp2018 Added a playing2023-09-03 14:35:03
Agoldin Added a playing2023-07-10 01:54:32
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Statistics:
Avg Rating: 6.41Votes: 17
Views: 0
To-Play list count: 0
Estimated Play time: 5.3 hours
Recorded Games: 16
Archive recorded plays:
Russian8
German8
Drawn:0

ROAR Data: (as of today)
Better Than Nothing [Confirmed]
[A] Russian 15
[D] German 9
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