From: "Gary J. Robinson" <wiggler@cris.com>
Subject:      Proud Monster: Anothor German Win  :-(

Comrades, it is my sad duty to report to you that the Germans have won
again in Proud Monster.  What was scheduled as a full day of PM gaming came
to an abrupt end during the second couplet of August II (and of the day's
session).  During the first couplet, the Germans butted their heads against
seeming Soviet brick walls, losing steps left and right, several times
suffering 4/0 results as the GAS line shifted their MA attacks to the 1:3
column.  In the far north, a serious panzer concentration failed to make
progress against the Luga Line.  In the south, the Soviet mech forces held
the Germans to a standstill around Dnepropetrovsk.  In the south-center,
the Germans lost panzer step after panzer step trying to break past the
Desna River near Bryansk.  Overall the Soviet defenses were holding
admirably - the Germans had only 15 points and needed 22 to win this turn.
In front of Moscow, however, the Soviet doom was looming.  The lines of
both sides were thinner in the north-center in front of Moscow - lone
infantry divisions for the Germans, two or three infantry divisions with
some tank divisions (safely behind the GAS line) for the Soviets.


The lone German panzer division in MA range suddenly hurtled itself forward
and tried to MA two Soviet rifle divisions which were sitting behind the
GAS line.  Fate was against the Soviets: the divisions were flipped over
and revealed to be weak, the GAS table roll was "no effect," and the
resulting combat roll was good enough to clear both divisions from the hex.
The Germans poured through the sudden hole in the lines, moving panzers
from the failed Desna river offensive area.  Suddenly German infantry units
were within four hexes of Moscow.  The Soviets emptied STAVKA and
desperately set up a counteroffensive.  The intruding German infantry were
surrounded on all sides, save for the narrow corridor leading back to
friendly territory; the panzers, too, were hemmed in.  One German infantry
division held the door open to the west.  If it were killed or forced to
retreat, the entire German spearhead would be cut off - the infantry would
be out of supply and mauled with concentric attacks at 6:1 or better odds,
and the panzers would be unable to MA, buying the Soviets precious time.
No German panzers outside the pocket would be close enough to cut their
brethren free with MA's.


Against the lone German infantry division holding the supply door open, the
Soviets hurled 4 tank divisions, a 4-1-7 tank brigade, and two infantry
divisions, in a concentric attack.  Fate intervened again: most of the tank
divisions were revealed to be merely 4-4-7's, no stronger than the brigade,
one of the infantry divisions was a 1-1-5, and the combat roll was a "1" -
enough to cause only one step of damage to the German division.  (Had the
Soviets rolled a 3,4,5, or 6, the Germans would all have been cut off.) The
Soviets had failed to cut off the spearhead at the base.  Still, there was
a chance to maul the intruding German infantry, and even put some of them
out of supply.  Fate intervened again, the Soviets rolling 5 more "1's" in
a row and doing little damage to the Germans.  On the second German
couplet, the Germans, in full supply thanks to the Soviet failure, were
able to get next to Moscow and attack the motorized rifle divisions in both
hexes. The first MRD was revealed to be a 3-3-7 - it went down easily.  The
second was revealed to have a "10" defense - a real tough guy.  Suddenly
the Germans faced disaster.  They were attacking at 2:1 with divisions not
at full strength, and the GAS roll had not yet been made.  Fate intervened
again, and the GAS roll for this critical attack was "no effect."  The
Germans easily took this hex too.  Moscow had fallen.  The Germans rolled
to see if the Soviet state collapsed - and it didn't!

The Soviets, however, would lose on points anyway (the Germans now had 24,
2 more than they needed) if they failed to retake a Moscow hex. Several
mech stacks had been hastily brought up from the Desna area the previous
couplet.  The Soviets mounted a desperate counterattack, but even with 11
tank and motorized divisions and 6 rifle divisions concentrically attacking
the one damaged German infantry division and one German motorized infantry
division, the Soviets could not get good enough odds to take back one hex
of Moscow regardless of the roll.  The Soviets lost.  There seemed little
point in using "forgiveness points" when the Germans were three points
ahead and, thanks to the diversion of Soviet forces north, now breaking
through in the south as well.

This game demonstrated that even a well-run Soviet defense can be brought
tumbling down by a single lucky German breakthrough - and that once the
Germans make a hole somewhere, anywhere, there is little the Soviets can do
to throw them back out.  The German advance ends up being far too rapid.
In my game, I managed to send Soviet rifle divisions running into the
German rear on many occasions - a lot of German infantry strength had to
run backwards to deal with the problem.  I also put major panzer
concentrations out of supply on three separate occasions, such that they
could not MA or move.  Yet the Germans still advanced faster than the
historical schedule. This game needs fixing.

I am thinking of several ideas:

a) Allow Soviet units an extra movement point if, during their entire
movement phase, they never move next to a German.  This includes not
starting next to one, nor ending next to one.  This would make it a little
easier for the Soviets to react to German breakthroughs.

b) Disallow the German ability to absorb a loss point as a retreat.  This
ability makes it almost never worthwhile for the Soviets to attack Germans,
even with tanks, and even when heavily outnumbering the German. The Germans
simply don't get worn down enough.  Getting rid of this retreat ability
would encourage more Soviet counterattacks throughout the campaign, which
would make the game more fun for the Soviet, and wear down the German more,
and make their breakthroughs more fragile.  German spearheads  - or the
shafts of them, rather - in this game are too tough.

c) The "loss points are doubled" rule for cities actually works to the
disadvantage of the Soviets.  It makes cities much easier to take, because
a few Soviet defenders can be easily cleared with even a mediocre combat
result thanks to the doubling.  A lone defender can be cleared with even a
"0" combat result thanks to the doubling.  The perverse result is that
towns are harder to take than cities, given the same defenders.  I think
this rule should either be eliminated, or made optional and under the
control of the Soviets. Cities should take longer, not shorter, to capture
than towns. XTR used a similar rule in When Tigers Fight with equally
perverse consequences - Chinese cities were easier to clear of defenders
than open terrain was, if the attacker was willing to spend the steps.  And
in PM, the Germans can certainly spare the steps.

d) Panzer units should operate at a disadvantage when attacking cities.
These panzer stacks roaming in the Soviet rear seem somewhat silly,
especially the idea of them taking defended cities with the same ease with
which they operate in the open.  City fighting is best left to infantry.
Panzer units should be halved when attacking into cities.

Comments?

Gary