Game Night Light 7

Last night I finally got back to Battle for Germany.

I went 4-1/2 hours but the set up took me half an hour. In theory this is a candidate for weekly game night. But I think a game with real players would take longer. Especially players new to the game. I haven't played the game in decades, but it is simple and it came back to me.

Despite being distracted by Zooey DesChanel on what is otherwise a thoroughly awful dating show.

This is the starting position:

I made some mistakes, especially with the Germans in the east. My memory of the game was that in Poland you have to skedaddle west to avoid getting hammered. The first Soviet turn is bad enough to endure. I should have tried to hold the Vistula River line for a bit to delay a defense of the Oder line at the gates of Berlin.

I also think I should have made a stronger effort to hold Yugoslavia. I had forgotten the rule that Soviet units can't enter Yugoslavia.

For the Germans in the west I avoided the temptation to do the Battle of the Bulge and instead straightened my line and built a mobile reserve.

As the Soviets I just plunged west across the plains hitting the Germans when I had the chance; while maneuvering through the mountains in the sout.

The Allies shifted troops north to make an end run around the West Wall.  And I battered the German lines in Italy.

Eventually the Soviets took Berlin on the last turn. In the west the Allies finally broke open the northern front and charged to the Baltic Sea coast while breaking the thinned line along the Rhine, too.

In Italy the Germans were maneuvered out of their defenses without a single unit casualty on either side. That was unusual.

The Russians actually seemed a little thin on the ground at the Oder as replacements had a long way to go to the front. But the Russians pounded the Germans whose counter-attacks barely held Berlin until the very end.

The Western Allies ended up winning by one point. Berlin is so key to a Russian victory. I'd hoped my northern western Allies drive would make it to Berlin but the battle to break the German line took longer than I hoped. I think I should have made more use of 1:2 attacks on secondary fronts.

Still, it was a fun game and I'm glad I hauled it out.

The end positions: