Gaming OCS Crimea

The set up for the "Eviction Notice" mini scenario in OCS Crimea.  The Germans and Romanians are ready to strike the Soviets.  The offensive starts with a series of fighter sweeps around Kerch to surpress Soviet air power in order to clear the way for air support of the upcoming German overrun attacks.  Please note that I do not show Reserve Markers any any of the screenshots in this post (there are only a couple).  That allows you to better see all the units involved.

In a way, it seems odd that I have rarely mentioned the Operational Combat Series (OCS) since starting this blog. I really enjoy this series and, as I posted back in 2011, “OCS is the best modern operational model wargame I’ve ever played...no game better simulates how an actual “blitzkrieg” attack works upon a defended area or how the oozing breakthroughs of the Soviet forces can drive the German army back.”

The last OCS game on my gaming table was Baltic Gap back in 2009. But I didn't post anything about that game for long forgotten reasons. It is a great game, like every game in this outstanding series. But, I have devoted my wargaming time to a lot of other games and systems that you will find reviewed throughout this blog. More recently, I've enjoyed playing the Line of Battle (LoB) and the Battalion Combat Series (BCS) by the same designer as OCS, neither of which existed in 2009.

I have continued to support OCS with purchases of Hungarian Rhapsody and The Third Winter in recent years. Though I have read the game-specific rules and tinkered with each of these games with their VASSAL modules, I have not played either of them nor devoted much time to them. Which is strange, actually. Both cover what are for me some of the most fascinating topics in the war. (I played the former topic in Panzers Last Stand, which is my most favorite recent game, and I played the latter topic in Ukraine '43, a non-OCS favorite game of mine.)

OCS is not a fast-playing system. It is a highly evolved and rather complex representation of operational warfare with special emphasis on supply and logistics to make things happen (or not happen), just as in actual operational warfare. Just before Christmas last year I received Crimea: Conquest & Liberation, which consists of only one-map and far fewer units than most other OCS games. That means, theoretically at least, it should play faster because it has fewer moving parts.

Crimea offers a unique opportunity for OCS or, indeed, any wargame. It is small enough to allow an examination of the entire campaign in that region from 1941 into 1944. As such, it allows the player to evaluate how the operational capabilities of the Germans and the Soviets change throughout the course of the war on the Eastern Front. The early scenarios depict the conquest of the region and show the German war machine near the zenith of its capabilities. The latter ones cover the liberation of the region by the Soviets and feature the decline of German capability along with the corresponding rise in the Soviet military prowess.

Fortunately, the game comes with a couple “mini” scenarios that play rather quickly and give the player a great feel for how this system works. One of these covers a brilliant attack conceived by General Eric von Manstein in the summer of 1942. Another scenario I am drawn to, though it is a “regular” one and takes longer to play, deals with the Soviet counteroffensive in late 1943. It is entitled “Cross of Iron” based upon the fine film by Sam Peckinpah of the same name (and the exact same situation as depicted in the film which takes place on the Kuban Peninsula).

In this blog post I will give an overview of each of these scenarios and how I have played them, trying out differing strategies with the game mechanics. I won't go too deeply into the rules involved as that could take up many blog posts trying to explain. A general knowledge of the OCS rules is expected but is not required for you to grasp what I am posting here.

Starting with the mini scenario, covering Manstein's attack, entitled “Eviction Notice;” the first thing to note in any OCS game is the supply situation. Reflecting the reality of the operational art of war, adequate supply is essential to conducting an attack or even defense. In Crimea supplies are very limited. There are never enough supplies to do everything you might in any OCS game but that is particularly true here. There are precious little additional supplies forthcoming and both sides must make do with what they have, which isn't much. Unlike in most wargames, in OCS all your units will not be able to move and attack each turn. You must decide what to do based on the available supply points (SPs).

The German side goes first and sends out several fighter sweeps to ground the Soviet air units and gain control of the air space over the battlefield. In 1942, the Germans enjoy an advantage here with most of their fighters rated a “4” in air-to-air combat while the Soviets are usually a “2”. The +2 German advantage ensures air superiority, barring some really terrible dice rolls.

With air superiority over the battlefield, the Germans launch hip-shoot attacks to prep for overrun attacks.

Once the air space is secure, the Germans can then “hip-shoot,” something the Soviets are not capable of. This means the Germans can launch aerial bombardment during the movement phase of the turn whereas normally this must wait until the combat phase (or barrage phase). In this manner the Germans disorganize (DG) the initial Soviet units which are then overrun (attack while moving) by German infantry (reflecting blitzkrieg better than any other gaming system I know).

The DG Soviet units are actually quit powerful, totaling 22 Combat points. This is reduced to half (11) as a result of the DG. The overrun is 35 German points to 11 or 3 – 1 odds. The best Soviet defender has a “3” action rating (minus 1 to a “2” for being DG) compared to the German's “4” which makes for +2 to the the upcoming “surprise” and combat rolls. The Germans gain surprise for their overrun and this amounts to a randomized 3 column shifts on the combat results table (CRT). Now we are at 7 – 1 odds. The resulting dice roll is an “8” +2 for the Action Rating to a “10”. The attacking units receive an “Exploitation Mode” marker while the Soviet defenders are effectively wiped out.

The resulting disorganization (DG) from the hip-shoots allows the Germans to overrun at more favorable odds.

The German infantry advances into the hex. The plan is to attack up the road leading the Soviet 51^st Army HQ. The next units in the Soviet line are now DG'ed by another hip-shoot, actually two hip-shoots, the first one failed to hit. Their 15 strength is rounded down to an 8 (you round .5's up in OCS). They will now be attacked by the 22^nd Panzer Division, the only German armored division in the game.

For this maneuver, the actual tanks in the division are in combat mode but the mechanized infantry are placed in move mode in order to overrun as well. Units in move mode have reduced combat ratings but that is not an issue here. The two actual tank battalions are doubled in strength because the Soviet have no anti-tank capability. This gives the 22^nd Panzer a total of 28 strength points, making for 3 – 1 odds. +3 because of the action rating differential (these are “poorly trained” Soviet units). The surprise roll of “6” pushes to the 13 – 1 column as well, the maximum column.

Let's say the combat roll is a “7' (the most likely outcome). This effectively wipes out the Soviets in that hex. Now, the 22^nd Panzer may keep moving, it has only expended 5 movement points and has 3 remaining, which is the cost of an overrun. So, it can execute an overrun attack on the 51^st Army HQ, which is guarded by an assorted of poorly trained infantry and mechanized units. Since there are mech units defending the 22nd's panzer battalions are not doubled for this overrun.

The Germans try one last hip-shoot but it does not yield any results. The air unit is “finished” for the turn (you are allowed repeated air barrages in OCS, though each available air unit only gets one try). So, the Soviets are defending with their full 21 strength points to the German's 20. This is rounded up to 1 – 1 odds, not good enough for an attack. But, once again, the surprise roll differential is +2 for the Germans. The resulting surprise is again achieved. A standard die roll of “2” brings it to 3 – 1 odds. The attack dice roll is an “8” modified to an “10”. The panzer division will lose one step while the defenders will lose two steps. The Soviets could have saved a step by retreating (known in OCS as an “option” result) but the HQ has no movement points and would be lost, so the Soviets choose to lose their tank battalion and one-step of infantry and remain in place.

I might note that the 22^nd Panzer is costly to use every turn. It burns 1 SP each time it moves another 1SP for each attack. The Germans only have 7 SPs stockpiled at the beginning of the scenario. While they will receive an average of 5 SPs each turn, there is a lot of other stuff they need to supply. So it is an “expensive” unit to supply every turn. But it has caused mayhem, eliminating several Soviet units and is adjacent to the 51^st HQ.

The situation at the end of the initial German movement phase.  Three overruns were successful, eliminating one of the Soviet HQ units, which will create all sorts of supply and coordination problems for them in the coming turns.  Some of the Germans are marked with a Exploitation Marker which enables them to move and fight again in the upcoming Exploitation Phase.  Otherwise, the Soviets are obviously in disarray.

This gives you an feel for how overruns are conducted and for combat in general. The Germans will now bring up two strong KG mech units and will finish off the 51^st army HQ during the coming combat phase. This will place the Soviets in a real bind because SPs are channeled through HQs. Without the the HQ most forward units will be Out of Supply and basically worthless except for taking up space. The Germans are well on their way to retaking the Taman Peninsula.

This mini scenario is only four turns so the Germans must do whatever they can as quickly as they can (supply permitting). The Soviets have some strong units to use in counterattacking during their phases. But they are limited by poor action ratings, resulting in fewer surprises against the better trained Germans and they have fewer SPs to manage the whole enterprise, which basically means that, if they do attack, it will be extremely limited. They have already burned over 1 SP just defending against the attacks described so far.

"Eviction Notice" plays very fast by OCS standards. I have played it several times with the Germans always winning at least a marginal victory. The victory conditions make a decisive German victory more of a challenge. To give the Soviets a better chance, there are some optional reinforcements but I did not play using those because I wanted to replicate the historical situation. This is an excellent choice for anyone desiring to learn OCS.

The “Cross of Iron” scenario is larger and the longest scenario in the game. It is now 1943 and the shoe is on the other foot. The Germans are weakened and on the defensive and the Soviets are attacking out of the Kuban Peninsula to retake all of Crimea. There are several differences in the quality of the forces involved. In the air, the German fighters are now rated a “5” and their Stuka dive-bombers are up from “12” to “17” but there are fewer of them. On the Soviet side, their air force is greatly improved in quality with ratings of “5” and “4” now appearing, essentially equal to the Germans, which means the Soviets stand a decent chance at obtaining air superiority themselves.

By 1943, the situation has dramatically changed.  The Soviets are now on the offensive and the Germans must fight defensive operations.  This is the beginning of the "Cross of Iron" scenario.  The Soviets will use their plentiful artillery to DG part of the German defensive line.

On the ground, the Germans are an ad hoc of assembled forces, much of which are mediocre. The front line is manned by just two infantry divisions and miscellaneous other units. The German infantry divisions are downgraded to a “16” strength as opposed to the “20” they possessed in 1941-42, reflecting smaller and fewer sub-units. Meanwhile, the Soviets are much improved. While there are still a bunch of poorly trained units that don't really stack up against the action ratings of the Germans, in their midst are several more effective Guards divisions and brigades. Also, the Soviets have plenty of high quality tank brigades which provide them with some more effective attacking strength.

Again, one of the great strengths of this comparatively small OCS game is that, uniquely for this series and for most games in general, it allows you to fight the differing campaigns comparatively. The Germans have all the advantages in 1941 and 1942. By 1943 and into 1944 those advantages have vanished and we get to explore the emergence of the Soviet juggernaut. Supply is still scarce and the air forces of both sides are reduced in the later years, as Crimea was mostly a sideshow of the Eastern Front.

Neither side has the squadrons to achieve the air dominance that the Germans enjoyed earlier. Barring really extreme die rolls, each side cancels the other out. This brings to the forefront a great advantage the Soviets possessed throughout the war but particularly now – their artillery. At the start of the scenario, there are four artillery brigades that can supply a total of 106 points of barrage power. More than enough to cause plenty of disorganization that their Guard units and tank brigades can exploit. (By comparison, the Germans and their Romanian allies can muster only 18 total artillery points.)

So, in absence of clear air superiority, the Soviets are able to amass their barrage strength against the weakest points of the German line. Time is definitely on the Soviet's side in this scenario which covers 36 turns. Here we see another highly realistic aspect of operational warfare at the heart of OCS – scarce Supply Points (SPs). If fired all at once, these mighty guns will gobble up more SPs than the Soviets typically receive in a game turn. In other words, sustained use of their massive artillery advantage requires the Soviets to wait several turns and stockpile their SPs. Nevertheless, they will still have to “burn” a few SPs to maintain even a defensive war posture, so it could take several turns of little happening while both sides stockpile. 

A portion of the Germans defensive line is disorganized by massive Soviet firepower.  Some of the stacks are revealed so that you can see the assortment of units stacked together.

By this stage of the war the Germans only receive 1.5 or 2 SPs per turn in Crimea. This is compared to the Soviets 2 or 3. On average, over 10 turns, the Germans will received 17.5 SPs to the Soviets 25. That is not a sufficient advantage for the Soviets to plan sustained all-out operations. On top of this, many of the Soviet units are slowly being withdrawn to be re-positioned elsewhere outside the scope of the game. The Soviets are awaiting the arrival of the 4^th Ukrainian Front, which is a powerful force. This will include two Guard artillery divisions with 90 barrage points each. These monster units can do a vast amount of damage, though they burn 2 SPs each whenever they fire.

This represents an interesting contrast with the previous, quick-play scenario. Together, these two scenarios offer a glimpse of the major aspects of OCS. Whereas the previous scenario was a short, sharp, strike, “Cross of Iron” represents the longer view of military operations. The tedious protection of your existing lines and air force while simultaneously planning for the future assembly of forces and the stockpiling of the supply necessary to use them when they are committed.

In this case, the 4^th Ukraine arrives somewhat randomly sometime after turn 10. But, even when it arrives, it will have limited offensive capabilities. That is because the game-specific rules restrict Soviet Front units. I won't go into the specifics but in “Cross of Iron” the the Coastal Front, which sets up at the scenario's start, has one turn of “offensive posture” remaining. It will then go into “regrouping” mode for three turns before it can possibly go on the offensive again. In spite of its significant size the 4^th Ukrainian Front, when it arrives, will only be in offensive mode for its initial turn, after that it is spends the rest of the scenario regrouping, unless the Germans do something stupid to trigger another offensive mode.

This is a necessary explanation because it impacts how the Soviets play out the scenario. They cannot commit to an all-out attack without being encumbered with some restrictions (a regrouping Front may still attack, it merely loses some advantages).  So they must attack with Coastal Front immediately because the 4^th Ukrainian will be less effective after it arrives later, no matter how many SPs are saved up. One great advantage of the Front being in offensive mode is that it specifically allows the use of Artillery Barrage Markers which enable a high concentration of firepower at no SP cost in the Air and Ship Barrage Phase (when artillery can not normally fire). Plus they may fire again in the regular Barrage Phase (paying normal SPs).

This is huge. Generally, artillery may only fire once in a player's turn. That costly Soviet heavy artillery can fire in all its glory without spending 2 – 3 SPs in order to get maximum effect. This is an extremely valuable capability and it means maximum destruction of German forces, which is one reason why it happens infrequently in the scenario. The usual Front posture is “regrouping” which reflects the Soviet's lack of experience regarding organization and logistics. It also allows the Germans to conduct their defensive operations more effectively, which makes for more balanced game play.

Such a concentration of Soviet firepower will likely create DG results in at least one hex, maybe two. These DG hexes must then be attacked by Guard infantry and the tank brigades. In this way, the Soviets can usually at least come close to piercing the German fortified line. The Germans defenders have the advantage of being in prepared defenses called Hedgehogs. There are levels to Hedgehogs in OCS, from 1 – 4. The disbursed German infantry divisions start the game dug in, offering some advantages in combat. Even level one Hedgehogs greatly enhance a unit's ability to hold ground against attack. That is why the Soviet player must hit the Germans with maximum artillery it is either withdrawn or the Front HQ goes into regrouping mode.

Soviet guard units, including a strong tank brigade, are infiltrating the German line.

The “Cross of Iron” scenario offers a broad view of the beginning of the Soviet liberation in Crimea. It shows the limitations of the Soviet capabilities but greatly features their massive advantage in artillery. This causes the Germans all sorts of headaches. It is only with the Soviet Front HQ's being forced into “regrouping” mode that the Germans have an opportunity to reestablish their defensive line through the judicious use of Reserve Mode units and the fact that the Soviets pay a lot of SPs fire their powerful artillery. It is literally feast or famine for the Soviet artillery in this scenario, making the game effectively an infantry slug-fest with some opportunity for Soviet tank brigades to penetrate the Germans lines.

Overall, Crimea is an impressive game, offering a fascinating insight into how the Russo-German War changed between 1941 and 1944. It is a terrific addition of my OCS collection and a great choice for learning the OCS system as there are fewer units and the geographic area is highly constrained compared with other OCS games. Another excellent effort from The Gamers and Multi-Man Publishing.

 

Note: While I was playing this game and writing this review, Dean Essig, founder of The Gamers and designer of all their great gaming systems (CWB, LoB, BCS, and OCS – among others), died suddenly from an aggressive illness. I met Dean personally at a wargame convention back in the early 1990's when he was just starting out. I spoke with him a couple of times on the phone regarding rules or scenario questions back in the day when he was still available to the general public that way. I also corresponded with him via email and on forums through the years. Obviously, I did not know him well, but I definitely was well aware of who he was and enjoyed all of his designs more so than the vast majority of wargames I played throughout my life so far. I was shocked and saddened by his death because we were practically the same age. His legacy will live on through his fantastic series designs and the stalwart group of “honchos” and experts with which Dean involved in the game development process. Dean will be missed even by those of us who only casually knew him. Hands down, he was the greatest wargame designer of my lifetime.