"What rules for Operation Mars/Kharkov?" Topic

Hi,
I would like to start WW2 game, Eastern Front, especially winter 1942/1943 company or battalion level – . (I would use 10mm Pendraken figs.) Any good rules there?

Well, there are lots – I use Spearhead, but they are grand tactical (battalion/brigade/division) – we used to use Flames of War for this, but have migrated away as do more skirmish (Disposable Heroes rules) – I am sure our fellow TMPers have many more useful suggestions

You may want to join the Panzer Korps Yahoo! group and see if that campaign scenario has been done already. Panzer Korps is great division level game in which the basic maneuver element is a battalion. I know they just released a new battles and campaigns book.

link

Take a look at the Look Sarge, No Charts (LSNC) rules.

Here is a link to the "Look, Sarge, No Charts website:

link

And here is its listing on Board Game Geek:

link

By company or battalion level I'm assuming you mean you want the players to command companies or battalions.

Companies I'd go with Crossfire, battalions I'd go with Command Decision IV. The only really issue however is that in the main assault sectors force ratios are going to run from 3:1 up to 10:1, so ideally you need rules which can handle a company vs a regiment.

If you want rules where the basic elements are companies or battalions, then it is the usual gamut of operational games.

1 base = 1 company, Panzer Korps, Piquet, Great Battles of WW2 (which would need some tweaks for Ostfront). I wrote my own for this type of game.

1 base = 1 battalion, Megablitz, KISS Rommel (very easy to tweak for the east), Hurrah Stalino, Assault Gun….the list is endless. For higher level games (1 base = 1 regiment/briagde) I wrote my own.

Just be aware if you go with Panzer Korps while indeed each base equals a company the smallest maneuver unit is the battalion, companies do not operate independently.

For example an infantry battalion would be made up of 3 company stands. A tank company assigned in support would move with the battalion and modify its combat value but could not maneuver and fight/fire on its own.

Thanks for suggestions.
I wasnt very exact with my question.
I want rules where the basic elements are companies and not where everythig I have is one company. The description of Panzer Korps seems good to me. I wouldnt like to bother with individual weapons, calibres, armour thickness and such. I rather opt for battalion or company combat value, something more abstract.
For example: for panzer grenadier unit I would like to base both 10mm sdkfz and apropriate infantry on one stand. Or, for a German tank unit, to have a realistic mix of Tigers and panzers III and IV. I dont want a game where I command single tanks – that is for sure. The scale I need is also the one where you can have artillery support provided by onboard artillery units.
Is Panzer Korps good for what I want? (I have nothing against moving company stands in one battalion as one body.)

Panzer Korps may work for you. The reason for company stands is to allow attachments. For example a base US Infantry battalion would have 3 infantry stands (companies). To that you might attach, from regimental or divisional assets, say a company of Shermans, a heavy weapons company (machine guns) and say a 57mm anti-tank company. That would mean the battalion has a total of 6 stands but you move it as one unit and when you resolve combat it is a single firing based on the infantry battalion and modified by the attached companies.

You might want to join the Panzer Korps yahoo group and look through some of the files, scenarios, pictures and the rest. link

Yes, if you want company sized elements and no rules tweaking necessary, go with Panzer Korps. There is a free set I played a few years back at the same level as well, Lightning War I think.

Generally I've use Megablitz for large eastern front games (battalion bases, with a few company sized units, mainly recce). The plus of the PK approach is you can attach out divisional support elements, the minus is that it is more kit to move around. With battalion bases it is all a bit more abstract and generic ('attach the AT batalion to that infantry regiment'), but you've generally got multiple divisions/corps on the table so it comes out in the wash.

Nothing quite as grand as an entire Tank Army rolling over the Hitlerites (or as depressing as watching some insgnificant panzer regiment dance around knocking out all the tank brigades in detail).