Fortress Berlin

[mikeh]

Initial setup, the game starts with no Soviet units on the map. Also no German front line units have arrived yet either. Berlin is being protected 30 Volksturm units as the main infantry units, approximately 15 Hitler Youth units about the same number of so called Plant Protection Units and a few Guard Battalions of the Nazi big wigs, these are stationed at the Chancellery, Air Ministry and Gestapo and Navy Ministry's.




9th Fallschirmjager Division moves into Berlin from the north and sets up behind Tegel Airfield along the road. It's very important to German strategy to hold the roads and Railroad tracks.



11th SS Nordland also enters in the Wedding District along with the 9th FJ Division. Burnt orange counters. 11th SS is the best division the Germans get. It moves into the Pankow District with it's King Tigers setting up in the Tiergarten as reserve for plugging a hole or even a counterattack.

[mikeh]

King Tigers of the 11th SS Nordland Division setup at a U Bahn station in the Tiergarten a bit NW of the Reichstag.

[Whiterook]

DAMN!!!! This looks awesome!!! Those King Tigers are delicious 🤤 BOOM BOOM!!!

I love all of the artwork shown, by the way… the map art is quite unusual. On another side of the conversation, I like the silhouettes, especially the infantry… I was first introduced to the concept of the Birds Eye view down in Panzergrenadier (Avalanche Press) games and it took me a bit of time to embrace that style artwork, but I’ve grown to really like the concept. 

Is this an Against The Odds magazine game? I think I’ve noted that you’ve played/owned a few in the past… what do you think of them overall? Are they pricey?

[mikeh]

I love this map! I think it the cat's pajamas, I would like another to put on the wall, it is just the right size for a poster frame.

I like ATO games, I think them good quality, Fortress Berlin is selling right at 50 bucks these days, I paid, if I remember correctly around $35 many years ago when it first came out. I have always had a fascination for this battle. It wasn't until I setup this game I realized how much the defense centered on children and old men. Almost exclusively until what remnants of front line units are pushed back into the city.

[mikeh]

Units of the 4th Polish Armored Division along with armor from the Soviets 2nd Guard Tank Army make quick work out of taking the east end of Tegel airfield. The 3 purple units pictured.

[mikeh]

Solo rules and tables

[Whiterook]

I’m really enjoying this one!!! Thanks for pointing the solitaire rule section… this just came way up in my potential buy list!!! …you know I love anything solitaire friendly, and better yet, solitaire ready! I also took great interest in your comment on, ‘… I realized how much the defense centered on children and old men. Almost exclusively until what remnants of front line units are pushed back into the city’…I’ve never seen that observation and game that accommodates that tangent.

[mikeh]

I knew those solitaire rules would catch your attention. This is a long game to play and even longer for me as I try and think my way through this, I spent an hour last night just moving the Germans around to better positions.

[mikeh]

Turn 2 see's the arrival of the Muncheberg Panzer Division along with the 18th and 20th panzer grenadier divisions and the 51st Panzer Corps. These are the last of the German front line units, for the next 13 turns there is only Volksturm replacements possible also possible to lose VS unit instead of gaining any, along with one SS battalion. But wait until you see what the Soviets have coming along. And to make matters worse on turn 4 the recently arrived 20th PG Division needs to try and withdraw from the South side of the map.




LtGen Werner Mummert commander Panzer Division Muncheberg. Mummert would be captured by the Soviets and die in 1950 while still imprisoned in Russia.

[Whiterook]

I find I am a slow gamer with many *big* games, usually because I am just trying to fix things I just messed up before it’s too late to move on   I’ve noticed some gaming friends through the years, get a bit annoyed with me, because they just want to play fast and get more scenarios.games in… I take my time and enjoy the moment… so I get it.

I always love when you show the history behind the battle… in the case of Mummert, it’s things like that which really bring home the realities behind the game. It makes me wonder how many died in prison in like manner.

And on the game progression, that sounds massive and epic!!!

[mikeh]

Oct 4, 2024 17:13:36 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

I find I am a slow gamer with many *big* games, usually because I am just trying to fix things I just messed up before it’s too late to move on   I’ve noticed some gaming friends through the years, get a bit annoyed with me, because they just want to play fast and get more scenarios.games in… I take my time and enjoy the moment… so I get it.

I always love when you show the history behind the battle… in the case of Mummert, it’s things like that which really bring home the realities behind the game. It makes me wonder how many died in prison in like manner.

And on the game progression, that sounds massive and epic!!!

My play is the same, take my time and look things over. I always play solo so I'm not holding anyone up. 🙂

[Whiterook]

Oct 4, 2024 17:45:03 GMT -5 mikeh said:

Oct 4, 2024 17:13:36 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

I find I am a slow gamer with many *big* games, usually because I am just trying to fix things I just messed up before it’s too late to move on   I’ve noticed some gaming friends through the years, get a bit annoyed with me, because they just want to play fast and get more scenarios.games in… I take my time and enjoy the moment… so I get it.

I always love when you show the history behind the battle… in the case of Mummert, it’s things like that which really bring home the realities behind the game. It makes me wonder how many died in prison in like manner.

And on the game progression, that sounds massive and epic!!!

My play is the same, take my time and look things over. I always play solo so I'm not holding anyone up. 🙂

Funny thing on that solo part is, I would say 99% of my gaming is done solitaire   …I’ve actually found three nearby (as in, an hour and a half or less, drive away for me) friends that I can game with, but we only get together very infrequently; one is retired and the best one at being of a temperament in gaming as I (as in, loose and just want to have fun… that maybe didn’t sounds quite right  ) and the other two are a bit intense but handleable… but still, I prefer solo gaming on my own terms and time.

[mikeh]

Turn 2, Soviet 8th Guard's Army appears on the eastern map edge.




Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov, commander, 8th Guard's Army

[mikeh]

Using the solo rules for the Soviets I rolled on their action table, 8th Guard's Army was commanded to attack with all units but also had their movement factors reduced by half which brought about 75% of their units into contact.

A note on the counters one side is combat mode and the other is maneuver. Maneuver mode gives you more movement points but reduces your combat strength as compared to the combat side that gives you less movement but more firepower.

[Whiterook]

Oct 6, 2024 21:54:38 GMT -5 mikeh said:

A note on the counters one side is combat mode and the other is maneuver. Maneuver mode gives you more movement points but reduces your combat strength as compared to the combat side that gives you less movement but more firepower.

What is the mechanic that controls which side of the counter you’re using?

…nice mug in the previous post, btw!!!