Kiev to Rostov via Vassal - GT54

Time to fess up - it appears I have been making a number of mistakes... Doh!  Nothing surprising there I guess with a game of this size.  Some that I have found so far (putting aside the unit withdrawal fiasco for the Crimea noted in my last post) include armoured formations do not get their integrity bonus if not using attack supply [on a closer reading that might only be if they are OoS to start with] and cavalry do not have their movement reduced when out of supply.  Most of the attacks by the Axis armoured formations did not have good results and so I think I can live with that first mistake.  The cavalry mistake affects both sides and as the Soviets have generally been in supply it is not an issue for them and the Axis have very little cavalry.

I found these little mistakes while checking on the rules relating to the northern railroads.  It is possible I have been extending these beyond the intended limit.  The set up for a different scenario seems to indicate this, but if this is the case the Axis attack route is quite different (as it may well be with an early capture of Dnepropetrovsk.

And GT54 is mud.

The north, nothing much happened except for a bloody attack on Belgorod where the Axis have now advanced their supply line to.  It's just about the maximum rail travel in a turn meaning the Axis can rail in Attack Supply each turn.  The red line is the rail line that the Axis have converted.  I just hope I'm playing right in having extended the line and using the northern map edge as a supply source.

The centre showing the main supply line.

 

The south and its pitiful supply situation.  However the Soviets have not been able to breakout of the Melitopol pocket and suffered a small surrender which has further tightened the Axis noose.  In this situation the mud is as bad for the Soviets as it is for the Axis.

On the southern map I've circled in blue the three units dashing (ha ha) to the Crimea exit.  It is about ten percent of the force.  The way the rules are written, just the tiniest missing unit will cost the Axis a VP per turn.  To put that in perspective, if the Axis capture Belgorod they get one VP.  Same for the capture of Melitopol.