One of the greatest joys is discovering the keys for unlocking the mystery of conducting a Soviet offensive. I would not want to spoil your fun (or frustration), so these tips are as brief and general as possible.

Your First Offensive

Dean wrote an article in Ops 9 before most of the changes to the OCS had been contemplated. While much of what he wrote is still valid, further play has shown some problems if you strictly follow his advice. First, you do not have enough units to pull off the tactics he describes. Second, you can overrun the Hun (his allies. anyway)'. Third, and most important, the Exploitation Phase is your friend. I do not claim to have mastered the Soviets. However, from my experience. and the experience of commanding the Axis forces against Dean, I can give advice that is more up-to-date.

Thoroughly plan your attack and the Exploitation Phase before play begins, I cannot stress this enough. Even Dean or the Ice Man will make mistakes when throwing together "Uranus" off the cuff! After playing the Soviets four or five times, you may be able to ignore this advice, but you will still waste units and supply that way. Your plan must include redundancy. There will always be a few "defender surprise" rolls to bloody your nose when you command the Soviets. Also, Economy of Force is a principle you cannot ignore. In your breakthrough armies--5 Tank, 21, 57 and 51--at least 50% of your units (and 90% of your mobile troops) should be in "Reserve" during your Movement Phase. Do not forget that units in Reserve Mode can now move adjacent to enemy units, or even between enemy units where there are holes in the enemy lines.

Artillery preparation is still important. Every Katyusha brigade and most regular artillery, between the 5 Tank and 51st Armies (inclusive), should fire on Turn 1. If you do not fire it all, you let the German off easy. The Katys alone will rip a hole or two in his lines. In your breakthrough army zones, only fire at hexes you plan to attack in the Combat or Exploit Phases. In the other army zones, hit key Axis units, such as Panzer or motorized divisions. Aim to limit his reaction ability in his player turn. (On Turn 1, he should never have an opportunity to react during your turn.) Having some artillery units in reserve is good; prepare the redundancy needed to mess him up!

In the Combat Phase, if you make more than a dozen (actually, eight) attacks, you are wasting resources: men and supplies. Where you do attack, go ahead and 'crank up the odds'. With economy of force and redundancy in mind, hit him hard in a few places. You only need to blow a few holes in his fragile line, then your exploit force will be off to the races.

The Exploit Phase is the key to the first (or any) offensive. Conduct a limited number of attacks, including overruns, only where necessary. Also, push your exploitation force as far as your heart can handle. The first turn has the best force ratio you will ever see, at least in deployment! Your preferable goal is to close the pocket on Turn 1 with a double line of troops. Surround as much of the Rumanian army as possible, and it will die on the vine. Hit some of his reserve formations. Take out a wagon extender or two. Turn his backfield into a wasteland. You will secure your objectives with little loss to yourself and few options left to him.

Force Analysis

The forces you have are important. Armor, being what it is, deserves our immediate attention. You only have four good corps (24 & 26 Tank, and 1 Gd & 4 Mech). Use them wisely; these are the only armor units that do not drop in action rating while in move mode. Although none of your mech units drop, these are a mixed lot available in limited numbers and of less value. Your biggest concern is the loss in ARs many mobile forces suffer while moving. Use armor in concert with mobile units that do not drop in action rating: motorized infantry, motorcycle troops, or cavalry. This does not guarantee their survival, but gives them a fighting chance! The greatest tactical dilemma is the balance between action ratings and mobility. Once you have found that balance, you are on your way to defeating the Germans.

You have an advantage over the Germans with your artillery, when you can get it into the fight. The Katys (during playtests a.k.a. "the hand of God") are a deadly force, but are of no value while moving to new firing positions, The regular arty is also potent. However, it is not cost effective compared to the Katys, and also of limited use during movement. (It effectively costs an arm, a leg and your Ca)#$% to supply.) The time involved in moving and the cost of firing are two of the primary reasons that lulls occur during a drive on Rostov and Kharkov.

Finally, there are your ground pounders. There are many of them, but it' mishandled they can turn into track lubricant. The infantry is slow, vulnerable, and a greater target in move mode. It is also the key to your success. It is the anvil upon which your armored hammer can annihilate the Axis forces. Use your infantry to hold gains, as a maneuver base, and, believe it or not, to attack. Always keep in mind that without the infantry, your armor will be forced to assume the nuclear attack position (put your head between your knees and kiss your a... good-bye).

Strategic Options

Well. You have closed the pocket, annihilated the Rumanians, and driven him out to the Chir River line. Now what? Every game will be different, so there is little point in telling you where to aim your next offensive. Here is some advice that may save you from some of the embarrassing pain I have suffered.

Try to operate with the concept of Fronts rather than armies. I found that the Soviet forces almost naturally flow into five fronts formed against the following Axis concentrations: Stalingrad, the Hungarians, the Italians, the Chir River group and the Kotelnikovo group. As the game progresses, your fronts will generally advance in a left wheel. The northernmost front will advance the slowest and the southernmost the fastest. When planning offensive operations, each front should operate with a minimum of 8 to 12 infantry divisions and 3 to 5 mobile corps. These are minimums. Anything less will be an easy target for the Axis commander lucky enough to have a fully supplied Panzer Korps ready to launch a counter-offensive. Even Fronts that you plan to keep on the defensive for now cannot afford to be much weaker, again it) the interest of sell'-preservation.

The Stalingrad front, a special case, deserves attention. Put constant pressure on Stalingrad beginning on Turn 1! I disagree with Dean. Fear of losing Festung Stalingrad early, which would give you a sudden death victory, can cause the Hun to make mistakes. I do not advocate massive assaults. However, a few barrages each turn and a probing attack now and then will burn up his pocketed units and supply faster than lie can afford to lose them. You never know; you may get lucky, but do not base your strategy on it. Also, do not release the mobile garrison forces immediately; see how much trouble von Manstein is willing to risk. Finally, do not strip your garrison to the minimum--ever! This limits your pocket options too much and gives the German player one less thing to worry about (a good thing... NOT!).

Other considerations for your offensive fronts include pacing your advance to your infantry. Unsupported mobile units, especially in move mode, have the tendency to evaporate if there are German panzers around. Protect and preserve your armored force. Your infantry may be fragile, but your armor is the arm of decision.

You have enough "4" action rated infantry to avoid using armor asyour AR unit for every attack. Poorer armor is excellent for beefing up the attack of a Guards division! Do not be afraid to attack the German where he is strong if you can get most of your strengths (i.e. artillery) into the battle. However, go for the easy attacks first. Another thing that works is to follow the approximate course of the historical Soviet offensives. Though you should vary things to keep the Hun guessing, it is a compliment to the designer that the game is capable of following the historical course of the battle. However, try to avoid over-extending yourself to the point where von Manstein can have his turns of glory.

More Operational Notes for Enemy at the Gates

Introduction
Soviet Notes
Axis Notes
OCS 2.0 and Play