The battle outside the supply base continues. I get some luck shots in, but most of my light tank force has been destroyed by a combination of entrenched AT guns and German Armor. I manage to do a fair bit of damage with my Matildas, however, and it appears that resistance is finally starting to falter.
The Tank Battle Turns in My Favor
A combination of direct fire from my tanks and artillery bombardment has managed to drive off the last German tanks in the supply base and the southern pass, which means I just need to push my units to victory.
Moving to Take the Final Objectives
I quickly take the pass, but wind up one space away from the supply base.
One Square Away!
And then my tank breaks down.
Mechanical Breakdown
But not even that can stop my victory:
Victory!
All in all, this was a pretty good scenario. I wonder how much more difficult it would have been if I started my drive in the southern pass, where the 88s are located. I’m sure that it would be possible, given my artillery and air support, but it could be far more difficult. It is possible that this scenario, like several of the other Battlefield Academy scenarios, is more of a puzzle than a “proper” wargame scenario. Several of the prior battles in the Western Desert campaign have seemed to have one clear solution, which could be a problem for my enjoyment of the game going forward.
That being said, as an introduction to tactical wargames, the puzzle aspect may be a valuable teaching tool. In theory, Battlefield Academy could work to sharpen basic tactical skills (flanking, reconnaissance, etc.) by providing scenarios that require specific uses thereof to reach the solution. I’ll try and talk about this more once I’ve played enough Battlefield Academy to write a decent review.
Fog of Wargames 