Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines – Cyrenaica

To add to Slitherine’s great Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations (1939 -1946, including the Spanish Civil War before it), now they’ve released the next part of the Allied Offensive, in their nomenclature: Frontlines. This one heads further East, taking place in Cyrenaica.

For me, this DLC is really an unexpected — as well as an odd — duck. Yes, with this, we are still (supposedly) back in the Allied mode, after the Bulge. However, they did something that was both a surprise and a little bit confusing. When this part of the war starts, you have the option of playing either Great Britain OR Italy. [Cue mass-confusion crowd noise.]

“Whaaaa?”

After my head exploded I got to wondering, why would you be intrigued enough to be playing a new series (while also making it available to play from both sides?) especially having slogged your way through all of the German opponents, air-strikes, tank strikes, etc. from the ‘Bulge’?

Regardless of which one of the two sides you choose, I am going with Great Britain (not Italy? Italy? Is that like “Tartlet”? “Tartlet”?). For the limited time and space I have for Cyrenaica, I will do my best to keep the screaming down. Not that Italy wouldn’t be a blast to dive into (oh, you guys know me and “I’ll be bok” for that one… eventually”), but I’m going strictly Allied through this tangle of verbiage.

Either way, with either choice we ARE beginning the entire “War in Afrika”. For us, it’s going to start in Cyrenaica. We have to only guess that somewhere along the line Rommel’s going to make his appearance. Since I’m playing the English side, I’m hoping that Montgomery won’t be far behind — or, ahead, obviously. We start in the area of Sollum, however, in this entire series, it’s the first time my orders are to play defense!

The very first thing I noticed, while setting up my assault, I mean ‘defense’, was that the American units are way more expensive than the German ones – which I’ve grown accustomed to, lo these many years. An extra point here or there may ‘seem’ trivial, but when added or subtracted together, you may have lost key opportunities for more units. 

Now, the huge dilemma you’ve been waiting for: My main objective is to hold Sollum. Above it, as I’m assuming (yeah, I know), there are two options. Option one: Go all out, balls-to-the-wall, and throw everything I’ve got at the German advance toward me  (remember you have to keep Sollum, regardless). Plus, it just doesn’t sound like a good idea to be playing ketchup. Or, option two is to simply abandon Et Fatud, assuming I’ll probably lose it quickly anyway. Then hunker down all of  my units and kind of turtle, while waiting for the imminent attack(s)… setting up a defensive line for when that happens.

But, it is what it is — pay your money, take your chances. 

I’m going with option one first. If I get slaughtered then I’ll have to restart with the second plan (But, how do you actually “defend” again? hahaha). Again, I began with an Offensive mindset. From the start, the Germans and I passed ownership of that little town ‘Et Fatud’, which I was worried about since “setup”, back and forth almost every turn. My thinking? The more I can keep their attention North, the longer Sollum will survive.

While on defense, I got shackled up because I couldn’t go after their locations in the FoW: (Sid Azeiz to the West and Bardia to the North) with any kind of relative ease whatsoever. Meaning, those are really the only two spots to pick up more points, and points equal money.

When I went into this one, I already told you (probably too many times), how I was going to do it. Here is the guide I laid out for myself to follow:Unlike most wargame scenarios, in war you don’t get a second chance… unlike my little chart up there.

“No Battle Plan Survives Contact With the Enemy” — Helmuth von Moltke

I went in thinking I had some kind of ‘buffer zone’. If it gets too tough, meh, I can always switch to Plan #2. That’s NOT how I’ve played any other of the 468 reviews I’ve done for Slitherine, but this one might be different.

After a few turns into Cyrenaica, I simply abandoned that train of thought. Then, went to Alternative #1 and stuck with it: I’ll just pour it onto them and see if they can take it.

As it turns out, the Axis isn’t going to take any of my shit. For the most part, they kept shoving and pushing me (backwards) toward where I was supposed to protect anyway: Sollum. There’s a screenie with me, at turn 21 (of 21), still trading and fighting for Et Fatud, back and forth. I figured that if I can keep them occupied in, at least, that one little section then they’ll not be able to push past and win. At turn 21, they’re STILL trying to pry that little town from me. Fine! The more they’re diverted by that, the better I can do South of there.

Then, it got bad. Really bad, man. My strategy? No, not a problem.

A predetermined end result of this scenario that I just played for hours and hours, tactfully working my guts out to win… yes… Needless to say, I’m not happy. This is going to be my toughest close/synopsis to write, to date.

Although I, indeed, had to immediately change my ‘either offense or defense’ plan, right out of the gate. They forced me to do that. There were a lot more of them than I had expected. As the front was shifting into my lap, I just kept holding on — repair when I could, run away behind the lines for fixes.

Here’s the end result:

A huge note here: All of the debriefing panels that I got in the aftermath all said that I had lost! It was just too much for my troops to handle. Umm, pardon? So that predetermined array actually had nothing to do with the scenario at all.

This is something virtually never seen in a Matrix/Slitherine game… and yes, I own most of both catalogues. I don’t believe the shock has worn off yet… Sure, it was great fun, but if I’d known my actions were basically worthless then I would’ve just speed-run through and waited for the next scenario.

So, by MY standards, I won (plus, see the screen above). By the predetermined outcome, I guess everyone who goes in loses. Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines – Cyrenaica  really was a blast to play. I feel like about a quarter of this should be under spoilers — but, 1. that’s not my porpoise and 2. there’s no way you could just sit on your ass and ‘hope everything works out’. If you do try the turtle method (how’d we get all aquatic? especially in the desert?”}, they’re going to eat you like a sushi buffet.