Between about February and October 2023, Iver and I play-tested TiTE 1 via Vassal. We played the Barbarossa scenario up to the end of the Sept 4, 1941 turn at which point we called the game. We used TiTE1 as modified by elements of TiTE2 for playtesting. We believe our comments to be applicable to both TiTE1 and 1A, and to those those pieces of draft TiTe2 rules/cards we were given by the Design Team for our playtest.
We are both relatively inexperienced with TiTE, but the soviet player had previously had the (mis) fortune to have his head handed to him by a member of the Design Team in a prior Vassal game and thus learned how effective an aggressive soviet defence can be in TiTE. The axis player did not have such hard-won experience and in particular had never before played with the "Repel the Invader" card (more on this below).
The axis player had success geographically up to Sept 4, with Smolensk and Kiev both captured and strong forces across the Dniepr approaching Kharkov, which was comparable to the historical line of advance to September. He also took all the historical VP cities and made a series of successful airfield attacks during the course of the game, which severely impeded the Red Air Force’s recovery after the VVS unwisely exposed itself to battle too early. Plus he preserved his minor armies from serious casualties.
But on the other hand, the axis player suffered from numerous soviet counterattacks that started on June 3 and occurred nearly every turn after that. This caused significant German losses, particularly when the soviet played the Repel the Invader card, to the point that by mid September the axis were almost entirely out of RPs with seven infantry and one panzer corps destroyed in the Force Pool. Nor had he been able to capture Odessa. Thus we agreed on September 4 that with only four full strength panzer corps on the board and nil remaining OPs, the axis lacked the power to make major headway during the rest of 1941, due to prior excessive damage.
From a playtest point of view, we think our game was largely determined by one player's previous experience with TiTE’s soviet counterattack capability. No doubt soviet counter-offensive strength is better in TiTE1A (and the elements of TiTE2 that we playtested), than in the boxed game (and other Barbarossa games). We think this is good because in other games (and even perhaps the boxed game) it might have been too easy for the axis to prevail while not suffering historical levels of loss. In our game, the axis player tended to advance as quickly as possible, as the axis does in every other Barbarossa game either of us have ever played, but this exposed him to soviet counterattacks which caused axis losses well above the axis replacement rate.
We concluded that the axis must advance aggressively, failing which he will be unable to meet his objectives, while also doing everything he can to avoid excessive RP loss during the inevitable soviet counterattacks. If this means advancing more slowly than in other Barbarossa games, then so be it. He must also decide early on what to do about Odessa, which can be quite difficult to capture if strongly defended and which may tend to absorb disproportionate axis resources even if the axis player decides to mask it while advancing eastwards.
We learned that the soviet player must be very cautious about returning the Red Air Force to battle in the summer of 1941 as it is very vulnerable to well-escorted Airfield strikes. Also, the soviet must be cautious in playing the “Brave Man” card, else he may suffer many losses for little gain.
We were pleased at how well the game’s air and ground combat systems worked. We also enjoyed playing Cards, CS dice and conducting soviet production. The Vassal module worked just fine.
We think the Repel the Invaders card is probably too powerful for July of 1941 and should be reduced in effectiveness somewhat. The axis player reported “terrible losses” (his words) with this card, which he had never seen before this game and therefore failed to protect his forces accordingly. The Repel card we used from TiTE2 is now a TiTE1A Medium Card, so axis players: Beware! We also were surprised at how effective the soviet Early Mech corps can be in counterattacks in July of ’41. Were they really so tactically capable that they could cut off and destroy leading axis panzer and infantry corps in July of 1941? If so, the soviet must make every effort to preserve them as long as possible and the axis will seek to destroy them at every opportunity.
Based on this one game, we are worried that the historical and play balance may have tilted a little too much away from the axis and toward the soviet side.
But with the axis player vowing to be revenged in a rematch, we shall see what happens in our second game before converting our “worries” to “conclusions”.
John Ryder-Burbidge (Canada) and Iver Bygebjerg-Hove (Denmark)
Interesting thoughts guys. My own experience of TITE 1A playtesting has been that it is balanced in that either side can win but it can be very sensitive to what happens in the first few turns and that the balance of Soviet and German losses at the outset often has long term consequences. The timing of Repel is important and having left it too late in my last game I would play it sooner now.
Odessa is an interesting problem too and it is another example of the difficulty of accumulating difficulties. An Axis that is behind the curve might could struggle to cross the Lower Dnieper and capture Odessa but both are important. Having been frustrated by both in previous games I now would assess those challenges very closely and look to ensure both were appropriately resourced as soon as there is a realistically a chance to take them on. Early capture of Odessa is very valuable because the force released thereafter will help with later objectives and the sooner the better. I increasingly look ahead with event cards and try and figure how they will help resolve problems I expect to encounter. Odessa can be susceptible to a surprise concentration through Strategic Redeployment, German Generals (save rather than use immediately) Brandenburgers and/or Prepared Crossing.
Great AAR (and also the reason the game must be balanced for experienced players over multiple plays).
It is always insightful to see what those just learning experience, however.