"Change in plans, Bartkowski. New orders from on high." Lt. Maddox's face shone with that undefinable quality that said, "I'm fresh out of Officers' School and I've never seen combat." SP4 Bartkowski took a deep breath and waited for the other shoe to drop.
"We've found a weak spot in the Pan lines. The forces they've deployed there couldn't even stop a Mark III. So we're going to send your new toy" -- he jerked his thumb at the monstrous Ogre Mark VI casting its shadow over them -- "through that weak spot on a deep-penetration mission. Once it's through, it'll get halfway to Berlin before the Pans can bring an equal force to bear. And in the meantime, the rest of us will stabilize our front and put a stop to all this retreating. We're calling it, 'Operation Pan-Pen.' " He smiled as though he had had some role in choosing the name.
Bartkowski nodded and turned wordlessly to his diagnostic panel. Halfway to Berlin? How did they expect his Ogre to get out again? They didn't. This could only be a one-way mission. He accessed the mission-parameters file and linked the Ogre in for the download.
This is a triple scenario that lets the biggest of the Ogres, the Mark VI and the Doppelsoldner, really strut their stuff.
"Thank you, but luck will not be necessary," TTT0 replied. "All systems normal." Bartkowski acknowledged and disconnected his console. Then he stepped back. Various officers were gathered to see the huge machine off on its first mission, but according to tradition, the unit's primary technician gave the order. Bartkowski took a last look at his charge, saluted, and barked, "Activate mission!" The big Ogre surged into motion.
Use the GEV map, and play using standard GEV rules. The Combine player gets one Ogre Mark VI. The Paneuro player gets two HVY, two LT, three MSL, three GEV, two LGEV, one MHWZ, and fifteen INF. The Pan units set up anywhere south of the southernmost river, or south of row 17 if they set up on the island.
The Ogre enters the map anywhere on the north edge. Its goal is to exit the map on the south edge, and remain as battle-worthy as possible. The Paneuros' goal is to hurt the Ogre as badly as they can. Keep track of the Ogre's damage and which Pan units survive the battle.
Sgt. Kirchner finished his diagnostics and disconnected his console. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass jar. The French were claiming jurisdiction over this first Doppelsoldner, but it had been his baby from the moment it left the Stuttgart factory. He unscrewed the lid from the jar of black paint, dipped his stylus in it, and painted an Iron Cross on the access-hatch ladder cover, which was the only part of the hull he could reach. Now his mighty Panzerkampfwagen was ready for blitzkrieg!
The second scenario plays exactly opposite the first. The Paneuro player gets one Doppelsoldner; the Combine player gets the same forces that the Pan's got in scenario I. The Combine sets up on or north of the road that runs from hex 0104 to 1408 to 2304.
The Dopp enters on the south edge of the map, and must exit the map on the north edge. Again, keep track of Dopp damage and Combine survivors.
"Yes, we do," countered Lt. Maddox. "We have Operation Pan-Pen going in just fifty miles away. Bartkowski, can you send some new orders to your machine?"
"I believe so, sir," Bartkowski answered as he pressed keys. The Mark VI had taken some hits breaking through the Pan lines. Hopefully, the enormous enemy was also damaged, but battles were never won by hope.
"TTT0," he whispered, "I've a feeling you're not in Kansas anymore."
On Turn 1, the Ogre Mark VI enters the map on the north edge, and the Dopp enters on the south edge; roll to see who goes first. Both have been damaged by their breakthrough battles, and have probably shot off some missiles as well. They begin the battle in exactly the same status as they ended their previous battles.
The Mark VI's task is to destroy the Doppelsoldner and exit the map on the south edge. The Dopp must take out the Mark VI and exit on the north edge.
At the start of turn 3, any conventional units that survived the first two battles enter the map, Combine from the south and Pan from the north. Their goal is to help their Ogre or Dopp, as the case may be.
This scenario can also be used earlier in the war, with an Ogre Mark IV or V squaring off against a Fencer-B. Remove 2½ armor units and three infantry from the opposing forces.