Afrika 2, Turns 14.5 through 18

Continued the Afrika 2 game yesterday, I have to admit it is starting to end up a blur since the combat keeps ending up being over the same terrain.  The combat system and supply combine to favor offense over defense.  The reason is that even at the worst odds (1-4) there is a 1 in 11 chance of causing major enemy casualties, especially when combined with causing the enemy to retreat through a ZOC.  Combine that with supply being used up just be existing (or use it or lose it as I call it) and the offense is the only way to go...

End of Allied Turn 14

At the end of the last game day I was thinking the Allies were on the brink of losing, I still feel that way at the end of this day's gaming...  Back to the game, Another 6 on the replacements roll allows me to bring back the LRDG which I sent to the mountains off to the right to hinder supply and reinforcements.  The mountains are a great spot for this since it cuts the main highway and overruns are not allowed.  Just around the bend from Bardia O'Connor gets reinforced and attacks causing very little damage (all the combat rolls were below 6 if I remember correctly).  That supply point was used to supply everyone and was not sitting around to be captured.

End of Axis Turn 15

Rommel takes advantage and kills off every unit nearby save for those with O'Connor and the first SA troops in the box behind him. This might have been the only decent supply roll the Axis got during this day of gaming, otherwise the shipping was 2 points or the ports closed for repair.

End of Allied Turn 15

Another bad reinforcement roll and O'Connor decides to run.  The SA units in the box hopefully can hold out.

End of Axis Turn 16

The Axis forces try to take advantage but I think they rolled a 2 on the combat roll causing 2 Axis casualties to no allied.  Later they use Rommel to Overrun and cause a bunch of casualties (rolling and 11 I think).  Not enough to break the 1SA though.

End of Allied Turn 16  (sorry it is so blurry)

O'Connor counterattacks (after rolling a 6 for reinforcements again and bringing back LRDG yet again).  The Allies manage to knock out the two stacks of units that were not with Rommel and the single unit that was surrounding the 1SA.  He then went on to Attack Rommel directly and I don't remember exactly how that went - probably a middle result.  All in all an excellent turn for the Allies.  Darn it, now I can't whine about the dice any more!  (but I still will, I have never rolled higher than a 6 on the replacements chart and have lost roughly 12 to 14 brigades due to the chart, WHINE!!!).

End of Axis Turn 17

The Axis counterattack and manage to destroy the 1SA box, figuring this would happen I had used up all the supply there the turn before.  I believe they also attacked O'Connor but were rebuffed.

End of Allied Turn 17

O'Connor breaks the 7 Armored out of the trap they were in, destroying a couple of Axis units along the way.  Replacement rolls no higher than 6 again.  Often 4 or 5  (I only had enough to bring back the LRDG every other turn if I recall correctly).

End of Axis Turn 18

The Axis reached a bit toooo far and suffer for it.  Rommel defeated O'Connor's 7 Armored, destroying it to the last unit but than goes on to attack the box at Mersa Matruh.  This left Rommel's stack there out of supply (those white tile spacers are to help track supply movement and range...).  

End of Allied Turn 18

The Allies mop up the remainder of Rommel's forces outside of Mersa Matruh and take a breather.  Both sides are spent at this point and replacement rolls are going to be decisive, if I get a couple of good ones I will be able to bring the units right up to the front while the Axis would take a couple of turns to do so.  With so few units on the board the Axis might be able to build up some supply as well, till now he has had to hoard every supply point.

Both Allied stacks are in Boxes and the main Allied bases are in boxes as well, the Axis can not afford the supply to build them.  Ten more turns left to go in the game which will most likely take us 2 more game days to complete.  At this point the Allies are losing badly but the Axis is in no position to finish them off.

ASL - J43, RTR in the Rain

Did you ever play a scenario knowing that you did EVERYTHING right and still lost due to crappy dice?  Well this post has nothing to do with that - I played like crap (and I will whine and say I had bad dice too, but that does not excuse playing like crap!).  My opponent, Tycho, played a solid game and easily won.

This scenario takes place in heavy rain (+1 per six hexes of distance starting with +1 at 1 to 6 hexes).  It takes place on May 23rd 1940 so grain is not effect but fields are plowed so 1.5MP to enter.

End of Allied Turn 1

 Allies move out from the J hex row using assault moves and advances with the exception of the squads at the bottom that used normal moves - they were fired on to no effect.  The mortar fires on a stack in the woods to gain ACQ.

End of Axis Turn 1

 Axis tanks move up and they take some shots, mostly ineffective though I sort of remember something happening to the guys at the bottom.  (bad memory)

End of Allied Turn 2

 I rolled a 3 on an attack but it ended up causing no damage but the sniper roll came up a 1 and my squad with the mortar is broken...  I had my tanks fire to ACQ and one of them breaks a gun. (this will become a theme).  The DM guy at the bottom did not suffer a bad result, Tycho self broke him to keep him from a bad CC situation.  In R5 the German 37L At gun opened fire not hitting anything yet.

End of Axis Turn 2

 The AT gun really shines this player turn, taking out 2 Allied tanks, Axis fire also causes an MC on the squad that was in O9 causing it to break.  Somewhere along the line I rolled another 3 - causing an MC on that squad (notice the fanatic one?) which rolled snakes (my Sniper number).  My opponent rolled a 1 for the sniper check again (2 in a row!).  I forget what damage was caused, my 9-1 leader made it through the scenario unhurt so I think it was a squad with an LMG that broke).  I then fired with my tanks again and another one rolled a 12...  (The other one actually managed to fix the gun, another theme, but was destroyed before it could take a shot).  On the plus side my guys lined up on the L hexrow fired and missed but made their own MC.

End of Allied Turn 3

 The mortar squad did not make his Rally even though he was no longer DM so I double timed a 7-0 leader over to rally him.  The tank in M8 managed to kill the tank in Q7 but I forgot about ROF being a 2 for those tanks (Impressive) so I had to use IF, did not manage to break the gun.  The tank in L6 managed to fix it's gun (2 for 2) but then rolled a 12 when trying to start.  The German tank in Q6 fires and breaks a gun...

End of Axis Turn 3

 The German fire this turn is mostly ineffective but he did break the ATR squad in N4 and the remaining squad with the 9-1 broke and routed with the 9-1 tagging along.  Oh, tank in Q6 fixed its gun (3 of 3 fixed the RPh after breaking.).  I found that the LOS from L6 to R2 is clear and take a shot hitting the turret and causing a shock result.

End of Allied Turn 4

 The gun duels continue with the German tank scoring a shock result on my tank in M8.  L6 and R2 trade shots as well, scoring another hit but it just went pling.

End of Axis Turn 4

 The tank in R2 finished off my tank in L6.  The ATR in J1 fires at the tank in Q6 and rolls snake eyes!  LOF blocked by the wall at the O4/N4 vertex, BOOOO!  The German tank in R2 finishes off the tank in L6 too.

End of Allied Turn 5

 The tank in M8 recovers from the UK and fires!  Rolling boxcars!  The line of squads fired at Q4 again causing no damage and then advanced over the wall.  They have not been hurt yet either so I can't complain (the rain really makes it hard to hurt anyone).  In S8 my squad advanced into CC but the Germans got ambush (I rolled a 2 and then he rolled a 1, sigh...).

End of Axis Turn 5

 The tank in M9, yup you guessed it, fixed the gun on the first try.  I don't remember if the German tank died from another shot or from the Shock counter.S8 fired at R8 to no effect and the 9-1 stack fired at S6 to cause them to break.  The squad in O4 was fired at and broke low crawling to O5.

End of Allied Turn 5, end of game.

Well, have to run in order to try for a win (need control of 6 buildings).  O2 fired at P2 for no effect.  O3 fires at Q4 and breaks the leader and squad (they had been exchanging fire all game).  The squad starting in M1 double timed (with leader) and was fired on by the HS in P2, the tank MGs and finally by the tank before it went down, game over at that point but I moved the tank from M8 to R3, the tank in R2 did an Intensive Fire shot and missed and then I fired, and rolled a 12...  perfect ending for this particular game.

Lots of fun and Tycho and I will be playing AP38, "Infiltrators" on New Years day.

Afrika Second Edition turns 11 to Axis half of turn 14

Continued the game of Afrika the day after my last post, only got round to putting it up on the blog today - so I have forgotten quite a bit...  Next game day should be the 27th.

End of Axis Turn 11

The Commonwealth easily manages to hold onto Bardia but the Axis put the pressure on to the supply chain up to the port, cutting it off.

End of Allied Turn 11

No shipping into Bardia so they have to use their remaining supply.  Bad roll for replacements as well (never rolling above a 6 the whole game so far).  O'Connor does launch attacks on all the adjacent units knocking out a bunch of Axis forces.

End of Axis Turn 12

Rommel cuts Bardia off from supply again, destroying another Commonwealth division in the process.  We also found out the Axis player was counting all Italian units as needing 2 supply points each - fixing that for the rest of the game helps the Axis supply situation.

End of Allied Turn 12

Bardia is open to receive supply, but the replacements roll is a 6 again and since there is no supply point in the port it cannot be used for the forces there.  Allied units move up and try to open a supply path to Bardia but are unable to do so.

End of Axis Turn 13

Axis move in to cut Bardia again, not causing as many losses to the Commonwealth this time.

End of Allied Turn 13

No supply into Bardia again, O'Connor has to retreat or breakout and chooses breakout!  No replacements yet again too.  The Commonwealth open supply to O'Connor's forces in Bardia when those forces manage to push aside the defending Axis units but the troops with O'Connor are spent (don't remember which armored division exactly).

End of Axis Turn 14

Rommel leads the attack on the Bardia survivors and destroys them.  He then leads the assault on another allied group and destroys them as well but the Axis units have taken a number of losses as well.  We stopped for the day at this point and will pick up with the Commonwealth turn 14.  Almost half way done the game and it is a nasty fight for Bardia that has lasted many months.  The Commonwealth does get a number of reinforcements this turn from the restrictions box (so they can start in Mersa Matruh) but most of them are not exploit capable - which is a major advantage in the game since it allows them to attack up to three times rather than once (Rommel and O'Connor grant this ability to units they are stacked with as well).  The Commonwealth turn will depend on the replacements received along with the O'Connor roll, either of those being bad means that a withdrawal is in order while if both are good than a counter attack may be enough to break the Axis units first.