ASL double header: Cibik's Ridge and Brasche Encounter

Played Two ASL scenarios on Saturday the 2nd, starting with ASL067 Cibik's Ridge and ending with DB001 Brasche Encounter.

This is my second time playing Cibik's Ridge and I now have a PERFECT record playing it - I've been slaughtered playing both sides now!

Situation at the start of the game.  My peace loving Japanese are out for a stroll in the Jungle while some dastardly US Marines wait in a cowardly ambush!

And the Ambush is Sprung!  Machineguns fire away.

Marines squads pop out of foxholes and fire too!

And the results of the first fire phase (turn 3) is 4 squad equivalents gone!

End of Marine turn 3.  Just plain ugly.  I should have put Half Squads in the first 4 hexes of the advance, that would have limited losses a good bit.

End of Japanese turn 4.  Very little progress getting up that hill, looking back I could have done a Banzai!

End of Marine turn 4

End of Japanese turn 5, could have done a Banzai...

End of Marine turn 5, line is holding and the Japanese dead stack is growing steadily.  There is a 21CVP cap for the Japanese and I am quickly heading for it.

End of Japanese turn 6, a leader and an HS Banzai into a hex with a single Marine HS and the Marine comes out on top?  I think I could have done a Banzai with everyone and probably should have. 

 I'm really starting to like the PTO and the Japanese, it simply takes time to digest all the changes.  I do want to play this one more time - with the lessons I have learned it should be a much closer contest.  As it was my Japanese ended up forcing the entire Marine force to break and run but they managed to recover before I could get to them again.

Now onto the second scenario of the day.  Brasche Encounter from Dispatches from the Bunker.  A fast playing small scenario with only 4 German elite squads on one side versus 7 Green French squads and 2 AMD35 armored cars.  The ACs and 6 of the French Squads arrive on turn 2 while the other squad is setup next to a bridge.  The object is to be the last one to hold the bridge.

Start of the Scenario.  A French leader, HS, and LMG are to the left of the bridge in the foxhole, the other foxhole is dummies, and in front of the bridge is a HS.

End of German turn 1.  Highlights are the French HS killing a German HS, the LMG put down a firelane and rolled doubles doing so for a Malfed LMG.  The French HS then tried a FPF shot on the now open adjacent hex and broke himself.  Since the Germans did not have a LOS straight down the bridge he managed to scamper away.

End of Allied Turn 1.  Highlights are the LMG being instantly repaired.  They fire and cause no damage but a pin and are pinned by return fire but since they have no place to go...

End of German turn 2.  The LMG places a Firelane and kills a German squad in the process.  They then fire on a hero coming across the bridge and break the LMG again...  The hero goes another hex so the HS does and FPF shot and yup, breaks...  Germans declare No Quarter and the squads start Low Crawling away while the hero takes up residence in their foxhole.

End of Allied turn 2.  The reinforcements arrive and advance into position.  It is really sad when 6 hexes is the maximum extended range but that is the way it is.

End of German turn 3.  The ATR immobolizes an Armored Car but all other fire from both sides is ineffective.

End of Allied turn 3.  The leader stack to the right manages to break the German LMG/ATR group in the woods.  The still mobile Armored Car then manages to get moving and overruns two German Stacks, breaking the MMCs in each stack and pinning the leader.  At this point we called the game since the Germans only had a hero left to defend with and maybe a single squad would be able to live through the rally phase.  The scenario is quick and fun but dicey (as many scenarios with a handful of AT weapons vs a handful of armored vehicles can tend to be).

ASL - the best game I ever played but the rules are a nightmare of legalese.  Sometimes I look at the rules questions online and think it is nuts to play this darn system, then I play a scenario and all is forgotten.  Looking forward to playing some more!