ASL mini campaign Broadway to Prokhorovka. Journal 52

Tycho and I played the first four turns of this scenario today.  Tycho is the Russians and I am the Germans.  Once again VASL froze up so I lost the log BUT I am taking screen shots at the end of each turn so I have things to show.

The setup.  The Germans have to get 40cvp off the right edge OR keep the Russians from having an MMC in the red lined area at game end.  I am shooting for keeping the Russians out of the red lined area but will go for the exit win if I see an opening.

End of Russian turn 1.  The spot with the ambush note was the only one where the Russians got smoke - and they tried for it a LOT.  Smoke was effective however and the Russians moved up to my squad in the smoke and into CC.  Getting the ambush I retreated out, I needed those guys to hold the line.  My 9-2 in the building at the top, worthless.

End of German turn 1.  Reinforcements enter the board.  Gun at top should have fired at the blasted Russian MTR since I HATE those things.  On the plus side I rolled gusts so rain started (overcast) and the smoke when away.

End of Russian turn 2.  Russian MTR DMs the gun crew and my MMG group can keep the Russians away.  Pinned and pinned again.  CC ensues and turn to Melee with no one hurt.  Tycho rolled a 3 so rain went away.

End of German turn 2 where my PMC takes a pounding, Tiger was hit on the first shot at it (with a +4 hindrance and motion penalty - snakes man snakes).

Except my own of course.  Although every time I rolled them this game so far it was with a leaderless IFT shot...

End of Russian turn 3.  My Panzer 4 makes up for the Tiger that was killed (well, not really - whine!).  My boys in the building near the top kill off the Russians in CC and the reinforcements he tried to send in Reinforcements but they are pinned in the street.  He also took possession of my 75L gun!  The dirty dog!

End of German turn 3.  German tanks move to engage near the top of the map.  In an exchange of fire no one is hit.  My PZIV down below presses his luck when he didn't need to.

End of Russian turn 4.  SU76s take shots at the Tiger and miss.  Tiger fires at T34 in Defensive and burns it, then turns to fire MGs at the SU76 above (and thus put front armor towards both SU76).  PZIV down below is shocked.

End of German turn 4.  The Riger takes out another SU76 but does not cause it to burn.  The other SU76 turns and fires at my OP tank since it has little chance of hurting the Tiger (could immobilize it or get Snakes - I hate snakes). 

If I had to lay bets at this point I would say the Germans are going to win, but this is ASL and anthing can happen.  For campaign purposes the Russians are currently winning.  The Germans get 5 points for winning the scenario but the Russians get 6 (2 each for the VP hexes).  Both sides get points of some kind for vehicles that are mobile at game end and the Germans might take it on the chin for other losses.  Two turns and two more campaign scenarios left to go...

End of Russian turn 5.  The SU76 gambit to take out my OP tank ends with the death of the SU76, will have to see if the OP tank is gone.

German turn 5.  I calculated that I would need two VC buildings to "win" the campaign day so go after two of them that are in range.  The first is just above the smoke marker in the street - will capture that easily enough.  The second is near the top left and has that pinned Russian in it and my tank next to it.  I moved a bunch of guys up to try and get to it but one got pinned and the others were just out of reach.

End of Russian turn 6.  The T34 repairs his gun and overruns my two groups in the open, nobody can make a 1mc...  So much for that push.  Then a lousy Russian squad makes a PATC and KILLS my tank in CC.  ANOTHER campaign victory point for the Russians.

I get troops into the hex next to the building but the Russian MTR DMs them with a 2mc, game over.  It ended up with 8 Russian VC to 7 German.  

The scenario on it's own would be a German walkover in our opinion since to win that simply requires holding the Red Lined area or getting enough VC off the map.  The red lined area was never threatened by the Russians so that is just not likely.  The addition of losses and those extra VC buildings counting for the campaign should really be made part of the stand alone scenario VC.

ASL Classic Scenario H: Escape from VELIKIYE LUKI

Played this one on Friday with Bob Z over VASL.  Looking back I lied to him about Freedom of Movement that could have made a difference.  I'll console myself with it probably not being a big difference and I would not have taken the shots knowing they would grant FOM.  (OK, enough goveling).  This is one of the classics of course - straight from Squad Leader.  We liked it enough to decide to play it again with the same sides and trying different tactics and setups (maybe...).

The setup as I saw it.  My guys are all in 3 real Cloaking counters, the 10-2 and two squads above the woods area.  The 9-1 above the other little woods and the 8-0 next to him.  

End of German turn 1.  The Russians did not make a single Starshell roll and every low IFT roll they made was against a dummy Cloaking Counter.  I should have had my 10-2 and squads decloak when fired upon so the RU squad would have been uncealed when I advanced it.  Missed an ambush and the Russians and Germans both killed a squad in CC.  Russian player choose to not go after the squad with the German Leader, should have though since he rolled low enough to have caused a Casualty Reduction that might have killed the 10-2.  Russian big leader could start rolling for FoM right away.

End of Russian turn 1.  Russians find a Starshell, most firing is ineffective.  The RU guys on the hill fired on my guys in AA4 I think which allowed the guys in Y8 to fire on the gunflash.  Would not have if I had remembered that should cause FoM for them.  

End of German turn 2.  The Starshell placement was PERFECT.  Germans could run around the Russian defenses without needing to roll for straying (for most of them) and without being able to be fired upon.  Forgot about FoM being allowed when fired upon again... 

End of Russian turn 2.  That Freedom of Movement would have made a difference here.  Remember for next playing...

End of German turn 3.  With no unbroken enemies nearby the Germans use Starshells to light the way and RUN!  The RU big leader with the MMG sees them in the starshell light however (should have gone to D0/DD0 instead of EE1, ah well).  The shots does no damage but the RU leader is free to move now.

End of Russian turn 3.  The Russian leader starts moving but troops have a LONG way to go to stop the Germans.

End of German turn 4.  ANOTHER perfect Starshell placement (and this one was truly perfect).  The Germans run around where the Russians can not see them.  Getting very close to exiting the map now.

End of Russian turn 4.  Another exchange of fire goes all the German way again.

End of German turn 5.  Starshells placed right above their heads - no Russians have LOS to where the Germans are going and the Starshells allow them to move without rolling for Straying.

End of Russian turn 5.  Hoping for a wild Starshell placement and no luck.  Germans refrain from shooting - might cause a sniper and that would be BAD.

End of German turn 6 and the game.  The Germans are on a road and run right off the board.  Only worry is if there was a HIP Russian unit guarding the road and there was not.  A good scenario and a really good one for learning the night rules, a few squads in battle at a time with a large area to cover and a large initial NVR value (ours never changed throughout the game either).  Looking forward to playing it again and not cheating my way to a win.  I don't mind getting rules wrong but I do mind when it really contributed to my winning.

With that I am actually CAUGHT UP on my game blogging, every game since I've started the blog is now written up.  WOOHOO!

ASL scenario J112: Prelude to Dying

No Pictures or nutin for this one, VASL croaked and took my vlog with it!

I played the Partisans in this one (once again) and got slaughtered, only fair after the last two!

Hopefully VASL will not croak on me next game.

Anyway, the scenario itself - probably a good one but I played horribly, out of position to start and over reacted from there.