ASL Scenario Journal 54: Showtime

Finally got a chance to play ASL with Tycho after 2 or 3 times I had to cancel - work was being a pain in the rump.

We played the last scenario in the Kursk Mini Campaign from the Journal.  The second scenario from the campaign made it near impossible for the Russians to win the campaign so we played the scenario as a stand alone instead.

End of German turn 1.  Since there are no Russians on the board the Germans move their turn 1 forces from the left to the right and prepare for Russian arrival.  There are 2 Tigers, 3 Panzer IVs and a few halftracks under those Concealment counters.  The Germans have to get 40 EVP off the right side to win.  Vehicels that are armed and mobile at game end passed the red line also count.  Each Russian armed and mobile AFV adds 2 EVP to the needed total.

End of Russian turn 1.  The Russians come on, take up position behind a wall and open fire.  neither side scores hits.  Another Russian tank bogs in the woods but is in a position where it will have to be dealt with to get forces off the board.

Highlights of turn 2.  Germans move forward to engage the Russians behind the wall, the Russians miss with their shots and the Germans roll 2 turret hits in a row.  A very rough start for the Russians.

End of German turn 2.  German turn 2 reinforcements come on and the Halftracks onload their passangers.

End of Russian turn 2.  Russian fire takes out a tank I put too far forward (with crappy armor).  A big sniper recalls a HalfTrack and another Russian tank kills another halftrack.  Tycho is crafy - scooting into firing position, firing, and then scooting back.  He did try an intensive fire shot that malfed the gun and rolled boxcars on another shot.  Luck is not going in his direction.  Finally near the middle a couple T60 come in around a Tiger to try and get rear shots.  One of the them hit but the shot bounced.  The other one was taken out by a PZIV.

End of German turn 3.  I get lucky again.  Halftracks rushed off the board with only one of them being stopped.  The remaining T60 is dealt with and a half squad jumps into CC with a mobile T34, rolls snakes, and creates an 8-1 leader for his "trouble".  All the rolls I REALLY needed to make have come up in my favor.

End of Russian turn 3 and the game (of 5.5 possible).  Tycho starts up a tank and my Stug Rolls snakes and then a 3 on the TK to start it burning.  After ineffective fire during his Prep we call it a game.

As I told Tycho, I had a blast... 
The dice always came up in my favor so I can't say if this one is balanced or not.  Looking back I played badly since I was playing to take out Russian forces instead of to move off the board.  I should have taken all my troops in one direction (top of map or bottom) to place them for exiting by game end.  As it worked out however the lucky rolls when I needed them made it moot.

Next game is November 23rd.  Another in December and then back to our third playing of Purple Heart Draw on New Years Day.

Normandy 44

Lawrence and I got together for Normandy 44 yesterday.  Another fine game in the Mark Simonitch 4X game "series".  (Normandy 44, Holland 44, Ardenness 44)

Some major mistakes on the first game but we will keep playing it.  First up was mis-remembering that Infantry units did not pay 1/2 for road movement like they do in Holland 44 (which is the last one we played).  So the German first turn is less then optimal.  Combined with a horrible airlanding for the US troops and it may even out.

End of German turn 1.  The US air drops were a disaster while the Germans forgot to hustle on the road - leaving way more deployment space for the Allied advance off the beach.  Omaha went fairly well, a 1 was rolled for one beach but the other went well.  Overall the beach landing rolls were on the bad side though.

End of Allied first turn.  Right off the beaches and into combat with the German front line.  We (I) also forgot the Strongpoints could do a Determined Defense so a fort or two might have held.  On the plus side we (I) mis-remembered a normal advance being one hex in any direction instead of two hexes.  The Germans attacked a US airborne Cadre and knocked it out of the game.

Overcast 3 for turn 2.  The Germans move up to seal off the front line.  Thin in many spots but it is a line.

Allied turn 2.  I remember DD for the forts but even the +1 fort fails (a 1 in 6 chance) to hold.

German turn 3.  Overcast 2.  The line is getting thinner but reinforcements are on the way.  No counterattacks this turn.

Allied turn 3.  German reinforcements at Caen arrived just in time.  British attempts to flank it on their left are stopped by a DD result.  They then try a reserve force attack and it is also beaten back by a successful Determined Defense.  The British do have three powerful stacks next to Caen now however, on the plus side for my Germans I have two powerful stacks on the flanks and the city itself is ZOC blocked from being entered.  The weather roll will determine my plans for next turn - if it is a Storm or Overcast a counterattack may be in order, clear and it is time to hunker down again.  DDs should hold Caen for this next turn or two and then more reinforcements start arriving.  The Allies get them too but their front line is about as full as it can get near Caen anyway.

Part 2   https://fiftyshadesoffeldgrau.blogspot.com/2019/11/normandy-44-continues.html