ASL 262: Showdown at Tug Argan Pass

 Finally got back to ASL, first game since September!  It is my first foray into the desert in a long time as well.  OK for a change of pace but not a theater I'm really fond of.

The setup.  The Italians have to take the circled locations in 9 turns.  The Italians get 100mm OBA and the Brits get an 80mm battery.

First Toe Stub goes to the Commonwealth - a 51mm mtr immobolized an Italian tank and the crew bailed.

Start of Commonwealth turn 4.  The game is still up in the air.  Italian arty was sparse (drawing a bunch of Red chits - using Pleva rule so 2 reds do not end the Arty but go back in the cup) while the UK arty basically stopped the center Italian group cold (no black chit but lost radio contact once).  Next game day is New Years day where we should be able to finish this one up.

Fireball Forward: Operation Crusader scenario 1

 Played the Counter Recon Encounter scenario from the Operation Crusader scenario book with my son today.  It was partly a test of using Tabletop Simulator to play Fireball Forward.  The test worked great.  Hidden units work as well as measuring and dice rolls.  Going to start playing it more and hope to get more involved in it as well.

The Brits won this one handily due to very effective Arty (Germans had to spread out more!).  I will be giving it another go sometime but there are many other scenarios to try first.

ASL 192: Shoot N Scoot

 A fun scenario (for the Germans) though I think my opponent forgot about his mines though maybe I went the wrong direction from where he deployed them.  The Germans get 9 Player turns to either take 4 of 5 multi-hex buildings or get 70+vp off the opposite edge.

Start of the game.  Germans have half move on entry turn.

Whine time!  2 boxcars in a row followed by a 6 on the first repair attempt.  At least it wasn't the MA...

End of the Game after 2.5 game turns.  The Germans were just unstoppable and were very close to taking the last of the 4 buildings needed.  It doesn't help when part of the US defense line is undone by the Germans Breaking and then rolling snakes for a second required MC and coming back with a Hero and then creating a leader in CC right after.  On the plus side for the US the M10 scoot and shoots (hence the title) and CHs a Jagdpanzer.

As the Germans I did not run into the US mines (maybe they were covering the woods exit) so that could have made a difference and perhaps the M10s staying in motion might help as well.  Though it is harder for them to hit it would be harder for the Panthers as well and not getting hit is the only chance the M10s have.

ASL FT212: For Hitler For Allah

 Played this today (and through till the 11th by email).  It is listed as pre-Partisan and I would agree with that (I played the Partisans).  The Germans start with a small force in the town and the partisans in the hills.  The partisans have to hold most of the village by game end while the Germans have a relief force that can come in from either board edge (chosen before the partisans setup).  One ooops on the part of the German player (moving an entire stack with a leader into open terrain and being fired on by a leader led MMG) sealed the result in this one.  Although it was not a sure thing for another turn and a half the Germans were on the back foot from that moment on.  

The situation at the end of the game (Turn 5 our of 6.5 possible turns).  The Germans would have had to retake and hold three buildings till the end of the next Partisan turn in order to win.

Lock N Load Tactical: Rejoining the Regiment

Played this one today with my son.  Germans came very close to pulling off a win.  The US managed to rally just in time to block the road off the map.  The Germans jumped into melee and took those US units out but that blocked the hex from being moved through.  The remaining US units went to the exit hex so the Germans would have to stop and melee instead of getting off the map.  The other US option would have been to go into melee with the Germans who would have had to fire or accept the melee and they only had just enough to get off the board for a win if they moved everyone.

ASL Scenario BFP028: Marco Polo Bridge

 Finished up the Marco Polo Bridge scenario today.  Despite my whining the Japanese managed to win.  Mainly due to being pro-Japanese more than anything.

The Japanese manage to hang on just..... long enough.  One more turn would probably have finished them off.  The Chinese made it onto the VC bridge and were within range of the VC multi-hex building (had to have one or the other) but probably could not have taken it with the troops available.  My PMC nearly failed a couple of times when the Chinese managed to generat Six! heroes during the game.  Oww!  Even with that luck was fairly consistent with some good rolls and some bad rolls for both sides.

ASL Scenario BFP028: Marco Polo Bridge

 Second day playing this one.  Too lazy to write up pictures (and this is actually being posted nearly a week later so nearly too lazy to do anything).  The Chinese are halfway through the last 3 movement phases of the game.  Just a couple hexes away from the bridge but a tough slog to take it.  The Japanese have a tank at the entrence, one on the bridge, an HMG covers the lane and a half squad on the back half of the bridge.  Still doable for either side.  And they created ANOTHER hero (6 in one game, granted with 40 squads on the board but still).

ASL Scenario BFP028: Marco Polo Bridge

 Continuing the PTO in ASL we picked up with Marco Polo Bridge from Bounding Fire Productions.  Highlights are Japanese tanks and 40(!) Chinese squads...

The setup.  The Chinese have to take either all the buildings in the Japanese setup area OR take two multi-hex buildings and the bridge.

The situation at the end of turn 3.  The Chinses are making steady progress on the bridge.  Fire combat has gone very well for the Chinse while CC has ALL gone for the Japanese.  The Japanese tanks come on this turn so a bum rush for the bridge is probably not a good idea with all the FP covering it (but with Japanese IFT rolls maybe it would be).  The game continues in two weeks.

ASL scenario DB 136: The Block on the Trail to Hell

 All I'll say about this one is my Marines were slaughtered.  Don't see any way the marines can get the VC in the time allotted without a miracle.  Only other thing is that after whining about NEVER getting a hero last week I got a hero this week - and then rolled boxcars on a couple more Close Combats...

Lock N Load Tactical: Rejoining the Regiment

 Played LNL, Rejoining the Regiment with my son.  No pictures since it was a learning game.  He lost track of movement points to get off the board.  Next week we switch and I play the attacking Germans.  It appears to be a tough one for them with the need to move move move.

After that moving on to full LNL and larger scenarios.

ASL scenario DB:123 Probe on the Trail to Hell

 Just going through the log on this one makes me despise the VASL die roller...

The Marines have 5 turns to clear the circled area and do so with fewer losses than the Japanese.

My MMG and Mortar were first to shoot, both Malfed on their first shots.  Not a good start...

Then the Marines generated 2 heroes on the first turn.  (I don't recall EVER generating a hero on snake eye MC checks - EVER!@)

Have to rely on the Japanese CC ability and HTH.

Get a 1-1 odds, and ambush and a -1 leader leading it!  Rolled a 10 so all I got was a CR out of it.  At least next turn both sides got eliminated.

Second one didn't work out well either.  Average CC roll is now 8.5

Got the Marines to walk a half squad onto a HIP unit.  Keep HIP till CC phase, no ambush of course and the Marines roll snakes...

I should have gone with my whiny instict to end the suffering right there...

Maybe a DC attack will work.  Nope, fired upon by the unit next door and they roll snakes.

Next to last turn, MG repaired!  Fire it and roll an 11.  That CC was another high roll as well.  10 I think.

I don't care that I'm a whiner.  I got F*&*^%*&ng diced to death on this one.  Back to the pacific Saturday the 23rd...

ASL scenario BFP:140 Iron Greeting

 Played this one today and it was over quick.  The Poles have to have possession of the 3 outlines buildings at the end of the game.  At the start they have a near 2 to 1 squad ratio and 6 tanks to one ATG for the Russians.  To top it off the ATG has a low chance of killing a tank due to their armor.  On turn 3 the Russians would get reinforcements bring the squad total in line with the Poles and 6 tanks with poor armor but decent guns - in a straight up fight it would be about even.  

Situation at the start of the game.  The tanks start in motion and will reach the Russian front line to freeze sleaze them on turn 1.  Poles managed to walk around the resid markers to get point blank shots to mostly no result.  The resulting CC went all the Poles way however.

End of Polish turn 2 and the game.  A second round of freeze sleazing while staying in motion followed up with all the CCs going the Poles way (even to the extent that a CC reaction fire ended up boxcars).  Both players consider this one an unbalanced dud.  Though the force mix looked cool the point blank starting distance and overwhelming force for the Poles on the first three turns make it a very tough fight for the Russians. 

From here it is probably on to the PTO and in July we plan on the 11 turn Red Barricades campaign game.

ASL scenario BFP 133: Over the Hills

 Tycho and I played this scenario from the Poland in Flames pack.  We both recommend it as a good scenario.  Nice to see some maps that are not used much and in a configuration that is non-standard.  Always nice not to have THAT road in the middle of the board...

The start.  The Germans have to take the Hill and the Bridge marked on the map.  The polish could setup one hex away from where the Germans did but I wanted to make the Germans come to me and I was wary of that valley between the hills - looked like a death trap to me.  If I were to play again I would put a couple of units on the Southern hill to slow up the Germans a bit.

And the VASSAL die roller works in my favor!  The Germans get these interesting 88mm self propelled guns and in the first turn two of them managed to Malf.  Since we were only 30 minutes into the game we kept playing and to give the Die Roller its due it was pretty darn random.  Both of us getting streaks of good and bad luck throughout.

Even with the good and bad the loss of the two 88s would hamstring the Germans - both of them would roll sixes for repair and never take part in the fight.  The last one fell victim to a critical hit from the Polish Mortar.  The mortar was the MVP of the game.  Slowing up the German push in the middle of the map.  At this point the Germans had to take all four hexes in 2 turns (and the Polish prep fire was not done) so we called it there.  It is hard to see but the Germans have a roughly 1.5 to 1 squad ratio in range of the VC hexes by next turn.  Getting to the hexes would require taking a number of 8 or 16FP attacks with no cover as well.

Germantown game two. Turn 6 and English half of turn 7

 Finished up turn 6 and played half of turn 7.  Feel a little sleazy.  Found out George W was in range of a cavalry unit so ran up, chased off the demoralized unit he was trying to rally and advanced in to capture him.  Felt sleazy since last time a general was alone in the hex (years ago I admit) I did not see the rule saying that a VACANT hex did not include having a leader in it (only a leader is vacant but you kinda have to figure that out by putting two and two together, it is never clearly spelled out).

George is where the star is.  Or at least was there.  Rebel half of turn coming up but with morale so low it will be hard to get the favorable combat adds to make it a sure thing.  After that an initiative roll.

ASL 249: Showdown in Syria game two wrapup

 The second playing of Showdown in Syria came to an end today.  We finished it up by email to clear the "table" for the next game.  (sorry, no pictures) It ended up with three squads, a half squad, and a 9-1 leader surrendering.  No pictures sadly.  The leader, a squad, and a half squad were upper level encircled in one two story building.  A second was forced to surrender when botching a MOL attack and being cutoff from retreat.  The third squad was made DM when a unit went adjacent and then had it's only escape rout cutoff when a flame became a blaze.  In addition to the existing CVP these (instantly doubled by SSR) CVP made the total 27 CVP when 15 or more was a victory.

The First game the French lost due to messing up a couple SSR.  The second game the Commonwealth lost due to messing up the MOL rules - ending up with the VC building going up in flames early on and DMing two squads.  I still think this one is a bit balanced against the French but could be persuaded differently.  The French only won this time due to outlandish luck when 4 MOL attacks ended up causing the ones using the MOLS to suffer 3 DM squads due to rolling sixes and the fourth attack did nothing.

The scenario is a blast to play however.

ASL 249: Showdown in Syria game 2

 After messing it up the last time I asked for a rematch.  Although the game is not done yet it at least will come down to the wire.

The situation at the end of turn 6.  On the left I ran a 9-1, Squad, and MMG in the street to get to the buildings on the other side.  Only had a measly 2FP shot at them and the Brits got snakes...
To make up for that terrific luck when the Brits tried to throw molotovs at my tank they go two sixes and started the building on fire in two locations that are starting to spread.  I also got a crit on a pesky ATR toting squad too.  
So at the end of turn 6 I have 6 of 15 needed CVP (and prisoners count double) and a couple hexes of Brits to eliminate to take the building.  Going to be a close one.

ASL 249: Showdown in Syria

The Brits (Indians) versus the French (Vichy) in Syria.  What a disaster.  I think I messed up more rules than I got correct.  Tanks entering in illegal spots (where they were worthless), guns setting up too quickly (where they were also worthless), and I know I forgot something else but forget what.

A question for anyone, how do you unload a gun if the crew can not get on the vehicle to unload it (gotta love those early war French vehicles).

The French have to take the circled building in 8 turns or at any point cause 15CVP (with captured units counting double immediately).  As noted I messed up a couple things which did not help.  I could have had the two tanks near the center come on across the stream at the bottom of the map and should have.  I managed to boxcar one gun crew off the map the first time it had an MC.  The gun tried to fire smoke but kept missing by 1 (crew would have been nice).  Seeing how far the Brits were pushed back perhaps it is possible to win as the French.  Going to find out next week when we play again.

Germantown, Game 2, Turns 4.5 and 5

Back and forth fighting for the turn and a half.  Brits had the Colonials on a rope and then the Colonials punched back.  Brits can't seem to capture of eliminate a unit to save their life, even when attacking at 4-1 with a +6 on the dice roll (rolled a 0, which is the lowest possible).  Currently it is a tie but if the Colonials rally a unit it is a minor colonial victory so the Brits would have to come out an attack.

 

ASL 244: Château De Quesnoy (Session 3)

Our New Years game day continues!  Today with the completion of ASL 244: Château De Quesnoy.  As often happens with ASL the winner comes down to the luck of the draw.  In this case it is drawing 2 red cards for OBA that does it.  Without smoke the Germans will be very hard pressed to get a foothold in the Château - much less getting control of it.

So MVP for the French goes to the German Arty.  The Germans did not have any weapon really stand out but the potato masher was a pain.