Miniatures "Modern" gaming

 Got in a playtest game of Arc of Fire featuring a scenario from the book itself.  Fun to play with "modern" toys (scenario set in the eighties - which is now as far back in time as WWII was when I started gaming...)

The board layout.  The Angolans and Cubans come in from the left and have to exit off to the right.

Same board from the other perspective.

End of turn 1.  The Cuban scouts get knocked around by a missile (lucky considering).  A scout car is out in the front of this group - can't spot nuttin though!

End of turn 2 or 3.  More Angolan forces come on.  The South African missile launcher was found and taken out.

A couple turns later and the missile launcher was not taken out - it took out a T55 and then was destroyed.  the other T55 failed a MC and got neutralized for a turn.

Continuing to move up to the stream when a barrage starts coming down.

Game Over man!  Game over. 
My forces are spotted by a 90mm armed vehicle that takes out the PT-76s one by one and then my scout car.  THEN the arty falls.  The game ends pretty much historically with my Angolans getting smacked around.

A closer view of the 90mm armed vehicles.  I think the name was ratele.

This is once again at John's house and as you see he has a nice large spot for laying out a map and a nice layout to go along with it.  

ASL scenario BD 167 - Blow that Bridge!

 Got in a quick game of ASL today with Dispatches from the Bunker's scenario 167, Blow that Bridge!

The Partisans need to either blow up or hold the bridge at the end of the game in order to win.  We finished it up in roughly two hours and it is a fun scenario we both agree would be worth another playing (but so many others to play first...).

Situation at game start.  The Germans had to start within 4 hexes of the bridge and with many forced to start in the buildings.  The Partisans had to start 6+ hexes from the bridge.  There is also a +1 lv hindrance up to 4 hexes and +2 beyond that.  We messed up the LV forgetting NOT to apply to residual placement and FFMO too.

The situation at game end.  The German defense on the East side of the bridge held strong, the Partisans fired over and over and over again at the MTR carrying squad but I don't think they ever even needed to make an MC (and if they did they passed).  On the flip side the MTR never went on a rate tare and the one time it scored a CH it did not do anything.  On the west bank of the river the German defense fell apart from the start.  The MMG that was setup on the bridge got off on shot (doing nothing) before return fire broke the crew and the leader.  A couple of CCs later and the Germans were cleared from the west bank.  The Partisans ran across the bridge and Germans fire from the east bank did not have any effect.

ASL: 290 Last Train to Lenningrad

 Played this scenario from Twilight of the Reich.  Not a favorite.  I did not "grok" how to play it the entire time but looking at the end game it was up for either player to win.  The Germans have to have 6 good order squads left of the green dashed line at game end to win.  So far they had 8 with reinforcements on the way.  My opponent conceded after two full turns but he only beat my out by a half turn perhaps (I was ready to concede myself).

The special rules for TotR are nice and I would like to see more scenarios use them.  SW are hidden at start, leaders stacked with MMC are as well.  The defender gets an automatic HIP unit.  Both sides get purchase points for things like SW, mines, wire, concealment counters, etc.  So you don't know exactly what you are up against and can't use stack size to figure out where the MGs are...

Situation at start.  

The situation at the end of turn 2 (and the game).