ASL BtB:16 finale. Battlegroup Nor-Mons

 Today we finished up this scenario. We only ended up playing till the end of German turn 3 before the German player conceded.   With the UK 120mm arty coming on in addition to the already existing 80mm that had been doing a good job so far, a Tiger malfing and recalling after one show, and two other Panzers burning after getting hit by regular Shermans it was going to be a tough slog.

Game situation at the end.  The Berserk squad had not had a chance to fire off the Shrek yet and the FB had not made an appearance but things were looking rough for the Axis.

ASL BFP scenar BtB16: Battlegroup Nor-Mons

 Played this one for the second time today.  The last game ended with a German win after the UK Arty did not make an appearance.

This time I had the UK and I stayed off the 2nd level hill knowing it would be a prime target for the rocket OBA.  I guessed correctly.

ASL scenario BFP 30: Melee Near the Coast

 The New Years Day game was postponed due to a blown out TV/monitor (went dead on New Years Day, BooHoo!).  So the game that was to be played that day ended up being played today.  Luckily the storm that went overhead from the time the game started till the time it ended did not knock out the internet or power...

The scenario is BFP030: Melee Near the Coast.  So far all the scenarios from Blood and Jungle have been interesting and this one was a nail biter and fun as well.

The situation.  The Japanese have to be in control of 10 buildings at game end.  There are 6 buildings on the left board meaning the Japanese have to also capture and hold 4 more on the right board.  They could go for the single building at the bottom right but I figured that would take too long so did not worry about defending it, except in relation to also keeping the Japanese from swinging around the bottom of the map.

End of Chinese turn 4 and the writing is on the wall.  I don't remember any CC going for the Chinese and there were two instances where a single Japanese squad CCd two Chinese squads and only the Chinese were eliminated.  I should have fallen back more and made the Japanese advance into fire more but too late now (still getting used to facing off against the Japanese and their stripes...).  Four squads and two leaders coming on from the right are all that stand in the way of the Japanese juggernaut pounding my Chinese.  

Add a crew to that - the Chinese crew in the building at the top managed to rally just in time.  They also managed to pin a Japanese squad so the leader and another squad with it had to CC the Chinese crew to take the building (which they do with gusto).  This gave the Chinese reinforcements time to get in position however.  It ends with the CC rolls of the Japanese half of turn 7.  They needed at least one CC to go their way and none of them do.  The pinned squad near the top may have made a difference if it could have gotten into E3 with the leader (I forget the CC roll there - the Japanese leader by himself was 1 to 5 odds) but the pin result kept that from happening.  E5 ended up with both sides being eliminated and F5 with a Japanese crew being eliminated without harming the Chinese squad.  Well, if there is a time for the Chinese to come up the winners in CC the last turn is as good as any.

EDIT - The Japanese rolled a BUNCH of boxcars during the game.  At least four times for morale checks and at least twice for fire attacks with mortars or MGs.

BP-03: Prussian Panic (ASL) session 2

 Continuing on with the Prussian Panic scenario.  Things have gotten interesting.

I move my only T34 with functional MA and the 67LL HT to engage a JagdPanzer and a PZIV.  Bad idea.

With an overabundance of luck my Russians come out on top.  The T34 was "only" shocked (and so were we when we looked at the TK numbers of the 75L versus the T34 armor and saw it was a better then even chance a hit would have no effect).  It was finished off by a faust.  The HT was missed entirely.  In return fire I went for Deliberate Immob till I found it had very little chance (a crit) so I switched to APCR and then we were shocked again at how high the chance of hurting the beast was - one shot one kill).  The HT then fired at the PZIV and Immobilized it, later the crew of the PZIV Intensive fired back and ruined their gun.  The HT switched to firing on the adjacent Germans with their faust and managed to DM them.
Darn lucky dice!  Now I can't whine about them and have to play on.  (really, that bonehead move should have cost me the game right there).

The situation at the end of Russian turn 6.  Two turns left to go.  The PZIV is in CC with a leader and 628 squad and the Germans are down to a couple of stacks.  The Russians have more troops but we will see how the engagement down at the bottom edge goes.

BP-03: Prussian Panic (ASL). Session 1

 Played this with Tycho today.  (actually writing up some weeks later).  I had NO idea what I was going to do and was feeling out of sorts so cut the session short - only getting done 2.5 turns.

The Russians have to get 25CVP off the north edge or hold two multi-hex buildings North (left) of the red line.  They have 8 turns to accomplish this.  (and for once prisoners count too).

Situation at game start.  The on-board Germans are a lot of dummies and conscript squads.  The offboard ones are tougher customers.

End of Russian turn 3.  A good fallback defense keeps the initial German troops in a sort of line but it is ready to crack.  German reinforcements are on the way though.  I probably should have pushed harder with my 8ML Russians.

Advanced Squad Leader: BFP-138: Outgunned!

 Played this one with Tycho.  A very fun scenario even though I messed up the VC yet again...  Highly recommended.

The Poles get crappy tanks, the Russians too AND all of the Russian vehicles are inexperienced.  This guy would be a better Tank Commander.

The setup.  The Poles have to get across the stream for VP or capture the buildings or kill Russians.  A total of 50+ points for the win.  I had it in my head they had to get off the board for the points, not just on the other side of the stream...

End of turn 1.  The Poles have those extra crappy French tanks of WWI vintage.  Speeds of 8 and 5...

End of turn 2.  The Russian tanks on the right would fire MGs all game and not do a thing (oops, I think they caused a MC that broke a squad one time).  The +1 for crappy leadership is brutal.  This is also the only game I remember where I lost more vehicle crews than vehicles.  Two immobilized tanks had their crews bail out and get shot dead.  The 76mm gun truck was fired upon and the crew rolled boxcars for the MC.  For their part the fastest French tanks stopped, tried to start and rolled boxcars and then both ended up immobilized.

Then it sinks in.  Why are the Poles not going for the exit VP?

HEY!  The Poles only have to get across the stream and they have the last half game turn too - all they have to do is advance out of the stream and I can't stop them!  Bum Rush!

Thinking back I should have had the tanks simply move to where they could fire on the Polish tanks and the 76mm should probably have stayed put.  As it was my troops did far better then they deserved.  On the right my 7-1, squad and LMG moved right next to a Polish squad and leader.  Poles missed and the Russians took them out.  Most of the rest of my troops managed to make it adjacent or into CC as well.  When the Polish tanks went out of the stream they had just enough points for the win.  One less tank living (took out one with the HMG) would have been a Russian win.

Maybe I will refresh on the VC instead of relying on memory from a couple weeks back in my next game, by what start now?

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 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.

ASL scenario Battlegroup Nor Mons (Beyond the Beachhead pack from Bounding Fire Productions 16) (conclusion)

 Tycho and I finished up our Beyond the Beachhead game today.  We played out a half turn of it by email (was planning on more but life and rules lookups got in the way).

Last report left off with the German turn 2 done.  We finished the UK turn 2 and then I rolled for wind and got snakes followed by a 5 (or whatever causes the wind to increase).  This had the effect of getting rid of all the smoke.  I was shaking with that one, at least I had a turn to scatter my troops so they did not all get nailed by arty.  Tycho then managed to draw two red chits.  The Germans were off to the races to boot.  One Sherman (top right ) backed up one hex and was hit and turned into a burning wreck by the Stug on the road (lucky shot with the CE being just enough to make a hit).  Another Sherman bogged backing up from the PZIV (middle) and his fire was ineffective.  At this point the game was called.

Probably a good scenario but the luck at the worst times struck the UK player combined with some bad placement.  If the UK arty had come down when the smoke cleared the Germans would not have had a clear shot to the VP buildings but also by that time the UK troops were mostly broken or out of position.  I would play this one again sometime but with so many scenarios...

ASL scenario Battlegroup Nor Mons (Beyond the Beachhead pack from Bounding Fire Productions 16)

 Started this scenario today.  The Germans have 7 turns to take the buildings indicated.  They also must clear the UK off of the 2nd level locations in the big circle.  The UK gets VP for each good order unit on a hill hex at game end.

The Germans get a 150mm Rocket attack at game start, all it did was DM a single unit on the hill.  The UK got two Arty types,  One was 80mm and the other 120mm.  The Germans got another OBA as well, also 80mm with smoke and HE.

Time was short and we had a couple of rules lookups so we only made it through the end of the German turn two.  The German (me) is more afraid of UK arty then offensive use so I smoke the field to keep the UK from getting a LOS to my guys.  Worked out quite well since the UK arty request was blocked by smoke.

ASL scenario Into the Rubble 3. Tough as Nails. (Finished it up)

 Tycho and I finished up the New Years game this day.  Here is a link back to it.  Turn 4 is what was completed this day.

Writeup

ASL Scenario IRT03 Tough as Nails.

 Keeping our News Years day tradition alive Tycho and I played ASL.  After the last game with way too few counters we decided on a Stalingrad slugfest with BFP's Tough as Nails.  Boatloads of squads, flamethrowers, Tanks, Guns, Stukas, and MOL-Ps.  Whats not to like?

We played till the end of the Russian turn 4 movement phase.  Tycho probably needed to push his Germans a little faster (taking risks with the tanks to sleaze freeze perhaps) and was nearly out of time to get to the second VC building.  Notable items were his Stukas doing two mistaken attacks before finally attacking a stack of my reinforcements (I got cocky by that point and the Stuka punished me appropriately).  The last Stuka attacks went after Dummies.  The MOL-P managed to take out a Flame Throwing tank after not killing it with the first hit (and surviving the FT attack).  Another notable was a Russian squad killing 2.5 Germans squads in HTH melee and only being reduced in return.  Finally the Snipers were active and the German 10-2 was wounded early and turned into a rally machine and the Russian sniper kept DMing the same squad over and over that the leader was trying to rally - at least the leader was not killed.  The Russians had two leaders wounded but I forget how though I think one was a sniper.

Next up is Beyond the Beachhead 16 on the 16th.

Advanced Squad Leader Scenario BFP 25: From Villebaudon to Valhalla

Played this ASL scenario last Saturday via VASL with Tycho.  A Heavy Metal affair with 10 Panthers and assorted AA vehicles vs 3 M10s, Assorted Shermans (one with a 76L), a 57L AT gun, and 2 rocket armed Fighter Bombers (using the BFP rocket armed fighters rules).

The situation at setup.  The Germans enter from the right hand side and have to get 9+ VP to win.  10 CVP are worth 1vp and each of the Stared hexes at the intersections of the left hand map are worth 2 each.  This is Normandy so the Bocage is a major obstacle.

End of German turn 1.  They have 9 turns in the game and have to get clear across this board (only about half of it shown here) to the other board for the VC locations.  The regular looking hedges are "lite" bocage from BFP, basically a half level still with +2 but only 1/4mp to cross and a little less restrictive LOS rules.  The Hedges with a brown outline are normal Bocage.  LOS is a major pain in this one!  The Germans have a tough time getting past the US line - the units up North would require 3 turns just to reach it when adding in Bocage movement penalties.

End of German turn 2.  The US moved their forces forward to make life more interesting for the Germans.  The first couple attacks by the US were not productive, a Baz rolled 11 on a lovely side shot on a Panther, the radio has not made contact in three tries, and a MTR malfs on the first shot.  THEN the 9-1 leader and 50 cal in a steeple rain death on the German Radio and leader. 

End of US turn 2.  The US AA halftrack had broken a German squad but the Panther in the hex killed the HT, multiple tries for Smoke mortars and smoke rounds to no avail (US vehicles had an SM8 in two instances and a 7 in two others, only one managed to put down smoke).

The US MG keeps up the killing spree, any German trying to reach the radio is a dead man.  In the south a Bazooka team takes out a Panther with an underbelly hit while a second Panther follows along and is missed by the M10 trying to hit it.  The Panther then breaks the Baz armed squad that killed the other Panther, luckily the one smoke round is enough to allow (forced really) the Baz team to route to the 8-1 leader location in the building to the north.

A Panther kills the second Priest up North but does not flame it - there is also a 60mm MTR that will cause problems.  Somewhere in all the shooting a US sniper is activated and Stuns the crew of an AA vehicle (top right).  The US radio has not made contact in six attempts...

End of German turn 4.  The Panther won the duel with the M10 (M10 never scoring a hit).  Up north another Panther tried rolling past (not overrunning, not enough MP) a concealed US stack and was killed by said stack in reaction fire.  Most important is the US radio makes contact.

End of US turn 4.  The Arty is corrected and lands right where it is needed most, in addition I had to make another chit draw and it was black (units not in sight of observer).  The Panther that killed the previous M10 takes on a second M10 - which also forgot to load up some APCR rounds but does the next best thing and immobilizes the Panther.  The Panther in the middle BOGs for the second time in the game, he is going nowhere slow.  Finally the sound of American Fighter Bombers are heard overhead, by SSR they arrive on turn 4 and stay till turn 8 but there is a NASTY German AA vehicle with 20ift, which means it can kill a Fighter Bomber on a 7 or less, damage in on an 8, and drive it off on a 9 if the FB is in it's firing arc (otherwise add one for each covered arc change).

Just after the German Movement phase the FBs attack.  The first one goes after the AA vehicle, the AA fires and misses (rolling an 8 I believe while needing a 7 or less to have an effect).  The FB fires MGs to no effect and then drops the bomb, a direct hit that destroys the AA vehicle.

With the nasty AA vehicle dealt with the other FB (with the more advanced rocket pods) attacks the lead Panther.  Eight shots with a 5 or less chance of hitting, 2 of them hit and with top armor of only a 3 the Panther ends up a burning wreck.  Right after this the infantry just above the now destroyed Panther are Broken and then half of them lost for failing a second MC while broken from US MG and squad attacks (4 stacks attacked them and all would regain concealment).  With that the Germans conceded the game, they had 4 movement phases left, 5 Panthers out of 10 destroyed or immobilized and the remaining ones either BOGGED or to the North and needing three turns just to reach the US line.

When initially setting up the US defense I was wracking my brain, there was a LOVELY two rows of Bocage just beyond the US start area (the US could setup on the West side of one of those).  I kept thinking it would be so much easier if that second Bocage row was in the US start zone since it would allow room for Broken units to rout in safety while not giving the Germans a spot where they could gain concealment at short range.  Then it dawned on me that the Germans are not going to be able to reach the other bocage line and my troops could move there in safety during their first turn.(after looking at the setup for days mind you, I may be a a little slow but I eventually get there...).  The other big item for this scenario is the Rockets, they are DEADLY.  If there had been two Panthers in a line the rocket attack could have been split between them (4 at each) with most likely 2 Panthers being destroyed or forced to stay in Motion (if the Panther had been stopped the to-hit number would have been 7 instead of 5).  A more concentrated attack might have helped but the US Arty might have destroyed a concentrated attack (as it was the Arty never came till turn 4 but had a major effect by killing off a Panther that tried to drive through it).  Perhaps the best German move is to attack in force in the South, there is the least Bocage there and this allows the Panthers to keep their fronts to the US units till the rest of the infantry can move up.  Still, that Arty....  (also in this game the German Arty was instantly shut down by the US 50cal in the steeple, I think he was expecting my Observer to be there and accidentally moved his observer out in the open of that spot.

Bounding Fire Productions ASL scenario 23: Prelim to Death Night

Played ASL scenario BFP023 on January Seventh (?!) and am just getting round to writing it up.  Getting that kind of beating puts one off of blogging...

The setup.  The Germans have to catch 12 building locations in 6 turns to win.  The US have 1 50 cal, 1 heavy, 2 mediums, and 2 Bazookas while the Germans have 2MMG and 4LMG.  The US plan is to blast the first line if they dare to get to PB range and fall back to the buildings.

End of first German turn and a pattern starts to develop.  The first shot (from the Recalled SPG hex - though not the gun itself which missed) breaks the MMG position and they make a run for it.  The Germans then surge forward into three 12-2 shots and two 6-2 shot2.  Over half of those end up as no effect.  In return fire with 8+2 shots another US squad breaks and runs.  The topmost shot is a 12 straight shot for NE as well.  Only real positive thing is the US sniper recalls the German AFV.

Yeah, I'm a whiner - bite me...

End of US turn 1.  The HMG fires along with crew and gets NE (breaking the HMG too) and return fire breaks the crew.  The other HMG fires for NE as well.

German turn 2.  Picture says it all...

End of US turn 2.  The game would go on a couple more turns but it was all over at this point.  (that Opfire MMG was actually the HMG).  The US squads have to re-position to the town to have any chance of stopping the Germans, surely two squads trying for smoke would have one of them make it - NOPE they both roll sixes.

I had a bad setup but I didn't realize just how totally CRAPPY my roll of dice was till I went back over the log today.

Yeah, I'm whining again...

Probably a good scenario - the AFV is what we both called scenario bait, it catches the eye having a 150mm armed AFV but with the firepower floating around it would not have lasted long even without that sniper (well, considering the US rolling...)

ASL Scenario BFP-27 Chapei Roadblock

Played this scenario yesterday over vasl, despite some glitches with VASL itself and Skype the game went very quickly.

In this scenario the Japanese have to take 5 victory buildings in 8 turns.  The Japanese get 18 squads, 4 leaders, 4lmg, 2 mmg, and 6 tanks.  Unlike my last game I treated the tanks as nothing more than extras for this scenario - the infantry were going to carry the fight!

The Chinese get 12 squads at start, 2 leaders, 2 HMG, 2 LMG, and 2 75 arty pieces.  In addition they have 2 roadblocks and 6 trenches (that link to buildings like in RB but with no basements).

On turn 5 they get reinforcements of 5 squads, a leader, an lmg, and 2 tanks.

The board at start.  (I accidently setup incorrectly so technically I lost the first game after all my units failed to enter, ahem...)  Circles are the VC buildings.

Off to the Races!  No LOS means run like crazy!

The fighting commences, Tycho loses a dummy stack and moves his troops to counter the threat.

BONSAI!  (once again, no Banzai by SSR)

Unlike my last game where I played my Japanese like other nationalities this time I press the attack hard (I'm a naturally aggressive player to begin with and the Japanese are a dream come true!).  I also get lucky, the gun at the top right fires and misses, my tank enters its hex and then a follow on couple squads fire and DM the crew.  A Chinese squad broke while firing at my guys (FPF and 6 morale don't mix) and was eliminated by massacre.  Another squad is eliminated in CC.

The tank that entered the Gun's location forgot to roll for bog and it ends up bogging on an 11, followed by a nice low roll firing at the DM crew - which eliminates them...  A Japanese Sniper then DMs a Chinese squad crossing the street.

BONSAI!  (yes, again!)

Image at end of Japanese Afph of turn 2).  My Japanese are not going to slow down to cross a street.  2 squads gunned down in the street but the rest make it adjacent to the enemy.  An HS also gets nailed but no resid since shooter rolled snakes and it disappeared in a puff of Cowering (Tycho would do that a LOT!).  He also rolled lousy against the Japanese entering the building, lots of nines, tens, and elevens.  For the guys entering the street he rolled better but with lower fire values.

The CC phase crushes the Chinese resistance (how do you stop the Japanese?)  Highlight of the phase is Tycho rolling an Ambush and then rolling boxcars.  Japanese HS finished off the poor bugger with ease.

The Chinese try to make a new line of defense.

Japanese portion of Turn 4.  The tanks swarm around the rear and the squads move in.  Chinese resistance cracks again.  At this point Tycho called it - although he had a gun in X6 that might have done some real damage the Chinese now had equal numbers (once their reinforcements came on next turn) and the Japanese would almost certainly have taken all the VC buildings by then - forcing the Chinese to take at least one back in order to win.

With both agree that this scenario seems to be unbalanced in favor of the Japanese but I just realized that the Chinese never made mention of Bore Sighted locations.  With the MGs and the Guns that might have made a difference.  Even with that I would recommend this package to anyone wanting to play PTO - the programmed instruction nature of it and the incredible boards and articles in the Blood and Jungle pack are well worth the money.