Afrika2 Game Wrap up. AKA Rommel Triumphant!

Lawrence (the Triumphant Fox) and I (the rat deserting the sinking ship of the desert) finished our ongoing game of Afrika 2 on Saturday.  I'll add the appropriate whining after each photo...

End of Turn 19 Axis

Rommel Consolidates his forces after the earlier battles.  As things are he can claim a victory by holding what he has.

End of Turn 19 Allies

O'Connor rolls for reinforcements and gets a 5...  No replacements this turn.  The Allies hold position at Mursa Matruh to await next turn's reinforcements.

End of Turn 20 Axis

 The Axis further consolidate and re-arrange for the expected Allied attack.

End of Turn 20 Allies

A single allied replacement goes to rebuilding the LRDG.  Allies hold position again - moving out would allow the Axis to chop them up and return back to their supply.

End of Turn 21 Axis

More waiting for the Allies and dealing with the pesky LRDG supply bump (off to the mountains stage right)

End of Turn 21 Allies

 The Allies move O'Connor and exploit capable units with him up so that they can exploit attack the forces in Halfya Pass next turn.

End of Turn 22 Axis

 The Axis sit and wait.  (these game turns went by quickly - the only thing that took time was dealing with the LRDG and moving supply for the Germans - allied supply was easy since there was a ton of it in Mersa Matruh)

End of Turn 22 Allies

 Once again there are no replacements (another roll of 4 or 5) but O'Connor attacks!  And is bloodily repulsed!  The Exploit attack ended up on the 2-1 chart and I rolled a 2 so the Allies took 2 losses to no Axis losses.  A follow up attack in the combat phase ended up in a 1 to 1 loss.  O'Connor routs back behind the Mersa Matruh line in the exploit phase.  Without massively good replacement rolls or better then average combat at this point I figure the Allies have no chance.

End of Turn 23 Axis

 The Axis re-arrange and prepare for the next attack they know will come.

End of Turn 23 Allies

  Another batch of reinforcements (but no replacements yet again though I think the LRDG was rebuilt again this turn - so the replacements roll was a 6) but O'Connor is running out of time and attacks again, and is repulsed again (average attack roll being a 5 or 6 with a single 7 for an exchange).  The Allies REALLY needed to cause a retreat - the LRDG was positioned to cause step losses from retreating through ZOC at the time of the combats.  All the Allies can do now is hope the expected Axis counter attack fizzles.

End of Turn 24 Axis (and End of Game)

No such luck.  The Axis get nice odds in the attacks (the Allies using up their air power in their turn to try and force some kind of result).  The German 3-3-12 moved to where it would force any retreats to be through a ZOC.  Then an exploit attack was made on the stack with the 8-4-8 on top.  I can't remember if that went well, I think it was an exchange.  During regular combat though the stack was attacked and this time destroyed save that 4-2-8 by being forced to retreat through the enemy zoc.  The advance after combat allowed the units now in 49-19 to attack the stack in 48.18 and the Axis rolled a 12...  Combined with an exchange result on O'Connor's stack sealed the fate of the Desert Rats.

My replacement roll for turn 24 was a 9 (3 steps!) but it would not be enough to take back Bardia for a draw much less get me near Tobruk for a victory so I conceeded the game.

Post game whining / analysis.

1:  (the whine).  With an average roll of 7 the allies would get 2 replacement points each turn for a total of 48 replacements on average.  Granted that is not how averages work but it is a good benchmark.  I remember rolling a single 9 and about 5 sixes for a total of 8 replacements BUT I rolled the 4-5 result twice early in the game which is 8 replacements removed and then I rolled the 2-3 result 3 times for 6 more removed.  So instead of an average 48 replacement steps during the game I had a total of -6 replacements throughout the game.  Churchill had a lot of fires to put out elsewhere I suppose.

2: Supply is a pain the butt for the Germans but all it really does is force them to not go past Bardia - since supply is used just by existing there is no way to stockpile it by curtailing operations either.

3: Compared to the original things in the macro sense play much better, the Germans can no longer race from Bardia to an un-guarded Alexandria and win the game as long as the Allies stopped up the highway.  On the micro sense something seems lost.  As the Allies there was nothing I could do (save running away) to keep the Germans from getting in the rear and cutting off route paths - even having units in the hexes to be retreated through does not stop losses due to ZOCs.  While the Germans can't go too far past a port or be out of supply.  Between this and the Axis winning by holding Bardia the game ends up a battle between Bardia and Mersa Matruh - which is not very historical, there should be some imperative for the Axis to take Alexandria (not to win, but perhaps needing to get close once a year or lose).  That would be a different game though.

4: Exploit capable units.  The Axis get a lot of them and they are faster then the Allied ones.  The ability to attack three times a turn versus once for many Allied units is a major force multiplier.  Couple that with the high movement factors allowing route paths to be cut and it is a triple threat.  If the exploit and combat phases go badly the high speed unit zips back to where it started and is still in supply (never having entered a ZOC).  If they go well it can most likely be in supply right where it is.  The Allies can not stop this be forming a line - each hex of it could be exploit attack individually and there would be no column shifts for spread out units.

5: The Italians, they get no respect - they are slower than even the Allied units and eat up lots of supply.  They are very handy in defense though.

Cold War UK 6mm figs

As threatened I finished up my 6mm Cold War UK figs today.  All the troops I should ever need for fielding the UK.  I now have to focus on adding more vehicles since I only have a handful of tanks and APCs for them.

The counts are
87   Riflemen (3 per stand)
13   LMG
8     Anti-Tank  (Milan)
23   Command  (one stand missing a radio guy who fell on the floor never to be seen again)
13   MTR
8    Stinger
7    FO
36  Individual Riflemen

6mm Miniatures for Cold War gaming

Finished painting and basing the following for various Cold War games including IABNM (I Ain't Been Nuked Mum!) and FFT3 (Fistful of Tows 3).

First up is the US army circa late eighties and early nineties.  These are in addition to forces I have already painted and based for each.  Want to have plenty on hand for large battles.

22 HMG
9 MTR
14 LMG
15 Individual
8 Stinger
48 Riflemen
6  FO
12 Command
8  Standing FO
8  Dragon

total of 150 figs.

Next is Soviet Union forces
39 Rifle
6   Command
3  LMG
14 Individual  (one needed to be reglued to the base..)
8  RPG

total of 70 figs.

Next up is the UK forces I painted and based today but the glue has not dried.  

ASL scenario AP38 Infilitrators

Played AP 38 on New Years day with Tycho.  A different sort of scenario that is 95% armor and the objective is to kill trucks in a resupply convoy.  I played as the UK and Tycho was the Germans.  One interesting bit for the scenario is the SAN for each side was 0 - armor ran around the board unbuttoned most of the time, granted most of the armor was open topped to begin with.

Setup

 The allies setup on board with a couple second line squads, a piat, a leader, and a 40mm AA gun.  All within 3 of the middle of the building.  I put the gun where it could cover all around the building.

End of Axis Turn 1

The Germans come on and take up positions.  This cuts off two of the 3 entrances the UK trucks could use (they have to enter from the North, top, edge of the board.

End of Allied Turn 1

I entered my first force from the top edge and took up blocking positions that the convoy would come in behind.  The Germans would have to go past the gun (and PIAT) or through the UK armor to get at them.

End of Axis Turn 2

The Germans enter on the road at the top right side of the board (eastern edge is where they have to enter from).  One goes down the road (looking for my AA gun I'm sure) and I fire on it rolling snakes!  Great way to start the game.  TK was an 11 so not enough to start a blaze (not a dud though!).  I was expecting a bit more action in the north but he added to the existing armor and stood tight.

End of Allied turn 2

I forgot to ask Tycho if I surprised him by bringing on the convoy this turn rather then waiting till all my armor was on the board first (allies can choose a group to enter each turn).  I wanted to give the convoy as much time as possible to get off the board without making them a helpless target.  The guy with the PIAT ran out the building and takes up position behind bocage (oh yeah, hedges are bocage...).  I send an AC (all my armor was open topped and /or AC, quick but vulnerable) to cover the southernmost road and put an ACQ up north as well.

End of Axis turn 3

The Germans start putting on pressure.  In 54R8 an AC took position to fire at my AC in H6, the PIAT missed by the AC hit and killed it.  On board 6 a buttoned up HT entered L1 in bypass and stayed in motion.  On board 55 in F4 he attacked my armor with his third turn reinforcement, a 20L armed AC.  He used IFT equivalent and caused an MC which the UK AC passed.  The AC fired back and missed.

End of Allied turn 3

The UK troops cause a lot of damage this turn.  First the AC down in the south kills the 20L german AC.  I bring in the last UK reinforcement group in 55Y10 so it will come in behind the Germans.  the two AAMG armed "tanks" fire at and OT German vehicle and pin it.  On the middle board a squad and the leader move out to L1 and take on the HT in close combat killing it.  2nd line UK makes the PAATC with no problem!  (more on that in a little bit)

End of Axis turn 4

The Axis run right around my AC in 55M6, it fired at the first vehicle going through Q8 and Missed and then IFd and missed (but did not Malf the gun).  In 54N6 an SS squad fails a PAATC (and thus is outdone by a lowely 2nd line UK squad...)  The AC in question also managed to kill the HS trying to run past it on the othe side of the bocage.  The convoy now has LOS to the HT north of it, I think we missed that though since I kept moving in convoy the next turn.  I thought I was doomed at this point...

End of Allied turn 4

The 55M6 AC takes out the German 20L armed HT that went round it earlier.  The 54M6 vehicle malfed MA firing at the squad next to it.  An AC sped out in front of the convoy to destroy the AC in 6E10 and then moved further down the road to cover the south.  An AAMG went north to shoot up the stack in 54Q8 and broke them both.

End of Axis turn 5

Highlights of the turn are the HT moving to 6E6 and surviving all the shots at it (the AC next to it malfed when firing upon it and all the other shots had no effect).  The rest of the German in the south went right around 55M6.  The AC in 54M6 finally falling to a CC and the German infantry in the south setting up to cover both of the roads off board.  At this point I REALLY thought it was over for the UK.

End of Allied turn 5

Per our last game the AC in the south tries to repair the MA and succeeds!  Back in action!  (last game there must have been 5 MA malfs that were repaired on the first attempt and no recalls).  The AC in 55M6 remembers how to aim the gun and kills the 20L armed vehicle behind it.  The AC in 6B6 raced down from the north to fire at the HT in B7/C7 rolling a 3!  Which the AC laughs off.  The AC in C6 turns his (just repaired) turren and fires, killing the HT during allied movement - going to 55H2 and Intesive Fring and Malfs the MA...  

End of Axis turn 6

The Germans kill the AC with the Malfed MA but the crew survives to cause trouble in the allied half of the turn.  The AC in 55M6 keeps up the good work and kills the HT that entered 55H3.  

End of Allied turn 6 and game

This turn I decide to try and finish the game by swamping the Germans defenses and moving the trucks through.  I need to get 3 off the board in order to win.  I do not Prep Fire instead using fire during movement.  I send one of the AAMG tanks next to 55R7 and it is fired upon causing a stun (used up a shot is what counts).  55M6 moves to 55L6 and is fired upon - the exchange of fire uses up the fire of 55K6.  6C9 moves to bypass 55J3 and uses up the shots from the German squad in the hex.  The 2 and 1 resids are from shots at that vehicle.  55I1 then starts up and moves to 55Q8 and exchanges a shot with 55R7 - due to the previous shot and the turret traversal the German misses and the return shot is a hit and a kill (rolled a 3 for both).  The AC starts up again and moves in with the victim clearing the road for the trucks.  The crew 55H2 moved adjacent to the HS in 55H5 so they could not fire on the road again.  Then the trucks move, the rolls were close a couple of times through the residual but the first 3 make it off the board for an allied win.

This is a nail biter of a scenario and quite different from most.  The high speed units that go very slowly off road combined with the exit VC make it an interesting situation.  The UK player has to constantly guard against the Germans blowing past his armor while the Germans have to get past and be in a position to destroy the trucks in convoy - once they are released from the convoy restriction they can easily be off the board in a single turn.

Afrika 2, Turns 14.5 through 18

Continued the Afrika 2 game yesterday, I have to admit it is starting to end up a blur since the combat keeps ending up being over the same terrain.  The combat system and supply combine to favor offense over defense.  The reason is that even at the worst odds (1-4) there is a 1 in 11 chance of causing major enemy casualties, especially when combined with causing the enemy to retreat through a ZOC.  Combine that with supply being used up just be existing (or use it or lose it as I call it) and the offense is the only way to go...

End of Allied Turn 14

At the end of the last game day I was thinking the Allies were on the brink of losing, I still feel that way at the end of this day's gaming...  Back to the game, Another 6 on the replacements roll allows me to bring back the LRDG which I sent to the mountains off to the right to hinder supply and reinforcements.  The mountains are a great spot for this since it cuts the main highway and overruns are not allowed.  Just around the bend from Bardia O'Connor gets reinforced and attacks causing very little damage (all the combat rolls were below 6 if I remember correctly).  That supply point was used to supply everyone and was not sitting around to be captured.

End of Axis Turn 15

Rommel takes advantage and kills off every unit nearby save for those with O'Connor and the first SA troops in the box behind him. This might have been the only decent supply roll the Axis got during this day of gaming, otherwise the shipping was 2 points or the ports closed for repair.

End of Allied Turn 15

Another bad reinforcement roll and O'Connor decides to run.  The SA units in the box hopefully can hold out.

End of Axis Turn 16

The Axis forces try to take advantage but I think they rolled a 2 on the combat roll causing 2 Axis casualties to no allied.  Later they use Rommel to Overrun and cause a bunch of casualties (rolling and 11 I think).  Not enough to break the 1SA though.

End of Allied Turn 16  (sorry it is so blurry)

O'Connor counterattacks (after rolling a 6 for reinforcements again and bringing back LRDG yet again).  The Allies manage to knock out the two stacks of units that were not with Rommel and the single unit that was surrounding the 1SA.  He then went on to Attack Rommel directly and I don't remember exactly how that went - probably a middle result.  All in all an excellent turn for the Allies.  Darn it, now I can't whine about the dice any more!  (but I still will, I have never rolled higher than a 6 on the replacements chart and have lost roughly 12 to 14 brigades due to the chart, WHINE!!!).

End of Axis Turn 17

The Axis counterattack and manage to destroy the 1SA box, figuring this would happen I had used up all the supply there the turn before.  I believe they also attacked O'Connor but were rebuffed.

End of Allied Turn 17

O'Connor breaks the 7 Armored out of the trap they were in, destroying a couple of Axis units along the way.  Replacement rolls no higher than 6 again.  Often 4 or 5  (I only had enough to bring back the LRDG every other turn if I recall correctly).

End of Axis Turn 18

The Axis reached a bit toooo far and suffer for it.  Rommel defeated O'Connor's 7 Armored, destroying it to the last unit but than goes on to attack the box at Mersa Matruh.  This left Rommel's stack there out of supply (those white tile spacers are to help track supply movement and range...).  

End of Allied Turn 18

The Allies mop up the remainder of Rommel's forces outside of Mersa Matruh and take a breather.  Both sides are spent at this point and replacement rolls are going to be decisive, if I get a couple of good ones I will be able to bring the units right up to the front while the Axis would take a couple of turns to do so.  With so few units on the board the Axis might be able to build up some supply as well, till now he has had to hoard every supply point.

Both Allied stacks are in Boxes and the main Allied bases are in boxes as well, the Axis can not afford the supply to build them.  Ten more turns left to go in the game which will most likely take us 2 more game days to complete.  At this point the Allies are losing badly but the Axis is in no position to finish them off.

ASL - J43, RTR in the Rain

Did you ever play a scenario knowing that you did EVERYTHING right and still lost due to crappy dice?  Well this post has nothing to do with that - I played like crap (and I will whine and say I had bad dice too, but that does not excuse playing like crap!).  My opponent, Tycho, played a solid game and easily won.

This scenario takes place in heavy rain (+1 per six hexes of distance starting with +1 at 1 to 6 hexes).  It takes place on May 23rd 1940 so grain is not effect but fields are plowed so 1.5MP to enter.

End of Allied Turn 1

 Allies move out from the J hex row using assault moves and advances with the exception of the squads at the bottom that used normal moves - they were fired on to no effect.  The mortar fires on a stack in the woods to gain ACQ.

End of Axis Turn 1

 Axis tanks move up and they take some shots, mostly ineffective though I sort of remember something happening to the guys at the bottom.  (bad memory)

End of Allied Turn 2

 I rolled a 3 on an attack but it ended up causing no damage but the sniper roll came up a 1 and my squad with the mortar is broken...  I had my tanks fire to ACQ and one of them breaks a gun. (this will become a theme).  The DM guy at the bottom did not suffer a bad result, Tycho self broke him to keep him from a bad CC situation.  In R5 the German 37L At gun opened fire not hitting anything yet.

End of Axis Turn 2

 The AT gun really shines this player turn, taking out 2 Allied tanks, Axis fire also causes an MC on the squad that was in O9 causing it to break.  Somewhere along the line I rolled another 3 - causing an MC on that squad (notice the fanatic one?) which rolled snakes (my Sniper number).  My opponent rolled a 1 for the sniper check again (2 in a row!).  I forget what damage was caused, my 9-1 leader made it through the scenario unhurt so I think it was a squad with an LMG that broke).  I then fired with my tanks again and another one rolled a 12...  (The other one actually managed to fix the gun, another theme, but was destroyed before it could take a shot).  On the plus side my guys lined up on the L hexrow fired and missed but made their own MC.

End of Allied Turn 3

 The mortar squad did not make his Rally even though he was no longer DM so I double timed a 7-0 leader over to rally him.  The tank in M8 managed to kill the tank in Q7 but I forgot about ROF being a 2 for those tanks (Impressive) so I had to use IF, did not manage to break the gun.  The tank in L6 managed to fix it's gun (2 for 2) but then rolled a 12 when trying to start.  The German tank in Q6 fires and breaks a gun...

End of Axis Turn 3

 The German fire this turn is mostly ineffective but he did break the ATR squad in N4 and the remaining squad with the 9-1 broke and routed with the 9-1 tagging along.  Oh, tank in Q6 fixed its gun (3 of 3 fixed the RPh after breaking.).  I found that the LOS from L6 to R2 is clear and take a shot hitting the turret and causing a shock result.

End of Allied Turn 4

 The gun duels continue with the German tank scoring a shock result on my tank in M8.  L6 and R2 trade shots as well, scoring another hit but it just went pling.

End of Axis Turn 4

 The tank in R2 finished off my tank in L6.  The ATR in J1 fires at the tank in Q6 and rolls snake eyes!  LOF blocked by the wall at the O4/N4 vertex, BOOOO!  The German tank in R2 finishes off the tank in L6 too.

End of Allied Turn 5

 The tank in M8 recovers from the UK and fires!  Rolling boxcars!  The line of squads fired at Q4 again causing no damage and then advanced over the wall.  They have not been hurt yet either so I can't complain (the rain really makes it hard to hurt anyone).  In S8 my squad advanced into CC but the Germans got ambush (I rolled a 2 and then he rolled a 1, sigh...).

End of Axis Turn 5

 The tank in M9, yup you guessed it, fixed the gun on the first try.  I don't remember if the German tank died from another shot or from the Shock counter.S8 fired at R8 to no effect and the 9-1 stack fired at S6 to cause them to break.  The squad in O4 was fired at and broke low crawling to O5.

End of Allied Turn 5, end of game.

Well, have to run in order to try for a win (need control of 6 buildings).  O2 fired at P2 for no effect.  O3 fires at Q4 and breaks the leader and squad (they had been exchanging fire all game).  The squad starting in M1 double timed (with leader) and was fired on by the HS in P2, the tank MGs and finally by the tank before it went down, game over at that point but I moved the tank from M8 to R3, the tank in R2 did an Intensive Fire shot and missed and then I fired, and rolled a 12...  perfect ending for this particular game.

Lots of fun and Tycho and I will be playing AP38, "Infiltrators" on New Years day.