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.

Stonewall Jackson's Way 2 scenario five

Extra lame this time!  No pictures!
Played scenario five of SJW2.  CSA cavalry went North of the line and tried to force march, eliminating themselves...

Stonewall then went that way and got behind the USA line but had to fight some battles - winning them but losing a brigade to exhaustion in the process.  Should have kept going with them as well and let them bleed SP along the way.

Lee and Longstreet punched into the Union line but did not manage to break through.  So the CSA lost roundly.

ASL AAR for scenario WO17

Played WO17, Poteau Party in March, just getting round to writing it up...

The eye catching bit for this scenario are M36 jacksons vs Panthers.

Game at start.  The Germans win by having no US units in the buildings next to the RR and suffering less then 33cvp at the end of the game.  There is also snow hindrance to deal with so long range shots are iffy.

End of German turn 1.  Germans enter the board and exchange fire, more effective than expected.

End of US turn 1.  Heroic leader dies right away along with 1.5 squads worth of troops.

End of German turn 2.  Panthers come on board and get a lucky shot against a Sherman after moving.

Lights up every time...

End of US turn 2.  Some skedaddling and the Jacksons take up position.

End of Germans turn 3.  German tanks surge forward, there is no time to waste, but perhaps fewer Panthers to waste.  Down near the bottom I did a really dumb move, exposing a Panther to CC and not having Infantry move up to take a shot.  A STUG is also destroyed by being next to two buildings on a road STUPID!

To the right a Panther moves up to an M36 for a one on one fight, aim for the Turret!

Good shot!

I was not even this composed...

End of US turn 3.  A half turn later the Panther is still there and the US troops in the hex are eliminated by two MCs caused by the two stacks nearby (both actually fired at the troops with the Panther).  The Panther now being free to shoot takes a shot at the Sherman - I think I later messed up the rules of bypass by keeping the turret pointing toward the Sherman.  Near the top a Panther breaks a pesky US squad trying to Zook him.

End of German turn 4.  The Sherman is toasted by the Panther, the other stug totally destroys it's MA and leaves the board.

End of US Turn 4.  The burning Sherman spreads to the woods. US units nears the bottom are broken and forced to surrender with nowhere to route.

German turn 5 just before route phase.  A SWARM of Germans take out a single US Half Squad, poor guy never stood a chance...  Panthers move to cover the path forward.  Two turns left to clear out the buildings and make sure they can not be re-occupied.

End of German turn 5 after advance phase.

End of US turn 5. 

Firing through smoke at a moving tank 80 meters away and snow to top it off...

Another Panther down.

End of the Game (German turn 6).  Have to roll all the dice now, Panthers move up to cover the two Jacksons and one of them scores a hit, the losses now top 33CVP and the US win.

Solid play on Tycho's part as the US and sheer stupidity on mine as the Germans sealed the fate on this one.  Looking back I should have put the Jacksons in a spot where they would have had to come at my Panthers - or at least sent all of them after one at a time if possible (and it was).  I sent in the Panthers in Penny packets hoping for the Jacksons to hit the Hull and paid the price for it twice.  Getting the one stuck between a Jackson and a Bazooka was bad too, but I shall whine a little and say that getting hit by a Bazooka at two hex range while in motion in the snow and with smoke in the hex...  (WHINE!!! - and NO EXCUSE for bad play on my part).  A good scenario and worth another try someday.

Stonewall Jackson's Way 2

Played this one back on March 11, really late on blog entries...

I think this is scenario 2, Jackson leads an attack to capture a single hex before Union troops block him.

Game setup, sorry for the fuzzy picture.  Jackson's troops are at the bottom, the circled hex is the objective with Union troops holding the river line.  To the top left and further north are Union troops that can arrive by rail on the second day.

End of first turn near the river crossing, I should have moved further and ignored a chance for disorganization - Jackson could have taken the hex most likely.  He did manage to cross the river and push the Union away.

To the North and West (upper left in first picture) the Union troops move to the RR track.

End of Turn 2.

Jackson fights a battle and routes the US forces, really should have tried attacking Culpeper directly even from the hoof.  A brilliant tactical victory but not a strategic one.  The CSA cavalry hold up the USA troops on the rail line.

End of turn 3 and the game.

Jackson attacked the Culpeper hex and was justtttt shy of taking the space,  as it was he would be unable to attack again so even though it was a major USA victory a single DR could have meant a major CSA victory.

ASL Winter Offensive 13 AAR

Played this ASL scenario back in February (still behind but catching up).  As the Russian player I loved it... 
The eye catching bits for this scenario are the Sherman tanks the Russian gets and the "rolling" barrage.  It automatically lands each turn and gets pushed back 3-6 hexes (Russian choice) as well.  Once it lands offboard it is gone.  The Random Direction is a maximum of two hexes away as well.  It is harrasing fire at 70mm so not TOOO deadly unless the target is in the woods but it made for a very effective shield down the middle.

Board setup.  The Russians need to earn 12vp to win.  They get exit VP for getting of the South edge (2VP per tank, prisoners don't count, normal for others).  They also get VP for the 3 stone buildings, 3vp each if captured on turn 5, 2 on turn 6, and 1 on turn 7.  

End of Russian turn 1.  Things go pretty well for the Russians in their half of turn 1, 2 squads broken but German skirmish line pushed hard.

End of German turn 1.  German front line retreats and two squads left with nowhere to go are captured.

End of Russian turn 2 Fire phase.  The Russians press forward quickly, breaking apart the second German line.

End of Russian turn 2.  The Germans lost the CC up north and the Russians advance forward.

End of German turn 2.  Germans stacks are broken by the Arty and Russian squads.  Down near the bottom is a German 82mm MTR.  The middle of the board is clear of resistance but the Russian's own arty will keep them from just swarming right through.

End of Russian turn 3.  The remainder of the German front line is eliminated when no quarter is declared.  The German MTR is overrun and the crew scattered.  A Russian squad rolls boxcars when chancing a trip into the barrage...  Finally a German sniper breaks the HMG crew which had only just rallied after breaking earlier.

Maybe I didn't give the arty it's proper due in the opening comments...

End of German turn 3.  The German AFV reinforcements come on board while the HT up north Bogs itself trying to go over the hedge. 

End of Russian turn 4.  The tanks take the top of the map and kill the HT in advancing fire, the Germans did not hit the Sherman moving across their front.  The German 8-1 stack fired causing NE on the CX unit when it was in the woods. 

End of German turn 4.  The 8-1 squad breaks one group of Russians but Berserks the other.  Meanwhile the Sherman fired and got Acquisition.  Near the bottom the HS broke the stack next to it.

The situation after the first Russian shot of turn 5.  The Sherman broke the 8-1 and the squad and we called the game.  Barring something very strange (a sniper attack is all I can think of) the Russians would capture the 3vp buildings for a total of 9vp, the Sherman up top would get off the map for 2vp, and that would leave just 1vp for a Russian win.  The Stugs would not be able to get into position to stop the remaining Shermans from getting off the board the next turn for 4 more VP.

This scenario was one of a series where things seemed to go easy for one side over the other (in this case it was me it was easy for, in others it was Tycho).  Perhaps a slightly different setup may help the Germans or slightly different dice results, I don't remember especially good luck in this one but it almost always seemed to go my way - so I'd rate it as my being the lucky one in this scenario.  A one turn holdup early on would have made all the difference between a blowout and a much tighter game and that is where the Russian luck comes in, the German front line never got a hit on the Russians that could slow them down.  At any rate this is a good medium sized scenario with a nice force mixture.