Holland 44

Played turns three through six of Holland 44.  A lot can happen in 4 turns...

Allied turn 3.

Arnhem.  The Allies keep the lifeline to Arnhem Bridge open.  The Germans move to tighten the perimeter.

Nijmegen.  German units in the town outisde Nijmegan had attacked and nearly taken the 82 supply head.  A last unit is not surrounded and attacked AND manages to hold!

Einhoven and XXX Corps.  Lead units of XXX corps with air and arty support attack and route the Germans defending the main highway.  A couple of the armor units in that attack then swing back to attack a German unit that was next to the road blocking supply and quick movement (the rightmost star).

German turn 4.

Arnhem.  Filling in the line.

Nijmegen.  The Germans attempt to break the ring around the unit in town and this time the Allies hold!  With a step loss but they manage to hold.  The German player then moved the unit at the top right to just above the town - which breaks the ZOC bond too.  Could have moved there all along but we were both getting breaks for slight mistakes in placement if they did not cause a problem.

Eindhoven.  The German forces pull back from the road.

Allied turn 4.

Arnhem.  The Devils slip in another unit to Arnhem.

Nijmegen.  The lone German unit in the town is eliminated even with the other unit there to allow an escape route.  After the combat the 82nd used the normal advance (one hex any direction) to clean up the line.

Eindhoven and XXX Corps.  Nothing can stop them now!  OOOPS!  Can cross a blown bridge!  Units past the bridge were moved back behind it after this picture was taken...

German turn 4.

Arnhem.  The Germans attack and disrupt a unit of the Red Devils near the drop zone!  Later we remembered the attachment rules but I think it still would have been a victory.  The line to Arnhem is cut!

Nijmegen.  Germans file in a bunch of reinforcements.

XXX Corps (outside Eindhoven now).  German reinforcements are coming in to threaten the road.

Allied turn 5.

Arnhem.  A new unit is moved up to hold the line where the 123 was beaten earlier (123 moved up to support another unit in the town).

Nijmegen.  A unit of the 82nd attacks and pushes back a German unit but it comes at the cost of a step loss.  Can't do that much more.

XXX Corps.  The Star at the bottom is a German 7 strength (on defense) unit that is also elite.  We keep trying to kill it and keep getting ENG results.  Happened 3 times in a row.  The top star is where a German AT gun pops up (hidden unit just revealed).  It puts a major crimp on the drive to Arnhem.

German turn 5.

Arnhem.  Frosts boys (no matter what counters are there I call them Frost's boys from here on) are not attacked this turn since the Germans do not have the strength yet.

Nijmegen.  The Germans counterattack the unit that attacked them last turn and force a retreat.  The 82nd drop zones are vulnerable.

XXX Corps.  Just outside Eindhoven a German unit moves to block the road (and thus supply).  Came darn close to reaching the bridge and rewiring it.  Attacks on 101 units push them back to the road as well allowing the Germans to cut off supply there as well.

Allied turn 6.  Overcast!  No airlandings or air support in the morning.  In the afternoon 4 units can land and 1 air support point is available.

Arnhem.  Nothing happening here.  Waiting for the Poles to arrive. 

Nijmegen.  82nd pulls back the line.  Waiting for airborne reinforcements here too.  Overcast meant no resupply for the Arty too.

XXX Corps.  Strung out on the road they try to take the town again and are not successful again.  A German unit is eliminated though so it will be easier next turn.  One of the German units holding the road is forced to retreat.  Two left to go (one near the bridge and the other right next to the battle hex).  All those OOS markers are a sad sight.

German turn 6.

Arnhem.  The reduction of Frost's boys begins.  A Desperate Defense holds the line but causes a step loss.

Nijmegen.  Landing reinforcements is going to be a problem now.

XXX Corps.  At the bridge another German unit was moved up to add more oomph.  The German unit near the bridge was moved one more hex so it could form a ZOC bond.  Any attacks on the Germans will now have to be across a minor river.

The more I play this game the more I like it, even with my supply line being cut due to bad play on my part. When XXX Corps got past Zon bridge we thought it was over and then supply was cut.  Partly it was learning that the Germans are better at attacking then defending in regards to 101 area.  The reason is they can attack a single unit and unit quality does not come into play.  When attacking the 101 units get a column shift for being elite and sometimes two if the defenders are green.  There is also the distinction between unit types well represented.  Armor does great till it runs into an AT gun like the XXX Corps units did in that town.  Infantry can cross small rivers and get double defense in towns.  Mechanized units are very fast on roads while non-mechanized can move more quickly through woods in most cases.

Looking forward to the next game session.

LNLT: Heroes of Normandy - Brothers in Arms.

Finally got round to playing Lock N Load Tactical again.  This time it is the Americans VS the Germans.

The map setup.  The Germans have to take 18 building hexes in the circled area OR eliminate 5 US Squad/Half Squad/Weapons Teams in 7 turns.

End of first turn.  All maneuver so far with no shooting.

First shot!  No Effect!

First shot at a Stug!  Also No Effect!

End of Second turn.  The Stug Fired back and since it moved the Gun lost it's Acquisition.  Going to have to look into the rules more on that since it did not seem to state that a firing unit loses acquisition when it moves.  Most likely we missed something.

First Blood!  The US Sniper appears and Shakes a German squad.  Leaving Sgt Fury unspotted.

End of third turn.  (click on image to see more detail).  Some Crossfire on the top of the map and the Stug and Gun exchange fire at the bottom.  The squad with the gun Assault Move to fire at the Stug to no effect.

First German Blood!  He had no luck with the Gun target again (nor the gun at him) but he did fire MGs at the US Squad and shook them.

End of turn 4.  LOTS of firing back and forth, most of it doing nothing.  The MTR shot at the guy in the middle did not happen - I got that confused with next turn.

End of turn 5.  The Stug and Gun continue their duel.  Up in the Village a massive crossfire breaks out.  The US units are unscathed sitting in buildings while the Germans are cut to pieces when the move into the streets.

End of turn 6.  Very much a repeat of turn 5 except the Gun finally wins the duel with the Stug taking it out and the squad moves out to CC the shaken crew.  The MTR also caused it's target to generate a hero which is important next turn.

On turn 7 the Germans make a last ditch attempt to cross the street to the VC spaces, generating 3 heroes in the process.  At the top of the map every attempt to cross is stopped except a hero generated in H2 jumps into CC in I2 and is promptly eliminated by 2 squads and a leader.  The street was littered with dead bodies by the end of this turn.

End of turn 7.  The US Hero with the Baz used his interrupt ability before the Stug could move and fired the Bazooka - the effect was even and the stug passed the MC so it was Shaken, just enough for the last turn of the game.  Another pile of bodies is created trying to cross the street near the Stug (and the third German Hero).

A fun scenario which may be tough on the Germans but I would like to try it again sometime as the Germans.  The US also had a LOT of luck in the last 2 turns, often rolling a 6 when the Germans rolled a 1 on the DFT.  Even a roll of 1 on the damage check doesn't help then (which the Germans did 3 or more times to generate 3 heroes). 

Holland 44 Game 2 Turns 1 and 2

After getting creamed in game 1 we started up game 2.  This time not forgetting that Infantry do not get road bonus and low morale units get a shift when attacked.

Allied Turn 1

XXX Corps area.  Unlike the first game the initial attack makes ground (rolled a 2).  Not as good as could be expected but an advance.  The followup attack works as well.

In the 101 area things go well.

Landings go well for the 82 though the unit that lands at DZ-01 (lower left) rolled a 6 and went poof.  Three unknown units are destroyed.

The Red Devils begin the march to Arnhem.  The attack on the SS is stopped by a successful determined defense.

German turn 1

XXX Corps sees Gerry retreat.

In the 101 sector the Germans move up as fast as they can.  They are limited to Tactical Movement this turn.

Some of the 406 enters

The SS move to block the Red Devils from Arnhem.

Allied turn 2

XXX Corps moves to Valkenswaard.  The attack fails to clear the town.  Going to be a slog getting through it now.  Time to bring up the Arty and air power.

The 101 Captures all of Eindhoven.  The Unknown units there all turned out to be 0-0-0 units.

The 82nd makes a try for Nijmegan and are repulsed.  They also leave their Supply Head exposed...

The Red Devils attack the blocking force and push it back.  One unit attacks the Unknown unit at the bridge and eliminates it.

German turn 2

XXX Corps area.  Germans have to retreat here.

101 area.  The Germans nearly surround and attack.  Only getting an engaged result - it is very hard to get a kill in this game.  

The 82nd's Supply Head is attacked and very nearly eliminated at 6 to 1 odds (very lucky Allied player there).  It is whacked around instead and retreats to another unit.  Gerry tries a followup attack and gets an engaged result at 1 to 1 odds.  At Nijmegan another unit shores up the bridge defenses.  It is going to be much harder to pry them out now.

The Red Devils are counter-attacked by the SS.  Arnhem is soon to be cutoff.

Much more historical outcome this time.  I like this game a lot (and the entire line of games using roughly the same system).  XXX Corps is nearly to Eindhoven but if the combat roles don't go well it could be a tough fight getting there.  If the roll this coming turn goes well however they will could soon be at Nijmegan.  Then again I am probably being over optimistic...

Game Over Man! Game Over! (Holland 44 game 1)

Finished up the First game of Holland 44 and started right onto another (next post).

Actually the end of Allied turn 4.

The traffic jam at Eindhoven.  This was due to a terrible first roll attacking on turn 1 and allowing foot units to use road movement rates.  Clearing Eindhoven might have taken the entire game...

ASL Scenario Schwerpunkt 264

Played Schwerpunkt scenario 264 the Saturday after Thanksgiving and only just got done crying in order to blog about it.  Short blog entry too.  For my first game back after 6 months hiatus I didn't do TOO badly - I did ATROCIOUSLY...  Not even going to whine about bad luck (well, maybe a little) since it was bad positioning that killed me.

The setup.  The Germans have 6 turns to kick the Russians out of the buildings or get 14CVP off the left edge.  It is actually two minor powers but I forget which.  The Allies have 3 Commisars with no negative leadership modifiers but a couple of pistols...

End of German turn 1.  Only took one shot and it did nothing.  An MC caused a little sniper to pin a squad.

Russina Prep Fire.  First (and only) shot with the Art gun is boxcars - I didn't have to feel so bad about the bad placement.  First shot with the MG group did doodly too.  Whine...  Only actual effect from all the shooting was a pin.

End of Russian Turn 1.  Not looking good already.  A 10 morale Commisar breaks from the second attack on his position.  Another MC causes a big sniper to break another Russian squad.

Putting myself out of my misery.  The Germans rolled over my defense and this is the end of German turn 4.  The Russian Commisar did manage to rally but got knocked right back out again and another MC caused another big sniper that took out the middle commisar - if any of those troops break it would be no go on getting them back in the fight.  They did manage not to break for a while however.  A great shot at an adjacent target casued a HOB and the Germans Battle Hardened and generated a hero.  I finally got a sniper and it managed to recall one of the Half Tracks.  Game over after this.  One more movement phase and it would be all over.