Fireball Forward: The Crossroads. From Panzer Lehr at Saint Lo

Reffed this one with a new friend and my son.  Jeff (new guy) took the US and Jordan (My son) took the Germans.  A six turn fight over a crossroads in Normandy.

The Germans enter from the bottom and the US setup behind the line.  I made a mistake and the US roll of a 1 on the setup only allowed a single unit to setup south of the topmost hedgerow.  It would make a big difference.  Also forgetting that moving off a road required a bog check.

The Germans throw in the towel on turn 3.  The first US shot at a PZIV is a crit and kills the tank.  The unit morale makes the survivor run off the board.  The next shot is another crit and kills another German tank.  The remaining German tank managed to kill that Sherman (the exchange of shots shown) but then failed it's unit morale check for having lost a tank.  The US passed their check so at this point the Germans were down 4 tanks (one broken tank left) while the US were down a single tank with 9 left.  Points wise it was over.  If the hits had not been crits or if they had missed it may have ended differently but the odds are with the US in this one.  It also does not help that the stats on the PZIV are different between the 2nd edition rules, this module, and the latest unit charts.  The latest unit charts probably would have given the PZIV an edge since they had more armor and might have stopped another hit.  The M4s also had another point of armor too though.

ASL 262: Showdown at Tug Argan Pass. conclusion

 Finished up this scenario today  (another New Years Day game!  Woohoo!).

The Axis through in the towel after 5.5 turns.  Though I think they still had a decent chance to win it had to be no fun at all.  They have to take beating after beating after beating to get up on the hill.  When his FT tank immobolized I think all the fun was drained out of it.  For the Commonwealth it is basically a game of sitting tight and spread out to keep the Italian 100+mm arty from smashing them flat OR getting smoked out and not being able to punish the Italians on the way up to the hill.

Image from the end of the game.  The only notable item I could remember was an ATR immoblizing the FT tank.  The Italian arty did not help much either, he drew a bunch of red chits (using the red chit goes back in plus one rule or otherwise the Italian arty would have done nothing) so it did not land often.  The Italians did start causing MCs on the Commonwealth troops the last turn and the UK could not pass one to save his life.  Other turns they did not seem to fail any so it evened out.

ASL 262: Showdown at Tug Argan Pass

 Finally got back to ASL, first game since September!  It is my first foray into the desert in a long time as well.  OK for a change of pace but not a theater I'm really fond of.

The setup.  The Italians have to take the circled locations in 9 turns.  The Italians get 100mm OBA and the Brits get an 80mm battery.

First Toe Stub goes to the Commonwealth - a 51mm mtr immobolized an Italian tank and the crew bailed.

Start of Commonwealth turn 4.  The game is still up in the air.  Italian arty was sparse (drawing a bunch of Red chits - using Pleva rule so 2 reds do not end the Arty but go back in the cup) while the UK arty basically stopped the center Italian group cold (no black chit but lost radio contact once).  Next game day is New Years day where we should be able to finish this one up.

Fireball Forward: Operation Crusader scenario 1

 Played the Counter Recon Encounter scenario from the Operation Crusader scenario book with my son today.  It was partly a test of using Tabletop Simulator to play Fireball Forward.  The test worked great.  Hidden units work as well as measuring and dice rolls.  Going to start playing it more and hope to get more involved in it as well.

The Brits won this one handily due to very effective Arty (Germans had to spread out more!).  I will be giving it another go sometime but there are many other scenarios to try first.

ASL 192: Shoot N Scoot

 A fun scenario (for the Germans) though I think my opponent forgot about his mines though maybe I went the wrong direction from where he deployed them.  The Germans get 9 Player turns to either take 4 of 5 multi-hex buildings or get 70+vp off the opposite edge.

Start of the game.  Germans have half move on entry turn.

Whine time!  2 boxcars in a row followed by a 6 on the first repair attempt.  At least it wasn't the MA...

End of the Game after 2.5 game turns.  The Germans were just unstoppable and were very close to taking the last of the 4 buildings needed.  It doesn't help when part of the US defense line is undone by the Germans Breaking and then rolling snakes for a second required MC and coming back with a Hero and then creating a leader in CC right after.  On the plus side for the US the M10 scoot and shoots (hence the title) and CHs a Jagdpanzer.

As the Germans I did not run into the US mines (maybe they were covering the woods exit) so that could have made a difference and perhaps the M10s staying in motion might help as well.  Though it is harder for them to hit it would be harder for the Panthers as well and not getting hit is the only chance the M10s have.

ASL FT212: For Hitler For Allah

 Played this today (and through till the 11th by email).  It is listed as pre-Partisan and I would agree with that (I played the Partisans).  The Germans start with a small force in the town and the partisans in the hills.  The partisans have to hold most of the village by game end while the Germans have a relief force that can come in from either board edge (chosen before the partisans setup).  One ooops on the part of the German player (moving an entire stack with a leader into open terrain and being fired on by a leader led MMG) sealed the result in this one.  Although it was not a sure thing for another turn and a half the Germans were on the back foot from that moment on.  

The situation at the end of the game (Turn 5 our of 6.5 possible turns).  The Germans would have had to retake and hold three buildings till the end of the next Partisan turn in order to win.

Lock N Load Tactical: Rejoining the Regiment

Played this one today with my son.  Germans came very close to pulling off a win.  The US managed to rally just in time to block the road off the map.  The Germans jumped into melee and took those US units out but that blocked the hex from being moved through.  The remaining US units went to the exit hex so the Germans would have to stop and melee instead of getting off the map.  The other US option would have been to go into melee with the Germans who would have had to fire or accept the melee and they only had just enough to get off the board for a win if they moved everyone.