ASL FE74.1: Fruitless Fighting

Starting playing this one today.  I was a whiny little twerp (no excuses, I was a whiny little twerp).  Too busy prepping house for sale to do a writeup with pictures (I'll save that for the finish).  Played the first four turns where the Soviets run rampant.  They did not manage to take all the VC buildings and now pretty much even forces are coming on for the Germans and they get 4 Tiger tanks to boot.

 

BP-03: Prussian Panic (ASL) session 3

 The final (short) session of Prussian Panic.

The Russian luck holds out for one final turn.  

A Freeze Sleaze and a run finishes off the game.  During the German turn the squad in the first victory building was taken out when it tried to shoot, got no result, and in return was broken.  Russians declared NQ and it was eliminated.  The German tank next to it obliterated the 8-2 and squad it was in melee with by firing in the Prep fire phase with MGs.  
In the Russian turn the Russian tank moved into the hex with the German Kill Stack (more like Fire Lane of death stack) and with only one faust shot they were unable to destroy the tank allowing the 9-2 leader and a squad to make an end run for another victory location.  The Germans conceded with that move.  

The Russians got VERY lucky with the OT HT.  It took out the Jagdpanzer and another Panzer, braved a couple rounds from the 50L, a bunch of Faust shots, and finally lived through two turns of CC without a gun and being OT...

Fireball Forward, Operation Crusader: Counter Reconnaissance Encounter

 My first FTF game in year (Thanks Danny!).  Also my first time getting the miniatures out in an even longer time.  The Counter Recon Encounter scenario from the Operation Crusader scenario book.  A good clean intro to the Desert and back into Fireball Forward.

First turn of the game.  The UK rushes onto the board.  The Germans did not fire so no losses were taken.  The UK spots the Germans in the depression to the left.  They fired upon them but due to range they miss with all shots.

End of turn 4.  The German PzJgr 1 AT vehicles were taken out by Arty when I used the initiative to call in back to back arty.  That plus forgetting the +1 to the morale check for an open top vehicle.  Though I think one of them still would have been eliminated and the other broken.  This left the table pretty much open for the Crusaders.
The red markers are destroyed vehicles and the black are those out of ammo.

End of turn 5 and game called. Due to the Arty wiping out the PzJgr vehicles the Crusaders cleaned up.  The Germans were down to 1 operational vehicle at the end of the turn and 1 with no ammo.

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?

Fireball Forward: Stiffening Resistance (Game two)

 Started a second round of Stiffening Resistance on Tabletop Simulator.  We finished up to the end of turn 3 in 2.5 hours.  Not bad since it includes setup and rules reading time.

The situation at the end of turn 3.  The Germans are taking lumps.  Blind fire into the buildings by the UK resulted in a lot more Morale Checks for the Germans then averages would allow.  One tank rolled double red sixes when fast moving for instance.  One UK halftrack is down and the Germans have lost a squad and 3 Halftracks.  The one with the 75mm is still in the game though.

First Blood!  The Germans got the first kill in the game - which was quickly followed by the Germans losing their unit as well.