Jude
Senior Member
Since my friend and I knew our first scenario would be so short (it was), we planned on playing OA31 With Friends Like These as well. I had the defending French. Originally I planned to set up a gun or two in the orchards next to the river with the others in the brush. However, I was influenced by the thread "Has ASL evolution left behind "ART" pieces, like 10-3s?" Since having ART guns is rare - and in this one the French get four(!) 105s, I decided to go for fun and set all of them up in the brush and blast anything that came their way. Missing everything during American turn one (moving vehicles, changing NT covered arcs), the guns started shelling the board the rest of the game. My opponent took one out with a MTR, but he never got close as I had my entire OB in a mutually supporting role. In hindsight, I think the Americans need to run the Stuarts through the brush on turn one to flush out any possible HIP guns. Since they are forced to set up facing the wrong direction, the Stuarts should be able to get one or two with just their MGs alone (should they be there). Of course the French could set up two in the orchards and the others under concealment in the open (the Americans enter), but if there are no guns in sight, at least two have to be in the brush. A bit too small for my tastes, but it was fun blasting with 20 FP shots! I'd recommend it for either side, but it's more fun for the French (assuming they don't lose any guns on turn 1).
I tried this yesterday with long time partner, David Stephens. I had the attacking Germans and threw virtually everything at the American right flank leading off with half-squads but not moving adjacent. I slowly built up stacks on three hexes but did have one brokie at the end of my movement phase. The American can only fire from one hex on this side due to setup restrictions and I was able to break the leader led squad and MMG with a 20 +2 shot which was the beginning of the end on this flank as I continued to press this flank. David moved units from the left and later a rush by me of two squads to that now weakened flank eventually got next to that flank's victory hex. About the same time (turn four of six) I mopped up the other flank and most Americans with my leader led fanatic 548/MMG and hero combo that took out two trapped American squads in CC. At that point David conceded. Nice, easy to play all infantry scenario to ameliorate my withdrawal symptoms from ASLOK.
