So what scenarios have you played Recently?

[hongkongwargamer]

Get your engineers cracking Kwan. First build the roads and THEN set a DC on them.

You mean like a bridge over that dang river? The French won’t agree to the project dude! So hard to please ...

 

[Ray Woloszyn]

Played La Riposte Vaine [RPT136] yesterday and won as the French. It plays quickly and was quite interesting, especially the way the Evan crafted the victory conditions to mimic the actual results of the battle. These conditions require a careful reading and understanding. The long and short of it was that once I captured one building and ran the requisite VP's into the building, I began a slow (normal assault move) and rapid (broken and ran like hell) withdrawal across the river. I thought I could take more than this one building for the primary victory condition but the German reinforcements were just too tough for the French to hold the buildings. French tanks did well including a non-platoon task check, mechanically reliability task check and then a crucial ESB for one MP (+3 for French tanks and red MP's to boot!) to tie up a squad poised to put residual fire on the approaches to the river bridge. It caught my opponent off guard and allowed my French Infantry to cross unscathed rather than risk a 2-2 in the residual FP.

 

[Mister T]

French tanks did well including a non-platoon task check, mechanically reliability task check and then a crucial ESB (+3 with red MP's!) to tie up a squad poised to put residual fire on the approaches to the river bridge.

I infer it was an AMR32. Otherwise ESB would be NA.

 

[Carln0130]

You mean like a bridge over that dang river? The French won’t agree to the project dude! So hard to please ...

Oui

 

[hongkongwargamer]

Oui

D'accord, c'est ce que c'est ..

 

[M.Koch]

Played La Riposte Vaine [RPT136] yesterday and won as the French. It plays quickly and was quite interesting, especially the way the Evan crafted the victory conditions to mimic the actual results of the battle. These conditions require a careful reading and understanding. The long and short of it was that once I captured one building and ran the requisite VP's into the building, I began a slow (normal assault move) and rapid (broken and ran like hell) withdrawal across the river. I thought I could take more than this one building for the primary victory condition but the German reinforcements were just too tough for the French to hold the buildings. French tanks did well including a non-platoon task check, mechanically reliability task check and then a crucial ESB (+3 with red MP's!) to tie up a squad poised to put residual fire on the approaches to the river bridge. It caught my opponent off guard and allowed my French Infantry to cross unscathed rather than risk a 2-2 in the residual FP.

Played this one as the French too. Won by controlling the needed VC buildings. German reinforcements couldn´t deploy out of the stream, while the French tanks worked very well with firing HE on the Germans and passing every needed brake-from plt move TC . Also, the 9-2 stacked with three squads, the MMG and one LMG in the stone building on the "French" side of the river proved to be to strong for the Germans.... Time will tell, but this scenario seems to favor the French. Nevertheless a good and fun Scenario...

 

[Roy]

My VASLeague game with Jay Dragonetti could not have gone worse. Self inflicted, naturally.

You can also see the results of my second playing of Dien Bien Phu: The Final Gamble.

Both located at my blog https://cardboardwarrior.blog/

Thanks for reading.

 

[Ray Woloszyn]

Played this one as the French too. Won by controlling the needed VC buildings. German reinforcements couldn´t deploy out of the stream, while the French tanks worked very well with firing HE on the Germans and passing every needed brake-from plt move TC . Also, the 9-2 stacked with three squads, the MMG and one LMG in the stone building on the "French" side of the river proved to be to strong for the Germans.... Time will tell, but this scenario seems to favor the French. Nevertheless a good and fun Scenario...

Did the Germans split their forces north and south of the stream? Of course, not many options for them in this scenario. Maybe the reinforcements start too far back though the orchards generally allow a safe path forward.

 

[von Marwitz]

Did the Germans split their forces north and south of the stream? Of course, not many options for them in this scenario. Maybe the reinforcements start too far back though the orchards generally allow a safe path forward.

I was the opponent.

"An early war action pitting a tough French force of well led infantry and almost impenetrable tanks against a German pure infantry force. The onboard German force consists mostly of 468 Assault Engineers, but their setup position might be potentially precarious with regard to the French onslaught. One asset the German position does have is that the French MUST cross a single bridge across an (SSR'ed) deep river. They are massively outnumbered and outgunned, though. The Germans do receive reinforcements that enter during German turn 1, but these will only be able to affect the game during turn 3. It is of the utmost importance, that these reinforcements don't waste any time (even against risks) to get forward. I played the Germans in this one and set my onboard force north of the river hoping to slow the French at the bottleneck of the bridge more than by setting up south of the bridge and threatening their approach. The early turns might be a bit frustrating for the Germans, as they will be without doubt on the receiving end. If the French manage to batter the original onboard force before the German reinforcements can effectively support them, then it will be very hard to push the French back to regain control of lost Buildings. At the same time, if the French don't make it across the river by in turn 3 or turn 4 at the latest to meet their objective, then they will be in dire straights. While this scnenario presents an interesting tactical situation, it might be more fun to play as the French. The small German onboard force will be pummeled and it just takes time for the German reinforcements to (possibly) become effective. In my game, the FT did not manage to get off a single shot. The German reinforcements were sorely battered when emerging from the Stream (to which there appears to be little alternative). Towards the end of the MPh of German turn 4, it became obvious, that the Germans would have no chance to make it, so I conceded."

In other words and in answer to your question:
No Germans of the initial onboard force were set up south of the river.

von Marwitz

 

[Ray Woloszyn]

I was the opponent.


In other words and in answer to your question:
No Germans of the initial onboard force were set up south of the river.

von Marwitz

Thanks. My opponent also failed to kill any AFV's rolling the x number on his first shot! I personally like defensive challenges and will probably try this against the French. Any novices available?

 

[Jude]

Played ITR-3 Tough as Nails over a two weekend period. LOTS of stuff crammed onto some seriously dense terrain. My buddy and I are pretty careful, but stacks went down today! The Railway Station fell relatively quickly to my attacking Germans and then the focus shifted to the Nail Factory where the Russians were strongly defending. Having four FTs (two support weapons and two tanks) made things a whole lot easier. Stay and burn or skulk - and then burn? Three FTs in the front and one on the flank made getting into the fortified factory easier than it should have been. I only rolled one KIA with them, but I rolled well enough that the Russians were usually breaking. Once in the factory, the Germans just had overwhelming point blank firepower with more guys in reserve waiting to get in. Still, it took until the end of German turn 6 (of 7) to secure the building. Long scenario as it took us about 11 hours to finish. Recommended if you love urban slugfests with lots of toys. It was a bit too much for me, but it was fun.

 

[Yuri0352]

Today we played J156 Mageret Mixer, and I was defeated as the American. TBH, I thought my attack plan was pretty solid, however the luck of the dice certainly played a large role in the outcome. (losing my M4/105 Sherman on the first German TH shot of The game didn't help my cause either). The SSR requiring a pre-movement NTC for the majority American squad type virtually ensured that my attack would be an uncoordinated, piece meal mess for the duration of the game. Also, I underestimated my opponent's willingness to fire Panzerfausts and 'schrecks from within buildings. Pretty bold moves and his dice spared his panzerjagers from adverse desperation/backblast results.

I honestly have no idea as to how the American player can win this scenario without incredibly good luck or an incompetent German set up.
I didn't enjoy this one in the slightest.

 

[Carln0130]

My VASLeague game with Jay Dragonetti could not have gone worse. Self inflicted, naturally.

You can also see the results of my second playing of Dien Bien Phu: The Final Gamble.

Both located at my blog https://cardboardwarrior.blog/

Thanks for reading.

Sorry to hear of your brother's passing. My sincere condolences.

 

[Thunderchief]

In five days of gaming my mate Darryl Lundy and I played a few different games including two of ASL.

The first was FT29 The Porecheye Bridgehead. I defended as the Germans and had either a few firsts (hard to remember sometimes) or events that happened very rarely. The many 426s in the Russian OB disrupted with 2 ELR and for a few turns I took prisoners before they became a nuisance and I declared NQ. I think I had about 6 squads worth of prisoners and when Darryl didn't pay attention to where my reinforcements came on I managed two overruns with a single vehicle (plus others), wiping out about 5 or so squads between the reinforcements, plus a valuable Russian 8-1. Within two turns I had broken and surrounded a bunch more and after about eight squads were eliminated for FTR he conceded before the final Russian group even had LOS to the village they had to capture.

The second was FT46 Lingevres - Preparation. Dice again gave me the defending Germans. I put all the wire on the left from the board edge inwards, a 75L in the board edge woods behind the wire, scattered squads across the front but in the back areas so as not to be surrounded by his vehicles, the 81 mortar in the middle and the other 75L towards the right. The mines were on the open ground adjacent to the bocage, where I had some units in the grain defending my right. Darryl went for a board edge smash on the German left, hoping to crush the wire with two Fireflies while the other Shermans laid smoke in the middle dividing my guys and preventing them supporting each other. His plan to bog-roll his way through the wire and clear it failed when both Shermans bogged. The 75L in the woods took care of them and some infantry while I tried to push the other 75 into position. The British (not Canadians as the scenario card says) took a while to get through the intact wire - which let my MMGs and a few squads get into position. By the end of game turn 4 he had fewer than 10 squads on the board and only one tank left out of five and conceded.

 

[Roy]

Sorry to hear of your brother's passing. My sincere condolences.

Thank you Carl

 

[Perry]

The SSR requiring a pre-movement NTC for the majority American squad type virtually ensured that my attack would be an uncoordinated, piece meal mess for the duration of the game.

Thus providing an advantage to those of us whose attacks are naturally uncoordinated piecemeal messes.

However the luck of the dice certainly played a large role in the outcome. (losing my M4/105 Sherman on the first German TH shot of The game didn't help my cause either). [snip] Also, I underestimated my opponent's willingness to fire Panzerfausts and 'schrecks from within buildings. Pretty bold moves and his dice spared his panzerjagers from adverse desperation/backblast results.

I honestly have no idea as to how the American player can win this scenario without incredibly good luck or an incompetent German set up.

The last sentence seems contraindicated in light of the prior three.

I didn't enjoy this one in the slightest.

But there is no way getting around this emotion. Sorry to hear it.

 

[Houlie]

Finished up SP254 Propitious Arrival as the attacking Germans against fellow Twin Cities ASLer Dave Wallick on VASL. A really good, swirling scenario that forces many choices. VCs are based on stone building controlled (four total) and mobile AFV w/ functioning MA on two separate board hill masses. Germans must have more VPs.

French get 10 lumbering FCM36s and the Germans the usual smattering of nine AFV ranging from 1xPzI, 3xPzII, 3xPzIII, 2xPzIV -- all with a B11. The Germans brought on the four PzIs and IIs on T1 and post themselves in the village to make any infantry dash there carry some risk. The French split their force towards both hills. On T2 all other German tanks and infantry enter: infantry to the village to occupy the stone buildings and the PzIII/IVs to the challenge the hills. From here on out, one wing of French infantry worked into the outskirts of the village but are firmly repulsed. The Level 2 hill mass is taken by four French AFV, with one immobilized groaning to get up the hill on an ESB and out of the VP count. The other hill is more interesting with us each losing two tanks. However, two French tanks are recalled with disabled MAs, both victims of intensive fire shots, one of which was a 6,6. With that, the French field commanders saw that they couldn't make the victory numbers work with it unlikely they could take any buildings and unlikely to win the armor battle -- the one isolated French tank on one of the hill masses that only had HE. It would soon have five additional German tanks on that hill. With things looking grim (likely 10-5 in the final accounting), a full withdrawal was ordered.

A fun scenario that requires fire discipline with those German B11s. I don't think I fired the PzI MA or the PzII MAs once. This is balanced out by the slow, radioless French tanks. Though, they have decent armor that may require multiple shots to KO increasing the MA malf probability -- making any MA-less AFV ineligible for VPs. We both felt after the game that the French infantry need to really push hard on T1 for the village. Another rough, risky result was pushing one FCM36's transmission on an ESB outside the VC area. That lost point was huge. Taking at a building or at least contesting the infantry village entry is critical. As it was, the Germans sewed up the village with no casualties and fully dictated the outcome there. Recommended scenario and as of this date stands at 8-6 in favor of the French. Thanks to Dave for taking this scenario for a spin!

 

[Mister T]

Today we played J156 Mageret Mixer, and I was defeated as the American. TBH, I thought my attack plan was pretty solid, however the luck of the dice certainly played a large role in the outcome. (losing my M4/105 Sherman on the first German TH shot of The game didn't help my cause either). The SSR requiring a pre-movement NTC for the majority American squad type virtually ensured that my attack would be an uncoordinated, piece meal mess for the duration of the game. Also, I underestimated my opponent's willingness to fire Panzerfausts and 'schrecks from within buildings. Pretty bold moves and his dice spared his panzerjagers from adverse desperation/backblast results.
I honestly have no idea as to how the American player can win this scenario without incredibly good luck or an incompetent German set up.
I didn't enjoy this one in the slightest.

Rule #1 : allow yourself one day of cooling off before posting an AAR

 

[Roy]

Thus providing an advantage to those of us whose attacks are naturally uncoordinated piecemeal messes.

Hey! I resemble that remark!

 

[Roy]

French get 10 lumbering FCM36s .......... get up the hill on an ESB

So, what in real life would be an example of an FCM36 trying to ESB? Going from 5 mph to 6 mph? Throws a track trying to keep up with the infantry?

Trying to visualize...... :happy::facepalm: