jrv
Forum Guru
Paul Sidhu invited a group of gamers over for a day of gaming. He decided on a single-scenario format; all players played the same scenario, Paul matched up players by skill level as best he could and determined who was playing what side. The scenario was Amerikanskaya Suka, FrF98. I was matched with Vic Rosso and given the Germans.
A quick study of the game makes it apparent that both sides have strengths and weaknesses that need to be managed carefully. The German at-start force is no match for the Soviet at-start forces and their first-turn reinforcements, but the Germans get their own first-turn reinforcements that make it a game. The Soviets need to guard one building in their setup area on board 71 and capture one additional multihex building, of which there are two on board FrFA and five on board 71. Ideally the Soviets would like to capture and hold the nearest board 71 extra building. That forces the Germans to counter-attack against a position that fights with interior lines. Alternately the Soviets can attack for the extra multihex building on board FrFA. Here the problem is that the German reinforcements can enter on the flank and smash into that thrust. The Germans do not have enough strength at start to defend both, so I used a modified version of the defense that Paul used at Albany [http://www.gamesquad.com/forums/index.php?threads/albany-aar-2018-sidhu.149805/]. Unlike Paul, although I did not defend it strongly I did have some units defending board FrFA so that the Soviets either had to commit a large-ish force there to get a quick breakthrough, or had to dismount and proceed more slowly with a smaller attack. Because Paul had based his defense based on talks with Vic, I expected a strong attack on board 71, and indeed that's what I got.
The T34/85s and the 6-2-8s all attacked on board 71. In the first Soviet turn two T34/85s entered hexes with German infantry. One paid for its presumptuousness with a small blaze. The Germans could not get the other. Meanwhile the 6-2-8s charged forward against the infantry in the woods. Much DFF later there was no effect against any Soviet infantry unit. None. Two Germans squads voluntarily broke rather than wait for close combat, one squad was broken and eliminated for failure to rout, and one squad could not voluntarily break because it would be eliminated for failure to rout. A 6-2-8 advanced into that last unit's location. The Melee went on for a couple of turns but eventually the Soviets put down the pocket. The PSK was lost by the squad that failed to rout.
The Soviets about half of their forces covering the east edge and half reinforcing the attack on board 71. One squad with MMG went into the back building to cover that (advance into building causes CX; hmm, I wonder what that is). There was a long pause while I set up the German first-turn reinforcements. The German player will have take what the Soviet player gives him. Vic had set up two squads covering the roads entering from the east as well as some M10s. One German strategy is to enter on the east edge and attempt to drive straight at the back building. Vic had covered this, and while his force was not too thick, it was enough to deter me. Instead I brought my units mostly onto board 71. The tanks could drive straight on, but because I thought there was a LOS to the board 71 road I entered the trucks on board FrFA and drove them across to board 71. I set the Panthers up in positions where I thought they had LOS to exactly one Soviet tank, but my LOS fu was deficient, and one Panther had LOS to two Soviet tanks and one had LOS to none. The German infantry moved mostly into the 71N5 building and surroundings, although one truckload moved to cover a Panther in FrFA-v2 with a PSK.
The reinforcing Germans managed to kill another T34/85 with the FT and one out of two M10s with Panthers, but could not rally two broken 4-4-7s (with two ten DRs). That left me in an awkward position in 71N5, and I had to run out of the building before I was killed. This gave the Soviets their extra building, but I was not too concerned. I had a substantial force of powerful German infantry, and I started working my way back in almost at once.
The Panthers continued to inch forward, killing Soviet tanks while taking no big chances. The Soviets lost a T34/85 in Soviet three, an M10 in German three, an M10 in Soviet four, and an M10 in Soviet five. Not all the kills were by Panthers but many were. The Soviets managed to Shock one JgdPz IV but it recovered and the Soviets could not finish the job because they were set upon by Panthers. They finally killed their first German tank (a JgdPz IV) on Soviet turn five.
Vic switched some units over to board FrFA, my defense stumbled, and the Soviets took two multihex buildings there. That meant that my counter-attack into the 71N5 building was now not as useful as it seemed. On German turn four I had to choose between trying to recover the buildings on board FrFA too or taking the building in the Soviet setup area. I decided for the latter, and I sent two Panthers, a JgdPz IV and a couple halfsquads to clean out the VC building. The halfsquads were there just to blow the bugle and raise the flag after capture; the tanks were going to provide most of the motive power. My attack into the 71N5 building pinned down much of the Soviet's infantry, so I maintained that too. Vic was down to two tanks, one M10 and one T34/85, at the start of his turn five. He sent them back, but in a crushing blow lost the M10 to a freak PF shot (needed a two to hit, rolled it). He called the game at that point. It wasn't going to be a dead certainty, but it looked like a German win.
For scenario designers and wannabes, this is an excellent piece for study. The VC and the low unit density relative to the board size allows for a very free-wheeling game. By way of comparison, consider how differently it would play with doubled OBs. Both players do not have strong enough forces to cover everything they want to cover, and at the same time they have to react to what their opponent has given them. Perhaps the scenarios only weakness might be that of ASL in general; the tank battle can't go badly wrong for the Germans.
I've been told by several players both before and after that the scenario is an unbalanced dog and that the Germans can't win. I will say differently. It could go badly for the Germans because their armor is so important. If the Germans malfunction a Panther MA or lose one (or more!) without having depleted the Soviet armor, then it's going to be a tough row to hoe. On the other hand the Soviets have very little that can impact a Panther frontally. T34/85 APCR is a 19 TK (20 at range 3-6, and up to 22 at range 1), the depletion number is a five, and they have to hit a Panther turret to have more than a fleeting hope. The Soviets have to hope for something good to happen to beat the Panthers, while the Germans only have to hope that they avoid misfortune.
That means the Panthers are the kings of this battlefield, and the Germans need to use that strength. If they can neutralize the Soviet armor then they can help with driving the Soviet infantry out. The Germans will have to react to the circumstances as they develop. In our game I initially was going to prevent the Soviets from taking the extra building, but the way the scenario developed I switched mid-game to taking the back building away from the Soviets. [this was partially my fault, as I should have sent at least one of the reinforcement squads and perhaps a leader to help on board FrFA]. Both players have to allocate and manage their forces with little room for error, and use their strengths and cover their weaknesses. I think the German strategy is harder to see, but if the German player manages to perceive it, he has quite a good chance of winning.
I also have to ding the scenario a rating star or two because it would have been better with caves. But that's not really fair; what scenario wouldn't be?
JR
A quick study of the game makes it apparent that both sides have strengths and weaknesses that need to be managed carefully. The German at-start force is no match for the Soviet at-start forces and their first-turn reinforcements, but the Germans get their own first-turn reinforcements that make it a game. The Soviets need to guard one building in their setup area on board 71 and capture one additional multihex building, of which there are two on board FrFA and five on board 71. Ideally the Soviets would like to capture and hold the nearest board 71 extra building. That forces the Germans to counter-attack against a position that fights with interior lines. Alternately the Soviets can attack for the extra multihex building on board FrFA. Here the problem is that the German reinforcements can enter on the flank and smash into that thrust. The Germans do not have enough strength at start to defend both, so I used a modified version of the defense that Paul used at Albany [http://www.gamesquad.com/forums/index.php?threads/albany-aar-2018-sidhu.149805/]. Unlike Paul, although I did not defend it strongly I did have some units defending board FrFA so that the Soviets either had to commit a large-ish force there to get a quick breakthrough, or had to dismount and proceed more slowly with a smaller attack. Because Paul had based his defense based on talks with Vic, I expected a strong attack on board 71, and indeed that's what I got.
The T34/85s and the 6-2-8s all attacked on board 71. In the first Soviet turn two T34/85s entered hexes with German infantry. One paid for its presumptuousness with a small blaze. The Germans could not get the other. Meanwhile the 6-2-8s charged forward against the infantry in the woods. Much DFF later there was no effect against any Soviet infantry unit. None. Two Germans squads voluntarily broke rather than wait for close combat, one squad was broken and eliminated for failure to rout, and one squad could not voluntarily break because it would be eliminated for failure to rout. A 6-2-8 advanced into that last unit's location. The Melee went on for a couple of turns but eventually the Soviets put down the pocket. The PSK was lost by the squad that failed to rout.
The Soviets about half of their forces covering the east edge and half reinforcing the attack on board 71. One squad with MMG went into the back building to cover that (advance into building causes CX; hmm, I wonder what that is). There was a long pause while I set up the German first-turn reinforcements. The German player will have take what the Soviet player gives him. Vic had set up two squads covering the roads entering from the east as well as some M10s. One German strategy is to enter on the east edge and attempt to drive straight at the back building. Vic had covered this, and while his force was not too thick, it was enough to deter me. Instead I brought my units mostly onto board 71. The tanks could drive straight on, but because I thought there was a LOS to the board 71 road I entered the trucks on board FrFA and drove them across to board 71. I set the Panthers up in positions where I thought they had LOS to exactly one Soviet tank, but my LOS fu was deficient, and one Panther had LOS to two Soviet tanks and one had LOS to none. The German infantry moved mostly into the 71N5 building and surroundings, although one truckload moved to cover a Panther in FrFA-v2 with a PSK.
The reinforcing Germans managed to kill another T34/85 with the FT and one out of two M10s with Panthers, but could not rally two broken 4-4-7s (with two ten DRs). That left me in an awkward position in 71N5, and I had to run out of the building before I was killed. This gave the Soviets their extra building, but I was not too concerned. I had a substantial force of powerful German infantry, and I started working my way back in almost at once.
The Panthers continued to inch forward, killing Soviet tanks while taking no big chances. The Soviets lost a T34/85 in Soviet three, an M10 in German three, an M10 in Soviet four, and an M10 in Soviet five. Not all the kills were by Panthers but many were. The Soviets managed to Shock one JgdPz IV but it recovered and the Soviets could not finish the job because they were set upon by Panthers. They finally killed their first German tank (a JgdPz IV) on Soviet turn five.
Vic switched some units over to board FrFA, my defense stumbled, and the Soviets took two multihex buildings there. That meant that my counter-attack into the 71N5 building was now not as useful as it seemed. On German turn four I had to choose between trying to recover the buildings on board FrFA too or taking the building in the Soviet setup area. I decided for the latter, and I sent two Panthers, a JgdPz IV and a couple halfsquads to clean out the VC building. The halfsquads were there just to blow the bugle and raise the flag after capture; the tanks were going to provide most of the motive power. My attack into the 71N5 building pinned down much of the Soviet's infantry, so I maintained that too. Vic was down to two tanks, one M10 and one T34/85, at the start of his turn five. He sent them back, but in a crushing blow lost the M10 to a freak PF shot (needed a two to hit, rolled it). He called the game at that point. It wasn't going to be a dead certainty, but it looked like a German win.
For scenario designers and wannabes, this is an excellent piece for study. The VC and the low unit density relative to the board size allows for a very free-wheeling game. By way of comparison, consider how differently it would play with doubled OBs. Both players do not have strong enough forces to cover everything they want to cover, and at the same time they have to react to what their opponent has given them. Perhaps the scenarios only weakness might be that of ASL in general; the tank battle can't go badly wrong for the Germans.
I've been told by several players both before and after that the scenario is an unbalanced dog and that the Germans can't win. I will say differently. It could go badly for the Germans because their armor is so important. If the Germans malfunction a Panther MA or lose one (or more!) without having depleted the Soviet armor, then it's going to be a tough row to hoe. On the other hand the Soviets have very little that can impact a Panther frontally. T34/85 APCR is a 19 TK (20 at range 3-6, and up to 22 at range 1), the depletion number is a five, and they have to hit a Panther turret to have more than a fleeting hope. The Soviets have to hope for something good to happen to beat the Panthers, while the Germans only have to hope that they avoid misfortune.
That means the Panthers are the kings of this battlefield, and the Germans need to use that strength. If they can neutralize the Soviet armor then they can help with driving the Soviet infantry out. The Germans will have to react to the circumstances as they develop. In our game I initially was going to prevent the Soviets from taking the extra building, but the way the scenario developed I switched mid-game to taking the back building away from the Soviets. [this was partially my fault, as I should have sent at least one of the reinforcement squads and perhaps a leader to help on board FrFA]. Both players have to allocate and manage their forces with little room for error, and use their strengths and cover their weaknesses. I think the German strategy is harder to see, but if the German player manages to perceive it, he has quite a good chance of winning.
I also have to ding the scenario a rating star or two because it would have been better with caves. But that's not really fair; what scenario wouldn't be?
JR