AAR Redux - Centurions Reverse! - 216

Major Issues

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I had finished changing my tag line from "Loved By Millions" to "Loved By Millions, Only Indicted By A Few", so I had time to play Centurions Reverse! I had played this with JRV recently – there is an AAR on our game. But Walt had wanted to play this one, with me taking the Chinese. I had the British in the game with JR, so that was fine. We did give the British the balance this time, which is to reduce the exit points needed from 65 to 58.

The fortune cookie I had gotten with lunch said that my lucky number was 4. It also said, ‘Many foreign devils will try to kill you today’.

Actually, I get that fortune a LOT. I may need to move to a better neighborhood.

My strategy was a little different than JR’s. I wanted to avoid the British set up on the board 81 hill, so most of my troops were set up on the other side of crest lines so they couldn’t be seen. I didn’t want to challenge these troops at all. The board 81 force was to move down next to the road by the rice paddies, four board 83 527s were going to charge wildly on turn 1 to occupy the same area, and the remainder were going to lurk in the woods or set up to fire MGs onto the road. I was hoping to kill enough Bren Plague Carriers and their riders to take away victory.

The British have 4 Centurions, two on board, and two that enter.

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In the earlier game, my onboard ones stayed on the hill and plinked away with 2 FP AP shots most of the game. Walt drove his two off the hill and moved them to the middle of the board, keeping them in Motion. His Scout Car, driven by a Dare Death crew, drove all the way down to the far end of the board on the 1st turn and parked. The Chinese were so stunned, no one even fired. The rest of the British were conservative in their move, with the Carriers staying way back.

C1, my 527s make their charge, even though having two Centurions there made it less attractive. One squad ended up a broken mess of a HS, and one pinned, but two squads and an 8-0 made it to where I wanted them. I decided to charge the scout car with a DC-totin’ 627, even though I would take shots from the hill. I stripe, but make it in, and find a way to immobilize it.
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B2, the halftrack parks on the hill for overwatch. The Centurions continue to drive around and remain in Motion, overrunning a couple guys. Those that weren’t overrunning were driving adjacent, firing an AP shot, then blasting with the CMG. We think that this still gave a 8 FP attack, even though the tank was in Motion. But, as Chairman Mao often said, “If no mistake you have made, losing you are. A different game you should play.” Walt almost destroys his own immobilized scout car with a light mortar hit. My striped squad in Melee with it reduces. Nothing happens in CC.

The scout car only has a BMG, so it can’t even attack back in CC. Since it is immobile, all the crew can do is sit there and hope that my guys get bored and leave.

C2, a mad charge over the hill with 527s towards the HT. A ‘2’ and a ‘3’ took out two of them, but one squad and an 8-0 made it adjacent unscathed. They jump in and beat the passengers and crew senseless with their copies of Mao’s Little Red Book.

Did you ever stop to think about how much the Little Red Book resembles a box of Sun Maid Raisins???
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Is Sun Maid just a Communist front? Are raisins and prunes part of a nefarious plot to infiltrate our schools via our children's lunchboxes? Can we keep Godless Communists from taking over our society by giving Timmy and Ashley Twinkies instead???

B3, more tanks driving around like 16 year olds in an abandoned parking lot on a Saturday night. He keeps remaining in Motion in the hex with my squads, and since we are looking for ‘3’s, nothing happens to anybody in CC. The Plague Carriers change direction, and get on the board 83 hill. My HS in the scout car Melee gets broken in Prep, then killed off by a reinforcing squad in CC. Unfortunately, this also gives Walt a DC.

C3, I charge a Bren with two squads, and lose one. I charge a parked Cromwell with three squads. Another ‘2’, ‘3’ combination costs me two squads and another dropped DC, but a 627 gets adjacent. The Cromwell and Bren get jumped. I kill the Cromwell, and the Bren’s CC Riders
.

B4, more Centurion 360s in the dust, and the Brens begin their charge up the middle. My MG shots at them do nothing, but residual knocks out a Knight Rider. The Brens end up scattered along the road, with Motion Centurions and the board 81 Hill People for protection.

C4, and I need to take out the Brens this turn before they drive offboard. My MMGs Prep and do nothing, everyone else boldly charges. To quote Chairman Mao, “Do...or not do. There is no try.” Shooting in all directions, tanks turning turrets and firing every which way, Final Fire and Residual counters falling like snowflakes... I lose 2 leaders and a DC squad. Another squad goes Berserk and switches direction from an easily killable Bren to a Motion Centurion. But I have placed a DC on the rear of a Centurion, and have 7 squads adjacent to or in a vehicle hex.

JR never placed a DC during our game. Sure, he flung them off of cliffs, or threw them like discus’ (discii???) at passing Brens. But not placed. I like to play a more elegant game. Not just chuck things around like it is a 4th grade food fight.

My modified DC placement roll was a ‘5’, which means that I have shoved the DC up the tailpipe and can use the Aerial AF.

A DC is not what I usually shove up someone’s tailpipe...

DC TK is a 16. Aerial AF is a 4. I need a 12, and the tank explodes into about a jillion pieces and goes up in flames. I luuuuuv this game!!!

Advancing Fire knocks out a couple Riders. The Oxford Carrier, which has all of the offensive capabilities of your mom’s Dodge Dart, has the crew stunned and the passengers broken.

In CC, low rolls take out a Bren and a Centurion. We do a count and there are only 52 points left on board. CPVA Win!!! The 188th Division will now be Mao’s favorite!!!

Craptacular picture of the end of C4 is below. Three hexes contain both Chinese and Motion vehicles. Inexplicably, a Malf CMG, Motion, and Turret counter are all slowly sinking into the mud of the rice paddy, like it’s the La Brea Tar Pits.
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3 British, 10 CPVA on ROAR.

Errata - For the CPVA setup, 81T4 should read 83T4.
 

jrv

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JR never placed a DC during our game. Sure, he flung them off of cliffs, or threw them like discus’ (discii???) at passing Brens. But not placed. I like to play a more elegant game. Not just chuck things around like it is a 4th grade food fight.
The DC that crippled the Centurion was placed, and the one that was put post-game on the Oxford Carrier also had to be placed. The Centurion was below the placing unit so it could have been thrown, but the Oxford was up a level and a DC can't be thrown up a level. Only the DC against the Carrier C was thrown, and I had to do it because the Carrier C blew by without regard for our local speed limit.

JR
 
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jrv

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Those that weren’t overrunning were driving adjacent, firing an AP shot, then blasting with the CMG. We think that this still gave a 8 FP attack, even though the tank was in Motion.
Per D11.13, a CMG of a gyro-stabilized gun tank is not halved for bounding (first) fire nor for Motion Fire against a target that is acquired [D11.13]. During the British MPh a Centurion CMG is potentially halved for both bounding (first) fire [D3.31] and for non-stopped fire [D2.42]. Motion Fire is not the same as non-stopped fire; a vehicle is only in Motion (and marked with a Motion counter) outside its own MPh. During its own MPh it is either stopped or non-stopped. So during its own MPh a Centurion must stop, which voids the halving for D2.42. The halving for D3.31 is voided by D11.13, so a Centurion firing at an acquired target during the Centurion's MPh fires at full FP (potentially doubled for point-blank range) only if it stops. Outside of its MPh the halving for Motion fire is voided by D11.13, and the CMG fires at full FP (again potentially doubled) even while it is in Motion.

Did you ever stop to think about how much the Little Red Book resembles a box of Sun Maid Raisins???
View attachment 8323
View attachment 8324
Is Sun Maid just a Communist front? Are raisins and prunes part of a nefarious plot to infiltrate our schools via our children's lunchboxes? Can we keep Godless Communists from taking over our society by giving Timmy and Ashley Twinkies instead???
I think the direction for borrowing went the other way. Mao's publisher chose the color scheme as a marketing ploy. After all, who doesn't love raisins?

JR
 

Major Issues

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Per D11.13, a CMG of a gyro-stabilized gun tank is not halved for bounding (first) fire nor for Motion Fire against a target that is acquired [D11.13]. During the British MPh a Centurion CMG is potentially halved for both bounding (first) fire [D3.31] and for non-stopped fire [D2.42]. Motion Fire is not the same as non-stopped fire; a vehicle is only in Motion (and marked with a Motion counter) outside its own MPh. During its own MPh it is either stopped or non-stopped. So during its own MPh a Centurion must stop, which voids the halving for D2.42. The halving for D3.31 is voided by D11.13, so a Centurion firing at an acquired target during the Centurion's MPh fires at full FP (potentially doubled for point-blank range) only if it stops. Outside of its MPh the halving for Motion fire is voided by D11.13, and the CMG fires at full FP (again potentially doubled) even while it is in Motion.


JR
We weren't sure if the Gyro cancelled D2.42. We also gave Walt the benefit of the doubt and allowed the doubling when he was firing the CMG of a Centurion with a malfed MA.

Several times, Walt would blast away as BFF at the beginning of his movement phase with a tank that had started in Motion. D3.31 would seem to allow doubling in this case. It also does not appear that any MP expenditure is required prior to firing.

FT-17s don't have all of these complications. The French were ahead of their time and greatly misunderstood.
 

jrv

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We weren't sure if the Gyro cancelled D2.42.
I think it only cancels the "Motion" part. I think that non-stopped fire during the Centurion's MPh is still halved. I think during the Centurions MPh it has to stop in order to avoid the halving (then it will probably restart right away).

We also gave Walt the benefit of the doubt and allowed the doubling when he was firing the CMG of a Centurion with a malfed MA.
That was definitely above and beyond what the rules allow. Once the gun can no longer acquire, D11.13 can apply no longer.

Several times, Walt would blast away as BFF at the beginning of his movement phase with a tank that had started in Motion. D3.31 would seem to allow doubling in this case. It also does not appear that any MP expenditure is required prior to firing.
As above I think he would have to stop first to void the non-stopped D2.42 halving.

On the other point a vehicle may begin its MPh by firing before it spends any MP. This in turn allows the DEFENDER to invoke the rarely-seen DEFENDER Gun Duel [C5.33].

FT-17s don't have all of these complications. The French were ahead of their time and greatly misunderstood.
In many ways the FT-17 is a good little early-war tank. Its major drawback (compared to other early-war tanks, i.e. ignoring later improvements in armor and gun size) is that it is painfully slow. In its rôle as an infantry support tank having one is better than not having one.

JR
 

jrv

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The Daimler scout car is OT, but unlike the Carriers it is not mandatory CE. Since its MA is a BMG, it may use its weapon while BU even though it is OT. I can't think of a good reason why it should be CE unless it needs to use ½ MP road movement rate. At two FP it's not going to be a grave danger to anyone, but with its good frontal armor it might be used to harass MG-toting CPVA units. It can run up to one, fire, then reverse away (at only 2x cost).

JR
 
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