Camp Spurlock 2019

Justiciar

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Camp Spurlock 2019

Well another installment in the Camp Spurlock series. For those of you new to this (do a GS search), this is where one suffers for one's ASL. I arrived at the new camp on Sunday after an 8 hour drive, and after passing a security check from the two Great Danes which guard the camp, I unload my gear, find my assigned bunk, and sign the camp wavier forms. Then the Camp Director and I sit down for our first game. I partake of my arrival beers...after Day 1 they get rationed or possibly taken away altogether depending....fortunately I am seasoned camper and know how to avoid the latter. But there are rumors one camper went a whole 7 days without a beer....the horror, the horror...(use the Col. Kurtz voice)....

5PM Monday...blurr from here to end...

Stuntzpunkt Vierville: I have the landing USA while Keith has the Germans. I agreed to play this recently released free scenario from CH only after several changes to the VC a) the MMC had to be in normal range (not just LOS) b) or possess a functioning SW (in normal range) or c) possessing a functioning Gun d) any HIP (ie the mortar) had to placed on board concealed at the start of turn 6 e) all fortifications [EXC Mines] had to set up on board...it is after all D-day and the Allies have the aerials in hand, and the French Resistance info, etc... So my landing gets under way, and in the first two turns he has Koed 2 DD tanks...the 3rd will make it ashore and contribute with smoke and direct fire and MG...he damages some landing craft but sinks none by direct fire (88LL), some suffer sinking with boat mines...but I don't really suffer heavily in the boats...however crossing the beach his HMG and MMG and the 3 x LMG and small arms does take a toll... His main game winning pieces are located on what I called the Pon't du Hoc cliffs...and I can smell the minefield there too. He has a back 'win' zone in his deep left and right backfield....the 81mm MTR as one...and a 3trench line with a MMG and some guarding troops. He still has some delay forces to slow me reaching these...I manage to clear these and begin a push to the back field...I set all my 60mm mtrs up to fire from thje beach at the 81mm and MMG and rate eventually takes its toll, however, the Pont du Hoc units still have to be dealt with and I swing forces from my center that way, while finally having some smoke in place to move up the steep draw between the two cliffs...minefield! I eventually get a path cleared, and manage to CC one and clear it, but the clock runs out on me getting troops to the 2nd one even though it is just 2 hexes away. The scenario is evocative and at least plausible with the adjustments above, otherwise BROKEN as there are several places the 81mm MTR can just stay HIP and its 2-2-8 claim victory just for being in LOS. Poor PT. 0-1.

Playtesting: Classified.

“Zero something early”..... here is where the suffering comes in.. “physical training” (the other type of PT). Out we go on a run. He says its only 2 miles, but this is not* my first camp and I know that mileage is certainly “variable” in this instance. Run seemed more like 2.5, my hips hurt. I make it back about 4-5 minutes behind Keith, which is a small victory for me since he does this 3x a week...and I, and I...do not. The upside is the run was mainly flat...but was a road course (more body pounding)...whereas other camps have seen me out on what is called the Ho Chi Minh Trail run...that one is 4 miles and over hill and dale and across a small creek where I wiped out on the return to base a few years ago tweaking my back. So I like this new road course a lot more.... and it is not the Water Tower run, which is 2.5 miles and road and up and down... worse is Around the Clock...on the track and at every ¼ you have to drop and do 20 push-up or 20 sit ups...and that goes on for 2 miles...you do the math on how many push-ups that works out to be....see why I had to sign wavier forms...one day this will kill me.

UV2 Agony, Ateball and Angel: Another CH offering, this from Uncommon Valor. Keith and I calls this type of scenario “mousetraps” as the defender gets to build same, but will have little in the way of moving about to counter, so the fun for the defender is in the building and to see if the attacker can deconstruct the trap. The objective for the Marines is to control the only 4 level 4 locations on the map...open ground and airfield with hills and shell holes and crags scattered about. I have the Japanese, Keith the Marines (go figure). I have 10 squads and needed crews for my HMG, 2x MMG, and 3 guns (2x 47 and 150), OBA (70mm) and some Caves, Wire and Mines, to his 15, and crews (for HMG, MMG, Fts and BAZ), 6 M4A3 one is FT equipped, NOBA (150), and OBA (81). He begins his recon en force on his right, but my OBA and 150 seal that off, he bumps to center, where a cave pops up with 47mm and minefield...he spends 3 – 4 turns building combat power and probing...and blasting my 150 ART with NOBA, but its sand and his accuracy is awful, so my gun survives the game with the crew striped only once, but other that killing 1 tank (not the FT one) the guns does little other than gain acq and force people to move as I cannot hit anything amid the NOBA blast effect...so by mid game Keith is making his main attack on his left, where I have a wire barrier mines and HIP guy, who pops up and break some marines, but in ad fire is shot at and goes Berserk...to die next turn...vs. Being able to skulk and delay the force (his purposes). My HMG in a PB on the hill causes havoc until smoked by 81mm...however caves at level 0 and FL from them cause Keith trouble and the clock ebbs away....1-1.

FT267 Thugny-Trugny: I get to attack this time (we try to alternate.) I have the Germans and Keith the French. The French have to hold 5 buildings, 2 on board 9a and 3 on 1a, against two large German forces of 11+ squads and gear each, and some light*** AFV. The French have infantry, and a reinforcement group of elite troops and 6x tanks (I have no weapon to harm these). The French set up in 3 different areas, which cover the VC zone but one set up area requires a swift withdraw or risk envelopment. I eschew attacking on one board and shift forces from board 9a to board 1a and go all in to get 1 building.... By turn 4 I have overwhelmed the French and they fly the white banner... 2-1.

FT259 Alcazar!: Keith gets the attacking Germans and I the heroic Poles. He has to take 2 of the 4 multihex buildings on board 12. His force has variable entry zones and one is a variable entry turn. He has Pz Ibs and IIs, and motorized troops and infantry. I have a Green on board force but with a 10-2, 2x 40mm Bofors, and I receive some infantry reinforcements and armor. Turn 1 is uneventful, by Turn 2 troops are in contact and Keith is brushing aside my screen on 1 VC building...but a 40L Bofors has appeared and engaged one of his tanks, but missed....another has knocked one out. I manage to hold off the Germans, and get my reinfocements on and into good positions, Keith cannot get his variable to enter and it is much needed...it would not enter until Turn 5, by which time I have too much combat power in place to root out in the remaining time. 3-1.

ASL 203 Hard ROK (Korea): I have the ROKs and Keith the KPA. Keith has an all elite force of 628s and 458s and 2x SU-76 and 2x T34/85s, the ROK have two sets of forces one a screen force that first meets the KPA onslaught, and defending force to prevent the KPA from crossing the lone bridge on board 23, and having 15 Exit VP on the south side of the canal, of which 8? must be Infantry....so he cannot win just with armor alone. My screen force does a pretty good job for the first 3 turns, I don't inflict any casaulties on the KPA, but I also do not loose much and I manage to consolidate on the nprth side of the canal. However. From here now I am heavily ennaged and Keith gobbles up much of my force except in the cathedral where several round sof CC take place, and I even DC my own troops in Melee, all foces of both sides break but I consider this a minor victory for me. In the end Keith is able to project the needed combat power over the bridge, though I take out a SU-76 in CC, I cannot hold up enough of his infantry, despite many residual FP placements he passes his MC, and win on the last advance phase when 6 VP of infantry cross from the bridge to the south bank to join 2 VP already there and a T34/85....I did KO the other...3-2.

ASL207 Bullets for Breakfast (Korea): Keith is having fun playing the KPA (with his WO T-shirt on and some commie themed Battleschool dice I gave him for his B-day) so he gets the KPA again while I have the USA. This scenario has the USA set up in laager with most units dispersed to 1 MMC per hex and all vehicles (4 Shermans [2 immob], armed jeep) abandoned, and all guns 3x 105s and 2x 155 unpossessed and crews not in their hexes, the upside I have a 10-2, 9-1, several 8-1s and other leaders. All set up is assigned....so basically it is like a KPA ambush, and they come at the US from 2 sides, with elite force, HMG, 3x MMG, 2!x81mm, 75RCL with a follow on motorized infantry main force entering on Turn 2 (with another 81!!!). As the Americans if you are not mentally set to take your lumps for 2 turns you will not survive these 2 turns and you may not have your PMC last the game. So be forewarned. It is managing chaos as the US player. The first two turns play out as noted but I am not that badly mauled, though I did loose a Sherman to HEAT round in the rear due to a bad set up spot, and this was a mobile one. We break for the day.

“Zero something early again”..... repeat of the above, but harder for me b/c I am stiff and sore from Tuesday...but manage the run at about the same time for me...

We resume play and now I have regrouped folks and managed to possess 2x 105s, re-enter 3 tanks, and get 1x 155, and have my Lt Mtrs up and dialed in on targets...so I begin to inflicting some pain on the KPA...I Smoke in a 81mm and break another crew, and I chop up an infiltrating force in the rice paddy and to my south. On Turn 3 Keith enters his reinforcements in the dead ground behind the board 9 hills, over the next 3 turns he slowly advances these on the VC zone, the school house complex on board 44. While this is going on the rest of his force trade blows against mine and I do same to his. He gets my other mobile tank...my other two hold his southern force at bay... This is basically the rest of Thursday in a slug fest. We have to break for Keith to take of some business on the sale of the old camp house...We resume play...Keith now sets up the final push and smokes the schoolhouse and the hexes it its front in come his attack waves...and now begin 2 turns of for control of the building. He manages to break my 10-2 and some troops and they die for FTR, He secures one hex, in the other my 8-1, 546 and 666 (12FP) hold out against his 18 FP for several rounds of CC...the smoke clears and Keith opts to mortar his own troops hope his 8 ML vs. my 6 will save the day...hit...NMC...we all fail...and the US is left in possession of the hex. Epic game... 4-2.

BP Michicon'88 Prussian Panic: I finally get to attack and an itching to move, shoot and advance after several scenarios on the defense. So I get the Russians to Keith's Germans. My objectice is to capture 2 multihex buildings south of the Q line on board 20. To do this I have 3x T34/85s and 4x T-70s, and 12 squads and 3 leaders, one of which is a 10-2, and 1x MM and 3x LMG. The Germans have 3 hodge-podge late war ash and trash groups, and one all dummy group which have to set up as a screen in 4 buildings which are assigned to them. They then get an elite reinforcement groud with a 9-2 and 548s and 3 AFV. Well after being on the receiving end, I am bold and brave out of the gate and by Turn 2 I have wiped out 1 force for the loss of no one, and cut off ½ another, and the 3rd forces displaced safely to a VC area. I have also figured out where the dummies are and waste no time on them. By turn 4 I have one VC building in hand, have cut off one German force from taking it back and forced another to sit on VC buildings I wont go for but they have to be honest. In the remaining VC..I get my 10-2 and his troops in which I force some FPF but Keith generates a hero when he rolls snakes on his MC. I then engage this force and break it but the heor will escape to maintain Control of the buildings until Keith gets some reinforcements in, but I am able to overwhelm these in time before the clock runs out. This is a nice little scenario recommend. 5-2.

ASL 210 This is Where We Stand (Korea): We return this time to the frozen hills of Chosin. Keith, who has only 1 night scenario under his belt, takes the KPA and his 45!! squads to my beleaguered Marines 10 squads. This scenario will require the USMC to FPF and sustained fire if they wish to survive the onslaught. Keith in typical CPVA fashion has one force flow around me out of NVR to set up an envelopment, he tries same on my right flank but this is shut down by my arty, which hits the force hard...helping keep 3x HMG out of action for much of the game. But meanwhile a HORDE of Chinese flow up at me and by turn 6 he has all but 2 hill hexes and I am mightily outnumbered and with not enough FP or men to counter attack and the CPVA claim the day. Recommend USMC get balance, for what it is worth. 5-3.

Sunday AM

So ends another Camp Spurlock...recommend you attend if you ever get the invitation only form in the mail. Be sure to bring your PT gear...failure to is one of the ways you can loose your beer ration and run that extra mile...oh I forgot to mention the camp motto “A Day of ASL is Always Worth Suffering For.”
 
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Justiciar

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No, still recovering an my brain addled...dates got goofed I arrived on a Monday not Sunday (I left on a Sunday), usually it is the other way around...
 

pwashington

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My copy of the MICHICON scenario is apparently low res - did you guys play the German AR leader as an 8-1 or 9-1?
 

Major Issues

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Ok after seeing* this type of AAR http://www.gamesquad.com/forums/index.php?threads/texas-team-tournament-aar-2019.152578/ and then with Major Issues versions...this is my last ever AAR. . . I am no longer a dinosaur..... I am a fossil. A little too tall could have used a few pounds...
"I used Justiciar, he used me, but neither one cared.
We were getting our share.
Working on our Dice Moves..."

For the record, if you came over, I would never, ever make you run miles and miles like a hamster on a wheel. That's not how we do things at The Camp With Issues.


Tho the idea that the scenario loser has to drop and give 50 sounds intriguing...

And I would never, ever take away a man's beer.

Unless I wuz out...
 

Justiciar

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"I used Justiciar, he used me, but neither one cared.
We were getting our share.
Working on our Dice Moves..."

For the record, if you came over, I would never, ever make you run miles and miles like a hamster on a wheel. That's not how we do things at The Camp With Issues.


Tho the idea that the scenario loser has to drop and give 50 sounds intriguing...

And I would never, ever take away a man's beer.


Unless I wuz out...
No, I wouldn't be worried about running, I would be worried about being trapped in your basement that is how you "do things at The Camp With Issues."

You don't drink beer you drink vodka straight from the bottle...so you would be taking anything away to begin with...

To give The Camp With Issues its upside, it is like joining the French Foreign Legion.... the camper would get one hell of a last meal...to be soon puked onto the cold and cracked cement floor of the basement "playground."

So in the end I am gonna stick with the pain that I know, and not risk another form of punishment....and the lack of daylight.
 
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