Tuomo
Keeper of the Funk
OK, so we start up again tomorrow at 0900 Mountain Time, so I should probably figure out what The Plan is.
I remember briefly looking at the board setup a few days after we ended the first session and felt like there were points to be had there. Whereas at the end of the session itself, I was pretty ground down and treading water. The dominant feeling was that the Lesser Russian Tanks were still dead meat whenever the PzIII's felt like chasing them down, the KV-2s were on their last legs, and I didn't have an advantage anywhere.
With a 2-week break, things seem a touch less critical, if still dire. What strikes me is the vulnerability of the German infantry:
I have reason to hope the KV-2 will survive the shots from the PzIIIs and the CCRF from the 467; the PzIIIs may hit the front turret facing, and the 467 would be CC'ing a Non-Stopped vehicle.
Assuming he survives the Start attempt, he will change VCA and exit the buiding into R5, where he will hopefully survive the inevitable Street Fighting attempt from R4. Assuming all of THAT goes well (including the Bog check for changing VCA in Q5, necessary to avoid the Street Fighting from the 9-2 in P5 or Q6), the KV-2 will park itself quietly in T5, where he will keep those two German squads DM AND be in LOS from R2, preventing R2 from self-breaking and routing back to R3 or S3.
In short, it's an awesome move that only has to pass a series of probable events in order to succeed. What could go wrong?
If that works, then it would be easy to zoom the BT-7 over from I1 to T3, completing the encirclement of T4. Sure, Huey would be vulnerable to the PzIIIs next turn, but we'd have those tasty 4 CVP of German squads to carry us through that awkward moment.
With that complete, then some infantry run into R1, prepping to CC the HS there as long as we can keep it from self-breaking to safety. We could conceivably dash the 9-0 and 527 into Q3 with the notion of CC'ing either R2 or either PzIII, as well.
The other KV-2 (who's getting close to feeling the need to repair his MA, but won't do it this turn because he can still be useful without it) will probably relocate to M5, where he'll keep the HS in N4 and M4 from self-breaking to safety while helping to encircle both with his MGs in the AFPh. That leaves the tank in M3 and the 447 in O5 to cause what damage they can.
There's also the verdammt 9-1 and HMG combo, who admirably scared the Germans away from attacking down the left side of the board in the pregame, but has yet to do anything in the GAME game. Methinks it's time for them to show some Moxie.
There's also the potential to pressure the two exposed German HS's on board 49, bagging them for CVP while retaking those buildings. That in fact might be the safest play, as even the BT7s could play a helpful role in VBM freezing the Germans, but we'll see what shakes out with the other moves first. If I lose that first KV2 in Q5, then I'll likely leave the two brokies in T4 alone and settle for beating up on the HS's on the left flank while pressuring the ones on board 49. On the other hand, those PzIIIs would still be pretty vulnerable to CC from Russian infantry (squad+leader CCV of 6, -1 DRM for Street Fighting, perhaps another -1 DRM if the 9-1 gets involved) and if I'm in a vindictive mood, perhaps that'd be the better response. We'll see.
So, yeah, I've got some counter-punches available that, quite frankly, I was really not seeing at the end of Session 1. If the dice are with me, we can really hurt the German infantry and give the Russians a VP lead that may be tough to overcome. Stay tuned!
I remember briefly looking at the board setup a few days after we ended the first session and felt like there were points to be had there. Whereas at the end of the session itself, I was pretty ground down and treading water. The dominant feeling was that the Lesser Russian Tanks were still dead meat whenever the PzIII's felt like chasing them down, the KV-2s were on their last legs, and I didn't have an advantage anywhere.
With a 2-week break, things seem a touch less critical, if still dire. What strikes me is the vulnerability of the German infantry:
- I might be able to bring a squad up to R1 and threaten that HS, perhaps even freeing the Russian Prisoners they're guarding
- If neither of the German squads in T4 rally, they're vulnerable to the Russian armor swinging around and surrounding them, killing them for FTR at 4 CVP
- Those HS's in M4 and N4 are another 2 CVP that should be easy to bag, with the Russian tanks and infantry right there
- Even the squad in N5 looks unsupported, and the building he controls would be nice to have back.
I have reason to hope the KV-2 will survive the shots from the PzIIIs and the CCRF from the 467; the PzIIIs may hit the front turret facing, and the 467 would be CC'ing a Non-Stopped vehicle.
Assuming he survives the Start attempt, he will change VCA and exit the buiding into R5, where he will hopefully survive the inevitable Street Fighting attempt from R4. Assuming all of THAT goes well (including the Bog check for changing VCA in Q5, necessary to avoid the Street Fighting from the 9-2 in P5 or Q6), the KV-2 will park itself quietly in T5, where he will keep those two German squads DM AND be in LOS from R2, preventing R2 from self-breaking and routing back to R3 or S3.
In short, it's an awesome move that only has to pass a series of probable events in order to succeed. What could go wrong?
If that works, then it would be easy to zoom the BT-7 over from I1 to T3, completing the encirclement of T4. Sure, Huey would be vulnerable to the PzIIIs next turn, but we'd have those tasty 4 CVP of German squads to carry us through that awkward moment.
With that complete, then some infantry run into R1, prepping to CC the HS there as long as we can keep it from self-breaking to safety. We could conceivably dash the 9-0 and 527 into Q3 with the notion of CC'ing either R2 or either PzIII, as well.
The other KV-2 (who's getting close to feeling the need to repair his MA, but won't do it this turn because he can still be useful without it) will probably relocate to M5, where he'll keep the HS in N4 and M4 from self-breaking to safety while helping to encircle both with his MGs in the AFPh. That leaves the tank in M3 and the 447 in O5 to cause what damage they can.
There's also the verdammt 9-1 and HMG combo, who admirably scared the Germans away from attacking down the left side of the board in the pregame, but has yet to do anything in the GAME game. Methinks it's time for them to show some Moxie.
There's also the potential to pressure the two exposed German HS's on board 49, bagging them for CVP while retaking those buildings. That in fact might be the safest play, as even the BT7s could play a helpful role in VBM freezing the Germans, but we'll see what shakes out with the other moves first. If I lose that first KV2 in Q5, then I'll likely leave the two brokies in T4 alone and settle for beating up on the HS's on the left flank while pressuring the ones on board 49. On the other hand, those PzIIIs would still be pretty vulnerable to CC from Russian infantry (squad+leader CCV of 6, -1 DRM for Street Fighting, perhaps another -1 DRM if the 9-1 gets involved) and if I'm in a vindictive mood, perhaps that'd be the better response. We'll see.
So, yeah, I've got some counter-punches available that, quite frankly, I was really not seeing at the end of Session 1. If the dice are with me, we can really hurt the German infantry and give the Russians a VP lead that may be tough to overcome. Stay tuned!