Major Issues
Elder Member
Walt Harrar and I played Ball Busting in Balta. We decided that Balta looked like Ardmore, PA, except that there was no Whole Foods. I reminded him that the political leanings in Ardmore were far different than Stalingrad. He said that a good dose of reeducation would cure that.
I was the evil Nazis. VC are multihex building control and CVPs. My plan, prior to setup, was to swing some of the onboard guys south, and some of the entering guys east, to try to take some of the (hopefully undefended) rear buildings for easy points. I assumed his defense would be on the eastern edge of board r and on board 56.
Well, he surprised me. There was no one on board 56 and no one on the eastern half of board r. This had the disadvantage of conceding a lot of building points to me. It did allow a more centralized defense. Also, a lot of the cover I had to use to assault his line was outside the normal range of my 548s and 838s. Board r has tons of sneaky LOSs, so pretty much any open ground hex was vulnerable when I tried to move.
He did set his T-26 a little too far forward. I was able to Stun it on his turn 1, and eliminate on my turn 2, with a LMG.
After that, I was stuck. I couldn't get anywhere against his main line. His commissars did a good job of bringing broken units back - even conscript HSs. After 4 turns, I had only taken 1 defended building away from him. Considering that I had 10-2, 8 morale guys, DCs, and 3 FTs, this was sad. Just sad. What would Rommel say??? CVPs after 4 turns were 7 for him, 13 for me.
I never tried to use the offboard gun with the radio. Instead, I just used Area Fire. I got a couple hits, but it was of limited effectiveness.
His other two T-26s forded the river without bogging, and set up on the back edge where they had LOS to some squads of mine in the open.
My last turn, turn 6, I finally have a chance to take some more buildings, place some DCs (3 attempts thus far in the game, Pinned every time), maybe get into some favorable CCs.
I charged two 548s, one at a time, through open ground in normal range of a conscript HS. First squad gets KIAed. Second squad gets KIAed.
By.
A.
Conscript.
HS.
Other squads, including two with FTs, ran where the only unit that could see them was a MMG, 8-1 directed, firing through an orchard.
HS with FT - KIA.
Squad with FT - KIA
548 - KIA
238 - KIA
I lost 10 CVPs in 1 movement phase. Says something about Walt's rolls, and his ROF. And my mule-headed determination to keep running in his LOS. "He can't possibly get another good roll!!! He is so due for an 11!!!"
I did get 3 DCs placed, which was 3 more than I had the entire rest of the game. Net result was breaking one squad. Heavy sigh.
I sent an 8-0 with a FT and two squads with a 9-1 after Walt's two T-26s. 8-0 heroically passes his MCs from MG fire and gun fire from the one tank. The second tank commander, in his anxiety, puts the shell in backwards and breaks the gun. The FT turns the good tank into a flaming wreck.
I end my turn 6 with two more buildings. Even with the giant pile of German corpses I created, I was up to 22 points. 20 are needed to win. So Walt could still pull it out if he can take back a building or kill some more Nazis. The bottom of the 6th, a 447 heroically charges a building defended only by a concealed HS with a squad of prisoners. His 447 survives a 11-2 shot to make it in. Meanwhile, a few blocks away, the remaining T-26 passes his TC to be able to move/ escape, then rolls a 12 on the start roll and immobilizes it. In one turn, the crew broke their gun and immobilized their tank. If they survive, it will be a penal battalion for them! I roll snakes with the FT, and there is another flaming wreck. Walt's 447 jumps my guarding HS, but I get ambush and withdraw, conceding the building, but saving 3 VPs. Game ends with me up 25 points.
Despite some negative reviews on this scenario, we both quite enjoyed it, and it did come down to the end. Walt thought that he should have moved one commissar to the center of town, and moved his mortars up closer. As it was, they had no effect on the game. I should have used infantry smoke, but there didn't seem to be any good opportunities.
This is a fun one. As long as the Russians don't try to defend everything, I think they have a good chance. Otherwise...
I was the evil Nazis. VC are multihex building control and CVPs. My plan, prior to setup, was to swing some of the onboard guys south, and some of the entering guys east, to try to take some of the (hopefully undefended) rear buildings for easy points. I assumed his defense would be on the eastern edge of board r and on board 56.
Well, he surprised me. There was no one on board 56 and no one on the eastern half of board r. This had the disadvantage of conceding a lot of building points to me. It did allow a more centralized defense. Also, a lot of the cover I had to use to assault his line was outside the normal range of my 548s and 838s. Board r has tons of sneaky LOSs, so pretty much any open ground hex was vulnerable when I tried to move.
He did set his T-26 a little too far forward. I was able to Stun it on his turn 1, and eliminate on my turn 2, with a LMG.
After that, I was stuck. I couldn't get anywhere against his main line. His commissars did a good job of bringing broken units back - even conscript HSs. After 4 turns, I had only taken 1 defended building away from him. Considering that I had 10-2, 8 morale guys, DCs, and 3 FTs, this was sad. Just sad. What would Rommel say??? CVPs after 4 turns were 7 for him, 13 for me.
I never tried to use the offboard gun with the radio. Instead, I just used Area Fire. I got a couple hits, but it was of limited effectiveness.
His other two T-26s forded the river without bogging, and set up on the back edge where they had LOS to some squads of mine in the open.
My last turn, turn 6, I finally have a chance to take some more buildings, place some DCs (3 attempts thus far in the game, Pinned every time), maybe get into some favorable CCs.
I charged two 548s, one at a time, through open ground in normal range of a conscript HS. First squad gets KIAed. Second squad gets KIAed.
By.
A.
Conscript.
HS.
Other squads, including two with FTs, ran where the only unit that could see them was a MMG, 8-1 directed, firing through an orchard.
HS with FT - KIA.
Squad with FT - KIA
548 - KIA
238 - KIA
I lost 10 CVPs in 1 movement phase. Says something about Walt's rolls, and his ROF. And my mule-headed determination to keep running in his LOS. "He can't possibly get another good roll!!! He is so due for an 11!!!"
I did get 3 DCs placed, which was 3 more than I had the entire rest of the game. Net result was breaking one squad. Heavy sigh.
I sent an 8-0 with a FT and two squads with a 9-1 after Walt's two T-26s. 8-0 heroically passes his MCs from MG fire and gun fire from the one tank. The second tank commander, in his anxiety, puts the shell in backwards and breaks the gun. The FT turns the good tank into a flaming wreck.
I end my turn 6 with two more buildings. Even with the giant pile of German corpses I created, I was up to 22 points. 20 are needed to win. So Walt could still pull it out if he can take back a building or kill some more Nazis. The bottom of the 6th, a 447 heroically charges a building defended only by a concealed HS with a squad of prisoners. His 447 survives a 11-2 shot to make it in. Meanwhile, a few blocks away, the remaining T-26 passes his TC to be able to move/ escape, then rolls a 12 on the start roll and immobilizes it. In one turn, the crew broke their gun and immobilized their tank. If they survive, it will be a penal battalion for them! I roll snakes with the FT, and there is another flaming wreck. Walt's 447 jumps my guarding HS, but I get ambush and withdraw, conceding the building, but saving 3 VPs. Game ends with me up 25 points.
Despite some negative reviews on this scenario, we both quite enjoyed it, and it did come down to the end. Walt thought that he should have moved one commissar to the center of town, and moved his mortars up closer. As it was, they had no effect on the game. I should have used infantry smoke, but there didn't seem to be any good opportunities.
This is a fun one. As long as the Russians don't try to defend everything, I think they have a good chance. Otherwise...
