I introduced
@Matt Boehland to the wonderful world of VASL with a classic reprinted in Armies of Oblivion. This time, we played...
ASL28 Ambush!
Original vs Reprint
I don't have a copy of the original version of this scenario as published in Partisan!, but I've been able to figure out at least two revisions made for balance purposes. The first is that the reprint version is a full turn shorter (7 vs 8 turns). Second, the Partisans seem to have picked up an additional HIP squad.
Setup and Initial Thoughts
This scenario has a couple of interesting characteristics. First is that it's one of two (as of this writing) scenarios featuring the Bulgarians. Second is that the setup for the Bulgarians is largely scripted, and features a number of units which start in the open, broken and under DM. This is because the scenario starts the moment after the ambush has been sprung, and now it's up to the Bulgarians to fight their way clear.
Partisan setup, though not nearly as restricted explicitly, doesn't exactly have a lot of options. Board 4 features a few pockets of woods and the odd building scattered throughout a lot of open ground. That doesn't leave many options for a fallback defense, so the Partisans pretty much have to set up up front and hope to catch the Bulgarians in the open.
The Fighting
From the start, matters did not go well for the Bulgarians. The broken units in the open died from interdiction as they tried to rout to the board 10 woods. Support weapons the Bulgarians could have used to form a fire base were either broken (the 50mm MTR) or possessed by perpetually broken units (the MMG). Partisan MGs with a B# of 9 (captured use) repeatedly failed to break, and did murder both in the form of direct fire and interdiction.
This isn't to say that there weren't a few funny or absurd moments. For example:
HIP Partisan squad shoots adjacent Bulgarian 3-4-7 & 8-0 (6FP -2).
Roll a 5. K/2. Great, I can live with this.
Random selection hits the leader, who dies from the wound.
Squad breaks from the 2MC.
Squad rolls for the LLMC... Snake eyes. With a +3 HOB DRM, they go berserk....
...and promptly charge the ADJACENT Partisans.
[Cue horrifying CC noises as another stack, containing a 4-4-7(!!) and a Hero join in the fray]
By the end of Bulgarian Turn 4, the result was pretty obvious. A substantial proportion of Bulgarian squads lay broken and DM, either in open ground or in woods away from leaders. Though the outposts had been overrun, the main Partisan defensive positions were untouched. All but one of the Partisans' MGs were fully functional. The Bulgarians called off the attack.
PARTISAN WIN.
Conclusions
This one seems to be shockingly dicey, though not for the usual reasons. If the Partisan MGs break early, the Bulgarians will have a much more manageable time of it. If the Bulgarians can get the MTR and MMG as a fire base, these can be used to reduce Partisan positions prior to a final charge.
My main criticism of this scenario is that there doesn't seem to be much for the Partisans to do except sit, shoot, and retain concealment where they can. There just isn't much room to maneuver or withdraw.