So what scenarios have you played Recently?

boylermaker

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Played Clearing the Heights from the new Dinant module. The French have to defend 6 trench hexes from a slightly superior German force. I spread out my trenches as much as the SSRs allow, set up firelanes to try and keep the Germans compacted, arranged the occasional LATW to keep the German Pz IIs from wandering around my backfield, and hoped that air bursts and shooting at climbing units would do the rest.

I managed to get about half of the German OB in a harassing fire mission, and based on how I rolled, you would have thought it was an full HE concentration. Elsewhere, the Germans couldn't win a melee to save their lives. By turn 3, my reinforcements were showing up on the German flank, and my opponent decided he didn't have the horses or the time to get to the furthest-away trenches.

An interesting scenario, and I rolled real well as the French, but I'd probably ask for the German balance if I was playing it again.
 

Richard Weiley

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AP59 Taking Heads. My opponent went for an upfront defence, so the first 3 turns were a real slugfest. I gradually wore down the defenders on the US right flank and then ensured a breakthrough when a light mortar got a critical hit on the half track, squad and MMG defending in the woods on the board seam and he yahtzeed the random selection roll. By turn 5 I was well ahead on CVP having killed the second halftrack with a well timed THH. With only about 3 good order squads still in play, and Japanese units starting to gobble up victory buildings in the village, my opponent conceded. His cause was not helped by having the .50 cal malfunction on its second shot and stubbornly failing to repair for about 3 turns.
 

von Marwitz

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AP59 Taking Heads. My opponent went for an upfront defence, so the first 3 turns were a real slugfest. I gradually wore down the defenders on the US right flank and then ensured a breakthrough when a light mortar got a critical hit on the half track, squad and MMG defending in the woods on the board seam and he yahtzeed the random selection roll. By turn 5 I was well ahead on CVP having killed the second halftrack with a well timed THH. With only about 3 good order squads still in play, and Japanese units starting to gobble up victory buildings in the village, my opponent conceded. His cause was not helped by having the .50 cal malfunction on its second shot and stubbornly failing to repair for about 3 turns.
Great scenario. Played this twice. The first playing was a real blast. The second playing somehow my Americans just seemed to be cut up like butter.

von Marwitz
 

von Marwitz

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SP234 Teltow Two-Step

14306

Scenario set during the last days of the war in Berlin. Some SS-units (with an ELR of 2) have to retreat across the Teltow Canal via a bridge that is set up by SSR to possibly blow up depending which German vehicles cross it.

True to the typical Schwerpunkt-style, this one goes right into action. However, this scenario feels like Schwerpunkt "extreme": Theoretically, the Germans can rush sufficient forces across the bridge in the turn they enter. But it is a gamble. And to get any forces across, they will have to sacrifice other units that are scarce. On the other hand, the Russians - being equipped lavishly these days - must crash forward to interdict the path that the Germans can take. Unless the Germans have a flawed setup, this will make the Russians bleed.

Being a short 5-Turn affair with the situation as described, there is a certain danger for the scenario to be fickle. There is not much room for mistakes nor for an unbalanced share of good and bad DRs for both sides. If these prerequisites are met, then it will be a blast to play. Otherwise, it may be over for one side or the other pretty soon.

I had the Germans in this one. Unfortunately, despite 'knowing' that the units that have to cross the canal enter on turn two (i.e. after two Russian turns), I had it somehow in my head that they were entering only after one Russian turn. That makes, of course, a fundamental difference. That said, my setup would have been a bit different.

The Russians attacked along the southern flank with the objective of interdicting my entry area. The units I had there did not perform: I got down a FL with the LMG but then cowered with the inherent FP, cancelling the FL. This allowed the Russians to close in quickly in force. Had my mind put the timing of the German entry correctly, I would have had an extra squad in the area which was now sorely missing. Besides that, in Russian turn 2, I missed about 5 PF shots and X'ed out the PSK on the first shot. As a result, the Russians were in position to interdict my turn 2 units in force.

With my situation precarious at best, I decided to force a decision needing some luck by now. It was not to be: Two half-tracks were taken out by the T34-85 which had kept ROF. The StuH which I sacrificed for the passage of the halftracks did KIA the Russian FT and tied up some of his infantry including the 9-2. But as a 19 hex long-range CMG shot totally screwed up my infantry on foot attempting to rush past on the board edge, I was done in with not enough VP to get across the bridge.

I could have moved my reinforcements more prudently for sure, but my erroneous perception about the timing of the entry of my forces was the key to defeat.


von Marwitz
 

boylermaker

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154 Orange at Walawbum

Japanese have to attack a dug in force of American 667s. Japanese have to take a level 2 hilltop hex on board 37 and level 2 hexes on board 36. Although in theory the two victory locations are six hexes from each other, this is PTO, so in practice they might as well be in different scenarios for all you can communicate forces between the two sectors. I sent about 40% of my force to attack board 37 and 60% to attack board 36. As it turned out, the 9-2 and HMG were defending board 37, so 40% of my force wasn't enough. I was able to achieve the board 36 victory conditions, but every Japanese unit on board 37 was vaporized at the cost of exactly zero American casualties.

This marks my 10th PTO scenario. Perhaps eventually I will have fun playing the Japanese, but this was not that scenario.
 

Cpl Uhl

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Played this too as IJA. Sent all but one leader and two squads (HIP on bd36 to grab vc hexes there at end game) against hill on bd37. Lost my two -1 leaders almost immediately as well as the support fire they were dircting. Assault force did ok, but with inneffective supporting fire ended up annihilated short of the vc hex.

The terrain in this one is attrocious for the attacker who must cross a stream and then mount abrupt elevation (3 levels in places!) into jungle, likely vs panjis. Banzai vs that and you die. Must use Smoke/WP, Crest, Ass move/normal advance. All against US firepower and Stealthy MMC. A real challenge.

Scenario demonstrates the strength of the very generic bd37 and transformative power of overlays. Despite the travails I enjoyed the scenario.





154 Orange at Walawbum

Japanese have to attack a dug in force of American 667s. Japanese have to take a level 2 hilltop hex on board 37 and level 2 hexes on board 36. Although in theory the two victory locations are six hexes from each other, this is PTO, so in practice they might as well be in different scenarios for all you can communicate forces between the two sectors. I sent about 40% of my force to attack board 37 and 60% to attack board 36. As it turned out, the 9-2 and HMG were defending board 37, so 40% of my force wasn't enough. I was able to achieve the board 36 victory conditions, but every Japanese unit on board 37 was vaporized at the cost of exactly zero American casualties.

This marks my 10th PTO scenario. Perhaps eventually I will have fun playing the Japanese, but this was not that scenario.
 

von Marwitz

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Played this in 2010 shortly after picking up VASL. It was one of the first (if not the first) scenarios for me to learn PTO thaught to me by David Wallace from down under. It looked cool and I had much fun, Panjis and all.

In retrospect it might not have been the best choice for starting with PTO, but I still have fond (if dim) memories.

von Marwitz
 

The Purist

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Mr. Honus and I just completed the third scenario from LCP's Gr Dld Pack I - "Textbook Attack". This battle is supposed to represent a clash between the semi-mechanised French and the Grossdeuschland Regiment.

The Germans are given 14 SE (468) led by 5 SMC of which 3 have -1 DRM. These GD troops have an ELR of 4, SAN of 2 and are supported by 2 MMG, 4 LMG, 3 ATR, 3 50* Mtr and 3 ATR. Covering the attack from dominating level four heights on board 39 are 2 HMG, two 75* and one 150* Inf guns, 3 STuG IIIB and an observer guiding 100mm OBA with HE/and Smoke - as the Germans are considered "Elite" all the ammunition depletion number were +1.

The Germans start on map with numerous level 4 locations thus denying the French the ability to start concealed unless they use their "?" counters.

The French have 14 SE (457) but only 3 SMC (two w/ -1 DRM) backed by 3 LMG, 2 HMG and 2 60* Mtr and 12 "?". The dismounted cavalrymen have and ELR of only 2, which is questionable as French mech cav were composed mostly of active troops and should have an ELR of 3, and a SAN of 4. The are two 25LL AT guns,... not terribly effective against the StuGs and four fortified building locations.

On French Turn 5 of the 9.5 turns they receive receive three French 75 Art pulled by wagons. Here again we ran into some historical inaccuracies as a DLC had all of its artillery towed by halftracks. The only exceptions were the 25LL ATG in the horse cav squadrons that used horse limbers. The use of wagons severely limit what the French guns could do due to their low MF and no ability to use road movement rates to get into useful positions.

As might be expected the German howitzers, StuGs, H/MMGs and artillery on level 4 sweep the middle board (44) of any French troops in very short order driving the French back onto board 12 via the gullies. About the only blind hexes the French had were those directly behind an obstacle but the German deployment area usually meant the German attackers can see around one side or the other. German howitzers were even able to reach deep into board 12's village. This made any French lateral movement almost impossible and French infantry suffered under HE rounds coming in from as much as 25 hexes or more.

The German attack was made from the right and was a set piece affair. The Germans have 10 turns to cross 2.5 boards and they did so with little pause, making ample use of artillery Smoke, SD7 of the STuG IIIs and the increased S9 and S10 smoke ammunition of the guns and StuGs. While one StuG III was lost to an AT gun ambush the German armour was kept close to the attacking 468s and the French defences were slowly dismantled bit by bit. Had it not been for the German attack failing radio contact for three full turns the scenario would have been over very much sooner than Turn 9.

The Germans have a good bit of ground to cover but the French are quite brittle. German firepower is very heavy and with excellent positions, causing the French to break and substitute on a regular basis. The fortified building failed to help the French as the German 100mm OBA, 75mm and 150mm guns of various types simply smothered even the best defended locations and once the AT guns were dealt with, VBM Freeze was used by the StuG IIIs.

Despite all of the above ROAR has this scenario at 10 French and 5 German wins.

The key to this scenario appears to be a concentrated attack on one portion of the defence since the defender faces the usual dilemma of trying to deploy to cover the available approaches, falling back to concentrate on the VC area(s). This proved a problem for the French due to the above mentioned level 4 heights with German heavy weapons and the lack of the usual blind hexes that could be used as cover..
 
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Cpl Uhl

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Played this in 2010 shortly after picking up VASL. It was one of the first (if not the first) scenarios for me to learn PTO thaught to me by David Wallace from down under. It looked cool and I had much fun, Panjis and all.

In retrospect it might not have been the best choice for starting with PTO, but I still have fond (if dim) memories.

von Marwitz
Figuring out the LOS alone makes this an advanced scenario.
 

waltermcwilliam

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BFP147 The Commissar's Folly: After a short break for vacations and family visits Tom and I finally got this scenario, third from the last of our PiF play through complete. It was a polish victory as early on everything went right for me. The 1/2 squad scouts set up to deny early concealment inflicted heavier casualties than they should have and this knocked Tom off his time table which in a 5 turn game can't afford much of a delay. There were a lot of ups and downs throughout, but the Poles hung tough and when the cow bell rang; denied the Russian hordes the victory. Next, jumped straight in to BFP148 Backs Against the Wall but had to call it a day before we could finish, so we'll pick up mid-game when next we meet.
 

waltermcwilliam

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BFP-148 Backs Against the Wall - Tom and I sat down to finish this scenario, the next to the last scenario in our play through of this incredible product, and what a dozy! All the way down to the final CC roll for the back-to-back Polish wins! It is also my first win out of at least 3 attempts on the BFP-DW6 board. This board is a maze of ASL geometry that I have struggled with both on the attack and defense. I can't even pinpoint a single or series of events that led to victory or defeat. It was back and forth good luck and bad through out. I had 3 of my 7 starting elite squads battle hardened, I created a leader in CC and had a leader battle hardened. I also ended the game with 1 manned functioning machine gun, every thing else broke, captured or in the hands of the soon to be captured. I got one salvo or OBA then Tom's OBA found my observer and a 6 wound DR ended his life and though I did manage to recover the phone that guy broke immediately. I cannot help but recommend it because based on our playing it was a blast! Next week we play the final scenario BFP149 Kock Strong, the fascist dogs return with a vengeance, can the poles finish with a hat track!
 

Eagle4ty

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Curtis Brooks (US) & I (Ger) squared off in AP132 NIGHT OF NIGHTS recently, a great paratroop night battle in Normandy on D-Day. With 4 distinct VC objectives for an immediate win and 3 of 4 for an end of game win, the action was hot & heavy from the get go. The scenario has some interesting SSRs & units including a rule that the German AA Guns (5, including a Flakverling) start in AA mode & must fire each turn regardless of target until turn 4 and an appearance of an ammo truck that can go BOOM in the night if sufficiently destroyed. The 4 DZs for the wings, 15 Sqds & 5 HS with 8 SW all told, are specified but can vary a bit according to random DR. We only had to re-roll for 1 as initially it drifted off-board (NA per SSR). The Germans on the other hand have an entering column that includes 5 trucks, 2 ht and an AC along with a couple of Sqds that must tear down the road to exit the playing area on the opposite end to exit at least 1 trk (yeah, it's night and NOBODY tears down the road in column, I know). The kicker here is all roads lead to Rome, or in this case to the center of Saint-Marie-Du-Mont village represented on bd 12a, and this will shortly become the scene of intense fighting. In other words, not a chance in Hades that any of the trucks will make it. But that's alright because the 'mericans have a VC to exit 12+ EVP off the nort' edge (a goodly hump at night, regardless of their final drop points, not to mention the loss of their combat power at the truly critical juncture-the village). The two red-herrings (IMHO) almost ensure a knock down drag out fight for the village and the guns, the other two objectives.

The drops went pretty good for Curtis with only a single stick receiving any AA Fire (CR result IIRC) with two wings landing close to or in the village the other two effectively blocking or putting pressure on the roads to south leading into its confines. Meanwhile my vaunted Wehrmacht forces staunchly defended a couple of victory buildings and tried to pry away his forces from the roads (Well staunchly is perhaps an overstatement. With a ELR of 2 AND down 1 at night they died like dogs the lousy buggers. Ya think they could make a simple MC?-but I digress). Also, like a thundering heard of turtles my convoy hurtles up the road toward, you guessed it-their demise, at the torrid rate of 5 hexes per turn. The paras having found a couple of SW (random per SSR), ambush the column and true to form chuck a DC at my ammo truck no less. Though immobilized by other fire, along with another truck in the same location, we await the final determination in the AFPh with bated breath; Pffszt! Does nothing! Now to action stations for the convoy: "RUN AWAY! Hide, Hide!" It is to no avail though as eventually all the trucks would be immobilized or wrecked but tieing down most of that drop wing from having an impact in the village. Back at the ranch Fritz and Herman were getting their butts handed to them, albeit they did have a few bright spots aided by the fact that Curtis forgot to mopp-up the buildings causing him to leave a few guy back to chase down my brokies. (Hey, we had moved on past that phase and I said "too late", ya should'a seen the look of consternation on his face, priceless-yeah I'm a dick and other not too flattering terms uttered-but I digress) and delayed a substantial amount of paras from getting to the final building and the last gun (yup, the FlaKverling). It fired until the barrels were white hot all the while saying "I'm going to die, I'm going to die!" And he did on Curtis' last turn CC along with capturing the last VC building. All that was left was to have Curtis recover the gun in my RPh and the game was his as none of my other people could reach a VC building or re-capture a gun................. Recovery dr=5 (IT'S NIGHT! +1 recovery drm).

A great game, a great scenario. For the faint of heart afraid of too many Ch E rules, get out of your comfort zone, screw up a few rules here & there like we did and have a blast. Highly recommended!
 

Curtis Brooks

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Curtis Brooks (US) & I (Ger) squared off in AP132 NIGHT OF NIGHTS recently, a great paratroop night battle in Normandy on D-Day....

A great game, a great scenario. For the faint of heart afraid of too many Ch E rules, get out of your comfort zone, screw up a few rules here & there like we did and have a blast. Highly recommended!
I was NOT mad at Tom concerning me forgetting to mop up. I had every intention of doing that but forgot in the heat of the moment. We were well past the that point. The look of consternation was "me" being a dumb ass.

I felt hard pressed the entire game. I don't mind losing the game on a recovery dr... I was pleased and proud that I was able to even get to the point of having a chance to win at the end.

The highlight (or lowlight) of the game was placing a dc on a hex that contained TWO immobilized trucks (one being the ammo truck) a broken squad and a stunned HT. I was hoping to blow the ammo truck just for giggles. My roll was so high all I got was a nmc on the broken squad (at least the trucks were already immobilized and out of the game. Tom and I have had many fun para drop scenarios over the years.
 

Faded 8-1

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Paradrops are great fun. As are night rules. Lots of ASL goodness in Chapter E.
 

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FT 264- Hands off the Loot

What's another word for pirate treasure? Well, I think its booty.

Man oh man, this was such a great scenario- compact playing area, interesting terrain (I have a long love affair with board 47), interesting units of dubious quality which get to both attack and defend, and variable VP conditions so that said crappy troops still have opportunities to win as the game unfolds and the tactical situation changes. A super smart, subtly sophisticated scenario design. I was a little worried that the partisan reinforcements were too strong but they wound up being balanced. C'est la vie.

The Azerbaijanis won 9-7 on CVP at the end but for most of the game I felt like I had no chance of winning. However, things seesawed in the second half so badly that my opponent considered suing Phillippe Naud for whiplash and emotional damage. However, I want to play everything this man has published and will gladly pay his legal bills. I've got plenty of loot that I took off the Maquis...

Due to the entry points for reinforcements, VP conditions, and the effect of terrain, there seems to be a lot of replay value here and this is a tasty tournament sized scenario everyone should try. Damn, I've missed ASL- who cares if covid lives on cardboard for up to 48 hours.
 

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Played S42 Clearing Carentan, first time I had played this particular scenario from the Beyond The Beaches Bonus Pack for ASLSK#1. First game against a fellow DC Conscript recruit. SSR covering 1) limited defender HIP and 2) up to 3 pre-registered artillery fires at 2 different locations.

After a reset on the initial set up (No, Jon, you DON'T get to HIP your entire force) the game began with a strong American push down the west side of the town. The vast majority of his force was stacked up in a building when I called in the first of my three pre-planned artillery strikes (on 2 different locations per SSR; each strike hit the target hex and the surrounding 6 hexes with 16 FP in each hex (roll for a separate attack in each hex) ) that broke about half of his entire force. The second arty strike was not as successful, and by the end of turn three, his entire force was rallied . Once in position, the Yank paratroopers perfectly executed a contested street crossing in the face of multiple defender positions utilizing smoke, excellent sequential movement (no stacking), and soon had 5 squads on the west edge of the VC area (13 buildings in the center of the board) and surrounding my far western strongpoint in the VC area.

After my squad/LMG/leader stack was surrounded and vaporized, the Yank paratroopers advanced in great strength...into my next pre-registered artillery strike hex. Good rolls for me, and exceptionally poor rolls for Keith, and 4 out of his 6 7-4-7 squads were DM. I had one of my HIP units reveal to seal off one rout path, advanced two more units to a couple of more rout paths and 2 squads gone for failure to rout. One more turn of back and forth, but he realized he didn't quite have the force necessary to clear the VC area; concession after turn 5. Lady luck favored me this time, but completely deserted my opponent, for he played a much better than the outcome indicates.
 

Ray Woloszyn

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[AP103] That Damned Bridge Face-to-face with Dave Stephens today and I had the Americans. A total dice out. I did not lose a squad, had one ELR failure only. Did not get to charge with my "Dare Death (obviously no Covid-19 in 1944)" Americans. WP was so-so. Cleared the mines on turn three to unleash the Shermans although the one with the leader had malfunctioned the MA. Dave for his part rolled boxcars six times on rally rolls. My rangers led by Captain Miller (I referred to him as Tom Hanks) shot exceptionally well. Anyway, the white flag went up after the U.S. prep fire on turn five.
 

von Marwitz

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Yikes! Hope y'all at least enjoyed the setting up!
In fact he asked me for my setup after the completion of his game and reading my AAR the picture of which got lost in one of those forum updates. For sure the setup was at least as much a puzzle as the game.

von Marwitz
 

Ray Woloszyn

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I would certainly play this again. Learned that mine clearance is only during the Attacker's turn and you can't enter an enemy's abandoned trench from a lower level without first expending two MP to move uphill and then one MP into the trench because you do not control that trench. Secret egress must be well hidden. Dave and I have been playing more complex scenarios with lots of SSR's in order to keep sharp at 70 years old. I don't want our president to think we're diminished.
 
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