Hidden Gem Scenarios

[Vic Provost]

Hello all. As ASL players, we are always chasing the latest and greatest scenario pack/HASL. Over the years, this has led to some truly exceptional scenarios becoming largely forgotten or bypassed. They may have had a brief flurry of playings on ROAR before being passed by, or not even had that level of playing. So what are your hidden/forgotten gems? I will start off with three of mine.
Win Pack 1 Attack On The Partisan Headquarters
Ost Front Pack scenario #2 Storm, Five, Five, Five
DB080 Task Force to Cotignac
The first is a large scenario with the Partisans needing to decide between breaking out or staying and fighting for their HQ, or a combination of both. I played it years back and loved it.
Storm, Five, Five, Five is a medium sized combined arms battle with a lot in play for both the Soviets and the Germans. It flows and plays well and is an absolute hoot.
Finally, Task Force to Cotignac is one of the best Dispatches scenarios no one can ever seem to recall. Very well balanced 44 fight between Americans/Partisans and Germans. It's medium sized as well and had a nice short run of popularity before being skipped over inevitably by the new stuff. I always thought it one of the best. Good job Joe Gochinski.

So what hidden gem scenarios do you have?

Hi Carl, I have several from the Out of the Bunker pack that were originally in the newsletter, Dispatches from the Bunker:
ROAR Record

Crisis at Kasserine [OB7]	German/Italian	4	American/Free French	3
Unhappy Trails [OB8]	American	2	Japanese	3
First Crack at Hellzapoppin' Ridge [OB9]	Japanese	7	American	5

Pursuing Kobayashi [OB14]

Japanese 9 American 11

They all are worthy actions, the first a monster from Tom Morin showcasing the tough fight at Kasserine, with multiple nationalities fighting in a combined arms desert nightmare.
The other 3 are PTO efforts of mine and deserve more playings by the ASL Community.

Great thread Carl! Vic.

 

[62nd Army]

Hello all. As ASL players, we are always chasing the latest and greatest scenario pack/HASL. Over the years, this has led to some truly exceptional scenarios becoming largely forgotten or bypassed. They may have had a brief flurry of playings on ROAR before being passed by, or not even had that level of playing. So what are your hidden/forgotten gems? I will start off with three of mine.
Win Pack 1 Attack On The Partisan Headquarters
Ost Front Pack scenario #2 Storm, Five, Five, Five
DB080 Task Force to Cotignac
The first is a large scenario with the Partisans needing to decide between breaking out or staying and fighting for their HQ, or a combination of both. I played it years back and loved it.
Storm, Five, Five, Five is a medium sized combined arms battle with a lot in play for both the Soviets and the Germans. It flows and plays well and is an absolute hoot.
Finally, Task Force to Cotignac is one of the best Dispatches scenarios no one can ever seem to recall. Very well balanced 44 fight between Americans/Partisans and Germans. It's medium sized as well and had a nice short run of popularity before being skipped over inevitably by the new stuff. I always thought it one of the best. Good job Joe Gochinski.

So what hidden gem scenarios do you have?

Carl

Thanks for the kind words!!

Best,
Joe

 

[pj norton]

Playtested both Warlords Estate and Destroy all Monsters, what other scenario has several 203mm artillery pieces in it, fun times indeed.

 

[Eagle4ty]

I'm not sure if this one qualifies as a hidden gem or not with about 60+ playings recorded on ROAR but SP202 "Firey Finale" by Mike Augustine was certainly a real gem of a scenario. I've played it three times already and would certainly entertain the thought of a 4th playing in a heartbeat. With IS2's & ISU's mingled with T-34's for the Russians and King Tigers & a flame throwing ht for the Germans it really gets one attention. The crazy set up restrictions for the Russkies and a small playing area is a real challenge for both sides. It's certainly on my all time favorites list.

 

[von Marwitz]

I'm not sure if this one qualifies as a hidden gem or not with about 60+ playings recorded on ROAR but SP202 "Firey Finale" by Mike Augustine was certainly a real gem of a scenario. I've played it three time already and would certainly entertain the thought of a 4th playing in a heartbeat. With IS2's & ISU's mingled with T-34's for the Russians and King Tigers & a flame throwing ht for the Germans it really gets one attention. The crazy set up restrictions for the Russkies and a small playing area is a real challenge for both sides. It's certainly on my all time favorites list.

Agree. This is a nice one. Played it twice. Here is my AAR on one of my playings.

von Marwitz

 

[Actionjick]

To Clear a Roadblock. A 99

While checking my notes for A Good Party I saw that we played this seven times in one day, Nov. 6th, 1988. We must have liked it. Fish won four of the seven. Looking at the Scenario Archives it was only listed once.

What's odd is that it was listed there as a Bob McNamara designed scenario and was published in the '96 Annual. We played it in '88 and had quit playing in '95. I don't have it listed as a playtest so I'm not sure where we got it from. Mac may have sent it to us but as I said it wasn't noted as a playtest.

Regardless we apparently enjoyed it and the review in the Archive said it was a fun scenario. My entry then for a hidden gem.

 

[Perry]

To Clear a Roadblock. A 99

While checking my notes for A Good Party I saw that we played this seven times in one day, Nov. 6th, 1988. We must have liked it. Fish won four of the seven. Looking at the Scenario Archives it was only listed once.

What's odd is that it was listed there as a Bob McNamara designed scenario and was published in the '96 Annual. We played it in '88 and had quit playing in '95. I don't have it listed as a playtest so I'm not sure where we got it from. Mac may have sent it to us but as I said it wasn't noted as a playtest.

Regardless we apparently enjoyed it and the review in the Archive said it was a fun scenario. My entry then for a hidden gem.

We liked playtesting it also, so we resurrected it for the ’96 Annual.

 

[Actionjick]

We liked playtesting it also, so we resurrected it for the ’96 Annual.

Perry was it just a playtest in '88? I must have been Lax for not noting it as such.

 

[Ric of The LBC]

Destroy all Monsters

Best Godzilla movie ever!

 

[Actionjick]

Best Godzilla movie ever!

I see you are now using Colonel Cuervo's British cousin, The Colonel, as your avatar. Colonel Cuervo approves. Captain Bacchus not sure yet.

 

[Ric of The LBC]

I see you are now using Colonel Cuervo's British cousin, The Colonel, as your avatar. Colonel Cuervo approves. Captain Bacchus not sure yet.

Now you are being silly

 

[Actionjick]

To Clear a Roadblock. A 99

While checking my notes for A Good Party I saw that we played this seven times in one day, Nov. 6th, 1988. We must have liked it. Fish won four of the seven. Looking at the Scenario Archives it was only listed once.

What's odd is that it was listed there as a Bob McNamara designed scenario and was published in the '96 Annual. We played it in '88 and had quit playing in '95. I don't have it listed as a playtest so I'm not sure where we got it from. Mac may have sent it to us but as I said it wasn't noted as a playtest.

Regardless we apparently enjoyed it and the review in the Archive said it was a fun scenario. My entry then for a hidden gem.

Checking the Scenario Archive I see it was played nine times. Sorry, just not very familiar with the Archive.

 

[Actionjick]

Clay Pigeons D16

Another one we played quite a bit as it is rather unusual.

DASL, Night, Bocage, Hedgerow Hell.

We played a fair amount of Hedgerow Hell but this one probably more times than the other scenarios as it was Night and we liked Night scenarios.

As far as I can tell from the Archive not played very much.

 

[Michael R]

Clay Pigeons D16
As far as I can tell from the Archive not played very much.

ROAR is a better indicator of the number of playings, and always keep in mind that we have no idea what percentage of players report their games.

 

[Actionjick]

ROAR is a better indicator of the number of playings, and always keep in mind that we have no idea what percentage of players report their games.

I've no experience with ROAR but assumed, for no apparent reason, that it would have more information. I'll have to check it out.

Still Clay Pigeons seems to be a mix that doesn't appeal to the majority of players. Once again an assumption with not a lot of facts to back it up.

 

[Perry]

Clay Pigeons D16

Another one we played quite a bit as it is rather unusual.

DASL, Night, Bocage, Hedgerow Hell.

We played a fair amount of Hedgerow Hell but this one probably more times than the other scenarios as it was Night and we liked Night scenarios.

As far as I can tell from the Archive not played very much.

Fish and Pokey Perry played this into Sunday evening one Origins/Atlanticon as they stacked up tables around us.

Pokey did not properly utilize "the close the wall up with our [American] dead" tactic and conceded as they were kicking us out.

 

[Michael R]

Note that the Archive sometimes shows the ROAR data; if it is not there, one can see a link to "bring in" the data".

 

[Actionjick]

Fish and Pokey Perry played this into Sunday evening one Origins/Atlanticon as they stacked up tables around us.

Pokey did not properly utilize "the close the wall up with our [American] dead" tactic and conceded as they were kicking us out.

Lol! Did he shark you into playing this?

 

[witchbottles]

ESG 45 Below the Belt.
ROAR has it very close, ASL Scen archive only has 4 posted playings.

Love the Belgian tin cans vs the German tin cans. Played it twice myself- once each side, went down to the last MPh in the first game for my Belgian win and the last AFPh in the second game for a German win. Real fun, and I enjoy the move to defend mechanic of the Belgians moving first but the Germans as the scenario attacker.

�

Statistics:
Avg Rating: 6.00	Votes: 6
Views:	760
To-Play list count:	2
Estimated Play time:	7.4 hours
Recorded Games:	4

�

Archive recorded plays:
Belgian	1
German	3
Drawn:	0

Confirmed in Roar

ROAR Data: (as of April 2021) Below the Belt [Confirmed] [Switch Sides, Edit or Reset]

�

[A] 7	0
[D] 8

 

[MajorDomo]

ESG 45 Below the Belt.
ROAR has it very close, ASL Scen archive only has 4 posted playings.

Love the Belgian tin cans vs the German tin cans. Played it twice myself- once each side, went down to the last MPh in the first game for my Belgian win and the last AFPh in the second game for a German win. Real fun, and I enjoy the move to defend mechanic of the Belgians moving first but the Germans as the scenario attacker.

�

Statistics:
Avg Rating: 6.00	Votes: 6
Views:	760
To-Play list count:	2
Estimated Play time:	7.4 hours
Recorded Games:	4

�

Archive recorded plays:
Belgian	1
German	3
Drawn:	0

Confirmed in Roar

ROAR Data: (as of April 2021) Below the Belt [Confirmed] [Switch Sides, Edit or Reset]

�

[A] 7	0
[D] 8

Played and enjoyed it. Tin cans always a favorite of mine.