#106 Shouting into the Storm

[asloser]

 

[VonHutier]

Over two hours of excellent ASL content , and some great logs to watch - thanks guys, I'll try to be at Blackpool in November!

 

[Doug Leslie]

This scenario will live long in my memory (and nightmares) as the one where I had 3 IS-2m tanks complete with 122mm guns and hull frontal armour of 26 and which, under my brilliant command, achieved the following:

1. Germans killed- none
2. Germans broken- none
3. Germans pinned- none
4. German AFVs shocked/stunned/immobilized/destroyed- none
5. IS-2ms falling into cellar on turn of entry- one
6. IS-2ms recalled following sniper attack and becoming immobilized in own AT minefield while heading for exit- one
7. IS-2ms bouncing shell off King Tiger hull frontal armour at point blank range and getting destroyed by King Tiger bounding fire return shot into stone building- one

Does this constitute some kind of record for AFV ineptitude?

 

[Sparafucil3]

This scenario will live long in my memory (and nightmares) as the one where I had 3 IS-2m tanks complete with 122mm guns and hull frontal armour of 26 and which, under my brilliant command, achieved the following:

1. Germans killed- none
2. Germans broken- none
3. Germans pinned- none
4. German AFVs shocked/stunned/immobilized/destroyed- none
5. IS-2ms falling into cellar on turn of entry- one
6. IS-2ms recalled following sniper attack and becoming immobilized in own AT minefield while heading for exit- one
7. IS-2ms bouncing shell off King Tiger hull frontal armour at point blank range and getting destroyed by King Tiger return bounding fire shot into stone building- one

Does this constitute some kind of record for AFV ineptitude?

I found a PzKFW VIB left in motion and in bypass. One which I would get two shots against before it could ever have a reasonable chance of taking me out. Yeah, that went against me. -- jim

 

[asloser]

If anyone is wondering about Peters immobilized King Tiger in N6 - he rolled boxcars on start MP roll for Red MPs. Peter was a brave newbie to take on a scenario of this coplexity and I think he managed to make a good go at it.

 

[Stewart]

Disappointed in the Russians not keeping warm by Lighting some fires.....
Maybe that's intended.

 

[Doug Leslie]

I found a PzKFW VIB left in motion and in bypass. One which I would get two shots against before it could ever have a reasonable chance of taking me out. Yeah, that went against me. -- jim

The 9-2 armour leader improved the chances for the Tiger's shot from 35 to 1 to 31 to 5 (unless my arithmetic is awry) but it was certainly a risk worth taking, even if you had known for a fact that the AL was inside. That certainly seemed to be big turning point in your game. These things are sent to try us!

 

[AdrianE]

Deliberate Immobilization is your friend against King Tigers especially when you have ROF 3 anti tank guns.

 

[Juan SantaX]

Deliberate Immobilization is your friend against King Tigers especially when you have ROF 3 anti tank guns.

Maybe motion fire with CE T34 tanks are a serious threat (16 out of 36 chances to hit I guess)... Once you do that, he will change CA at first sight. What else to say?

 

[von Marwitz]

Maybe motion fire with CE T34 tanks are a serious threat (16 out of 36 chances to hit I guess)... Once you do that, he will change CA at first sight. What else to say?

Many T-34 have Restricted Slow Traverse and thus cannot fire while CE. If this should apply in this case, they would not be a serious threat at all even under the best of circumstances, I reckon...

von Marwitz

 

[Sparafucil3]

Maybe motion fire with CE T34 tanks are a serious threat (16 out of 36 chances to hit I guess)... Once you do that, he will change CA at first sight. What else to say?

Lets see. Firer-based DRM would be +4 (Case B and Case C, assumes >3 MP in LOS). Target-Based would be -2 (Very Large target). At a range of <= 6 you would need an original DR <= 8. You would also need to double the lower die. So, all combinations of 1,x would hit (6); 4 combinations of 2,x; 2 combinations of 3,x; 2 combinations of 4,x; 1 combination of 5,x; 1 combination of 6,x. So yes indeed, 16/36 chance to hit (44%). That's probably too much to risk on a side shot. -- jim

 

[Juan SantaX]

Many T-34 have Restricted Slow Traverse and thus cannot fire while CE. If this should apply in this case, they would not be a serious threat at all even under the best of circumstances, I reckon...

von Marwitz

I think in that scenario are the VERY good ones, with fast turret, 85 L, RoF 1, and nice APCR.

You have to coordinate both your tanks and HIP/seven hexes away AT Guns.... With luck and a bit of foresight the big cats can get between the hammer and the anvil. When it changes the CA, then the AT pops up... And if he doesn´t change the CA (maybe shooting the BMG or so) when you move the tanks in the flanks, well, he will take that 44% shoot (or even better if you have a AL); in fact, as a sportsmanlike player, if he doesn´t shoot, you can count aloud your chances, so he can think that is bettter to shoot that BMG.... Then in the Advancing Fire Phase (or even in next turn Defensive Phase if you think he will move in his turn or prep fire wo changing CA) you spring the trap.... A side/rear shot with 57 LL and also nice APCR. That´s just theory, and very difficult to play it.

But, of course, you can resort to the standard DI shot, that vs big tanks is a more or less easy shot.... So I think a sensible German player will keep a safe distance of 7 hexes of suspected AT positions.

 

[bendizoid]

Louie Tokarz called it a ‘criss-cross’, Germans are best because of inherent PF and ATMs. Use the infantry to attack enemy tanks and guard friendly tanks and use the tanks against the enemy infantry. Another example is the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ scenario, similar idea.

 

[von Marwitz]

I think in that scenario are the VERY good ones, with fast turret, 85 L, RoF 1, and nice APCR.

You have to coordinate both your tanks and HIP/seven hexes away AT Guns.... With luck and a bit of foresight the big cats can get between the hammer and the anvil. When it changes the CA, then the AT pops up... And if he doesn´t change the CA (maybe shooting the BMG or so) when you move the tanks in the flanks, well, he will take that 44% shoot (or even better if you have a AL); in fact, as a sportsmanlike player, if he doesn´t shoot, you can count aloud your chances, so he can think that is bettter to shoot that BMG.... Then in the Advancing Fire Phase (or even in next turn Defensive Phase if you think he will move in his turn or prep fire wo changing CA) you spring the trap.... A side/rear shot with 57 LL and also nice APCR. That´s just theory, and very difficult to play it.

But, of course, you can resort to the standard DI shot, that vs big tanks is a more or less easy shot.... So I think a sensible German player will keep a safe distance of 7 hexes of suspected AT positions.

T-35/85 are, of course, a different thing than the earlier T-34 variants. The former are among my favorite Russian AFV.

von Marwitz

 

[Fort]

I call it a ‘criss-cross’, Germans are best because of inherent PF and ATMs. Use the infantry to attack enemy tanks and guard friendly tanks and use the tanks against the enemy infantry. Another example is the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ scenario, similar idea.

This dude gets it...

 

[bendizoid]

This dude gets it...

I played Fort in this scenario for the ASLOK title. At ASLOK I met Fort for the final and he had three ‘Fort’ scenarios out suggesting (jokingly?) that I pick one and to his surprise I picked ‘Shouting’! Fort had the balance of one T34/85 and it came down to last DR in CC. I remember lots of rounds bouncing off my tiger2’s hull when a turret hit would have easily taken it out, it sat there and tore things up. Last CC of the game I think I needed a 6 but rolled a 8 and Fort became a x4 winner.

 

[Fort]

I played Fort in this scenario for the ASLOK title. At ASLOK I met Fort for the final and he had three ‘Fort’ scenarios out suggesting (jokingly?) that I pick one and to his surprise I picked ‘Shouting’! Fort had the balance of one T34/85 and it came down to last DR in CC. I remember lots of rounds bouncing off my tiger2’s hull when a turret hit would have easily taken it out, it sat there and tore things up. Last CC of the game I think I needed a 6 but rolled a 8 and Fort became a x4 winner.

You needed a six for casualties, a 5 for the win. One die hit the cup and went flat, the other spun and spun before settling to make the total roll an 8.

 

[bendizoid]

You needed a six for casualties, a 5 for the win. One die hit the cup and went flat, the other spun and spun before settling to make the total roll an 8.

I’ve played a few games where the last DR had weird mojo for some reason, extra suspense ! One vs Cirillo and one vs Mattius, to think of a few strange ones…

The one vs Bill wasn’t a last DR but it was a sniper dr dropped into a glass right at a crucial time of the battle when it all hung in the balance (Eye of the Tiger) that ended on its corner, spinning for awhile until it stopped on its inconclusive corner ! I took a picture and he rerolled a 1 for a deadly sniper and a scenario momentum switch that I couldn’t recover from.

 

[bendizoid]

I must say ‘Shouting into the storm’ is a must play kind of scenario, cool toys, lots of options *.


*= for goodness sake don’t take riders across the frigid stream, lol, wet socks are the worst ! use smoke.