Doug Leslie
Elder Member
In which nothing can interfere when an ASL game is in progress…
#79 Frivilligkompanie Benckert
- Thread starter Doug Leslie
- Start date
Tuomo
Keeper of the Funk
Here's the IJA setup for Ninth Tanks, in two pictures. The first is the non-HIP units and the second is the HIPsters.
It's a long game and the US firepower is scary, but the VCs are tough and can be made tougher if the Japanese set up an end-zone defense that forces the US to control both pillboxes and D1. I'm not good at Pillboxes, but it looked like the way to delay the PB capture would be to create Foxholes in the hex above them, so that the US would have to control the FH first and then CC the PB occupants. Thus, both PBs have FHs in-hex, and the Tunnels connect between the PBs and also from C2 to D1. Following the Pilling Doctrine, the PBs face the approaches to each other and have their Non-Covered Arcs face the US. There's also DCs in the mix; I figured we could throw them from the PBs or FHs when the US got close.
As Dave and Martin noted, I was Kindling the Huts in E5 and F4 with the intent of channeling the US attack and providing some Smoke cover for the goal-line defense. The IJA have MOL and some spare 336's and even an 8+1 leader with lots of time on his hands, so it seemed tailor-made for some Pyrotechnic Landscaping, as it were. Starting those guys in C4 was a mistake; I went back-and-forth on whether to Kindle C4 & C3 and/or E5 & F4, and I changed my mind as soon as the game started. The wind shifted direction anyway, making a mockery of those plans, but I still think it's a good idea here. Both squads in C4 also had the 50mm MTRs and planned on occupying the end-zone FHs once the put away their Zippos, with the intent of firing at US troopers in the woods line from C6 to I5.
I saw a setup on Gamesquad that put the AT Gun around G3, but I figured the Sunken Road approach was such a good bet that it would be worth putting it in G6. If the US went strong on the left, I planned on taking some of the coolies in F7 and using them to help push the Gun back along the road to F3 anyway. The AA Gun wanted to be in the spotlight, and F7 turned out to be a great spot; that crew was the star of the show, holding up the US infantry on the right while doing some close-in defense against the AFVs who came sniffing around.
The three remaining HIP HS were placed to provide general Pain & Anxiety, and they did well. the J10 area is a huge bottleneck for the US; they really don't have time to attack along or to the right of the Stream, and so just a HIP HS is enough to hold them up for a turn, backstopping the live squad who started in J10. The HIPsters on the US left did a great job, letting the attack pass them by and killing several US squads for Failure to Rout by simply revealing themselves after the brokies had ended their routs adjacent.
Tough one for the US; it's too early in the war for WP from their MTR, and the US AFV don't have any Smoke ammo either. They do have a lot of squads and leaders and a lot of time, though, and since CC is always HtH by SSR, the PBs are easier to take than normally. Plus they have all of that firepower. The Japanese do get enough HIP to make things interesting, but it's surprising how quickly those ? counters get used up - they can't form as many Dummy stacks as one might think, which is why I stacked so much with the setup. I suspect an aggressive attack that ignores everything to the right of hexrow J will stress the defense mightily.
It's a long game and the US firepower is scary, but the VCs are tough and can be made tougher if the Japanese set up an end-zone defense that forces the US to control both pillboxes and D1. I'm not good at Pillboxes, but it looked like the way to delay the PB capture would be to create Foxholes in the hex above them, so that the US would have to control the FH first and then CC the PB occupants. Thus, both PBs have FHs in-hex, and the Tunnels connect between the PBs and also from C2 to D1. Following the Pilling Doctrine, the PBs face the approaches to each other and have their Non-Covered Arcs face the US. There's also DCs in the mix; I figured we could throw them from the PBs or FHs when the US got close.
As Dave and Martin noted, I was Kindling the Huts in E5 and F4 with the intent of channeling the US attack and providing some Smoke cover for the goal-line defense. The IJA have MOL and some spare 336's and even an 8+1 leader with lots of time on his hands, so it seemed tailor-made for some Pyrotechnic Landscaping, as it were. Starting those guys in C4 was a mistake; I went back-and-forth on whether to Kindle C4 & C3 and/or E5 & F4, and I changed my mind as soon as the game started. The wind shifted direction anyway, making a mockery of those plans, but I still think it's a good idea here. Both squads in C4 also had the 50mm MTRs and planned on occupying the end-zone FHs once the put away their Zippos, with the intent of firing at US troopers in the woods line from C6 to I5.
I saw a setup on Gamesquad that put the AT Gun around G3, but I figured the Sunken Road approach was such a good bet that it would be worth putting it in G6. If the US went strong on the left, I planned on taking some of the coolies in F7 and using them to help push the Gun back along the road to F3 anyway. The AA Gun wanted to be in the spotlight, and F7 turned out to be a great spot; that crew was the star of the show, holding up the US infantry on the right while doing some close-in defense against the AFVs who came sniffing around.
The three remaining HIP HS were placed to provide general Pain & Anxiety, and they did well. the J10 area is a huge bottleneck for the US; they really don't have time to attack along or to the right of the Stream, and so just a HIP HS is enough to hold them up for a turn, backstopping the live squad who started in J10. The HIPsters on the US left did a great job, letting the attack pass them by and killing several US squads for Failure to Rout by simply revealing themselves after the brokies had ended their routs adjacent.
Tough one for the US; it's too early in the war for WP from their MTR, and the US AFV don't have any Smoke ammo either. They do have a lot of squads and leaders and a lot of time, though, and since CC is always HtH by SSR, the PBs are easier to take than normally. Plus they have all of that firepower. The Japanese do get enough HIP to make things interesting, but it's surprising how quickly those ? counters get used up - they can't form as many Dummy stacks as one might think, which is why I stacked so much with the setup. I suspect an aggressive attack that ignores everything to the right of hexrow J will stress the defense mightily.
Houlie
CEO of HoulieDice (TM)
I played Ninth tanks earlier this year as the Americans. It was one of the most thorough, absolute drubbings I had in quite a while. Granted, it was against an outstanding opponent. Nevertheless, the American needs to get a lot of things right against a solid Japanese defense. I had to wonder how the balance is so close.
Tuomo
Keeper of the Funk
I gotta think the IJA can go wrong here by playing too far forward or misplacing their Guns and PBs. But yeah, agreed that the US has to watch the clock while husbanding their forces, and that's a higher bar to clear.
Doug Leslie
Elder Member
Does the SSR re CC allow specifically HTH against pillboxes? That would not ordinarily be allowed.
Tuomo
Keeper of the Funk
I'd think so; the SSR specifically says something to that effect - "even if otherwise disallowed"
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Doug Leslie
Elder Member
Must be intended to make things easier for the Americans
Tuomo
Keeper of the Funk
The designer is a known USMC Sympathizer.