#88 Shotgun Shuffle

[asloser]

New episode with some deluxe action is out:

 

[Tuomo]

Curious to see how the other IJA defenses went. It didn't seem prudent to defend board m, given how easily the US could mass firepower and move through the Palm Trees. Sure, there's the old "fall back through the Tunnels" ploy, but I kinda felt like I didn't want to reveal the Tunnels and their exits quite so soon - would rather wait til the US made it to the board join and then use the Tunnels to counter-punch with. So my IJA decided to sit back Entrenched behind Hedges, where they'd be immune from long-range US firepower and could get the first shot when the US moved up adjacent. Then they realized they couldn't get WA that way, which wasn't so great.

The Shotgun SSR didn't enter my brain until I popped a HS out of a Tunnel with an enemy 458 and realized he could break me before we got into CC. That was a bit of a DAMN YOU PETE SHELLING moment, but it passed. Worth the risk to use twice as many HIP HS's, as opposed to just HIP'ing two full squads (that would survive the shotgun SSR).

Steve Slunt and I had a very close game; I had a chance to take out the US 9-2 and 768 by rolling 7 or less in CC but couldn't seal the deal. Argh!

 

[Tuomo]

Interesting as always to watch the episode and see the variety of defenses that people choose. Tuomo Lukkari won with an upfront pill box festung, which is exactly what I didn't want to do - I split the PBs evenly on the left and right sides to force the US to split his forces and perhaps waste time repositioning. I didn't quite leave the center undefended; a sneaky HS sat in the Kunai next to the road; they happily ambushed the US 9-2 and squad but failed to score on the 1-4 (-3) CC roll (or something like that).

 

[JoeArthur]

If I was playing that it would be the US for me.

I suspect that if Toby played the Japanese he would point the rear of the pillboxes towards the US entry point so that US advance fire into them is useless (unless the FT is there) and put firelanes down the roads to get that -2 modifier on the firelane.

Then put the pillboxes in open ground so no ambush on CC and with stuff to put fire on them if the US player gets in the same hex as them.

Trouble is the Japanese only have two MMG's and with 8 morale troops an LMG firelane will have a tough job breaking them.

Would be fun to get him to play the Japs in that one with you two playing the US.

Many thanks for another episode gents

 

[lightspeed]

Another interesting episode (aren’t they all?)!

Joe makes a good suggestion about pointing the pillboxes the “wrong” way…I’m surprised
there aren’t SSR coming out to negate such a gamey tactic.

I’m certainly looking forward to seeing folks in a couple of weeks!

indy

 

[JoeArthur]

I’m surprised there aren’t SSR coming out to negate such a game tactic.

Indy, I think designers are becoming more aware of it. I playtested one of Chas's Operation Neptune and pointed the pillbox the wrong way. I think he did an SSR to prevent that as a result. Not sure as I did not buy that pack...........

 

[Perry]

Choosing the PB CA is a tactical decision.
It is not a determinative decision in Shotgun Shuffle.
And I would hesitate to call any choice ”the wrong way” even if you think the actual commander would always have chosen a different CA.

Unless of course you are referring to a choice by designer Pete Shelling. Then you can call it the “Wrong Way” choice.

 

[asloser]

Interesting as always to watch the episode and see the variety of defenses that people choose. Tuomo Lukkari won with an upfront pill box festung, which is exactly what I didn't want to do - I split the PBs evenly on the left and right sides to force the US to split his forces and perhaps waste time repositioning.

Well I had tunnels to the sides and trenches behind hedges so I could have re-deployed if needed. Also majority of the Japanese force is HIP at start so it is hard guess for the US to see how this should be attacked. I think Mike attacked just the way I wanted and I got some nice rolls when I needed them.

But I am not claiming to be a PTO genius I think a different attack would have been difficult to handle.

 

[lightspeed]

Choosing the PB CA is a tactical decision.
It is not a determinative decision in Shotgun Shuffle.
And I would hesitate to call any choice ”the wrong way” even if you think the actual commander would always have chosen a different CA.

Unless of course you are referring to a choice by designer Pete Shelling. Then you can call it the “Wrong Way” choice.

Agreed on the PB CA thing...however...I did play a scenario (not an MMP one), where
putting pillbox CAs backwards (so to speak) seemed to be a scenario breaker. Ideally,
something like that should be caught in playtesting. Having said that, the reality is
that if a filter is not 100% (and none are), then something will get through.

I guess that's ok and to be expected. And it's good that we have a billion scenarios
to choose from!

indy

 

[PS NJ]

I love this scenario, although I'm not sure it's possible to say if it's balanced or not. As the IJA I won thanks to holding my fire until the US were on top of my line of HIP/bunkers. Then US brokies didn't have anywhere to go when a hs popped up in their rear to deny rout paths. As the US, moving slowly towards an exit on either flank is a tough strategy to counter. This one is a complex chess match. I'd play it again as either side, but (as JR says) 'if I'm playing for kidneys' I'll take the US.

 

[wrongway149]

Glad you guys like Shotgun Shuffle -

But I will tell you -- the one from this set that I had the most fun playtesting doesn't seem to have much interest. VASL guys?

One Smart Bastard [WO40]

Japanese

0

American

0

 

[daveramsey]

Glad you guys like Shotgun Shuffle -

But I will tell you -- the one from this set that I had the most fun playtesting doesn't seem to have much interest. VASL guys?

One Smart Bastard [WO40]

Japanese

0

American

0

Hey Pete - You vs Martin and I? Your choice of sides.. Let's make it happen!

 

[JoeArthur]

Your choice of sides

Somehow Dave I think you have lost that one

Hope you enjoyed Prague - did you get tickets? According to the news they were hard to come by........

 

[daveramsey]

Hope you enjoyed Prague - did you get tickets? According to the news they were hard to come by........

Yep - I had seats directly behind the Italian physio team. Great view but not a great game. Suffice to say, we had a good time!

 

[Doug Leslie]

I think that this one is tough on the Japanese. The problem that they face is the need to occupy pillbox and trench locations in order to claim the applicable victory points as opposed to just controlling them. So if the marines concentrate the attack on one point of the Japanese line, any units that the Japanese send across to try to prevent an exit point victory are giving up valuable VP unless they return to their trenches for the final turn. To win, I think that the defenders have to try to kill as many US units as possible. In effect, the CVP are worth double since they not only count towards the Japanese total but also reduce available exit points for the marines.
I set up bunkers behind hedges with a view to skulking into the trench from the pillbox and returning to the pillbox for the US turn. Two Japanese HS hid in the palm trees and caused a few casualties in turn one. Another hid in the kunai in I3 with a view to shooting at any units crossing I3 or alternatively harming any broken US units. The fourth HS was in the bamboo in 4H4 with a DC ready to throw at any marines that tried to come through the jungle. All pillboxes were connected by tunnels.
Asad just threw everything through the palm trees down the Japanese left flank. This compelled me to take troops out of their trenches on the right flank and the K5 pillbox to try to stop the advance. When the 9-2 leader entered the clump of jungle in I5, with a an accompanying squad, I decided to try for the kill with these guys. The resulting defensive fire including FPF swatted them away only for the 9-2 to succumb to a sniper attack. Note to self- don't give DCs to Japanese HS. Better to give them to a unit that will stripe as opposed to breaking.
At the end of the day, the US attack was just too strong although the Japanese cause was not helped when the first four close combats resulted in the Japanese being ambushed and eliminated without firing a shot. This was particularly painful when an ambush resulted in the elimination of the 9-1 leader and accompanying MG crews by a 458. That broke the Japanese left flank and was a killer blow from which there was no return. The shotgun feature had no effect on the close combats whatsoever. Next time around, I would maybe try delaying fire until the attackers are adjacent and trust that my defending squads would fare better in close combat against any unbroken survivors than this group did!
Anyway, many thanks to Asad for an enjoyable game.

 

[Tuomo]

The problem that they face is the need to occupy pillbox and trench locations in order to claim the applicable victory points as opposed to just controlling them.

Raise your hand if this little distinction didn't come up in your head until around Turn 5.