A39 Showdown at Tug Argan Pass

[Roy]

Jeff Buser and I completed A39 Showdown at Tug Argan Pass a few weeks ago.

AAR is available at my blog: Cardboard Warrior

Thanks for reading.

 

[BattleSchool]

OBA is fickle. Newer scenarios take this into account by giving players an automatic black chit for the first Battery Access draw. That would help the Punjabi cause in A39, but only if the Allies don't "box" Radio Contact on the first attempt.

According to ROAR, the scenario is roughly 58% in favour of the Italians. I don't think the British balance (adding an MMG) is enough to narrow this gap. An auto black chit might. Adopting a Pleva-like OBA rule where a Battery is never permanently lost could prove to be too much. Granted this is tempered to some degree by the radio, which could fail to gain/maintain Contact or malfunction.

Thanks for the AAR, I had looked at this scenario recently when searching for a scenario to play against a newer player. As written, it's a possible candidate for a novice DTO player who wants to try his hand at attacking in the desert. The Italians have the forces and the time to get the job done.

 

[jrv]

I had looked at this scenario recently when searching for a scenario to play against a newer player. As written, it's a possible candidate for a novice DTO player who wants to try his hand at attacking in the desert.

I recommend High Danger, V1, for that role. Nicely-sized, seemingly balanced, not too much and not too little.

JR

 

[BattleSchool]

I recommend High Danger, V1, for that role. Nicely-sized, seemingly balanced, not too much and not too little.

JR

Haven't seen that scenario. I think it's one of JR Tracey's faves. I'll keep an eye out for it, thanks.

Edit: Does it have vehicles (i.e., vehicle dust)?

Found it! V1 (1995) from VftT. Four sand, two deir, and a hillock overlay. Vehicles on both sides. Looks interesting.

 

[asloser]

I've played this twice. One win as Italian and one win as British. Both times the luck with OBA was the deciding factor- when I was Italian I did not get a single red draw and when I was British my opponent got only one Fire mission before two red chits. Not something I will play again .

 

[Michael R]

I played A39 at Avaloncon one year against THE Jim Stahler. I barely remember it, except that it took us more than the allotted time. I lost with the Italians.

 

[Hovned31]

I played this once when it first came out. I was in college then and myself and my opponent had been drinking all day before we decided to set this up. In our stupor, we got the maps turned around with the result being the defending Brits set up on the flat open ground and the Italians on the hill board. We played about half way through before stumbling off to pass out or to go out to the bar and try and pick up some girls (I don't recall which). It was only the next day after trying to shake off a serious hangover that I looked at the map and scenario card and realized our mistake .

 

[jrv]

Did it affect the balance noticeably?

JR