A61 Across the Wire

Roy

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Jeff Buser and I finished up our first game in my Desert series. A61 Across the Wire was our starting point.

A short AAR is available at my blog:

Cardboard Warrior

Thanks for reading.
 
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jrv

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You don't have many details so it's a bit hard to say what was off course. The British AC have an OVR value of four FP (two FP MGs tripled and halved to three plus two for AFV; five FP if you use the IIFT). They immob a truck on a final DR of five. The British have lots of armor leaders, of course, but despite what you seem to say the vehicular dust and light dust DRM do apply on an OVR. Did you read the EXC in light dust for "OBA" as "OVR"? Also the minus one DRM for OVR in Open Ground only applies to Infantry, not to trucks.

On the first turn a British AC might be able to just barely reach the track and OVR one vehicle. During setup there is no vehicular dust put behind the Italian vehicles. I assume the British are paying double MP costs to enter accessible to hammada, although that does not figure in to the first turn that much.

In the Italian first turn the Italians dive into vehicle dust (v-d) as much as possible as a matter of course. With some careful planning the Italian trucks might form a "dust Luffberry circle," with each truck obscured in the v-d of the truck ahead of it. The truck carrying the 65mm gun can end up in the v-d of at least one and possibly more vehicles. The crew unloads in the first turn as a Passenger (Italian MAON C). In the second Italian MPh the Italian crew unportees the gun off the truck, becoming TI. They are in at least one v-d, which at least cancels the hazardous movement, plus light dust. The L3s might be set up to cover this somewhat delicate operation by discouraging the British from parking adjacent to the hex with the portee truck. Since as you note the Italians tend to become befuddled it is a good idea to station the L3s in hexes that would be suitable if they fail their TCs, perhaps one on each side of the gun's anticipated hex. If you set the gun up in a hex like 30u5 with an L3 on either side I don't think it can be OVR on the first turn unless the british are risking hammada immobilization. On the British third turn the 65* is ready to fire.

I believe the scenario tends to favor the Italians as is recorded in ROAR. As it is a vehicle vs. vehicle scenario, a few lucky DRs might tip the balance suddenly in one direction or another, but in most cases it will average out, especially given the generally weak weaponry.

JR
 
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Roy

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Thank you JR. Yes, all of that sounds like we had it. He killed the gun truck and 3 more I think. All with less than 5's. Then ran off and waited for my tankettes. They mostly failed their move rolls and had to attack piecemeal. Getting three tankettes killed that way. If he had rolled tens on the overruns, perhaps my opinion would be different. My recent history on VASL is not good though. As my next two AAR's will show. I feel I am getting fu**ed by the bot every time I play.
 
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jrv

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Thank you JR. Yes, all of that sounds like we had it. He killed the gun truck and 3 more I think. All with less than 5's. Then ran off and waited for my tankettes. They mostly failed their move rolls and had to attack piecemeal. Getting three tankettes killed that way. If he had rolled tens on the overruns, perhaps my opinion woukd be different. My recent history on VASL is not good though. As my next two AAR's will show. I feel I am getting fu**ed by the bot every time I play.
Did the OVR on the gun truck take place on the first turn? After that the gun truck should be in vehicular dust. That's a +3 minimum (+2 vehicular dust, +1 fire attacker in SMOKE) plus light dust. Even at +0 light dust with a -1 AL you are looking for a three to immob and a two to kill. If the gun truck is in double vehicular dust, it's a two to immob and no chance to destroy, even with +0 light dust and a -1 AL. At setup there should be L3/35s fore and aft. If you set the gun truck in 30u5 the British must move through the L3/35s to OVR (unless they risk hammada immobilization), allowing the L3/35s a chance to fire as the ACs drive by. Once the game gets rolling the OVR against the trucks should be almost always needing a three or lower to even have a chance of immobilizing. It's exceptionally hard for the British to kill the Italians by OVR. Or really by anything.

JR
 
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Roy

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No, not on the first turn. And we probably missed the +1 fire attacker in SMOKE.

Perhaps our playing was unusual dice wise. Seems to be a theme with me for a while now.

It played quick, I would play it again.
 

Roy

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perhaps I should learn better vehicle dust management. :oops:
 

jrv

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Sorry, I realize I had a bit of confusion. The gun truck can't set up in 30U5 (nor can anything else). Probably 30J5 would result in the most hammada hexes on approach. Depending on the circumstances you might drop the Italian crew off in 30J5, then restart the truck with the gun and drive into 30J6. That puts the gun IN hammada, which should make the British at least have to think about OVR because of hammada immobilization, not to mention the high COT for truck-type vehicles. If the portee truck immobilizes, eh. It can still be unloaded. That relies on getting at least one of the L3s passing a non-platoon move TC to put vehicle dust in the hammada for the unloading process, but that's almost a given (near 96%).

JR
 
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jrv

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perhaps I should learn better vehicle dust management. :oops:
Vehicle Dust is an automatic sD that you can drive around. That makes it nearly as powerful as ordnance SMOKE. You can use it purely defensively by driving into it. For example if the last three vehicles in the Italian setup (hexes A5, B5 and C5) are Autocarri L, they can potentially drive up the track and form a "dust Luffberry" in hexes P3, P4, Q4 on the Italian first turn. You can also use it defensive-offensively by driving through a stopped enemy AC and and ending with vehicle dust in the hex with the AC. That risks being hit on the approach so perhaps is best accomplished by L3s, but you might do it with a truck if there is a need. If you use an L3 and have the MP, an OVR or at least TPBF first vs the OT AC is a nice touch, although +1 inexperienced, +light dust, so don't expect too much.

As a comment on the scenario, once you have one player trying to figure out silly dust tricks, the game will slow down. The chances of any single attack actually accomplishing anything will drop off too. It is not necessarily going to be a game of continuous fireworks.

JR
 
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