macrobo
King of Boxcars
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2005
- Messages
- 1,266
- Reaction score
- 623
- Location
- Geelong Melbourne
- First name
- Rob
- Country
-
Hi All
Rod and I had a crack via PBEM this big slug-fest and I thought it would be useful to add it to the AAR's
We did not do any pictures but I thought a little description would help show that this was a very enjoyable game - played over a long time being a monster (even for Rod and I who may average 2 -3 logs some days)
Overall feel is a "tight game" and literally played till the 11th turn out of 12 - the opposing victory conditions make it go on for long with building control for the Romanians a hard goal and CVP cap for the Russians to break the balance for those too aggressive - I don't win versus Rod often (get close lots) so for me to kill enough just to break the VC cap tells you that care is very much needed by the attacker
The map available at http://www.lonecanuckpublishing.ca/ASL for Fun.htm
Is best described as a very complicated blob of a town - I found it easy to defend with some obvious kill zones and ways of shunting troops in the back doors to reinforce where needed
We began the game by a lovely Bombardment and that ability to choose what you have on board and what will come and help later.
The Russians are not short on man or materials - you may choose as I did to bring in the majority of tanks and light mtrs as reinforcements so you knew that you had plenty of FP on the ground in those initial probes by the Romanians - this is where I killed the majority of my Romanians so the CVP cap was in sight.
Another very nice aspect rarely played in ASL is the French tanks (Romanian) versus Russian early war Tanks - I was surprised to find the Russian tanks did win here so that also dented the old CVP cap.
What I felt really made the difference was that ability to move troops in the internal aspect of the town easily and that really plugged those building gaps which were not to loose or the defender looses the game
The Romanians come in three waves from three directions if you choose
The North is obvious to bring in lots from but has the disadvantage the Russian can and did make it hell there by killing many
The middle Eastern border is also a nasty place where there is a big Kill zone but once across your in the town in a turn or two.
The South West corner has a much longer kill zone to cross and is ideal for Russian bunkers and was so unattractive that Rod chose to enter no-one there
This did give me an easy place to bring in Russian reinforcements so maybe not ideal to leave with no Romanians as he did
The Battle was basically of two regions in the town
It took about 6 turns for him to take the Factory area North of the town - I had expected both sides to be laid to waste and had as many HMG Fire lanes as I could to cut him down to size as he crossed the fields of brush and orchards
His Eastern attack stalled - I had three layers - wire and mine to slow followed by first line that took a few turns to fall and then a rear guard awaiting reinforcements which I fed in from the south and eventually prevented the breakout so my plan worked well.
The center of the town never saw much battle- only shifting troops really and I had started to threaten the factory again by the Turn end on 11 when the CVP cap was reached.
Like many ASL games - this one is excellent for the concept that the attacker has the choice of RISK and early breakthrough versus conservative and then a very reinforced enemy that may never be moved again.
Overall I would make it very well balanced game as it is and a very useful monster game for all to play
Cheers
Rob
Rod and I had a crack via PBEM this big slug-fest and I thought it would be useful to add it to the AAR's
We did not do any pictures but I thought a little description would help show that this was a very enjoyable game - played over a long time being a monster (even for Rod and I who may average 2 -3 logs some days)
Overall feel is a "tight game" and literally played till the 11th turn out of 12 - the opposing victory conditions make it go on for long with building control for the Romanians a hard goal and CVP cap for the Russians to break the balance for those too aggressive - I don't win versus Rod often (get close lots) so for me to kill enough just to break the VC cap tells you that care is very much needed by the attacker
The map available at http://www.lonecanuckpublishing.ca/ASL for Fun.htm
Is best described as a very complicated blob of a town - I found it easy to defend with some obvious kill zones and ways of shunting troops in the back doors to reinforce where needed
We began the game by a lovely Bombardment and that ability to choose what you have on board and what will come and help later.
The Russians are not short on man or materials - you may choose as I did to bring in the majority of tanks and light mtrs as reinforcements so you knew that you had plenty of FP on the ground in those initial probes by the Romanians - this is where I killed the majority of my Romanians so the CVP cap was in sight.
Another very nice aspect rarely played in ASL is the French tanks (Romanian) versus Russian early war Tanks - I was surprised to find the Russian tanks did win here so that also dented the old CVP cap.
What I felt really made the difference was that ability to move troops in the internal aspect of the town easily and that really plugged those building gaps which were not to loose or the defender looses the game
The Romanians come in three waves from three directions if you choose
The North is obvious to bring in lots from but has the disadvantage the Russian can and did make it hell there by killing many
The middle Eastern border is also a nasty place where there is a big Kill zone but once across your in the town in a turn or two.
The South West corner has a much longer kill zone to cross and is ideal for Russian bunkers and was so unattractive that Rod chose to enter no-one there
This did give me an easy place to bring in Russian reinforcements so maybe not ideal to leave with no Romanians as he did
The Battle was basically of two regions in the town
It took about 6 turns for him to take the Factory area North of the town - I had expected both sides to be laid to waste and had as many HMG Fire lanes as I could to cut him down to size as he crossed the fields of brush and orchards
His Eastern attack stalled - I had three layers - wire and mine to slow followed by first line that took a few turns to fall and then a rear guard awaiting reinforcements which I fed in from the south and eventually prevented the breakout so my plan worked well.
The center of the town never saw much battle- only shifting troops really and I had started to threaten the factory again by the Turn end on 11 when the CVP cap was reached.
Like many ASL games - this one is excellent for the concept that the attacker has the choice of RISK and early breakthrough versus conservative and then a very reinforced enemy that may never be moved again.
Overall I would make it very well balanced game as it is and a very useful monster game for all to play
Cheers
Rob
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