AAR - J79 - Rommel's Remedy

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Played Rommel’s Remedy against Walt Harrar. I wuz the DAK, Walt wuz the Proper Cuppa. We are doing the Line In The Sand trilogy, and this was the first in the series. Both sides get to choose part of their OB, but you can only choose each group once over the three games. Walt chose 3 Valentines,
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the two 88 ART, and Random Air Support. I picked the 88 AA over the 120 MTR, 2 FBs, the short barreled Pzkw IVs and Pzkw IIIs, and the HTs with two ACs. Since victory is based on exit points, I picked those armored groups with the most VPs. My Italian OB was a 47 AT gun, 3 light tanks, a buncha squads, and a radio for some light OBA.

The scenario uses Broken Terrain and Moderate Dust. The first means that the Axis have no choice but to take lots of Bog checks, unless they stick to the track, which is certain to be mined. The Italians are Sappers. I said Sappers, not saps. Moderate Dust means that if you do roll low, it’s a guarantee that your dust roll will be a 3 and you’ll miss.
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Walt put most of his infantry in trenches covered by wire on the back hillock. He named this position Fort Zinderneuf. One Valentine was HD in a wadi, the other two were behind a hillock. My 88 opened up on the 9-2 HMG package on the hillock summit. Though I missed, Walt decided it was an unhealthy place and abandoned the hex the rest of the game. My Italian sappers all ran forward, sapping away as they searched for mines. I did find one hex with mines. Unfortunately, the tanks easily outrun searching infantry, so they weren’t much use as Finders of Lost Mines the rest of the game.

My armor boldly charged forward, avoiding the track and as much Bog terrain as possible. One Italian tank goes down to a Valentine. One Valentine goes down to the 88. The Devil goes down to Georgia.

Turn 3, I bog both Mk IVs and two HTs. The infantry bails out of the HTs, armed to the teeth with ATRs. Turns out that carrying them that way is very hard on the teeth. And they can’t even DI a Valentine at normal range. The 88 ARTs make an appearance and another Italian tank goes down.

Bottom of 3, my Stukas show up and proceed to miss a stopped Valentine with a bomb. Twice. I blew the crap out of three lizards, though. MG attack does stun the Valentine, so that was something.

Turn 4, the Mk IVs unbog. My vehicles keep trundling forward. One of Walt's 88 ARTs malfs. Italian infantry is in 3 hexes adjacent to a 458. Both sides repeatedly fire and miss due to dust. At one hex range. Last poor Italian tank goes down.

Walt gets a good random air support roll and gets two FBs with bombs. One bomb takes out a Mk. III. One of the Valentines Bogs, then the MA malfs. Walt is down to one stunned Valentine and one 88 for anti tank capability.

An AC finds another AT mine hex. Roll – 6! YES! Now to exit the hex! Roll – 5! YES! But wait. Walt reveals a 5 factor AT mine!!! Which blows out a tire, and my AC will have to wait for AAA to come before they can exit.

My 88, which has had no ground targets and has been in AA mode, damages one of his fighters. A mighty cheer goes up from the German lines as it flies off, black smoke trailing behind it.

Can enough vehicles exit? Walt gets a CH on the rear of an AC with an ATR. TK is an 11. And he rolls an 11. So another AC sits. The Valentine gets another Mk III, but everyone else gets off. Needed 45 points to win, got 53.

Little bit boring for the Axis. Just stay in Motion, hope to pass Bog checks, and try to use Vehicle Dust to your advantage.

Walt put all of his AT mines into 3 hexes, with 5 mines in each. I think I would have scattered them as 1 or 2 factor mines. Using the Wire to protect Fort Zinderneuf was kinda a waste, as I had no reason to take the trenches. I think it would be better used to block an area and force more Bog checks. As it was, Walt probably would have won if not for breaking two guns.

Next up – I attack the escarpment. Fort Zinderneuf will have to wait.
zinderneuf2.jpg
 

Roy

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Played these a few years ago. Liked them a lot, but we had much trouble visualizing the broken terrain which changes some stuff.

Looking forward to your next one.
 

jrv

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Great AAR as always. One comment:

And they can’t even DI a Valentine at normal range.
To be able to DI the weapon's *basic* TK# has to be > the lowest hull AF. The basic TK# is the printed one, i.e. before modification for range, rear target, etc. Range TK effects won't enable a weapon to DI a target.

JR
 

Major Issues

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My bad. We thought that I could try if I was at 1 hex range or had a rear shot. Neither occurred, so no harm, no foul.
 

Michael R

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I have bad eyes, so I need it to see what I'm writing.
Okay, so you are forgiven. :)
Here’s an idea that you are free to ignore: after writing a post in bold, select all the text and turn the bold off.
 
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