My opponent and I groaned when we saw a "bridge" scenario in the last round. (We inadvertently over did it with "bridge" matches in a bygone CASLO.) We didn't like the chances of the Allies and felt that an extra second-stringer squad wouldn't be enough to stop the German juggernaut. (Or as least
I thought so.) So we created a list of Pleva bids. I bid G4 and my oppo bid G3. The defence got the extra 4-4-7
and exchanged the Norwegian 7-0 for an 8-1.
The game swung back and forth. The initial German Prep Fire exposed/broke a number of positions on the riverbank, while a spotting round landed on the road directly east of the bridge. Then the Germans malfunctioned the radio (overlooking the parenthetical part of SSR4 that gave the Germans automatic Radio Contact for the first fire mission).
The Allies repositioned and largely recovered from their Turn 1 losses. As the clock wound down, it was looking increasingly unlikely that the Germans would be able to exit
any units. (My game plan, in any case, was to eliminate/capture as many defenders as possible and reserve exit as a measure of last resort.) At one point, it appeared that the Germans would capture a full squad and 8-1 leader should they break under Advancing Fire. They did break, but the squad suffered Casualty Reduction, sparing one HS from capture. This put the game back in the hands of the Allies, as the Germans scrambled to secure enough VP to win.
On the last turn, only an 8-0 was able to navigate a steeplechase of resid'. Attention turned to a concealed British HS to the north. Enough SMC--including a hero--and MMC were able to reach the enemy HS to engage it in CC. The Germans failed to ambush the (no longer concealed) HS, and therefore risked the Brits slipping away on double ones (or the Germans rolling boxcars). Moreover, the Germans needed to capture the HS, not eliminate it. So it came down to a 4-1 capture attempt with no DRM due to a CX leader. Needing ≤ 9, the Germans rolled exactly 9. This gave them exactly 20 VP, just enough to win.
I never expected the game to be this close. (A couple German heroes, Fanatic HS, and a berserk HS helped. But so did a British hero and the "Pleva" balance provisions.) The OBA had no impact on the game, but the 81mm MTR came through midgame with a couple of well placed salvos of Smoke that allowed the main German force to cross the bridge. Ken played it well, corralling my forces toward his four MMG, all of which were still functioning at game end.
Ken recalled playing J36 before. This was my first crack at
The Bridge of Verdalsöra. I'm hoping it will be my last. I felt hung over yesterday following this grueling contest. Not once did I take a sip from the bottle of
Jägermeister on the shelf behind me. I should have. My mountain hunters were dragooned into playing my opponent's game. And it very nearly worked for him.