jrv
Forum Guru
My opponent wanted to break in his OBA cards (purpose-built ASL OBA cards) which he has had for a while but never used. I looked for a scenario with OBA from the most recent Action Pack and found this. Without knowing too much about it I suggested the scenario. If you look at the OBs raw, the Germans are very strong. With six Pz IVs, thirteen SS squads (five of them assault engineers), and two FTs, there's not a whole lot better that force could get. I suppose they could have a -2 or -3 leader, but complaining about that in the circumstances seems petty.
The British on the other hand are a slightly-below-average force with slightly-below-average means. Only nine squads, a HMG, a MMG, two PIATs and two 57L guns have to stop the SS. About the only weapon they have that might be a bit above average is a 70mm OBA module with extra ammo. They don't have any (non-inherent) LMGs, which has got to be an odd occasion. They have the same leadership team as the Germans, but they also have to man the radio.
The VC are for the Germans to take all the multi-hex buildings in town and have more VP at game end. CVP count normally and the Germans get exit VP on the north edge of the board. The buildings are a lure to get the Germans to fight. The obvious targets for the British are the German Pz IVs. The problem is that they have to kill them off without equivalent loss to themselves. If they kill a Pz IV but lose a 57L and a crew both captured, that's a six-to-eight loss ratio, which won't play. If both the gun and the crew are eliminated, that's six-to-four, which is not great but at least it's to the British advantage. Most likely is that the Gun is captured and the crew escapes. To be really beneficial the British Guns either have to survive any encounter or take out at least two German tanks. The Germans can add too, so don't plan on seeing clusters of tanks. The British get two crews which they can set up HIP with PIATs. Here an exchange will bring six CVP for four (assuming the tank is destroyed and the crew is captured), but the chances of hitting a tank are lower. So again the British prefer the crew survives the ambush, i.e. they can't set up a suicide ambush.
My opponent said he set up the "obvious" British defense then changed his mind. It seemed hopeless to him to try to fight the Germans in stone buildings. Instead he left the town undefended (!). I still had to run halfsquads (it seemed quicker than searching/mopping up) through the multi-hex buildings to verify there wasn't a HIP crew in one of them. I did not have to worry about a HIP crew adjacent (for a last turn sleaze) because by SSR crews were treated as SMC for control purposes. They can deny gain of control, but they can't cause loss. The risk he ran by setting up as he did is that if I scored an early CVP (e.g. a SAN takes out a leader), I could retreat to the town and let him attack!
His MLR was on the boards 40/53 seam. He attempted to dig a foxhole in 40Q1 for a halfsquad and HMG. I left the tanks to the rear of the attack because of their CVP value. Until I had sensed the British defense I held them back. The German infantry performed very stupidly for eight ML troops. I lost a halfsquad to a rinky-dink result, and the British OBA (directed from 40Q9) broke four squads and a leader in stone buildings. Still they are a mighty force, and they pushed forward into the 40U10 forest and the 40L10 area. At some point my opponent brought out his PIAT crews. These were set up to prevent a wide sweep by the Panzers in 40AA8 and 40F6 (or in that vicinity). One was quickly broken trying to run after a Mk IV, and the other reinforced the center around 40L6.
Once my infantry had probed his MLR a bit, I decided it would be ok to bring up some of the tanks in the 40N9 area. I didn't think he would have AT defenses inside the orchard. This proved true, and around turn six I racked up some British CVP by eliminating and capturing units. This would be enough to win. After the game I learned the British had set up their AT Guns across the river.
This scenario puzzles me exceedingly; I can not make it out. The German force seems so overwhelming. It's a bit surprising that the British have no concealment to start. That makes the German's task a little easier. If there is a unit in the steeple (probably a MG or the OBA Observer), a quick Smoke round will reduce its effectiveness. There are lots of reasons to believe this favors the Germans heavily.
I could see why my opponent felt the "obvious" British defense was fairly hopeless. In retrospect I can see three possible strategies for the British. The first is the "obvious" one: delay the Germans from the outset and build an Alamo around the 53P3 block and try to eliminate as many Germans as possible. The Germans meanwhile will be taking prisoners in hopes of offsetting the casualties that are easy to come by in street-fighting.
The second idea is a bit more complicated, but it builds upon my opponent's intuition that the "obvious" defense will result in a crushing. In our game I was unable to strongly engage the British with no opposition until turn three or so. The British held me back a couple turns on the boards 53/40 seam, so my Germans were unable to really engage until turn six. If the Germans can be delayed a bit longer a final defense on the boards 53/40 seam might be able to force the Germans to risk their tanks, and in those circumstances an AT Gun might be able to poke holes in a couple of them. My suggestion for delay would be to put the OBA Observer in 53O5 level one. Bring in the OBA as harrassing fire to make the center of the town difficult for infantry. MGs in 53O5 and 53W3 put down firelanes to hold the Germans up for a turn or two. Then the British scamper out the back of the town for the 53/40 border; by then you hope they have scored an additional CVP or two. If things have gone according to plan, the Germans are now somewhat desperate and will commit their tanks. An ATG waiting for this (e.g. in 40P8 or 40R5) may bag a couple before being broken. The defense and pullback are going to be tricky with this one as from 53K3 the Germans can cut the British off from their retreat route.
The third idea is to break the scenario. The British set up all their units across the river. One ATG in 40C2 and one in 40DD2 wait for German tanks. The OBA Observer in 40C1 will bring down OBA on any infantry that emerge to probe the bridge or take the British under fire from across the river. Other infantry dig as many foxholes as possible.
My final judgment is that it is an tricky puzzle for the British side. The German force seems so inevitable. I would like to play the British just to see how strategies two and/or three play out, but I would never play the scenario for kidneys. It would also be a great scenario for playing a newbie: give the newbie the Germans and then show him how might doesn't always make right. Show him how experience and guile can beat youth, innocence and a bad haircut.
My other final observation is that the OBA cards that started us down this path had the British OBA deck with plentiful ammunition, and they double-red-carded out without a mission. I told my opponent to try again, as there was no way the British were going to have a hope if they didn't get OBA, so we mulligan-ed the result. But if I were him I would return those OBA cards for my money back. They are obviously faulty.
JR
The British on the other hand are a slightly-below-average force with slightly-below-average means. Only nine squads, a HMG, a MMG, two PIATs and two 57L guns have to stop the SS. About the only weapon they have that might be a bit above average is a 70mm OBA module with extra ammo. They don't have any (non-inherent) LMGs, which has got to be an odd occasion. They have the same leadership team as the Germans, but they also have to man the radio.
The VC are for the Germans to take all the multi-hex buildings in town and have more VP at game end. CVP count normally and the Germans get exit VP on the north edge of the board. The buildings are a lure to get the Germans to fight. The obvious targets for the British are the German Pz IVs. The problem is that they have to kill them off without equivalent loss to themselves. If they kill a Pz IV but lose a 57L and a crew both captured, that's a six-to-eight loss ratio, which won't play. If both the gun and the crew are eliminated, that's six-to-four, which is not great but at least it's to the British advantage. Most likely is that the Gun is captured and the crew escapes. To be really beneficial the British Guns either have to survive any encounter or take out at least two German tanks. The Germans can add too, so don't plan on seeing clusters of tanks. The British get two crews which they can set up HIP with PIATs. Here an exchange will bring six CVP for four (assuming the tank is destroyed and the crew is captured), but the chances of hitting a tank are lower. So again the British prefer the crew survives the ambush, i.e. they can't set up a suicide ambush.
My opponent said he set up the "obvious" British defense then changed his mind. It seemed hopeless to him to try to fight the Germans in stone buildings. Instead he left the town undefended (!). I still had to run halfsquads (it seemed quicker than searching/mopping up) through the multi-hex buildings to verify there wasn't a HIP crew in one of them. I did not have to worry about a HIP crew adjacent (for a last turn sleaze) because by SSR crews were treated as SMC for control purposes. They can deny gain of control, but they can't cause loss. The risk he ran by setting up as he did is that if I scored an early CVP (e.g. a SAN takes out a leader), I could retreat to the town and let him attack!
His MLR was on the boards 40/53 seam. He attempted to dig a foxhole in 40Q1 for a halfsquad and HMG. I left the tanks to the rear of the attack because of their CVP value. Until I had sensed the British defense I held them back. The German infantry performed very stupidly for eight ML troops. I lost a halfsquad to a rinky-dink result, and the British OBA (directed from 40Q9) broke four squads and a leader in stone buildings. Still they are a mighty force, and they pushed forward into the 40U10 forest and the 40L10 area. At some point my opponent brought out his PIAT crews. These were set up to prevent a wide sweep by the Panzers in 40AA8 and 40F6 (or in that vicinity). One was quickly broken trying to run after a Mk IV, and the other reinforced the center around 40L6.
Once my infantry had probed his MLR a bit, I decided it would be ok to bring up some of the tanks in the 40N9 area. I didn't think he would have AT defenses inside the orchard. This proved true, and around turn six I racked up some British CVP by eliminating and capturing units. This would be enough to win. After the game I learned the British had set up their AT Guns across the river.
This scenario puzzles me exceedingly; I can not make it out. The German force seems so overwhelming. It's a bit surprising that the British have no concealment to start. That makes the German's task a little easier. If there is a unit in the steeple (probably a MG or the OBA Observer), a quick Smoke round will reduce its effectiveness. There are lots of reasons to believe this favors the Germans heavily.
I could see why my opponent felt the "obvious" British defense was fairly hopeless. In retrospect I can see three possible strategies for the British. The first is the "obvious" one: delay the Germans from the outset and build an Alamo around the 53P3 block and try to eliminate as many Germans as possible. The Germans meanwhile will be taking prisoners in hopes of offsetting the casualties that are easy to come by in street-fighting.
The second idea is a bit more complicated, but it builds upon my opponent's intuition that the "obvious" defense will result in a crushing. In our game I was unable to strongly engage the British with no opposition until turn three or so. The British held me back a couple turns on the boards 53/40 seam, so my Germans were unable to really engage until turn six. If the Germans can be delayed a bit longer a final defense on the boards 53/40 seam might be able to force the Germans to risk their tanks, and in those circumstances an AT Gun might be able to poke holes in a couple of them. My suggestion for delay would be to put the OBA Observer in 53O5 level one. Bring in the OBA as harrassing fire to make the center of the town difficult for infantry. MGs in 53O5 and 53W3 put down firelanes to hold the Germans up for a turn or two. Then the British scamper out the back of the town for the 53/40 border; by then you hope they have scored an additional CVP or two. If things have gone according to plan, the Germans are now somewhat desperate and will commit their tanks. An ATG waiting for this (e.g. in 40P8 or 40R5) may bag a couple before being broken. The defense and pullback are going to be tricky with this one as from 53K3 the Germans can cut the British off from their retreat route.
The third idea is to break the scenario. The British set up all their units across the river. One ATG in 40C2 and one in 40DD2 wait for German tanks. The OBA Observer in 40C1 will bring down OBA on any infantry that emerge to probe the bridge or take the British under fire from across the river. Other infantry dig as many foxholes as possible.
My final judgment is that it is an tricky puzzle for the British side. The German force seems so inevitable. I would like to play the British just to see how strategies two and/or three play out, but I would never play the scenario for kidneys. It would also be a great scenario for playing a newbie: give the newbie the Germans and then show him how might doesn't always make right. Show him how experience and guile can beat youth, innocence and a bad haircut.
My other final observation is that the OBA cards that started us down this path had the British OBA deck with plentiful ammunition, and they double-red-carded out without a mission. I told my opponent to try again, as there was no way the British were going to have a hope if they didn't get OBA, so we mulligan-ed the result. But if I were him I would return those OBA cards for my money back. They are obviously faulty.
JR
