'Ol Fezziwig
Repressed Dissident
German: Ralph
Russian: yours truly
Played this during the open gaming portion of the '19 nor'Easter Thursday in The Time-Out Room-a small, severe warren with extremely limited room to specifically enclose two of the loudest, most obnoxious attendees (being Doc Sullivan and, I guess, myself) away from the general population of the tourney. That notwithstanding, the discussion over this scenario really picqued my interest as all presumed four legged canines tend to. We were aware of the recent clarifications to the VC and made sure they were known prior to play.
I ended up rolling the Russians and went about preparing my defense. I was/am fond of the J32 bastion. I had 7 squads, a MMG, 2 LMGs, ATR and 9-0 in the building sprinkled on all levels (ground level hexes fortified), one 628 in the cellar was tasked with playing in the sewers on turn 2 to be a PITA. I had a tunnel running to J32 from M31 with 2x628s ready to reinforce if necessary. I put a trench in K33 with a 45LL and a MMG, both crew served. Wire in front I32/33 and 3 6FP minefields in H33, H31, H29. I exchanged 6AP for 2 AT, 1 each of which went into F32 and G33. Way up front I had wire in the boulevard (more on that later) in E29, E32 and E27.
Across the width of the G hexrow, behind a screen of 7 Dummy stacks in the F hexrow, I had 3 groups of 2 squads adjacent to each other to place fire on the road on German crossing and backstop the rubble field splitting the front (G24/5, G27/8 and G30/1). As something of a backstop to protect the frontline units and slow down any hard push towards a factory grab, I had an 8-1, 458/MMG in I27. The back areas, given the newly clarified VC, were sparsely held, though with some key assets: 45LL in L25, 228/HMG (HIP) in Q27 2nd level, 9-2, 228/HMG in L28 and the last FortLoc in L30 with a 458/MMG. The last two trenches cut a safer path from Hall 5 to factory N30. My thoughts for the reinforcements were to get a 9-0 and 527 quickly into Hall 3 to help the 458 already there feel less uneasy and have the remaining 527s head to Shop 1. 426s would flood Hall 3 and hunker down.
Ralph duly set up his Germans, and I was staring at a HARD (Russian) RIGHT assault. Defended immediately by 3 squads, one of which could only see E26 (458/MMG). Balls. This ends up being compounded when Ralph gets a SR on J32 (extra chit draw) which is only the beginning for this building and the accursed German OBA. His attack is careful, especially as I declined to fire on his HS scouts. On the whole, the Germans move straight forward with no shearing off towards J32, making me somewhat nervous with the paucity of defenders in their immediate front. The pressure is starting to get applied in following turns as the Germans pretty much flood across the boulevard, with a little, though not much, discomfort. (This ended up in part due to the fact that I forgot the -1TEM for boulevards which would have led me to fire more on the crossing.) At the point I was feeling somewhat comfortable with the defense on the right, after a particularly effective set of DFire (T3), it all fell apart next turn: two of the three squads pinned, later to die by the bayonet and the 8-1/458 combo got spanked with a pretty CH from a StuG-the leader ELR'd to an 8-0, the squad ELR'd and reduced to a 237 HS. The follow up shot gives me back an 8-1, heroic even (!), though the HS is, like The Rooster, snuffed. Defense on this side is now in peril, as the Germans are established within reach of the railroad embankment in the temporary warehouses.
On the Russian left, the deleterious effects of constant artillery fire has left most of the occupants of the Northern strongpoint either broken and/or huddled in the cellar. Fortunately, there have been no German attacks in this area. That is looking like it will soon change. Due, partly, to the increasing conflagration which started in the rubble field, the Germans are being forced forward and apart. As they move into the central areas of the battleground, Russian defenses stiffen with intense small arms fire forcing some imposing assault groups back. Supporting machine gun fires from the factories to the rear also prove crucial in blunting other moves towards J32. Mines help as well, breaking and reducing, of all things Pioneers, much to the chagrin and ire of the German commander who berates his sturmpioneres and questions the presence of their, ahem, manhood.
About turn 5, the German OBA abates (finally...) and the Germans appear now to be pushing to clear the Russians back across the railroad. The sewer SMG squad draws lots of attention, but, forced betwixt a rock and a hard place, dishes out, again, some pretty impressive fires keeping the Germans once more at bay. A supporting StuG even bogs on some tricksy Russian wire while attempting to corner their quarry. By now, without the pounding artillery, the remaining (4.5 squads) Russians in J32 have to buck up and face an impending attack by another imposing German sturm group. The Germans falter, running into a minefield, which again, metes out disproportionate results (9-2, 838) when accompanied once more by withering MG fire.
In the background, the Russians are spreading out to man the railroad embankment with supporting groups, where available, backing the lines up, and reinforcements prepare to run the tunnel into J32. At this point, with his forces disorganised and in some cases, not likely to get into the necessary geographical area, Ralph conceded.
Now, I cannot say this was a high-level playing, as both Ralph and I haven't been highly active players, but I know I felt around turns 3,4 that it wasn't going to end well for the Russians. Some key results at key times aided-and hurt-us both, but I do feel I had the upper hand on the fortune side for a change (Ralph did tell me his luck sucks generally). His attack into the weakest sector of my lines was making good headway until he ran into a mini Russian buzzsaw. I think by the time the Germans pulled back to try another day, on that flank, there may not have been any German leaders left. He attempted to push beyond the temporary warehouses but was thrown back by timely effective Russian fires. None-the-less, we both enjoyed the hell out of the scenario.
As an aside, the other inmates in The Time-Out Room also played this scenario-a wildly different playing I might add, with an imposing upfront, in-your-face Russian defense which didn't let the Germans breathe or cross the boulevard until T3. As it looked when we packed it in, it was looking like another Russian win.
Russian: yours truly
Played this during the open gaming portion of the '19 nor'Easter Thursday in The Time-Out Room-a small, severe warren with extremely limited room to specifically enclose two of the loudest, most obnoxious attendees (being Doc Sullivan and, I guess, myself) away from the general population of the tourney. That notwithstanding, the discussion over this scenario really picqued my interest as all presumed four legged canines tend to. We were aware of the recent clarifications to the VC and made sure they were known prior to play.
I ended up rolling the Russians and went about preparing my defense. I was/am fond of the J32 bastion. I had 7 squads, a MMG, 2 LMGs, ATR and 9-0 in the building sprinkled on all levels (ground level hexes fortified), one 628 in the cellar was tasked with playing in the sewers on turn 2 to be a PITA. I had a tunnel running to J32 from M31 with 2x628s ready to reinforce if necessary. I put a trench in K33 with a 45LL and a MMG, both crew served. Wire in front I32/33 and 3 6FP minefields in H33, H31, H29. I exchanged 6AP for 2 AT, 1 each of which went into F32 and G33. Way up front I had wire in the boulevard (more on that later) in E29, E32 and E27.
Across the width of the G hexrow, behind a screen of 7 Dummy stacks in the F hexrow, I had 3 groups of 2 squads adjacent to each other to place fire on the road on German crossing and backstop the rubble field splitting the front (G24/5, G27/8 and G30/1). As something of a backstop to protect the frontline units and slow down any hard push towards a factory grab, I had an 8-1, 458/MMG in I27. The back areas, given the newly clarified VC, were sparsely held, though with some key assets: 45LL in L25, 228/HMG (HIP) in Q27 2nd level, 9-2, 228/HMG in L28 and the last FortLoc in L30 with a 458/MMG. The last two trenches cut a safer path from Hall 5 to factory N30. My thoughts for the reinforcements were to get a 9-0 and 527 quickly into Hall 3 to help the 458 already there feel less uneasy and have the remaining 527s head to Shop 1. 426s would flood Hall 3 and hunker down.
Ralph duly set up his Germans, and I was staring at a HARD (Russian) RIGHT assault. Defended immediately by 3 squads, one of which could only see E26 (458/MMG). Balls. This ends up being compounded when Ralph gets a SR on J32 (extra chit draw) which is only the beginning for this building and the accursed German OBA. His attack is careful, especially as I declined to fire on his HS scouts. On the whole, the Germans move straight forward with no shearing off towards J32, making me somewhat nervous with the paucity of defenders in their immediate front. The pressure is starting to get applied in following turns as the Germans pretty much flood across the boulevard, with a little, though not much, discomfort. (This ended up in part due to the fact that I forgot the -1TEM for boulevards which would have led me to fire more on the crossing.) At the point I was feeling somewhat comfortable with the defense on the right, after a particularly effective set of DFire (T3), it all fell apart next turn: two of the three squads pinned, later to die by the bayonet and the 8-1/458 combo got spanked with a pretty CH from a StuG-the leader ELR'd to an 8-0, the squad ELR'd and reduced to a 237 HS. The follow up shot gives me back an 8-1, heroic even (!), though the HS is, like The Rooster, snuffed. Defense on this side is now in peril, as the Germans are established within reach of the railroad embankment in the temporary warehouses.
On the Russian left, the deleterious effects of constant artillery fire has left most of the occupants of the Northern strongpoint either broken and/or huddled in the cellar. Fortunately, there have been no German attacks in this area. That is looking like it will soon change. Due, partly, to the increasing conflagration which started in the rubble field, the Germans are being forced forward and apart. As they move into the central areas of the battleground, Russian defenses stiffen with intense small arms fire forcing some imposing assault groups back. Supporting machine gun fires from the factories to the rear also prove crucial in blunting other moves towards J32. Mines help as well, breaking and reducing, of all things Pioneers, much to the chagrin and ire of the German commander who berates his sturmpioneres and questions the presence of their, ahem, manhood.
About turn 5, the German OBA abates (finally...) and the Germans appear now to be pushing to clear the Russians back across the railroad. The sewer SMG squad draws lots of attention, but, forced betwixt a rock and a hard place, dishes out, again, some pretty impressive fires keeping the Germans once more at bay. A supporting StuG even bogs on some tricksy Russian wire while attempting to corner their quarry. By now, without the pounding artillery, the remaining (4.5 squads) Russians in J32 have to buck up and face an impending attack by another imposing German sturm group. The Germans falter, running into a minefield, which again, metes out disproportionate results (9-2, 838) when accompanied once more by withering MG fire.
In the background, the Russians are spreading out to man the railroad embankment with supporting groups, where available, backing the lines up, and reinforcements prepare to run the tunnel into J32. At this point, with his forces disorganised and in some cases, not likely to get into the necessary geographical area, Ralph conceded.
Now, I cannot say this was a high-level playing, as both Ralph and I haven't been highly active players, but I know I felt around turns 3,4 that it wasn't going to end well for the Russians. Some key results at key times aided-and hurt-us both, but I do feel I had the upper hand on the fortune side for a change (Ralph did tell me his luck sucks generally). His attack into the weakest sector of my lines was making good headway until he ran into a mini Russian buzzsaw. I think by the time the Germans pulled back to try another day, on that flank, there may not have been any German leaders left. He attempted to push beyond the temporary warehouses but was thrown back by timely effective Russian fires. None-the-less, we both enjoyed the hell out of the scenario.
As an aside, the other inmates in The Time-Out Room also played this scenario-a wildly different playing I might add, with an imposing upfront, in-your-face Russian defense which didn't let the Germans breathe or cross the boulevard until T3. As it looked when we packed it in, it was looking like another Russian win.
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