jrv
Forum Guru
Wed: Resignation Supermen as Americans vs Nadir Elfarra
Nadir's Germans had a hard time moving across the streets against my Americans. In the post-game 20-20 phase, Perry came over to impart His Wisdom. "Did you use the sewers?" As the Americans I had forgotten entirely about the sewers. As it turned out, Nadir thought that the Germans had to use a leader and pass a 4TC. In fact the Germans need not use a leader nor make a TC. The Americans would have to use a leader and make a TC if they tried to use sewers. ROAR has this favoring the Americans moderately, but it would not surprise me if the margin was due to German players that did not use the sewers well.
Thursday morning: Belgian Tigers as Belgians vs Bob Bendis in Tin Cans & Pop guns mini
I started out laughing and laughing when Bob was suckered into blasting a big stack of dummies (in the obvious location looking down the bridge) but I ended up crying when I lost two squads of my reinforcements broken by the Germans in the second level building. It probably would have been a barn-burner but for my sloppy play there.
Thursday afternoon: Crossing Swords at Kyaukse as Japanese vs Andy Beaton
My Japanese won this easily but this was at least in part because Andy didn't realize that some of the marsh was actually swamp, which allowed me to make much greater progress than I should have. It shows as strongly favoring the Japanese on ROAR. I am not convinced this is true (although it could be), but I think the British are definitely harder to play.
Friday morning: War Ensemble as Germans vs Dan Stanhagen
The Germans ran out of time in this even though I ran them as fast as I could. The British did not set up outside the town in the west with one exception. The one exception was a HIP HS that I stumbled into with two squads and a leader. That hurt. Dan brought in his reinforcements to retake the FFAZ6 VC hex too. The 62 VC hex was strongly defended (and here again I cut myself by losing an 8-3-8 and a 9-1 in cc against a 4-5-7 for no trade), and one of the other VC hexes had a HIP HS next to it too. ROAR shows it as favoring the Germans, but both Stanhagii (one Stanhagen, two (or more) Stanhagii) and I think it should be hard on the Germans.
Saturday morning: First Timers as Germans vs Kevin Killeen in Cold as Ice mini
I set up the Germans to repel a "hey, diddle, diddle, straight up the middle" attack by Kevin. Kevin tried to loop around on both ends. His attack in the north collapsed quickly when I shot two somewhat snakey LOSes and broke all his infantry. His attack in the south took too long to develop. This is a five turn scenario, and there isn't enough time for subtlety.
Saturday midday: Liehr Launches First as Germans vs Magnus Rimvall in Cold as Ice mini
I stumbled across both M10s but neither destroyed the tanks that stumbled into them. One M10 died by Panzerfaust; the other in CC. Meanwhile my infantry crawled up the village along the two rows of buildings. The Americans gave ground grudgingly, including one turn when I lost both my Pz IVs to CC snakeeyes trying to VBM freeze sleaze a position (we forgot to roll for leader creation, Magnus; sorry). I think the Americans got too greedy at the end when they tried to hold on to victory buildings on the east side of the street. The Germans broke all but a squad, two halfsquads and two leaders guarding the buildings on the west side of the street. The Germans were able to take the two buildings they needed on the west side of the street and might have been able to take a third.
Saturday night: Mageret Morning vs Mikko Lukkari in Cold as Ice final
Random scenario selection both determined the scenario and gave me the Americans. In ROAR this is a dog (favoring the Germans) so the American balance was recommended and used. Unfortunately the balance provision is not all that useful. Mikko came at the the Americans from the ends of the hill rather than up the middle. I tried a reverse slope defense but fell well short of being able to defend the hill. The north end attack unraveled a bit when the 60mm MTR killed both the 9-2 and an 8-3-8 on the first turn, but the attack still held defenders in place. The attack in the south ground forward with only limited problems. To give an idea of how much I think would be necessary to balance the scenario, I would suggest cutting a turn and removing the winter camo from the Germans. I might cut two German squads as well. As it is I think it is a dog both without the American balance and with.
JR
Nadir's Germans had a hard time moving across the streets against my Americans. In the post-game 20-20 phase, Perry came over to impart His Wisdom. "Did you use the sewers?" As the Americans I had forgotten entirely about the sewers. As it turned out, Nadir thought that the Germans had to use a leader and pass a 4TC. In fact the Germans need not use a leader nor make a TC. The Americans would have to use a leader and make a TC if they tried to use sewers. ROAR has this favoring the Americans moderately, but it would not surprise me if the margin was due to German players that did not use the sewers well.
Thursday morning: Belgian Tigers as Belgians vs Bob Bendis in Tin Cans & Pop guns mini
I started out laughing and laughing when Bob was suckered into blasting a big stack of dummies (in the obvious location looking down the bridge) but I ended up crying when I lost two squads of my reinforcements broken by the Germans in the second level building. It probably would have been a barn-burner but for my sloppy play there.
Thursday afternoon: Crossing Swords at Kyaukse as Japanese vs Andy Beaton
My Japanese won this easily but this was at least in part because Andy didn't realize that some of the marsh was actually swamp, which allowed me to make much greater progress than I should have. It shows as strongly favoring the Japanese on ROAR. I am not convinced this is true (although it could be), but I think the British are definitely harder to play.
Friday morning: War Ensemble as Germans vs Dan Stanhagen
The Germans ran out of time in this even though I ran them as fast as I could. The British did not set up outside the town in the west with one exception. The one exception was a HIP HS that I stumbled into with two squads and a leader. That hurt. Dan brought in his reinforcements to retake the FFAZ6 VC hex too. The 62 VC hex was strongly defended (and here again I cut myself by losing an 8-3-8 and a 9-1 in cc against a 4-5-7 for no trade), and one of the other VC hexes had a HIP HS next to it too. ROAR shows it as favoring the Germans, but both Stanhagii (one Stanhagen, two (or more) Stanhagii) and I think it should be hard on the Germans.
Saturday morning: First Timers as Germans vs Kevin Killeen in Cold as Ice mini
I set up the Germans to repel a "hey, diddle, diddle, straight up the middle" attack by Kevin. Kevin tried to loop around on both ends. His attack in the north collapsed quickly when I shot two somewhat snakey LOSes and broke all his infantry. His attack in the south took too long to develop. This is a five turn scenario, and there isn't enough time for subtlety.
Saturday midday: Liehr Launches First as Germans vs Magnus Rimvall in Cold as Ice mini
I stumbled across both M10s but neither destroyed the tanks that stumbled into them. One M10 died by Panzerfaust; the other in CC. Meanwhile my infantry crawled up the village along the two rows of buildings. The Americans gave ground grudgingly, including one turn when I lost both my Pz IVs to CC snakeeyes trying to VBM freeze sleaze a position (we forgot to roll for leader creation, Magnus; sorry). I think the Americans got too greedy at the end when they tried to hold on to victory buildings on the east side of the street. The Germans broke all but a squad, two halfsquads and two leaders guarding the buildings on the west side of the street. The Germans were able to take the two buildings they needed on the west side of the street and might have been able to take a third.
Saturday night: Mageret Morning vs Mikko Lukkari in Cold as Ice final
Random scenario selection both determined the scenario and gave me the Americans. In ROAR this is a dog (favoring the Germans) so the American balance was recommended and used. Unfortunately the balance provision is not all that useful. Mikko came at the the Americans from the ends of the hill rather than up the middle. I tried a reverse slope defense but fell well short of being able to defend the hill. The north end attack unraveled a bit when the 60mm MTR killed both the 9-2 and an 8-3-8 on the first turn, but the attack still held defenders in place. The attack in the south ground forward with only limited problems. To give an idea of how much I think would be necessary to balance the scenario, I would suggest cutting a turn and removing the winter camo from the Germans. I might cut two German squads as well. As it is I think it is a dog both without the American balance and with.
JR
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