jrv
Forum Guru
This was my second-and-a-half time playing this scenario. The first time my opponent and I were trying out the CVPA. That did not go well, and we quit pretty early in the scenario. In the second playing I had the CVPA. My opponent tried out the hey-diddle-diddle-straight-up-the-middle attack. This is appealing because trying to get vehicles across those hills looks daunting. Unfortunately it also allows the CVPA to concentrate and get close. Fighting close is the CVPA strength; the TO&E for a CVPA platoon lists one-hundred-and-eleven knuckledusters, one for each hand plus extras.
In previous AARs, either my own or commenting on others, I and others have given various ideas on tactics. I won't repeat those here. In particular there was a list of all the BCFK units and their EVP. There are several units where the EVP are easy to get wrong. I still had four VP listed for my Carrier Cs on my notes even though the halfsquad crew is worth two CVP while inherent.
In this playing I had the BCFK. After having seen the valley attack not perform up to expectations I looked for alternatives. There are two goat paths that go up the hills, and I studied the possibilities of using them. Except for the Centurions the BCFK vehicles are quite fast. The problem the other way is that the hills are quite high, and reaching the peaks takes more than a turn. In fact for most of the vehicles their sixteen MP will gain them the same number of levels per turn as a squad: three levels for the vehicle vs. two levels during the MPh and one during the APh. That said, once they reach the top they can zoom along (for the most part; there's one deep wash on board 83 that needs to be crossed), and they can also come back off the ridge back to the valley floor in a jif. I decided to split my forces into three, one group on each side and one up the valley. The lighter, faster vehicles would climb the hills, while the less-vulnerable Centurions would drive down the valley with one Carrier.
I set up my two at-start Centurions on the 81I5 hill, with the 81mm MTR carrier abandoned and the MTR set up along with a 51mm MTR. The remaining 2.5 squads set up to seize part or all of the Hill 802 ridge. Various things went wrong with that plan, and they eventually ended up back on the hill.
My opponent set up out of LOS as much as possible. He was somewhat perplexed about where to put the HIP units. I agree with him. There aren't any really great locations. My plan was to SMOKE 81T3 in case the MMG tried to interdict CE vehicles and riders. The 81mm MTR then pounded a couple units in the 83S2 area.
The two goat paths I used were starting up 81V2 and 83J2. With careful planning its possible for the Daimler SC to be in 83O8 on turn two. I made an error in my planning, but never-the-less I sent the Daimler, the Oxford, the M9 and one Carrier C up the board 83 ridge and two Carrier Cs and the Cromwell up the board 81 ridge. Sending the Cromwell up the board 81 ridge was a recent addition to my plans. The two Centurions and a single Carrer C went to the center knob area.
Because they weren't needed for SMOKE at start, the two on-board Centurions came off the hill and positioned themselves to interdict any attempt to either cross the road toward 81I5 or to move towards the center knob. One actually hit a second line squad with a MC which it failed by > its ELR, becoming a broken second line halfsquad. In general the Centurions used Mohammed Ali float-like-a-butterfly, sting-like-a-bee tactics. They also were great tossing off sM Smoke. They did run out of HE quickly without any notable effects, and the AP was not very effective either.
The CVPA used LMGs as ATRs against the lightly-armored vehicles of the escape group. When one killed the M9 with walking-wounded squad, LMG, and 9-1 leader, I took a PTC. I did a quick count of the units likely or fairly likely to escape, and it was clear that I still had enough to win. On the board 81 ridge the Cromwell went tearing through some CVPA squads on the hill with multiple OVRs. It then rolled a CH on one squad, leaving only a CX CVPA halfsquad to contest the exit from the 81I5 hill. The units on the 81I5 hill had packed up the MTR & LMG and remanned the carrier. They drove off carrying an 8-1 leader as passenger. A couple 4-5-8 squads exited on foot. In the center the CVPA made a last, desparate dash at the Centurions. They suffered tremendous casualties but were able to toss a DC as one exited. A poor placement DR led to no effect. On the board 83 hill the CVPA LMGs killed the M9 and the Oxford carrier with LMGs, but the Daimler and the Carrier C (without its walking-wounded halfsquad) got away. The final total was seventy-eight EVP of sixty-five needed for the BCFK win. Of those units only one walking wounded halfsquad survived.
Overall I am satisfied that despite some concern to the contrary the BCFK have a reasonable chance of winning the scenario. By moving across the ridge tops the BCFK force the CPVA to move to attack, especially if they have set up strongly in the valley. Even with the mist they can be whittled down. And they are forced to keep units in the valley in case the BCFK run off the hills and get back on the road.
A different attack that might also work is to send all the reinforcements except the Centurions up the board 81 ridge, squeezing that CPVA force between two groups. The Centurions and the on-board forces would interdict units trying to cross from board 83 to 81.
I am still have trouble getting the rhythm of moving CVPA. My opponent was careful about IPM, but I think in the bustle of the scenario one or two units moved without all the necessary IPM exception paperwork completed. I could be wrong though.
This is a fun scenario with very asymmetric problems for the two sides. This is not Sherman or T-34 vs. Panther struggle, this is long-sticks-with-knives-on-the-end vs. atomic weapons fight. Yet the CVPA can potentially leave the BCFK force stunned in disbelief. Both sides need to be reaching deep into their bag of tricks for the edge.
JR
In previous AARs, either my own or commenting on others, I and others have given various ideas on tactics. I won't repeat those here. In particular there was a list of all the BCFK units and their EVP. There are several units where the EVP are easy to get wrong. I still had four VP listed for my Carrier Cs on my notes even though the halfsquad crew is worth two CVP while inherent.
In this playing I had the BCFK. After having seen the valley attack not perform up to expectations I looked for alternatives. There are two goat paths that go up the hills, and I studied the possibilities of using them. Except for the Centurions the BCFK vehicles are quite fast. The problem the other way is that the hills are quite high, and reaching the peaks takes more than a turn. In fact for most of the vehicles their sixteen MP will gain them the same number of levels per turn as a squad: three levels for the vehicle vs. two levels during the MPh and one during the APh. That said, once they reach the top they can zoom along (for the most part; there's one deep wash on board 83 that needs to be crossed), and they can also come back off the ridge back to the valley floor in a jif. I decided to split my forces into three, one group on each side and one up the valley. The lighter, faster vehicles would climb the hills, while the less-vulnerable Centurions would drive down the valley with one Carrier.
I set up my two at-start Centurions on the 81I5 hill, with the 81mm MTR carrier abandoned and the MTR set up along with a 51mm MTR. The remaining 2.5 squads set up to seize part or all of the Hill 802 ridge. Various things went wrong with that plan, and they eventually ended up back on the hill.
My opponent set up out of LOS as much as possible. He was somewhat perplexed about where to put the HIP units. I agree with him. There aren't any really great locations. My plan was to SMOKE 81T3 in case the MMG tried to interdict CE vehicles and riders. The 81mm MTR then pounded a couple units in the 83S2 area.
The two goat paths I used were starting up 81V2 and 83J2. With careful planning its possible for the Daimler SC to be in 83O8 on turn two. I made an error in my planning, but never-the-less I sent the Daimler, the Oxford, the M9 and one Carrier C up the board 83 ridge and two Carrier Cs and the Cromwell up the board 81 ridge. Sending the Cromwell up the board 81 ridge was a recent addition to my plans. The two Centurions and a single Carrer C went to the center knob area.
Because they weren't needed for SMOKE at start, the two on-board Centurions came off the hill and positioned themselves to interdict any attempt to either cross the road toward 81I5 or to move towards the center knob. One actually hit a second line squad with a MC which it failed by > its ELR, becoming a broken second line halfsquad. In general the Centurions used Mohammed Ali float-like-a-butterfly, sting-like-a-bee tactics. They also were great tossing off sM Smoke. They did run out of HE quickly without any notable effects, and the AP was not very effective either.
The CVPA used LMGs as ATRs against the lightly-armored vehicles of the escape group. When one killed the M9 with walking-wounded squad, LMG, and 9-1 leader, I took a PTC. I did a quick count of the units likely or fairly likely to escape, and it was clear that I still had enough to win. On the board 81 ridge the Cromwell went tearing through some CVPA squads on the hill with multiple OVRs. It then rolled a CH on one squad, leaving only a CX CVPA halfsquad to contest the exit from the 81I5 hill. The units on the 81I5 hill had packed up the MTR & LMG and remanned the carrier. They drove off carrying an 8-1 leader as passenger. A couple 4-5-8 squads exited on foot. In the center the CVPA made a last, desparate dash at the Centurions. They suffered tremendous casualties but were able to toss a DC as one exited. A poor placement DR led to no effect. On the board 83 hill the CVPA LMGs killed the M9 and the Oxford carrier with LMGs, but the Daimler and the Carrier C (without its walking-wounded halfsquad) got away. The final total was seventy-eight EVP of sixty-five needed for the BCFK win. Of those units only one walking wounded halfsquad survived.
Overall I am satisfied that despite some concern to the contrary the BCFK have a reasonable chance of winning the scenario. By moving across the ridge tops the BCFK force the CPVA to move to attack, especially if they have set up strongly in the valley. Even with the mist they can be whittled down. And they are forced to keep units in the valley in case the BCFK run off the hills and get back on the road.
A different attack that might also work is to send all the reinforcements except the Centurions up the board 81 ridge, squeezing that CPVA force between two groups. The Centurions and the on-board forces would interdict units trying to cross from board 83 to 81.
I am still have trouble getting the rhythm of moving CVPA. My opponent was careful about IPM, but I think in the bustle of the scenario one or two units moved without all the necessary IPM exception paperwork completed. I could be wrong though.
This is a fun scenario with very asymmetric problems for the two sides. This is not Sherman or T-34 vs. Panther struggle, this is long-sticks-with-knives-on-the-end vs. atomic weapons fight. Yet the CVPA can potentially leave the BCFK force stunned in disbelief. Both sides need to be reaching deep into their bag of tricks for the edge.
JR