Culqualber (ecz5) Tournament Director Pack ( Advancing Fire).

ecz

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This is my first playing of Culqualber since the recent ecz’s tournament directors pack has been published. While Paul and me have playtested together many scenarios, Culqualber is new for him.
The pack contains 16 scenarios all featuring an original bidding system to assign sides and decide the VCs all at once.

How the bid mechanism works in general is easily said:
basically who bids higher takes the Attacking side and must achieve the level of victory he bid for. The higher is the bid, the harder is for the attacker. You can bid low to have an easy task, but you risk that your opponent bids a little higher than you taking the attacker at a convenient level of VCs. Hence the smart player should bid high enough to avoid the other takes the attaker and still benefits of an easy objective. Who plays for the first time the scenario after a simple preliminary study should be able to figure how the scenario could go, and then decide a plausible bid. In any case an offer around the middle of the fork provided is usually a safe choice for most players and a solid and balanced game is likely to happen. But everything is subjective, so what appears balanced for one, could be easy or impossibile for others. Thus players are encouraged to find a bid that fits their expectations and attidudes. This system introduces a new challange because players must figure in advance how the game could develop even before they decide the sides.

The action represented took place in Italian East Africa (Ethiopia) in late 1941. A group of Elite Italians (Carabinieri) with the support of a local warband trained and armed, tries to resist the overwhelming British force (the 26th East African Brigade). The battle is fought on a rocky hill called "Cliff of the Crags". The siege last for weeks until the final attack.

In this scenario the bid range is 2-7. This number indicates how many (secret) objectives the British must achieve. Paul bids 5 beating me (3). Thus he takes the British and must achieve 5 objectives he secretly picks before the game begins from this list:
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Probably Paul feels that British have many ways to attack, and the defense is not that easy. I probably think the opposite and this is reflected by our different bids: 5 vs 3. The nice thing is that after a playing or two any player will find his "perfect"- although subjective- bid adjusting his tactical plans and getting always theoretically balanced games.
So, after my setup, Paul secretly decides his 5 objectives and are we ready to start. Only the actual develop of game will say if 5 objectives are a good compromise or if it’s too difficult. By the way also which objectives the attacker chooses counts. For sure after this playing both of us will have a better comprension of the scenario and could bid differently next time (to be honest I think that a couple of turns could be enough to modify opinions about the right bid most times).
 
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ecz

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Here ‘s how the board appears after the Italian setup :


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Note that in the setup instructions there are several restrictions to the Italian that prevent to concentrate all fortifications and guns in a small area making nearly impossible any attack . For this reason you do not see the guns, mines, trenches, wires and the pillobox all close to each other and to the Command Post to make a fortress.
My first important decision is if try to hit the attackers as soon as they enter the board, or keep the guns and the heavy SW safe behid. As the British starts with two light mortars onboard, I prefer stay behid to avoid smoke during the first prep. Hence no gun is in position to fire immediatly to the entering force.
 
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ecz

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And here’s the British setup. It appears clear he will probably attack the Command Post (worth two objectives ) in the upper/right corner using the native Cavalry, while is still impossible guess which direction will take the attack with the bulk of his forces. British has four light tanks and two ACs, a few trucks and four mortars (one is a 81mm and two of them starts onboard). And a 16 x 447 colonial infantry plus 10 native 436g "native" cavalry squads. The usual problem is where and how to attack. No fortification starts HIP due the previous British attacks and reconnaissances. This is a big help for the British.

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ecz

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Here is how the board appears after the first turn.

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British attacks in all directions, but appears obvius that the CP is an objective (or a diversion!) Resist there is the key to victory.
Note the river changed in valley and the decreased COT for trucks in OG allowing a quick motorized advance, both by SSR.
 
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ecz

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In Turn 2 the British have spread their forces and looks like they could go for objectives B,C,D and H (or F). Notably a couple of native squads are climbing the rock wall under the Command Post. No player during playtest have tried such a bald move AFAIK but I have the strenght to face the threat. In fact Maj Serrani and three 447s are there to defend the Command Post. Even if screeend by smoke I think the climbers won't be able to stay there, and I should be able to hold the building. The native cavalry approaching from the rear , instead, have been already repulsed.

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more later
 
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ecz

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a problem with the Italians is that they have scarce mobility and thus the initial setup is very important. Unfortunately for the defender the British decides the objectives after seeing the defensive setup, and nothing is secret (no HIP for fortifications or guns). Also minefields are known. This balances everything as the British must just properly dose his forces accordingly the objectives he have decided, no big surprises are possible. The best he allocates his units per objective, the higher are the chances to achieve them . The Italian has just a couple of turns to react and, possibily, adjust his defensive posture. When AFVs reach the hills then movement becomes very dangerous.
 
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ecz

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I added something in all threads above. More later.
Currently we are at the start of T3 on 7. Or on 6 if the British pick Objective F.
 
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ecz

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Turn four:
British press the attack. Climbers are almost at the the top of the hill, ready to jump in the Command Post screened by smoke.
In the middle three AFVs clear a path across the minefield where a few British penetrate the defense. One elite 447 and a couple of 346 ( allied natives ) broke. The hill on the right ( containing two trenches, two foxholes and one gun) is still safe, but Enemy is approaching. Also a British 447 has been caught in the open and now is distrupted after rolling boxcars on the MC. A Marc VI malfunctioned its MA.
Probably the pillbox the trenches, and the Command post (worth two) are the British objectives. I do not have a hint about the last. At the moment everything can still happen.


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ecz

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This night we continued our scenario. We did one more turn. 23849

Highlights:
Paul's climbers (two 436) jumped in the Command Post screened by smoke, but the cream of Italians hides there: three 447 plus the wounded 10-3. So one of the two native Allied squads broke under fire despite the smoke and was eliminated (no rout possible ) while the second native mantained the "?" . In the next Turn this 436 must try to enter in CC and/or break the Italians using PB fire, but one 447 is still concealed. Hard but possibile.

British conquered two hilltops of the three listed in Objective B, and they are pressing for the trenches ( Objective D) that seems also in the list.
I still have no clue about the fifth Objective ( the Command Post Objective counts as two). It could be amass 11 CVP (non native) or Exit 11 EVP but they looks hard to achieve. Not counting that if the platoon lead by the wounded 10-3 holds the Command Post and kills the intruder probably the game is over at the end of the next Game Turn.

In fact if the attacker fails to achieve one of his Objective he loses automatically.

At the moment casualties are:
-for the Italian 2,5 native squads KIA and 1,5 elite squads broken
-for the British 3,5 native squads and second line HS KIA. The British also has 3 broken squads and a malfunctioning MA.
 

ecz

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the game continues and now, after turn five, the pic shows how appears the board

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The British are trying their last effort. The tankettes now are fighting at close range, the attackers are in touch with the defenders in many points, and the casualty level of the Italian increases quickly. Just two turns remaining ( or one if the attacker included Objective F shortening the scenario to six Turns)
The scenario can still end in both ways but I suspect that the Command Post will resist.
 

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and finally the scenario ended. Paul was able to catch the win by exiting 10 EVP, controlling the Command post (2 VPs), three trenches on five and the three peacks for a total of 5 VPS. He Discarded the "seize two Guns", the "pillobox", the "scenario lenght reduction" and the "amass 10 CVPs of Elite Italians" objectives.
In the last two turns he tried a desperate attack screeened by smoke sending the tankettes among the troops. A couple of bad choices and a few bad rolls from my side and the game turned completely. Epically the Italian wounded 10-3 fought to the end in close combat as its real counterpart did, and like its counterpart succumbed.

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I must change my judgement about this scenario for the better: It's fun also for the defender side.
Italians have many decisions to takes early, in the middle and even in the final part of the scenario. I deserved the defeat because I was too static. Paul made an excellent end game achieving his last objectives when it was too late for the Italians prevent his moves or at least react to them.
Hope to play soon again with Paul.

My final suggested bid for this scenario is 4. More if you are a good attacker.
 
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Paul John

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and finally the scenario ended. Paul was able to catch the win
It was a fairly desperate last couple of turns as the Italian defenders were looking very strong, but the smoke, numbers and a rather lucky intensive fire hit with the 81* for an NMC vs the wounded 10-3 and 2x 447 saw the leader pin and both squads break. Without that I would almost certainly not have taken the command post. It ended with a CC that saw the 10-3 and one 447 facing 3x 447s, an 8-1 and a 7-0. I almost blew it by not putting a unit in the other building hex as I forgot that mutual destruction would see the Italians retain control, and Enrico only needed a 5 (I think) to get that, but it was not to be and I killed them at 2-1 (-1) as I had to while surviving.
The problem partly for the Italian is that there is little potential to fall back. Once the nut is cracked, they tended to disappear. But the Italian force is pretty strong, so it is no pushover.
Enrico also let me enter unopposed. I would put units in trenches with a slope to fall back out of and take some long range MG shots just to try to slow the entry. Otherwise, it as a super fun game. Although the Brits have a more exciting, dynamic side, I would give it a try on the defense anytime.
And of course Enrico is always fun to play against!
 
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