macrobo
King of Boxcars
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2005
- Messages
- 1,266
- Reaction score
- 623
- Location
- Geelong Melbourne
- First name
- Rob
- Country
-
Sometimes I get very surprised by games like this not being more popular in tourneys and for teaching
It a real cool game for both learning rules and tactics
I could only see 10 playing on ROAR – two of which are mine
It’s a simple scenario – USA vs German at the Hatten outskirts – though ground snow and falling snow may seem too many rules for a newbie – they just mean movement is slower and there is an LV hind issue you need to watch – so I think it’s a great teaching scenario. – Smoke still exists, the types of vehicles and SWs are good to get a grasp on and for combined arms – where both defender and attacker are well balanced in that area means both sides get the “tank game with infantry help” type of game.
Simple idea really – 6 German Mk4J’s (slow turret ones late war = SN9, S8 and Sz – good to have things to learn) supported by 4 Half Tracks with 447s with an important PsK (threatening but where is the shot?) have to drive from one side of a combat zone to the other side around a nice little hill with some key LOS issues. They have to not only get that 10 vehicles off but kill on the way past some vehicles or you cannot win – so mug a Sherman is the motto but loose little on the way.
USA is nasty – 1 x an Easy 8 76L and 2 x M4A3 75Ws (these guys have the 4AAMG, WP and SM8 – which are also important to use) supported by 3 BAZ’s (2x44 and 1 x 45) armed by just enough men with 2 x the concealment. Add the tank killing men concealed well to the HIP Easy 8 (M4A376W) and you have a very nasty nest to clear
I played it twice both as the attacker – one blind and one after much more thought and lots of tutoring from a Master of ASL – Aaron Cleavin
By PBEM I played a long time player of mine- Duncan – he wins about ¾ of our games – he is an amazing chap, great guy in all respect and like the “fast and furious” – dose not like the long game! – if your into Fast and Furious – Duncan is your man!
I did what seems sensible (both times sensibly) – send the Half tracks forward and unload to clear the edges of the feature of any nasty Baz Toting infantry – Get the 6 German into a position to duel any Sherman (6:1) that pops out to try and kill me.
Then
In my Game with Duncan – I split my force in nearly two – and charged either side of the feature – Did ok on one side and slowed down on the other so Had to stop one flank exiting to dig those tanks out on the other – OUCH then happened – The M4A376L was Hip on the Board edge and roll after roll decimated my Tanks mid game to an obvious LOSS mid game – ended there
In My Game with Aaron – he played me over two separate (months apart) occasions and tutored me on when I went wrong – To explore the mind of a Master was wonderful and to have a game where the great lessons I learnt will stick this time – My 2018 was behind me and I was ready to learn forever
Part one – Same attack but he had a much more fluid defense with no trap at the end. – I got reminded about the “need to know” things – Advance and rout in smoke not costing, count the number of men and concealments and don’t get tricked by dummies, don’t walk and man up to a Sherman in CE without seeing an AAMG get you on an 8FP shot, pop an SM8 before you move a Sherman! Just in case you’re in LOS- JUST lovely rule after rule I saw and learn’t – So before our hiatus it ended with me concentrating 4 MK4s on one side and 1 MK4 and 2 surviving Hts on the other. He used the hill and its tricky LOS to good effect to kill a Mk4 and 2 Hts by then
With Tutoring the second phase taught me lots – I actually won by the terrible luck of Aaron not by my original tactics – wonderful to see how a Master loses graciously as well – Aaron is such a great bloke. He was fluid – Sherman’s moved to fall back positions, infantry became a real rats nest that I was lucky to keep supressed, so it required the MK4s to take them on by numbers – I got the lucky rolls and well that’s ASL really…..
As I began in this piece – This GAME DftB 111 by Stephen Johns in Dispatches issue 38 is absolutely a great game within a game, rules that we all need to master and a showcase of the German and USA armor struggle of the day
I thank both Duncan my mate and Aaron the Master for playing me
Cheers
Rob
It a real cool game for both learning rules and tactics
I could only see 10 playing on ROAR – two of which are mine
It’s a simple scenario – USA vs German at the Hatten outskirts – though ground snow and falling snow may seem too many rules for a newbie – they just mean movement is slower and there is an LV hind issue you need to watch – so I think it’s a great teaching scenario. – Smoke still exists, the types of vehicles and SWs are good to get a grasp on and for combined arms – where both defender and attacker are well balanced in that area means both sides get the “tank game with infantry help” type of game.
Simple idea really – 6 German Mk4J’s (slow turret ones late war = SN9, S8 and Sz – good to have things to learn) supported by 4 Half Tracks with 447s with an important PsK (threatening but where is the shot?) have to drive from one side of a combat zone to the other side around a nice little hill with some key LOS issues. They have to not only get that 10 vehicles off but kill on the way past some vehicles or you cannot win – so mug a Sherman is the motto but loose little on the way.
USA is nasty – 1 x an Easy 8 76L and 2 x M4A3 75Ws (these guys have the 4AAMG, WP and SM8 – which are also important to use) supported by 3 BAZ’s (2x44 and 1 x 45) armed by just enough men with 2 x the concealment. Add the tank killing men concealed well to the HIP Easy 8 (M4A376W) and you have a very nasty nest to clear
I played it twice both as the attacker – one blind and one after much more thought and lots of tutoring from a Master of ASL – Aaron Cleavin
By PBEM I played a long time player of mine- Duncan – he wins about ¾ of our games – he is an amazing chap, great guy in all respect and like the “fast and furious” – dose not like the long game! – if your into Fast and Furious – Duncan is your man!
I did what seems sensible (both times sensibly) – send the Half tracks forward and unload to clear the edges of the feature of any nasty Baz Toting infantry – Get the 6 German into a position to duel any Sherman (6:1) that pops out to try and kill me.
Then
In my Game with Duncan – I split my force in nearly two – and charged either side of the feature – Did ok on one side and slowed down on the other so Had to stop one flank exiting to dig those tanks out on the other – OUCH then happened – The M4A376L was Hip on the Board edge and roll after roll decimated my Tanks mid game to an obvious LOSS mid game – ended there
In My Game with Aaron – he played me over two separate (months apart) occasions and tutored me on when I went wrong – To explore the mind of a Master was wonderful and to have a game where the great lessons I learnt will stick this time – My 2018 was behind me and I was ready to learn forever
Part one – Same attack but he had a much more fluid defense with no trap at the end. – I got reminded about the “need to know” things – Advance and rout in smoke not costing, count the number of men and concealments and don’t get tricked by dummies, don’t walk and man up to a Sherman in CE without seeing an AAMG get you on an 8FP shot, pop an SM8 before you move a Sherman! Just in case you’re in LOS- JUST lovely rule after rule I saw and learn’t – So before our hiatus it ended with me concentrating 4 MK4s on one side and 1 MK4 and 2 surviving Hts on the other. He used the hill and its tricky LOS to good effect to kill a Mk4 and 2 Hts by then
With Tutoring the second phase taught me lots – I actually won by the terrible luck of Aaron not by my original tactics – wonderful to see how a Master loses graciously as well – Aaron is such a great bloke. He was fluid – Sherman’s moved to fall back positions, infantry became a real rats nest that I was lucky to keep supressed, so it required the MK4s to take them on by numbers – I got the lucky rolls and well that’s ASL really…..
As I began in this piece – This GAME DftB 111 by Stephen Johns in Dispatches issue 38 is absolutely a great game within a game, rules that we all need to master and a showcase of the German and USA armor struggle of the day
I thank both Duncan my mate and Aaron the Master for playing me
Cheers
Rob