Festung Budapest CGII 3.0 (Dennis Brothers)

Den589

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After our playing of Operation Rees, where Steve failed miserably as the British. He wants to try Festung Budapest CGII for the third time. We played this when FB first came out with him conceding late in the first scenario when he had almost no Russian units alive. I then tried my hand as the Russian and lasted into the second scenario before realizing that I would be pushed entirely off the map. He loves the map and wants to get onboard as the Russian and break out to play on the rest of the map.

So we are trying it again. I'll be resuming my role as the bad guys (German/Hungarian.) He is attempting to come up with a plan to defeat a modified version of the tank defense that has been discussed at length in the previous threads on strategy as well as the old AAR's on CGII (including our previous attempts years ago). Pictures show my at start on-board forces. The Russian control markers are placed where the errata provided front line hexes reside and I left them there as a memory aid so that no mines, wire, etc would be placed there. His rubble generation rolls were all in the backfield at the Ammunition buildings, which we think is a no-brainer as it will make it much easier to capture if we get to that point later in the CG.

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Above is the entry area.

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The middle

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The Backfield

He can see three 5/8" counters in the following hexes A30, G35 and I38. He also sees a big mortar on the roof in A26, at least it's there until/if planes appear. Large stacks are present in A30.1, I39 and L33.2. We are supposed to start this on Sunday. Half hoping for the Russian to get on board so we can get out of the Cogwheel Rail Area and get onto the rest of the maps.
 

Honza

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Good luck with this one. I always thought it is a terrible shame that CGII is ruined by the unpredictable initial scenario.
 

jyoung

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Good luck with this one. I always thought it is a terrible shame that CGII is ruined by the unpredictable initial scenario.
I've not played any FB campaign games but interested to give one a go. Most of the discussion on Gamesquad that I've found centres around CGII. What are the other CGs like?
 

Honza

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I don't know I am afraid. I think CGIII has got some positive feedback.
 

Den589

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Well we've gotten through the Russian turn 5. 18725

This is the overall situation. He has made quite a bit of headway over the Cog Railway. He has found a platoon of PZ IVH's and has killed one in I38 with a critical hit from a T-34/85. He also immobilized one in A30 with 150mm OBA and made the crew bail. They are about to get back into the tank in my movement phase if the T-34 adjacent doesn't kill it. . My third tank in E30 has a disabled main gun.

I have been able to kill several T-34s one in D34 by the 75 Pak 40 thats in N30 level 2, another T-34 in E34 by tank fire from E30, and another died in G39 to my tank in I38 before it was critical hit. A second T-34 was immobilized in G39 and when the crew bailed I killed the crew. It sits abandoned as of now.

Casualties sit as follows:

Axis have lost two 8-0 leaders and 5 Squad/Equiv. Along with one Pz IVH and one 81* MTR has gone away for 20 CVP.
Russian have lost 8 Squad/Equiv. Along with 3 T-34's for a total of 37 CVP.
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His big push seems to be towards A30, He bludgeoned through a T-34 that now sits in my backfield in C28. He survived two PSK shots and numerous PF checks. I have an unmanned immobilized PZIVH in A30 as well as an 8-1 and a 2-3-7 with two HMG's.

The Russian purchased 150mm OBA that is sitting in A29 right now with an Observer and a pre-reg. He also purchased a pre-reg for the 80mm, air support and an additional T-34 platoon for his 10 CPP. His air support brought on 3 planes, one has already gone home due to a 12 MG attack. One still has bombs and the third has missed with its bomb.

Axis purchases were a HW Vannay Platoon for the 3 ROF weapons and the aforementioned PZIVH's. Steve feels he is in trouble already just like the other times we have played it. I'm guessing that he only has around 8 GO squads on the board right now and he is fearing the next scenario. I'm slightly out of position for his push towards A30, but hopefully my PAk 40 in N30 can kill his T-34 in A31, allowing my crew to get back into his tank in A30.

1872718728
 

sdennis

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Mr. Cirillo.... what on earth are the Russians supposed to do in scenario one to make this playable? The 150mm has been a bit underwhelming in turns of blowing a hole for me to get through...

Bret? Other playtesters... how do you make either CG I or CG II playable? It will take luck on my end to stay on the map. If I don't stay on the map I have to enter AGAIN but against more weapons and OBA for the Germans???
 

Tycho

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I started CG I (so, same entry area) as the Russians. Under copious smoke I started making progress towards the cogwheel rail station along the north side of the embankment (everyone who tried to cross it died) when Heavy Winds removed it all at once. I think I lost 4 squads outright and another half-dozen broken immediately and all forward progress stopped. We started the second scenario - I spent too much time putting spreadsheets together and thinking of an attack to stop after 1 game - but my forces were wrecked again by turn 4 and I threw in the towel. My purchases we sub-optimal (as usual the first time I play a CG), but yikes, what a slaughter. My opponent put up a brief overview on his blog (https://fiftyshadesoffeldgrau.blogspot.com, May of this year), it's not pretty.
 

Den589

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Mr. Cirillo.... what on earth are the Russians supposed to do in scenario one to make this playable? The 150mm has been a bit underwhelming in turns of blowing a hole for me to get through...

Bret? Other playtesters... how do you make either CG I or CG II playable? It will take luck on my end to stay on the map. If I don't stay on the map I have to enter AGAIN but against more weapons and OBA for the Germans???
I think what Steve is not so eloquently attempting to ask is: Are we missing something?

This is our third attempt and the Russian is being beat up again, is this supposed to happen then or are we totally misplaying something or totally not getting what the Russian needs to do? The Axis hasn't gone "full Mei defense", but each time the Axis has purchased tanks and thrown them into very forward positions. Each time we have put a tank in A30 usually with a decent infantry presence to help it hold that edge. We also usually put one in the I38-J38-I39 block and with the given Arrow Cross troops they attempt to hold that edge and if we get a third (if full not depleted) its gravy to help in the center. The remaining points have been used to either purchase a reserve company or to purchase a HW Vannay company (as in this playing) to get as many ROF weapons into the fight as possible. In the past our Russians have purchased a SMG company and OBA. Steve changed that up and bought the 150mm OBA(w/pre reg and OBO), a pre reg for the 80mm, planes and another T-34 platoon with the hope of getting SCPP back, although they are dying quickly. Steve's reasoning is that infantry will just be killed by the high ROF weapons and that he was going to blow a hole with the OBA to capture as much as he could, but not go crazy. The initial scenario victory conditions were completely ignored (as they should be.)

Steve hasn't been moving quickly, pretty much just "AM-Advance." He's had good luck with his OBA and in the first two turns my luck was horrible. I had a Vannay go to 1st line via Ammo shortage, broke two big mortars (one X'd out, one came back) and broke a Hungarian HMG (which X'd out too.) My luck has gone up a bit, but hasn't been great or anything. My 75 Pak is zeroed in on another T-34 and if I kill that he will be down to one good tank and somewhere around 10-12 squads with about a 1/3 of them broken.

I'm not as enamored with the thought that on the 3rd scenario the Axis OBA will win the game by sealing the limited area off. The draw piles are horrible with the scarce ammo and Hungarian pile sucks to begin with, but the high ROF weapons would be my biggest fear as the Russian. In one of our earlier playing's the Axis bought the 120mm mortars and threw them up on the hill. They completely decimated the Russian. At 3 CPP, (even thought they can't go on rooftops; the hill is perfect for them) they are a cheap and devastating buy.

Hopefully, we will be done with the first scenario this weekend or next and will post an update then.
 
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Gordon

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I thought I saw a post from him recently. You might try "@ing" him.
 

sdennis

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I didn't think @ actually worked here!
@Bill Cirillo Anything to comment on this? I really want to play this out but it appears soooo bleak. Am I doing OK or have I botched it already?
 

Honza

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I didn't think @ actually worked here!
@Bill Cirillo Anything to comment on this? I really want to play this out but it appears soooo bleak. Am I doing OK or have I botched it already?
My advice is to 'fix' the initial scenario yourselves. Enlarge the entry area and increase the Russian at start forces to guarantee that the Russians get onboard in sufficient numbers to stay there. It is the only way to get this CG rolling.
 

Den589

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So this scenario just will not end. We played through turn #6 and we play on into turn #7. Nobody passed a morale check today, every single guy that got shot at pretty much broke. The Pak killed the tank in front of A30 and the Hungarian HMG's went on a rate tear to knock the infantry off of the rubble in front of A30. His tank running around in my backfield is leading a charmed life, it has escaped 4-5 PF shots and 2 Psk shots (with both PSk's Xing out.) Its luck finally runs out as it is immobilized to a long Mortar shot in A29. The A30 building tank dies to a critical hit from the 150 OBA and that building is now on fire with two German HMG's sitting in the flame. Will lose them if it goes blaze.

This is the overall situation:

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Close up of the A30 area:

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Close up of the Cog Railway:

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The Cog rail has become a stalemate, I kicked him back over the railway and he lost his 80mm OBA finally to a double red draw, so we are probably done here. Although I keep sending guys over the rail way trying to capture the abandoned tank in G39. Every guy I send over gets shot to pieces by his planes. The two planes are now bombless, but 12FP MG's still hurt.

Casualties were horrific today and stand as follows:

7.5 squads, a crew, 4 leaders and 3 tanks dead for the German totaling 42 CVP.

11.5 squads, a crew, 1 leader and 4 tanks dead for the Russian totaling 55 CVP. The Russian also has an immobilized abandoned tank and another occupied immobilized tank.
 

Eagle4ty

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So this scenario just will not end. We played through turn #6 and we play on into turn #7. Nobody passed a morale check today, every single guy that got shot at pretty much broke. The Pak killed the tank in front of A30 and the Hungarian HMG's went on a rate tear to knock the infantry off of the rubble in front of A30. His tank running around in my backfield is leading a charmed life, it has escaped 4-5 PF shots and 2 Psk shots (with both PSk's Xing out.) Its luck finally runs out as it is immobilized to a long Mortar shot in A29. The A30 building tank dies to a critical hit from the 150 OBA and that building is now on fire with two German HMG's sitting in the flame. Will lose them if it goes blaze.

This is the overall situation:

View attachment 18770


Close up of the A30 area:

View attachment 18771

Close up of the Cog Railway:

View attachment 18772

The Cog rail has become a stalemate, I kicked him back over the railway and he lost his 80mm OBA finally to a double red draw, so we are probably done here. Although I keep sending guys over the rail way trying to capture the abandoned tank in G39. Every guy I send over gets shot to pieces by his planes. The two planes are now bombless, but 12FP MG's still hurt.

Casualties were horrific today and stand as follows:

7.5 squads, a crew, 4 leaders and 3 tanks dead for the German totaling 42 CVP.

11.5 squads, a crew, 1 leader and 4 tanks dead for the Russian totaling 55 CVP. The Russian also has an immobilized abandoned tank and another occupied immobilized tank.
I see minefields on the RR hexes, does FB have an SSR that allows that? I know B32.11 says to treat RR hexes as Paved Roads which would normally preclude placing them there.
 

klasmalmstrom

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I see minefields on the RR hexes, does FB have an SSR that allows that? I know B32.11 says to treat RR hexes as Paved Roads which would normally preclude placing them there.
SSR FB13.

FB13 PAVED ROADS:
10 Mines and Entrenchments (including A-T Ditches; B27.56) may be placed in paved-road/Wide-City-Boulevard (4.)/Railroad (RR) (B32.1; 6.) hexes; mines set up thusly must be in full view (i.e., their presence must be marked with a minefield counter although the number of Mine factors is revealed per A12.33) [EXC: mines set up in a Debris-Road (2.61)/Debris-Wide-City-Boulevard (2.62) hex or a RR hex may set up HIP per B3.5, 2.62, and B32.11 respectively]. B28.53 is NA [EXC: bridges].
 

sdennis

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I'm wondering if I should sue for peace here in the first scenario.... 150 OBA is down to 2B/1R :) and I still have the planes but there is just no where to hide.

If he attacks at night I think I might be able to hold him off because the fires that should still be burning... but both of us are a mess right now.

We've both are going to have leadership problems, I was doing OK with only the wounded guy but than his sniper found the 9-1 I had (stress had...)

This is just so tough on the Russians... Germans are brittle but the Russians can't take advantage of it.

One thing I forgot was that all the initial infantry/tanks MUST enter on Turn 1. My plan was to leak them on 2 or 3 units at a time until the 150 could do it's magic. If I had been able to do that I think than the Russians can limit the losses until they get an opportunity.
 

Carln0130

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I'm wondering if I should sue for peace here in the first scenario.... 150 OBA is down to 2B/1R :) and I still have the planes but there is just no where to hide.

If he attacks at night I think I might be able to hold him off because the fires that should still be burning... but both of us are a mess right now.

We've both are going to have leadership problems, I was doing OK with only the wounded guy but than his sniper found the 9-1 I had (stress had...)

This is just so tough on the Russians... Germans are brittle but the Russians can't take advantage of it.

One thing I forgot was that all the initial infantry/tanks MUST enter on Turn 1. My plan was to leak them on 2 or 3 units at a time until the 150 could do it's magic. If I had been able to do that I think than the Russians can limit the losses until they get an opportunity.
Wimp!!! I got 7 scenarios in before tossing in the towel as the Russians. The map was a sight to see. The terrain alterations made that lower corner of the board look like a moon scape. I tried everything I could think of. I even brought huge guns in and fired over open sites from Fortified Buildings. Other than flattening some buildings with the enemy in them, I was never able to really reach out and dent the defenses sufficiently to break through.
 
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