19 Jan 45
Turns 1-2:
Randy Knight hooked a bunch of the Beverly crew up with FBs brought back from WO this year. Brian Sullivan and I were eager to jump into Budapest and began CG II last Thursday. The maps are beautiful. CG II uses the 2 northernmost maps and covers the fight from 19 Jan thru 2 Feb 45. This is basically the fight into the city. We completed the first 2 turns. My pre-game rubble creation was fun. I placed them in the backfield to ruin some potential urban fortresses with 2 levels. I rubbled J11, J12, K11, L11, G18 with debris in G17,H17, H18, G19,F18, and F17. It’s a double edged sword b/c I am rubbling away potential points to win scenarios.
As you can see by the attached pics the entry area is really tight. The Axis setup SSRs largely dictate where the initial Axis force can setup. A Vannay (Elite Hungarians) is on the FEBA backed by an Alarm Co to the east and a Hungarian Arrow Cross Co to the south with an SS Kavallerie Co in reserve in the southern backfield. Since I’ve run into much of the defenses I can tell you that Brian maxed out his mine purchases (48 FPP) b/c from the 21st Jan+ the Axis is limited to 12FPP worth per day. Throw in 2 wires and some dummies and I think Brian spent 1 or 2 CPP on addt’l FPP. He also appears to have purchased a KG Europa Alarm Co in reserve. I increased my SAN to “4” to equal the Axis SAN.
In turn 1 I places an AR on board in D31 to avoid the 2nd chit draw. It did not drift far. I moved rather conservatively at first. Lots of assault movement, some combined with armored assault to keep “?”. I setup a MMG firebase in A38.1 and a HMG firebase in D39.1. The Guards SMGs pushed south onto the board and turned to face west. The rest of the rifle company moved into the stone buildings in the NW corner to form a base of fire to support further movement forward. Towards the end of my movement I ran out of space to apply much nuance. I lost 2x4-5-8 moving more aggressively to the front edge of those buildings from a CH in C36 scored by a Brandt mortar way up the Kis-Svabhegy. I also lost a 6-2-8 who ran from the south edge to E36 from a 2KIA by a 9-1/4-4-7V/LMG in G37.1. On my extreme right wing in G39 really need some space to move.
Brian revealed 2 HIP mortars up on Kis-Svabhegy in turn 1. His IFT shots did not do much in DF. In advance I pushed forward where I could. No CC, there were dummies in A34 so I pushed a stack forward to the east. I also pushed a 6-2-8 up onto the EmRR in H39. Brian broke him in PF and he routed into I39 which held Axis dummies and a 12 FP AP minefield. I did not record Brian’s PF shots. In DF I adjusted my spotting round to E32 and flipped it to harassing fire. I stripped a 4-4-47V/LMG in F32 and scored a CH in G31. This took effect on a HIP 76LART on level 1 that destroyed it and the Germans 2-2-8. Downstairs an 8-1 and a 4-4-7, formerly in reserve, took a PTC.
In R2 I brought a Guards Rifle Co on board. I believe I converted the OBA in place but it did not get any new results. My tanks did not move but provided fire support and cover for the reinforcements. We broke a 4-4-7V/Psk in B33 who was lining up a shot on the T-34/85 in A35.
I recon’ed the mines in E37 with a 4-4-7 who broke. They’re 6FP AP mines, as I expect that whole row to be. I also had a 4-4-7/dm mtr break in E38. I tried dashing across C34 but lost a 6-2-8 to a low DR.
Brian managed to malf both Brandt mortars on the Kis-Svabhegy. He also malf’d his HMG and had to replace a 4-4-7V to 1st line in I38 on another 6,6 DR due to Ammo shortage. The Hungarians are very brittle. I think by this point Brian may have ELR’d another 2 or 3 Hungarian squads as well. I may have broken some of his Vannay defenders in/near B32 this turn. I finished the turn advancing more Guards SMG squads and some rifle squads into A34 and B33
In G2 Brian fixed one of his Brandt mortars. The mortar scored excellent rate of fire into C36 but the effects were not great. He backed away from G37.1 since I had acq on him and a lot of potential shooters. He also adjusted a lot of the Arrow Cross Co to contain any potential breach to the south. In DF I drew a black chit and converted the OBA in place as a regular FFE. I scored a 2MC against E30.1 that broke a German 10-2 and revealed a 4-6-7/HMG who pass. (cold Soviet SAN). The OBA also broke a 4-6-7/LMG in E30, which is fortified and a Pak40 in F31. I fired into the brokies piled in B31. I think I CR’d one but made another berserk.
Great fun so far. We’re looking forward to playing some more this Thursday. Nothing too funky rule-wise as yet. Seems pretty straight forward. The updated charts on MMPs site are a nice help.
Turns 1-2:
Randy Knight hooked a bunch of the Beverly crew up with FBs brought back from WO this year. Brian Sullivan and I were eager to jump into Budapest and began CG II last Thursday. The maps are beautiful. CG II uses the 2 northernmost maps and covers the fight from 19 Jan thru 2 Feb 45. This is basically the fight into the city. We completed the first 2 turns. My pre-game rubble creation was fun. I placed them in the backfield to ruin some potential urban fortresses with 2 levels. I rubbled J11, J12, K11, L11, G18 with debris in G17,H17, H18, G19,F18, and F17. It’s a double edged sword b/c I am rubbling away potential points to win scenarios.
As you can see by the attached pics the entry area is really tight. The Axis setup SSRs largely dictate where the initial Axis force can setup. A Vannay (Elite Hungarians) is on the FEBA backed by an Alarm Co to the east and a Hungarian Arrow Cross Co to the south with an SS Kavallerie Co in reserve in the southern backfield. Since I’ve run into much of the defenses I can tell you that Brian maxed out his mine purchases (48 FPP) b/c from the 21st Jan+ the Axis is limited to 12FPP worth per day. Throw in 2 wires and some dummies and I think Brian spent 1 or 2 CPP on addt’l FPP. He also appears to have purchased a KG Europa Alarm Co in reserve. I increased my SAN to “4” to equal the Axis SAN.
In turn 1 I places an AR on board in D31 to avoid the 2nd chit draw. It did not drift far. I moved rather conservatively at first. Lots of assault movement, some combined with armored assault to keep “?”. I setup a MMG firebase in A38.1 and a HMG firebase in D39.1. The Guards SMGs pushed south onto the board and turned to face west. The rest of the rifle company moved into the stone buildings in the NW corner to form a base of fire to support further movement forward. Towards the end of my movement I ran out of space to apply much nuance. I lost 2x4-5-8 moving more aggressively to the front edge of those buildings from a CH in C36 scored by a Brandt mortar way up the Kis-Svabhegy. I also lost a 6-2-8 who ran from the south edge to E36 from a 2KIA by a 9-1/4-4-7V/LMG in G37.1. On my extreme right wing in G39 really need some space to move.
Brian revealed 2 HIP mortars up on Kis-Svabhegy in turn 1. His IFT shots did not do much in DF. In advance I pushed forward where I could. No CC, there were dummies in A34 so I pushed a stack forward to the east. I also pushed a 6-2-8 up onto the EmRR in H39. Brian broke him in PF and he routed into I39 which held Axis dummies and a 12 FP AP minefield. I did not record Brian’s PF shots. In DF I adjusted my spotting round to E32 and flipped it to harassing fire. I stripped a 4-4-47V/LMG in F32 and scored a CH in G31. This took effect on a HIP 76LART on level 1 that destroyed it and the Germans 2-2-8. Downstairs an 8-1 and a 4-4-7, formerly in reserve, took a PTC.
In R2 I brought a Guards Rifle Co on board. I believe I converted the OBA in place but it did not get any new results. My tanks did not move but provided fire support and cover for the reinforcements. We broke a 4-4-7V/Psk in B33 who was lining up a shot on the T-34/85 in A35.
I recon’ed the mines in E37 with a 4-4-7 who broke. They’re 6FP AP mines, as I expect that whole row to be. I also had a 4-4-7/dm mtr break in E38. I tried dashing across C34 but lost a 6-2-8 to a low DR.
Brian managed to malf both Brandt mortars on the Kis-Svabhegy. He also malf’d his HMG and had to replace a 4-4-7V to 1st line in I38 on another 6,6 DR due to Ammo shortage. The Hungarians are very brittle. I think by this point Brian may have ELR’d another 2 or 3 Hungarian squads as well. I may have broken some of his Vannay defenders in/near B32 this turn. I finished the turn advancing more Guards SMG squads and some rifle squads into A34 and B33
In G2 Brian fixed one of his Brandt mortars. The mortar scored excellent rate of fire into C36 but the effects were not great. He backed away from G37.1 since I had acq on him and a lot of potential shooters. He also adjusted a lot of the Arrow Cross Co to contain any potential breach to the south. In DF I drew a black chit and converted the OBA in place as a regular FFE. I scored a 2MC against E30.1 that broke a German 10-2 and revealed a 4-6-7/HMG who pass. (cold Soviet SAN). The OBA also broke a 4-6-7/LMG in E30, which is fortified and a Pak40 in F31. I fired into the brokies piled in B31. I think I CR’d one but made another berserk.
Great fun so far. We’re looking forward to playing some more this Thursday. Nothing too funky rule-wise as yet. Seems pretty straight forward. The updated charts on MMPs site are a nice help.