Mike205
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As a holiday gift to myself, I bought LFT's Blood and Sand scenario pack. Although we have Blood Reef Tarawa, it really hasn't gotten much mileage and I'm hoping we can get into more USMC island hopping action in 2022, its one of my resolutions.
Besides, according to my Kindle I'm 65% through The Last Stand of Fox Company and finished Desperate Ground a few weeks back. So, I couldn't to tear into this pack!
Fox In The Cold examines the first night of Fox Company, 2/7's epic stand to hold the exit gate open during the fighting for the Chosin Reservoir. In this six turn game, my Marines will have to hold off a far more numerically superior CPVA force that comes in successive waves from two directions.
The map for Fox Hill is absolutely fantastic- its rendered in various shades of gray and white to, as the designers note, depict a snowy landscape under moonlight, since the battle was for the most part fought under the cover of darkness. Following up from the excellent Fight for Seoul product, the Marines and Chinese set up in platoon and battalion areas marked off on the map. I think this is a nice touch that helps lend some historical realism to play and helps set the atmosphere.
In this scenario, the Marine OBA is divided between four Platoon areas:
1st Platoon: 3 x 7-6-8s, 2 x 2-4-8s, 8-1, 8-0, 2 mmgs, a phone, foxhole, and four shell holes.
2nd Platoon: 3 x 7-6-8s, 2x 2-4-8s, 9-1, 8-0, 2 mmgs, phone, 2 foxholes, 4 shellholes.
3rd Platoon: 2 x 7-6-8s, 2 x 2-4-8s, 9-1, 8-0, 2 mmgs, phone, 2 foxholes, 4 shellholes.
Weapons/H&S Platoon: 6-6-8, 3 x 3-4-8s, 2-48, 9-2, 8-0, hmg, phone, foxhole, 3 shellholes.
They are Light Green or Dark Green.
The ground was so frozen that Fox had a very difficult time entrenching and the foxholes represent either old fortifications when Chosin was a Japanese training ground during WWII or defenses from a brief North Korea attempt to garrison the hill before winter set in. The shellholes represent the meager results from the Marine efforts to dig in. The field phones are significant to the HASL rules and are meant to represent one off board 60mm and one 81mm mortar available to Fox company. Each platoon can attempt to access these two weapons and call down HE or Illumination rounds, and the Marine player can also boresight two hexes.
The set up areas mirror the layout of Fox company's positions on the night of 27-28 November 1950:
3rd Platoon faced the Saddle, with 2nd to its left, facing the west valley. 1st Platoon covered the eastern side of the hill and Weapons faced the MSR.
Sharpening their bayonets on the other side of Toktong-San was a CPVA mega force.
It would initially strike in two directions:
MSR force: 2 x 5-2-7s, 8 x 4-3-7s, 4 x 4-1-7s, 3 x 3-3-7s, 9-0 PO, 8-1, 2 x 7-0s, 1 DC.
Rocky Knoll- these units came in three waves, during the first three game turns:
1st wave: 4 x 4-3-7s, 2 x 4-1-7s, 3 x 3-3-7s, 9-0 PO, 9-1.
2nd wave: 6 x 4-1-7s, 2 x 3-3-7s, 7-0, 6 +1, DC
3rd wave: 5-2-7, 3 x 4-3-7s, 4 x 3-3-7s, 8-1, 7-0.
They would need to capture two or more Platoon set up areas to win.
Base NVR was a whopping 5 but would shift down to 4 on US turn 1 and, minus one half turn, stay at four for the rest of the game. Conditions are snow, with extreme winter conditions. CPVA is not considered the attacker and therefore doesn't cloak and no HIP is granted. They will set up concealed.
I set up with the HMG covering the MSR and pulled the rest of Weapons back onto the hill, rather than try to defend the huts, spring, and warming tent. With a few exceptions, I deployed into fire teams across the map. Not only did I want to lessen Doug's ability to wipe out entire squads in HtH CC, but I also wanted to maximize the strength within the perimeter, in hopes that I'd have something to counterattack with if needed. By SSR three fire teams are allowed in a 1S foxhole.
3rd Platoon would suffer the brunt of Doug's attacks, and I set up both its mmgs to cover the Saddle, with a 7-6-8 and 8-1 farther back to bolster the line. Weapons HMG would cover the MSR and warming tent, while deployed squads were dug in directly behind the hut and spring. a 7-6-8 on the finger would overlook the MSR on my right and enfilade troops crossing it. I also set up NCO rally points in each platoon area and positioned field phones so that the observers had good LOS up onto the Saddle, where I antcipated I'd face the most pressure.
The long night of agony for the CPVA started on turn 1, when my HMG and 9-2 went on a ROF tear and the Chinese were stopped cold. Both impulses went to ground when one leader was killed and another broke, leaving a small security unit and the PO to angle south east and cross the MSR.
For a moment I was worried since I had a weak part of line between Weapons and 1st Platoon. However, I needn't have worried- by US turn 2 this assault was broken and Weapons spent the next two turns mopping up. Although the HMG did break, it came back quickly and played a critical role in stopping two HS from infiltrating in turn 4, after I'd sent squads to support 3rd Platoon.
For the first four turns, the Chinese assault from the Saddle barely made any impact, and soaked up Marine rifle, mmg, and mortar fire like a sponge. Doug was consistently rolling high and on anything other than a NMC his troops were usually step reducing, fading away into nothing. Those that finally got within range to use their full firepower usually died or broke in the face of Marine point blank fire. However, on turns four and five, the pressure finally became too much and the waves crested, swamping 3rd Platoon in hordes of CPVA. Two HS died after they broke and were overrun, while my anchoring 7-6-8 on the saddle bravely survived a HtH CC, wiping out two CPVA squads, before finally being reduced then annihilated in a second. After my mmg HS in the nearby crags broke, a salty gunny managed to take out a squad by himself before dying.
Doug had also penetrated 2nd Platoon's lines and the bulk of his third wave of troops was creeping around the eastern side of the hill to threaten first. However, I knew time was on my side and even managed to launch a small counter attack to push his weakened CPVA out of the 3rd Platoon area before the game ended.
Looking over the butcher's bill, Doug had suffered something in the neighborhood of 70% casualties and 95 out of my 140 Marines were still standing at the end of turn six. I antcipated heavy casualties on both sides, but it was still shocking to total up the damage done to the CPVA.
While Doug had a lot of bad MC rolls, just as during the real battle, terrain had a big effect on this game. The Saddle really channeled the CPVA main effort and impulse movement also hindered their ability to move quickly Despite the best efforts of Doug's bugler, several squads that went to ground failed to pick themselves up and get moving, which kept them in the kill zone along the MSR and Saddle. While he was able to start working around the eastern edge of the hill in the latter stages of the game, it was too late and the woods, snow, and steep slopes played their part in slowing his troops down. I think that the key to CPVA victory is patiently getting troops into position in the first couple of turns so that the Marines really come under pressure from two or maybe even three different directions at the same time so that troops can't be shifted elsewhere and the fight really becomes desperate around turn four.
That said, it will still be tough going in the face of point blank American firepower and there's little the CPVA can do on their end, unless they can get up to point blank range, where they're likely to die or break even if they manage get a shot off. We'd played RPT 168 Belgians and Centurions a while ago, but this was our first game featuring a substantial Chinese force and they seem to leave a lot to be desired in terms of offensive capability besides just overwhelming their opponet with sheer numbers. I guess that's fairly accurate in terms of the fighting around Chosin but I imagine this kind of one dimensional representation will get old quick and leaves me wondering about how they'd fair in smaller scenarios.
Regardless, we're looking forward to exploring this fantastic scenario pack some more, and I for one, am particularly interested in the day time efforts of the famous 1/7 Ridgerunners to relieve Fox company. I hope Mr. Hershey & crew will be able to quickly finish the other upcoming Chosin scenario packs because I'll be buying them all.
Happy New Year everyone!
Besides, according to my Kindle I'm 65% through The Last Stand of Fox Company and finished Desperate Ground a few weeks back. So, I couldn't to tear into this pack!
Fox In The Cold examines the first night of Fox Company, 2/7's epic stand to hold the exit gate open during the fighting for the Chosin Reservoir. In this six turn game, my Marines will have to hold off a far more numerically superior CPVA force that comes in successive waves from two directions.
The map for Fox Hill is absolutely fantastic- its rendered in various shades of gray and white to, as the designers note, depict a snowy landscape under moonlight, since the battle was for the most part fought under the cover of darkness. Following up from the excellent Fight for Seoul product, the Marines and Chinese set up in platoon and battalion areas marked off on the map. I think this is a nice touch that helps lend some historical realism to play and helps set the atmosphere.
In this scenario, the Marine OBA is divided between four Platoon areas:
1st Platoon: 3 x 7-6-8s, 2 x 2-4-8s, 8-1, 8-0, 2 mmgs, a phone, foxhole, and four shell holes.
2nd Platoon: 3 x 7-6-8s, 2x 2-4-8s, 9-1, 8-0, 2 mmgs, phone, 2 foxholes, 4 shellholes.
3rd Platoon: 2 x 7-6-8s, 2 x 2-4-8s, 9-1, 8-0, 2 mmgs, phone, 2 foxholes, 4 shellholes.
Weapons/H&S Platoon: 6-6-8, 3 x 3-4-8s, 2-48, 9-2, 8-0, hmg, phone, foxhole, 3 shellholes.
They are Light Green or Dark Green.
The ground was so frozen that Fox had a very difficult time entrenching and the foxholes represent either old fortifications when Chosin was a Japanese training ground during WWII or defenses from a brief North Korea attempt to garrison the hill before winter set in. The shellholes represent the meager results from the Marine efforts to dig in. The field phones are significant to the HASL rules and are meant to represent one off board 60mm and one 81mm mortar available to Fox company. Each platoon can attempt to access these two weapons and call down HE or Illumination rounds, and the Marine player can also boresight two hexes.
The set up areas mirror the layout of Fox company's positions on the night of 27-28 November 1950:
3rd Platoon faced the Saddle, with 2nd to its left, facing the west valley. 1st Platoon covered the eastern side of the hill and Weapons faced the MSR.
Sharpening their bayonets on the other side of Toktong-San was a CPVA mega force.
It would initially strike in two directions:
MSR force: 2 x 5-2-7s, 8 x 4-3-7s, 4 x 4-1-7s, 3 x 3-3-7s, 9-0 PO, 8-1, 2 x 7-0s, 1 DC.
Rocky Knoll- these units came in three waves, during the first three game turns:
1st wave: 4 x 4-3-7s, 2 x 4-1-7s, 3 x 3-3-7s, 9-0 PO, 9-1.
2nd wave: 6 x 4-1-7s, 2 x 3-3-7s, 7-0, 6 +1, DC
3rd wave: 5-2-7, 3 x 4-3-7s, 4 x 3-3-7s, 8-1, 7-0.
They would need to capture two or more Platoon set up areas to win.
Base NVR was a whopping 5 but would shift down to 4 on US turn 1 and, minus one half turn, stay at four for the rest of the game. Conditions are snow, with extreme winter conditions. CPVA is not considered the attacker and therefore doesn't cloak and no HIP is granted. They will set up concealed.
I set up with the HMG covering the MSR and pulled the rest of Weapons back onto the hill, rather than try to defend the huts, spring, and warming tent. With a few exceptions, I deployed into fire teams across the map. Not only did I want to lessen Doug's ability to wipe out entire squads in HtH CC, but I also wanted to maximize the strength within the perimeter, in hopes that I'd have something to counterattack with if needed. By SSR three fire teams are allowed in a 1S foxhole.
3rd Platoon would suffer the brunt of Doug's attacks, and I set up both its mmgs to cover the Saddle, with a 7-6-8 and 8-1 farther back to bolster the line. Weapons HMG would cover the MSR and warming tent, while deployed squads were dug in directly behind the hut and spring. a 7-6-8 on the finger would overlook the MSR on my right and enfilade troops crossing it. I also set up NCO rally points in each platoon area and positioned field phones so that the observers had good LOS up onto the Saddle, where I antcipated I'd face the most pressure.
The long night of agony for the CPVA started on turn 1, when my HMG and 9-2 went on a ROF tear and the Chinese were stopped cold. Both impulses went to ground when one leader was killed and another broke, leaving a small security unit and the PO to angle south east and cross the MSR.
For a moment I was worried since I had a weak part of line between Weapons and 1st Platoon. However, I needn't have worried- by US turn 2 this assault was broken and Weapons spent the next two turns mopping up. Although the HMG did break, it came back quickly and played a critical role in stopping two HS from infiltrating in turn 4, after I'd sent squads to support 3rd Platoon.
For the first four turns, the Chinese assault from the Saddle barely made any impact, and soaked up Marine rifle, mmg, and mortar fire like a sponge. Doug was consistently rolling high and on anything other than a NMC his troops were usually step reducing, fading away into nothing. Those that finally got within range to use their full firepower usually died or broke in the face of Marine point blank fire. However, on turns four and five, the pressure finally became too much and the waves crested, swamping 3rd Platoon in hordes of CPVA. Two HS died after they broke and were overrun, while my anchoring 7-6-8 on the saddle bravely survived a HtH CC, wiping out two CPVA squads, before finally being reduced then annihilated in a second. After my mmg HS in the nearby crags broke, a salty gunny managed to take out a squad by himself before dying.
Doug had also penetrated 2nd Platoon's lines and the bulk of his third wave of troops was creeping around the eastern side of the hill to threaten first. However, I knew time was on my side and even managed to launch a small counter attack to push his weakened CPVA out of the 3rd Platoon area before the game ended.
Looking over the butcher's bill, Doug had suffered something in the neighborhood of 70% casualties and 95 out of my 140 Marines were still standing at the end of turn six. I antcipated heavy casualties on both sides, but it was still shocking to total up the damage done to the CPVA.
While Doug had a lot of bad MC rolls, just as during the real battle, terrain had a big effect on this game. The Saddle really channeled the CPVA main effort and impulse movement also hindered their ability to move quickly Despite the best efforts of Doug's bugler, several squads that went to ground failed to pick themselves up and get moving, which kept them in the kill zone along the MSR and Saddle. While he was able to start working around the eastern edge of the hill in the latter stages of the game, it was too late and the woods, snow, and steep slopes played their part in slowing his troops down. I think that the key to CPVA victory is patiently getting troops into position in the first couple of turns so that the Marines really come under pressure from two or maybe even three different directions at the same time so that troops can't be shifted elsewhere and the fight really becomes desperate around turn four.
That said, it will still be tough going in the face of point blank American firepower and there's little the CPVA can do on their end, unless they can get up to point blank range, where they're likely to die or break even if they manage get a shot off. We'd played RPT 168 Belgians and Centurions a while ago, but this was our first game featuring a substantial Chinese force and they seem to leave a lot to be desired in terms of offensive capability besides just overwhelming their opponet with sheer numbers. I guess that's fairly accurate in terms of the fighting around Chosin but I imagine this kind of one dimensional representation will get old quick and leaves me wondering about how they'd fair in smaller scenarios.
Regardless, we're looking forward to exploring this fantastic scenario pack some more, and I for one, am particularly interested in the day time efforts of the famous 1/7 Ridgerunners to relieve Fox company. I hope Mr. Hershey & crew will be able to quickly finish the other upcoming Chosin scenario packs because I'll be buying them all.
Happy New Year everyone!
