Hell's Highway 2nd Edition Playtest

[George Kelln]

The Victoria ASL Group has begun playtesting Hell's Highway 2nd Edition last night. The module comes with 6 scenarios and a Tactical Mission (TM) which is 5 scenarios long.

For the initial TM Scenario we managed to complete set up and 1.5 Game Turns last night. The forces are very manageable with the each side having 3-4 Sherman/Panther tanks, 3-4 infantry platoons, the Allies a couple of A-T Guns, the German a couple Self-Propelled AA Guns, and the Allies Air Support in 0-3 FB each turns. There is plenty of room to manoeuvre, which could help the highly mechanized German force.

 

[lt_steiner]

The map looks quite different in many places compared to the 1st edition. I assume the 5 scenarios of the 1st edition will be updated or are the 6 scenarios all completely new scenarios?

 

[George Kelln]

The map looks quite different in many places compared to the 1st edition. I assume the 5 scenarios of the 1st edition will be updated or are the 6 scenarios all completely new scenarios?

The terrain of the map is essentially the same, however, map grid has been rotated 30 degrees. This rotation has straightened the paved road a.k.a. Hell's Highway and adjusted some of the battlefield. Also the map will be 25mm/1" hexes instead of the 20mm hexes of the 1st Edition. The rules have undergone refreshing and updating to bring them up to current LCP Tactical Mission standards.

The scenarios are the same, but have been refreshed with modifications to OB, Victory Conditions, etc.

There is an additional added, Scenario #6, which is a large scenario (something that was commented as missing for the 1st Edition) encompassing the start of the engagement.

 

[George Kelln]

Hell's Highway map comparison

 

[NtheP]

Looks good.

 

[sswann]

Nice.

 

[Psycho]

Nice.

 

[George Kelln]

Hell’s Highway 2nd Edition playtest; Tactical Mission Scenario 1, 22 September 1944.
Game turns 1 & 2 saw the combatants close with each other in Mariaheide along Hell’s Highway. Turns 3 & 4, the combatants started to engage each other.

German mechanized forces started push into the northern houses of Mariaheide while along the eastern flank German forces advance capture buildings to establish a foothold.

Meanwhile, the Allied Forces press forward up Hell’s Highway with American paratrooper establishing a foothold in the centre of Mariaheide. Along the eastern flank, British Armour Troop is manoeuvring and engaging German vehicles, while American A-T Guns get into position to fend off any armour push toward Hell’s Highway.

Allied Air Force showed up in force on Turn 3 with three Fighter-Bombers with MG Only appearing and managed to knock out a Pz VG Panther and a 37 Pz IV AA Vehicle, and just miss a SPW 251//22.

The scenario is a meeting engagement with both sides attacking and defending with relatively small forces on each side.

 

[George Kelln]

Hell’s Highway 2nd Edition Playtest – 1 April 2022.

German Side: Darren Kovacs & Kyle Mitchell; Allies Side: Dave Howarth, Jay Simpson, & George Kelln.

Game Turns: 3.5 – 4.5 (1.5 turns)

The main battle continues to be in the village of Mariaheide with the German panzergrenadiers pushing the American paratroopers back out of the buildings around the Saint Nicholas Convent and across the street into the Our Lady of Good Council Church.

The American Artillery Observer Team (AOT) has finally managed not only to establish radio contact but get a spotting round down.

German Panther tanks continue to manoeuvre on the peripheries of the village trying to stay under cover and out of sight of the circling Allied fighter-bombers overhead. A Panther tank has managed to manoeuvre itself into a firing position on a British Sherman tank 11 hexes away with 2 LOS hindrance (Brush + Hedge) both of which are now cancelled by target size and an acquiry.

To the east of the village, a German dismounted Panzergrenadier platoon races about capturing Tactical Locations while halftracks scurry about moving from cover to cover, trying to not only stay under cover from the fighter-bombers, but out LOS from the trio of British Sherman tanks.
In a daring move, a German SPW 251/16 halftrack raced forward in an attempt to flame a lone Sherman that was dueling with a Panther tank in the village. The British crew was in top form and managed to turn its turret 180˚ to engage the halftrack when it came into view, maintaining ROF it fired again and destroyed it when the halftrack moved adjacent to it.

The limited size of initial force has resulted in the game thus far being a game of cat-and-mouse, with both sides being both the cat and the mouse in deceivingly open terrain.

The Germans have 3 platoons of infantry: (4-6-7) Panzergrenadier, (8-3-8) Assault Engineer, and (5-4-8) Panzersturm. Add to this force a platoon of 3(4) Panthers and 5-8 halftracks of various types (SPW 251/1, 251/2, 251/9, & 251/21) and a 37 Flak/Pz IV.

The Allies have 3 platoons of infantry: (7-4-7) US Paratroopers, MG Section (HS w/MMG), section of (57mm) A-T Guns, AOT directing (75mm) OBA module, and a troop of British Sherman tanks (2x Sherman V + Sherman Firefly).

So far, the Tactical Mission is very manageable and enjoyable with both sides attacking and defending.

 

[George Kelln]

Hell’s Highway 2nd Edition Playtest – 8 April 2022.

German Side: Darren Kovacs & Kyle Mitchell; Allies Side: Dave Howarth, Jay Simpson, & George Kelln.

Game Turns: 5 – 6.5 (1.5 turns)
The main battle continues to be in the village of Mariaheide with the German panzergrenadiers on the north side of the street in the buildings around the Saint Nicholas Convent and the American paratroopers across the street in the buildings around the Our Lady of Good Council Church.

The American AOT had corrected its spotting round and despite it only being 75mm, did some damage on the Germans in the stone buildings, including breaking a 10-2 leader and its 5-4-8 squad +LMG; Pinning the Flamethrower toting 8-1 leader and breaking the accompanying 4-6-7 squad.

German Panther tanks continue to manoeuvre on the peripheries of the village trying to stay under cover and out of sight of the circling Allied fighter-bombers overhead. The Panther tank that acquired the British Sherman tank 11 hexes away brewed it up, before repositioning itself to cover the main street.

The American paratroopers are holding the line south of the street, cycling back broken units and moving good order units forward. The crew of the last British 40mm Bofors has finally managed to push the gun one hex to a position to cover the east side of the village.

The American paratroopers that were racing up the main street, redirected to the east flank to help put a stop to the German panzergrenadiers capturing Tactical Locations uncontested.

The German has moved on a SPW 251/9 and a SPW 251/2 to give some support to the remaining panzergrenadiers.

For Turn 6.5, the Allied fighter-bombers have made an appearance and this time they brought their bombs in hopes to drop them on a Panther tank located at an intersection at the north end of the village.

So far, the Tactical Mission continues to be very manageable and enjoyable with both sides continuing to attack and defend.

 

[sushidog]

Really looking forward to this. We are currently playing the original, and the Allies were run over on day one. So many Panthers and halftracks (those FT ones in particular).

As my buddy bought V1 of this that we're using, looks like I'll be on the hook for V2 when it arrives.

 

[Zugführer]

This looks very good. Do You know when this will be available?

 

[George Kelln]

This looks very good. Do You know when this will be available?

Playtesting pending, trying for a September release date.

 

[George Kelln]

Really looking forward to this. We are currently playing the original, and the Allies were run over on day one. So many Panthers and halftracks (those FT ones in particular).

As my buddy bought V1 of this that we're using, looks like I'll be on the hook for V2 when it arrives.

Thus far 2x Panthers, 1x 37 FlakPz IV, 1x SPW 251/21 have been knocked out by Fighter-Bombers, so the Germans are a bit tentative to move out in the open with Allied Fighter-Bombers circling overhead.

 

[King Scott]

When I played this one (twice), we found there to be far too many 251/1 half-tracks during the course of the game, so we created a house rule to have them recall after dropping off troops...it helped significantly during the second playing.

The second time that I played this, I was able to successfully establish a "moving" AA umbrella to protect my vehicle movement into the village...shot down a couple of planes without major losses...a glorious ASL moment!

Semper Fi!
Scott

 

[Zugführer]

Playtesting pending, trying for a September release date.

Perfect. Market Garden happened in September too.
I already own the 1st edition and like it very much. But I will buy the 2nd edition as soon as it comes out. Are the hexes on the new map larger than the hexes of the first map?

 

[George Kelln]

Perfect. Market Garden happened in September too.
I already own the 1st edition and like it very much. But I will buy the 2nd edition as soon as it comes out. Are the hexes on the new map larger than the hexes of the first map?

Yes, the hexes are Red Barricade sized (25mm/1-inch) and the map covers the same ground as the 1st Edition.

 

[George Kelln]

When I played this one (twice), we found there to be far too many 251/1 half-tracks during the course of the game, so we created a house rule to have them recall after dropping off troops...it helped significantly during the second playing.

The second time that I played this, I was able to successfully establish a "moving" AA umbrella to protect my vehicle movement into the village...shot down a couple of planes without major losses...a glorious ASL moment!

Semper Fi!
Scott

The German has now a CVP; so those SPW 251/1 halftracks are worth 5 CVP. Thus far, the German side has been rushing his halftracks on board, dumping off its passengers, immediately getting under cover and then leaving the map ASAP; for fear of Fighter-Bomber attack.

 

[Zugführer]

Yes, the hexes are Red Barricade sized (25mm/1-inch) and the map covers the same ground as the 1st Edition.

Wow. Okay. Is the map still one piece? How large is the map?

 

[George Kelln]

Wow. Okay. Is the map still one piece? How large is the map?

The map size is 37.9" x 26.9"