Jude
Senior Member
Having never played the original version, which I heard was pretty unbalanced, I figured I'd discuss what impact adding the two HMGs for the Republicans had on my game. I played as the Nationalists and the HMGs served to keep me honest. I figured the old strategy for the Nationalists would be to put the HMG and MMG in the second levels of Building P1 to interdict all movement. Without those heavy weapons and the short range of the their infantry, it looks like the Republicans would be hard pressed to move with all that open ground in the way.
I elected to put the 9-1 and HMG on the second level of hex 02 with a fallback position to W4 (for a great open ground fire lane opportunity) that had a foxhole. I put the MMG in L6 since it had a nice fire lane through the grain.
My opponent pushed heavy from the woods cluster by the hill. My pickets served as speed bumps but survived long enough to delay him. I figured he would stack the two HMGs together, which he did, and he naturally took a shot at the concealed 9-1/HMG combo. Luckily he missed with no rate.
I ended up abandoning the position in my half of the turn. Maybe a bit too cautious, but 12 +1 with a 3 ROF is nothing to scoff at.
I held my opponent at bay through the first four turns but he made slow and deliberate progress. By turn 5 he was knocking on the doors of the M7 factory.
My fallback move with the 9-1 was good in theory, but as with all 11X weapons, it malfunctioned which left Building U2 wide open. I had previously pulled a few squads towards it and lucky I did.
At the bottom of turn 5 I made a fateful decision. Instead of skulking two full squads I had in N6 I decided to stand and fight. My opponent had a squad in M5 and N4. Not wanting him to assault in on his next turn, I fired at the squad in M5. He pinned and on his return shot, a lousy NMC broke both squads - which is what usually happens when faced with those decisions! The back door was now open and he swarmed me big time. My last three pockets of resistance in M7, M8, and N7 either all died in CC or failure to rout.
With a concealed 4-4-7, LMG, and 7-0 Leader in V2 and the 9-1 and 4-4-7 squad (with no HMG as I rolled a 6 on repair) as my only units left, I had a decision to make. My opponent had a CX squad/LMG next to V2. I wanted to get my 9-1 and squad into V2 or V1 for that last half turn. Fire on his squad in U3 or take a -1 shot exiting the foxhole? I decided to run for it and paid the price. The 9-1 pinned and the squad broke. I maintained fire discipline and elected not to shoot at the CX squad from my location in V2. I advanced the concealed 7-0 leader out to hex V1 to act as a speed bump for his men about to march through the U1 side.
His Prep Fire on V2 failed and he moved another half squad up next to V2. Again, I held fire and his AFPh shot missed. As expected, he moved another group next to my concealed leader in V1. This AFPh shot missed as well. He ordered both groups into CC vs their respective forces. It came down to who rolled better. I gained ambush with the leader and withdrew into U1 (not that it mattered since SMCs can't control locations). No ambush in V2 so it came down to a 3-2 vs 1-2 CC roll. He rolled an 8 and I rolled snake eyes and stole the win.
Why stole? All I had left on the entire board was two leaders, a broken squad, and the lone squad survivor from the CC. Meanwhile, my opponent had all but a handful of his 24 squads left. A Pyrrhic victory for sure!
So did adding the two HMGs change this scenario for the better? I'd have to say yes. They forced me to skulk more that I would have liked and allowed the Republicans to enter the board without much trouble. While they ended up not doing much, their threat kept me at bay. How could two support weapons do that? Well, the Republicans have pretty much double the amount of troops so if any Nationalists break, they are in trouble. They just aren't in a position to absorb much punishment. Standing up to possible rate tears, to me, is risky. The Republicans can easily swarm a position - and swarm they did!
Fun scenario because it was tense, but it was certainly tough seeing all those men in M7 just die like that!
Recommended.
I elected to put the 9-1 and HMG on the second level of hex 02 with a fallback position to W4 (for a great open ground fire lane opportunity) that had a foxhole. I put the MMG in L6 since it had a nice fire lane through the grain.
My opponent pushed heavy from the woods cluster by the hill. My pickets served as speed bumps but survived long enough to delay him. I figured he would stack the two HMGs together, which he did, and he naturally took a shot at the concealed 9-1/HMG combo. Luckily he missed with no rate.
I ended up abandoning the position in my half of the turn. Maybe a bit too cautious, but 12 +1 with a 3 ROF is nothing to scoff at.
I held my opponent at bay through the first four turns but he made slow and deliberate progress. By turn 5 he was knocking on the doors of the M7 factory.
My fallback move with the 9-1 was good in theory, but as with all 11X weapons, it malfunctioned which left Building U2 wide open. I had previously pulled a few squads towards it and lucky I did.
At the bottom of turn 5 I made a fateful decision. Instead of skulking two full squads I had in N6 I decided to stand and fight. My opponent had a squad in M5 and N4. Not wanting him to assault in on his next turn, I fired at the squad in M5. He pinned and on his return shot, a lousy NMC broke both squads - which is what usually happens when faced with those decisions! The back door was now open and he swarmed me big time. My last three pockets of resistance in M7, M8, and N7 either all died in CC or failure to rout.
With a concealed 4-4-7, LMG, and 7-0 Leader in V2 and the 9-1 and 4-4-7 squad (with no HMG as I rolled a 6 on repair) as my only units left, I had a decision to make. My opponent had a CX squad/LMG next to V2. I wanted to get my 9-1 and squad into V2 or V1 for that last half turn. Fire on his squad in U3 or take a -1 shot exiting the foxhole? I decided to run for it and paid the price. The 9-1 pinned and the squad broke. I maintained fire discipline and elected not to shoot at the CX squad from my location in V2. I advanced the concealed 7-0 leader out to hex V1 to act as a speed bump for his men about to march through the U1 side.
His Prep Fire on V2 failed and he moved another half squad up next to V2. Again, I held fire and his AFPh shot missed. As expected, he moved another group next to my concealed leader in V1. This AFPh shot missed as well. He ordered both groups into CC vs their respective forces. It came down to who rolled better. I gained ambush with the leader and withdrew into U1 (not that it mattered since SMCs can't control locations). No ambush in V2 so it came down to a 3-2 vs 1-2 CC roll. He rolled an 8 and I rolled snake eyes and stole the win.
Why stole? All I had left on the entire board was two leaders, a broken squad, and the lone squad survivor from the CC. Meanwhile, my opponent had all but a handful of his 24 squads left. A Pyrrhic victory for sure!
So did adding the two HMGs change this scenario for the better? I'd have to say yes. They forced me to skulk more that I would have liked and allowed the Republicans to enter the board without much trouble. While they ended up not doing much, their threat kept me at bay. How could two support weapons do that? Well, the Republicans have pretty much double the amount of troops so if any Nationalists break, they are in trouble. They just aren't in a position to absorb much punishment. Standing up to possible rate tears, to me, is risky. The Republicans can easily swarm a position - and swarm they did!
Fun scenario because it was tense, but it was certainly tough seeing all those men in M7 just die like that!
Recommended.
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