J77 Moses' Blazes

Michael R

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J77 Moses' Blazes AAR

This scenario has several attractions to it. There are two flame throwing Wasps for the British. It has an unusual board configuration. It’s short. We played it in 2.5 hrs at a leisurely pace. Most people could play it twice in an evening, to both have fun toasting krauts.

The ATG and crew that set up pinned and unconcealed in this scenario are guaranteed to give the British player 4 CVP of the ten needed to win this game. I wonder how many people remember that a pinned gun crew may not pivot the gun, and may not intensive fire the gun. This leaves the German player with very few options for these pieces. The gun can cover the road to discourage the first vehicle from using it. The crew may PF the first vehicle that comes close enough. The German player can try to make it as time consuming as possible for the British player to eliminate it by putting the gun and crew as far from the British entry edge as possible.

In my recent playing, I chose to cover the road from the woods hex. I planned to use a PF on the first British vehicle to give me a shot, but that was a wasp at a range of 2. I needed a two for a hit. I missed, and then the Wasp toasted the gun and crew.

My other board 22 forces concentrated around both bridges. I put the roadblock on the west bridge, guarded by two HS, a dummy and an 8-0 for quick redeployment. The other four HS and a dummy went adjacent to road hexes close to the south bridge. All were in woods or behind hedges. The board 23 ATG covered the northwest bridge in play from an orchard road hex just east of it. The northeast bridge had the roadblock. I made a kill stack from the only squad, only LMG and the 9-1. They set up to enter board 22 on the first turn. The HS set up adjacent to roads leading to the open bridge.

My opponent, Bruno L'Archeveque, surprised me by moving the second Wasp to the west bridge with the roadblock. He believed that he might get some easy CVP by flaming concealed units from across the stream. Not impossible, but he mostly broke units and my rally HOB gave me a fanatic and a hero. I later tried to send a HS across the blocked bridge to CC the Wasp, but it did not make it (broke). Bruno moved the three carriers with riders up to the south bridge and stopped about one hex from it. The range was too far for effective PF shots, so my HS kept concealed until their Prep. The German turn 1 prep fire saw several PF fly, but no carriers hit.

On the second British turn, the lead carriers crossed the south bridge, still carrying their riders. I first fired PFs, and then subsequent first fired inherent to try to force the riders to bail. Results were one burning carrier, one broken British HS, which was eliminated for FTR. The two survivor carriers were in motion, about six hexes past the bridge. The second Wasp stayed at the blocked bridge trying for CVP, but only breaking a HS. The first Wasp left the charred gun remains and moved up to the south bridge.

With the two carriers in motion, their defensive options were limited as I moved up several units to CC them. I eventually got both of them that way. The Wasp at the south bridge broke one of the HS there, but also ran out of FT fuel. One turn later, it was dead from CC. The Wasp from the blocked west bridge came across and into the middle of the German area. It survived a CC attack and then moved for the open northwest board 23 bridge. It survived several PFs shots at it, but succumbed to the second shot from the 75ATG as came adjacent to the bridge. The game was over in four turns, even though it had five.

If I was to try this game as the British, I would probably try for the 10CVP win. There's no cap on the British. They need only six more after the gift of the pinned ATG and crew.

Michael R.
 
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