Roy
Living in Brownbackistan
After my game with Bud in "Kempf", Mike and I set up J98 to play in the remaining time.
Lend Lease Attack is a tight little scenario, and the second one of the evening that I played designed by Ola.
The Russians are attacking down the length of boards 4 and 19 with two groups. Both are nearly identical groups: one with two 458 squads, a leader, 2 lmg, one SU-85, a truck and two lend-lease Sherms (IIIa's), the other group differing only in a exchange of a Half Squad for the LMGs. Their objective is to accumulate 28 or more VP by enemy casualties and exit off the west end of board 4. He's got 5.5 turns to get it done.
Trying to stop them is a small force of Germans, made up of 3 467 squads, a half squad, 2 leaders, LMG, PSK, and most importantly, 2 Tiger Is.
The Sherms have Gyros, the Trucks must enter with at least a squad of passengers each, +1 LV for dusk, walls are hedges and the Germs get 1 HS of HIP.
Diced for sides and I got the Russians. Mike set up concealed on his end of board 4 (had to) since I entered from off board. The Tigers were set up in a strong position between two large woods areas, able to support each other without getting flanked from one side. Infantry peppered the woods on both sides.
My groups came on very carefully, the Trucks merged on the central road, and drove halfway across the length of boards, unloading their infantry cargo adjacent to the central woods area. My left flank tank force (board 4) had more cover than their board 19 counterparts so made good time closing with the enemy. The Su-85 stayed out of LOS to the left of the Tigers, and the Shermans carefully threaded their way down the center, making sure not to give Mike any easy kills. On my right, (board 19) all my AFV moved on and stopped short, as Mike had some tricky LOS's from board 4 all the way across board 19. I acquired some hexes in anticipation of smoke shots with my Shermans, one shot generated the German sniper which made me mondo-nervous since my AFV were all CE. My tanks survived, but my newly disembarked infantry paid a price, killing a leader and taking the whole stack with him. Half of my infantry down on one sniper roll. Mike shifted some infantry in his half, one of which would prove pivotal on my left.
For reasons which I am still trying to figure out, I abandoned my attempt to get some smoke down but managed to get my tanks by on board 19, which was nice, but I was going to have to challenge the Tigers eventually with this group, because to win I had to exit on board 4. On the left, I tried to sneak the SU-85 around the corner of the woods protecting one of his Panzers, but the squad he moved over there was toting the LMG and put a 6+2 on my CE crew. I failed the check and buttoned up.....stunned. Not good. The 85L has the punch to kill a Tiger, but a match up of 2 *75 Sherms vs. one of those big guys is not a good one. I needed to protect that SU till he came back. Unfortunately, my Shermans on that side couldn't get close enough to prevent the Tiger from turning his attention that way. My SU had rcovered and got the +1 marker so Mike went CE and challenged him with a Gun Duel, getting the first shot, but missed. After turning, the SU missed his shot also. And Mike backed the Tiger up one hex to avoid my Prep. On the right, in his half, Mike move the other Tiger around to the other side of woods nearby, to get a bead on my other SU, who was coming up behind a hedge.
Next turn, I smoked in the Tiger on the right with a Sherm, and moved the SU up, now it was Mike's turn to be in trouble over there. Seeing an opening on my left, I drove a Sherman up to get a rear shot. I should have known better, Mike would never just let me do that. It was an Ambush, nicely set up. The HIP HS/PSK put a quick end to my plan and left a burning Sherman.
Mike tried to extricate his Smoked Tiger, giving me two shots, one with the SU, and one at the rear target facing from the Shermie, they were good shots, needing a 7 and a 5, but I couldn't make 'em count, and he got away. In Mikes half, he burned another Sherman, and K/O'd the left side SU, effectively ending the game. My three tanks were'nt going to be enough to take on two Tigers working in tandem, and supported by infantry with a 'shrek and PFs. My infantry was never effective.
This is a FANTASTIC scenario, and even though the small force of infantry played a part, it is without a doubt, an armor scenario. The forces are nicely matched.
I do however believe that it is a competitive scenario for experienced armor players, or a nice scenario for novices to work on armor tactics. Mike showed his superior armor knowledge in a couple of places, most notably with the Gun Duel.
I do feel though, that the loss of even one Tiger is enough to give the Russian a significant advantage, so the German has to be very careful and get as many of the Russian tanks as he can before losing one of his own. The loss of a Tiger before any Russian AFV are taken out, and I think you should probably start over.
This was a tense, fun scenario, with each of us taking a lot of time between moves, thinking about where we needed to be, getting down to table level to look at LOSs before moving a tank, and that sort of thing.
I will play this one over and over and over, anytime, with anyone.
10 out of 10 stars for "Lend Lease Attack" for me.
:salute:
Lend Lease Attack is a tight little scenario, and the second one of the evening that I played designed by Ola.
The Russians are attacking down the length of boards 4 and 19 with two groups. Both are nearly identical groups: one with two 458 squads, a leader, 2 lmg, one SU-85, a truck and two lend-lease Sherms (IIIa's), the other group differing only in a exchange of a Half Squad for the LMGs. Their objective is to accumulate 28 or more VP by enemy casualties and exit off the west end of board 4. He's got 5.5 turns to get it done.
Trying to stop them is a small force of Germans, made up of 3 467 squads, a half squad, 2 leaders, LMG, PSK, and most importantly, 2 Tiger Is.
The Sherms have Gyros, the Trucks must enter with at least a squad of passengers each, +1 LV for dusk, walls are hedges and the Germs get 1 HS of HIP.
Diced for sides and I got the Russians. Mike set up concealed on his end of board 4 (had to) since I entered from off board. The Tigers were set up in a strong position between two large woods areas, able to support each other without getting flanked from one side. Infantry peppered the woods on both sides.
My groups came on very carefully, the Trucks merged on the central road, and drove halfway across the length of boards, unloading their infantry cargo adjacent to the central woods area. My left flank tank force (board 4) had more cover than their board 19 counterparts so made good time closing with the enemy. The Su-85 stayed out of LOS to the left of the Tigers, and the Shermans carefully threaded their way down the center, making sure not to give Mike any easy kills. On my right, (board 19) all my AFV moved on and stopped short, as Mike had some tricky LOS's from board 4 all the way across board 19. I acquired some hexes in anticipation of smoke shots with my Shermans, one shot generated the German sniper which made me mondo-nervous since my AFV were all CE. My tanks survived, but my newly disembarked infantry paid a price, killing a leader and taking the whole stack with him. Half of my infantry down on one sniper roll. Mike shifted some infantry in his half, one of which would prove pivotal on my left.
For reasons which I am still trying to figure out, I abandoned my attempt to get some smoke down but managed to get my tanks by on board 19, which was nice, but I was going to have to challenge the Tigers eventually with this group, because to win I had to exit on board 4. On the left, I tried to sneak the SU-85 around the corner of the woods protecting one of his Panzers, but the squad he moved over there was toting the LMG and put a 6+2 on my CE crew. I failed the check and buttoned up.....stunned. Not good. The 85L has the punch to kill a Tiger, but a match up of 2 *75 Sherms vs. one of those big guys is not a good one. I needed to protect that SU till he came back. Unfortunately, my Shermans on that side couldn't get close enough to prevent the Tiger from turning his attention that way. My SU had rcovered and got the +1 marker so Mike went CE and challenged him with a Gun Duel, getting the first shot, but missed. After turning, the SU missed his shot also. And Mike backed the Tiger up one hex to avoid my Prep. On the right, in his half, Mike move the other Tiger around to the other side of woods nearby, to get a bead on my other SU, who was coming up behind a hedge.
Next turn, I smoked in the Tiger on the right with a Sherm, and moved the SU up, now it was Mike's turn to be in trouble over there. Seeing an opening on my left, I drove a Sherman up to get a rear shot. I should have known better, Mike would never just let me do that. It was an Ambush, nicely set up. The HIP HS/PSK put a quick end to my plan and left a burning Sherman.
Mike tried to extricate his Smoked Tiger, giving me two shots, one with the SU, and one at the rear target facing from the Shermie, they were good shots, needing a 7 and a 5, but I couldn't make 'em count, and he got away. In Mikes half, he burned another Sherman, and K/O'd the left side SU, effectively ending the game. My three tanks were'nt going to be enough to take on two Tigers working in tandem, and supported by infantry with a 'shrek and PFs. My infantry was never effective.
This is a FANTASTIC scenario, and even though the small force of infantry played a part, it is without a doubt, an armor scenario. The forces are nicely matched.
I do however believe that it is a competitive scenario for experienced armor players, or a nice scenario for novices to work on armor tactics. Mike showed his superior armor knowledge in a couple of places, most notably with the Gun Duel.
I do feel though, that the loss of even one Tiger is enough to give the Russian a significant advantage, so the German has to be very careful and get as many of the Russian tanks as he can before losing one of his own. The loss of a Tiger before any Russian AFV are taken out, and I think you should probably start over.
This was a tense, fun scenario, with each of us taking a lot of time between moves, thinking about where we needed to be, getting down to table level to look at LOSs before moving a tank, and that sort of thing.
I will play this one over and over and over, anytime, with anyone.
10 out of 10 stars for "Lend Lease Attack" for me.
:salute:
