Doug Kirk
Senior Member
The Kansas City March Madness tournament was a good time again this year. New hotel this year, with a great large, open, and brightly lit game room. Good food options around, so no complaints on venue. Best part for me was getting to play 5 new scenarios. I always like to play new scenarios, even if it may limit my chances to win it all.
Round 1 vs Rick Reinesch. We got started somewhat late, after lunch. We picked WAR5 Here We Stand. We had pulled pieces and I was just starting to set up the defense when there was some conversation about when we needed to be done and when the next round started. There was some mild confusion around the timing, but ultimately, to be safe Rick and I decided to scrap it and play 208 The Grist Mill from the new Korea module. We knew we could bang out this little scenario in 2 hours or less. The dice gave me the defending Americans. We read the rules pre game for the North Koreans being treated like Russians, and then promptly forgot one of them (i.e human wave by SSR only). I set up expecting a human wave on my left flank at the start. Rick, likewise, set up as expected on my left flank heavily and indeed launched the human wave. Lots of DRs later, not much happened. The only thing of consequence was I killed the 7-0 leader and perhaps a HS or squad. Certainly many broken KPA, but considering there was a commissar around, not a big loss for Rick. Rick blew the CC chances, so not much happened on turn one other than the 7-0 leader going down. Ultimately, Rick cleaned up the CC/melee and closed in behind the hill on my left flank. Turns 3 and 4 saw Rick make progress. Turn 3 he entered the wreck hex and won the CC, but managed to kill the 50 cal, so I didn’t have to be shot with my own weapon. Turn 4, Rick captured the victory building. I would need to retake it on turn 5. I had the 9-1 leader, a squad and half squad GO, and two more squads broken and DM in the adjacent woods. I rallied one squad with the 9-1. Whatever prep fire I had was ineffective. I assault move adjacent. Rick’s D-fire was largely ineffective. Either a squad or the HS squad of mine pinned, I can’t remember which. Everyone else passed all the checks and we went into CC. If I recall correctly, the leader gave me the ambush. I either had a 2-1 or 3-1 down 2 or rolled low enough to bag the KPA and win the game. Not bad for a short little scenario, I recommend it. 1-0
Round 2 vs Dave Ginnard in FrF86 Belgian Tigers. Dave has already posted his AAR version of this great game. I had the defending Belgians. Things did not start well for me. Dave got every smoke grenade roll he tried. I tried to shoot my MMG but rolled a 12, so no firelane. A few other squads tried shooting but they all rolled high. I got no effect on any of Dave’s Germans and he rolled almost his entire force across the bridge, save a kill stack that remained behind in over watch position. The smoke clears, Dave shoots back and breaks a couple of my guys. On turn 2 my AA gun gets a few ROF and some hits and slows Dave down. Dave remains bottled up on my side the bridge, but can’t really get into the two hex wooden building directly in front of him. Turn 3 sees a melee start in the multi hex stone building on my right flank. This melee would go on for several turns, really slowing down Dave’s attack on that flank as it kept many troops tied up and it meant my AA gun (adjacent to the building in orchard) was free to keep banging away down the road to the other flank. Elsewhere on the left side, my guys broke and Dave slowly pushed me back. My reinforcements came on and eventually stemmed the tide. Dave finally won the big melee on turn 5, taking out all my guys with a DR of 3. He was still a building short on the last turn and would need to take one more for the win and then hold it during my last turn counterattack. My front line was solid and the forward buildings garrisoned, however Dave ran the thru the open and survived all the -2 shots and slipped behind me and captured two single hex buildings in the rear. In my last turn I would need to recapture two buildings to win. I managed to get into 5 buildings for CC. Two of them were in my favor, 2-1 or 3-1 odds and the other three were all 1-1 odds. I got the roll on the 3-1, gacked the 2-1, but managed to roll one of the 1-1s, so I held on for the win. Great game and scenario, best one of the weekend. 2-0
Round 3 vs Scott Martin. Scott and I last played at the KC tourney in 2016, where Scott beat me and ultimately won the whole tourney. So I was keen for a rematch and knew I would have a good challenging game. Neither one of us really wanted to tackle a big scenario like A Polish Battlefield, nor were we fond of the other scenario choices, so we chose FT213 Up the Liri Valley. We diced for sides and I got the Germans. This is a very interesting little scenario where both sides get to attack and defend. Also you keep track of VPs at the end of every turn, I needed 19 to win based on hex/building control. In the three buildings I set up in, I decided to man the one across the road, closest to the British set up area with a only a dummy. I knew I couldn’t hold it, so I gave up a VP on turn one without a fight and consolidated around the other two buildings. The Brit attack took the unoccupied building, but was largely ineffective and this end of board was a stalemate early. Scott’s prep fire was ineffective early as he rolled very high. My shots back were all good for results, but Scott passed all the checks. Later in the game, Scott would cross the gully and take another of the original buildings to steal a VP. On the other end of the map, I was attacking and Scott defending. The one building far forward that Scott had to defend cost me this game early, I believe. I had three 5-4-8 assault engineers, a 9-1 leader and an 8-0 with a DC. I figure I will throw the smoke grenades in the street, everybody into the smoke and place the DC. Surely I can root out the one Brit squad defending the building. The smoke drs, were 6, 5, 6, so no smoke. I sent the 8-0 with DC anyway to try and make something happen, but he broke. So Scott held the building, which cost a VP. More importantly, it cost me a turn, those three 5-4-8s had to stick around next turn to clear the building, when they should have been moving out to take the two locations further in the rear that were worth 2 VPs each. Going into the last turn I was sitting at 12 VP, needing 19, so I needed 7 more. Three VPs were in my control and locked up. I needed to take both of the 2 VP locations on the last turn. I was in melee in one 2VP building (hex V1) and should be able to reinforce it and win it. The other 2VP building (hex R3) was a crap shoot. That building was held by the Brit 9-1 leader and squad/LMG. I had 4 or 5 squads that could move and get there. I tried to bum rush the last building, but all my squads but one broke or pinned, including the 5-4-8 rolling another 6 on the smoke grenade roll. Needless to say, I did not win the resulting 1-2 melee. I did reinforce the melee in the other 2VP building, and still rolled a 10 or 11 to not win the high odds in my favor CC. So I came up 4 points short. Nonetheless, I liked the scenario a lot considering its small size. I think it is a pretty tight scenario, perhaps pro German if your assault engineers remember to bring smoke grenades. 2-1
I matched up against Nathan Wegener in round 4. We were not “feeling” it on the PTO round scenario selections. So, being out of the running, we opted for the one of the fun options or diversions at the KC tourney, kind of like a mini tourney. Go to the prize table, pick a scenario pack, open it and pick a scenario. Winner of the scenario takes the pack home. We picked Drive on St Lo from Lone Canuck. We chose the scenario DSL-2 The Right Nostril. As you might guess, this one features a historical map with bocage. I was defending with only 5 or 6 German squads, a 75L ATG, and two SSR defined bunker complexes. These were 1+5+7 pillboxs with a crew and HMG in each, an escape tunnel for each, and lots of mines in/around the pillboxes. Nathan had two Sherman tanks, two 81mm mortars, two HMGs, and the usual assortment of mediocre 6 morale American squads, plus a 9-2 leader. Nathan had to cross lots of bocage, some open ground and orchards and then capture 5 or 6 buildings; some on level zero, some on a level one hill. I used the bunkers and mines to guard the flanks and funnel the Americans up the middle. This game was decided early. Nathan was just a bit too aggressive on turns one and two. I bagged one tank with the ATG and the other with a PF. Then Nathan’s 9-2 leader took a wound. These three events took the wind out of the sails of the American attack. The American HMGs and firepower started to take their toll late game, but without the tanks to shoot smoke, VBM freeze, etc, the Americans have a tough challenge late game to seal the deal. I won handily, but I could see with an American tank or two still functional, this could be a good game. I liked the scenario and I believe Nathan did as well. 3-1
Round 5 vs James Treu in FrF88 Panzer Shield. This was the only dud of the weekend. I got the attacking Russians. James was not sure how to best use his small initial force and struggled with the set up. James set up his small German force in the few buildings/walled area in the center section of board 33. He had a tank on each flank and the 88L AA on his right flank covering the road thru the grain fields. I assumed the 88L was there or all the way in the back in the victory area so I decided to run my left flank with everyone. The four BA-6s went first after the one German tank on that flank. The first one missed the BF shot, but the second one did not and got the TK roll as well. My infantry ran forward en mass. James then brings his remaining tanks over to stem the tide. He rolls bad on his BF shots and only hits and kills one BA-6. I shoot back and kill all his tanks. At this point, James throws in the towel. Probably the better set up is to huddle in the back victory area and wait for the German reinforcements to join the battle. I am not sure how the small German force is supposed to set up forward and survive. I need to give this one a try as the German. 4-1
Round 1 vs Rick Reinesch. We got started somewhat late, after lunch. We picked WAR5 Here We Stand. We had pulled pieces and I was just starting to set up the defense when there was some conversation about when we needed to be done and when the next round started. There was some mild confusion around the timing, but ultimately, to be safe Rick and I decided to scrap it and play 208 The Grist Mill from the new Korea module. We knew we could bang out this little scenario in 2 hours or less. The dice gave me the defending Americans. We read the rules pre game for the North Koreans being treated like Russians, and then promptly forgot one of them (i.e human wave by SSR only). I set up expecting a human wave on my left flank at the start. Rick, likewise, set up as expected on my left flank heavily and indeed launched the human wave. Lots of DRs later, not much happened. The only thing of consequence was I killed the 7-0 leader and perhaps a HS or squad. Certainly many broken KPA, but considering there was a commissar around, not a big loss for Rick. Rick blew the CC chances, so not much happened on turn one other than the 7-0 leader going down. Ultimately, Rick cleaned up the CC/melee and closed in behind the hill on my left flank. Turns 3 and 4 saw Rick make progress. Turn 3 he entered the wreck hex and won the CC, but managed to kill the 50 cal, so I didn’t have to be shot with my own weapon. Turn 4, Rick captured the victory building. I would need to retake it on turn 5. I had the 9-1 leader, a squad and half squad GO, and two more squads broken and DM in the adjacent woods. I rallied one squad with the 9-1. Whatever prep fire I had was ineffective. I assault move adjacent. Rick’s D-fire was largely ineffective. Either a squad or the HS squad of mine pinned, I can’t remember which. Everyone else passed all the checks and we went into CC. If I recall correctly, the leader gave me the ambush. I either had a 2-1 or 3-1 down 2 or rolled low enough to bag the KPA and win the game. Not bad for a short little scenario, I recommend it. 1-0
Round 2 vs Dave Ginnard in FrF86 Belgian Tigers. Dave has already posted his AAR version of this great game. I had the defending Belgians. Things did not start well for me. Dave got every smoke grenade roll he tried. I tried to shoot my MMG but rolled a 12, so no firelane. A few other squads tried shooting but they all rolled high. I got no effect on any of Dave’s Germans and he rolled almost his entire force across the bridge, save a kill stack that remained behind in over watch position. The smoke clears, Dave shoots back and breaks a couple of my guys. On turn 2 my AA gun gets a few ROF and some hits and slows Dave down. Dave remains bottled up on my side the bridge, but can’t really get into the two hex wooden building directly in front of him. Turn 3 sees a melee start in the multi hex stone building on my right flank. This melee would go on for several turns, really slowing down Dave’s attack on that flank as it kept many troops tied up and it meant my AA gun (adjacent to the building in orchard) was free to keep banging away down the road to the other flank. Elsewhere on the left side, my guys broke and Dave slowly pushed me back. My reinforcements came on and eventually stemmed the tide. Dave finally won the big melee on turn 5, taking out all my guys with a DR of 3. He was still a building short on the last turn and would need to take one more for the win and then hold it during my last turn counterattack. My front line was solid and the forward buildings garrisoned, however Dave ran the thru the open and survived all the -2 shots and slipped behind me and captured two single hex buildings in the rear. In my last turn I would need to recapture two buildings to win. I managed to get into 5 buildings for CC. Two of them were in my favor, 2-1 or 3-1 odds and the other three were all 1-1 odds. I got the roll on the 3-1, gacked the 2-1, but managed to roll one of the 1-1s, so I held on for the win. Great game and scenario, best one of the weekend. 2-0
Round 3 vs Scott Martin. Scott and I last played at the KC tourney in 2016, where Scott beat me and ultimately won the whole tourney. So I was keen for a rematch and knew I would have a good challenging game. Neither one of us really wanted to tackle a big scenario like A Polish Battlefield, nor were we fond of the other scenario choices, so we chose FT213 Up the Liri Valley. We diced for sides and I got the Germans. This is a very interesting little scenario where both sides get to attack and defend. Also you keep track of VPs at the end of every turn, I needed 19 to win based on hex/building control. In the three buildings I set up in, I decided to man the one across the road, closest to the British set up area with a only a dummy. I knew I couldn’t hold it, so I gave up a VP on turn one without a fight and consolidated around the other two buildings. The Brit attack took the unoccupied building, but was largely ineffective and this end of board was a stalemate early. Scott’s prep fire was ineffective early as he rolled very high. My shots back were all good for results, but Scott passed all the checks. Later in the game, Scott would cross the gully and take another of the original buildings to steal a VP. On the other end of the map, I was attacking and Scott defending. The one building far forward that Scott had to defend cost me this game early, I believe. I had three 5-4-8 assault engineers, a 9-1 leader and an 8-0 with a DC. I figure I will throw the smoke grenades in the street, everybody into the smoke and place the DC. Surely I can root out the one Brit squad defending the building. The smoke drs, were 6, 5, 6, so no smoke. I sent the 8-0 with DC anyway to try and make something happen, but he broke. So Scott held the building, which cost a VP. More importantly, it cost me a turn, those three 5-4-8s had to stick around next turn to clear the building, when they should have been moving out to take the two locations further in the rear that were worth 2 VPs each. Going into the last turn I was sitting at 12 VP, needing 19, so I needed 7 more. Three VPs were in my control and locked up. I needed to take both of the 2 VP locations on the last turn. I was in melee in one 2VP building (hex V1) and should be able to reinforce it and win it. The other 2VP building (hex R3) was a crap shoot. That building was held by the Brit 9-1 leader and squad/LMG. I had 4 or 5 squads that could move and get there. I tried to bum rush the last building, but all my squads but one broke or pinned, including the 5-4-8 rolling another 6 on the smoke grenade roll. Needless to say, I did not win the resulting 1-2 melee. I did reinforce the melee in the other 2VP building, and still rolled a 10 or 11 to not win the high odds in my favor CC. So I came up 4 points short. Nonetheless, I liked the scenario a lot considering its small size. I think it is a pretty tight scenario, perhaps pro German if your assault engineers remember to bring smoke grenades. 2-1
I matched up against Nathan Wegener in round 4. We were not “feeling” it on the PTO round scenario selections. So, being out of the running, we opted for the one of the fun options or diversions at the KC tourney, kind of like a mini tourney. Go to the prize table, pick a scenario pack, open it and pick a scenario. Winner of the scenario takes the pack home. We picked Drive on St Lo from Lone Canuck. We chose the scenario DSL-2 The Right Nostril. As you might guess, this one features a historical map with bocage. I was defending with only 5 or 6 German squads, a 75L ATG, and two SSR defined bunker complexes. These were 1+5+7 pillboxs with a crew and HMG in each, an escape tunnel for each, and lots of mines in/around the pillboxes. Nathan had two Sherman tanks, two 81mm mortars, two HMGs, and the usual assortment of mediocre 6 morale American squads, plus a 9-2 leader. Nathan had to cross lots of bocage, some open ground and orchards and then capture 5 or 6 buildings; some on level zero, some on a level one hill. I used the bunkers and mines to guard the flanks and funnel the Americans up the middle. This game was decided early. Nathan was just a bit too aggressive on turns one and two. I bagged one tank with the ATG and the other with a PF. Then Nathan’s 9-2 leader took a wound. These three events took the wind out of the sails of the American attack. The American HMGs and firepower started to take their toll late game, but without the tanks to shoot smoke, VBM freeze, etc, the Americans have a tough challenge late game to seal the deal. I won handily, but I could see with an American tank or two still functional, this could be a good game. I liked the scenario and I believe Nathan did as well. 3-1
Round 5 vs James Treu in FrF88 Panzer Shield. This was the only dud of the weekend. I got the attacking Russians. James was not sure how to best use his small initial force and struggled with the set up. James set up his small German force in the few buildings/walled area in the center section of board 33. He had a tank on each flank and the 88L AA on his right flank covering the road thru the grain fields. I assumed the 88L was there or all the way in the back in the victory area so I decided to run my left flank with everyone. The four BA-6s went first after the one German tank on that flank. The first one missed the BF shot, but the second one did not and got the TK roll as well. My infantry ran forward en mass. James then brings his remaining tanks over to stem the tide. He rolls bad on his BF shots and only hits and kills one BA-6. I shoot back and kill all his tanks. At this point, James throws in the towel. Probably the better set up is to huddle in the back victory area and wait for the German reinforcements to join the battle. I am not sure how the small German force is supposed to set up forward and survive. I need to give this one a try as the German. 4-1