volgaG68
Fighting WWII One DR At A Time
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2012
- Messages
- 3,212
- Reaction score
- 1,549
- Location
- La Crosse, KS
- First name
- Chris
- Country
-
I wrote "(To)" parenthetically due to the TM being named Race For The Meuse on the product cover sheet, and Race To The Meuse throughout the accompanying rules. This TM and included stand alone scenarios encompass a battle between German and Belgian forces in May of 1940.
I played the standalone scenarios first, and as usual they provide good familiarization with the troops used, tactics used, and especially the terrain at hand. They are great primers to see how long it takes all manner of units to traverse certain features, where they are vulnerable in doing so, and where the defense can best bottleneck them.
The originality of the Belgian vs German TM speaks for itself, IMO. Where else can you purchase MC Sidecars for some of your infantry!? Be prepared, though, as this is not platoons of tanks and assault guns. This is mano a mano, with a few ACs, LOTS of fortifications to fight through/around, and OBA/Stukas if your purchasing flavor so chooses. The OBA and Stukas are almost prohibitively expensive to purchase, and one must frugally husband one's TP points to do so. Although not initially a fan of the "HMG Pillboxes" concept in some of LCP's other scenario packs, they play quite true and well in this TM and seem quite natural as befits their mention in the notes.
My playing of the TM was quite enjoyable with the Germans winning at the end of the 3rd date (4). If the Belgians had "rolled out" on T6 like the previous scenario, they would have lived to see the final date; alongside all of the devious defensive purchases to be made. The Germans gambled a large portion of their 3rd date TP points on an OBA module that provided the timely SMOKE to cross Stein Hill and enter the riverbanks to the north of it. Surprisingly, they also got a great 105mm HE stonk that crushed the Belgian holdouts near the L15 bridge. The Belgians had some brokies within 2 hexes of the VC road, but none were GO. Thus the Germans fulfilled the TM VC one scenario early.
I am not going to say that the TM is "impossible" or even "overly difficult" for the Belgians, but I feel it does favor the Germans somewhat. Between two different level players, I would give the newer player the Germans. Equally matched players might consider giving the Belgians the Balance. The dice ebbed and flowed throughout, and notwithstanding the horrible DRs the Belgians had in the ConPh (especially TP replenishment), I still feel they have a tougher row to hoe than the Germans.
My overall assessment is a definite thumbs-up for originality, fun, and as always with LCP...value for the $. I'd play it again in a heartbeat, either side.
I played the standalone scenarios first, and as usual they provide good familiarization with the troops used, tactics used, and especially the terrain at hand. They are great primers to see how long it takes all manner of units to traverse certain features, where they are vulnerable in doing so, and where the defense can best bottleneck them.
The originality of the Belgian vs German TM speaks for itself, IMO. Where else can you purchase MC Sidecars for some of your infantry!? Be prepared, though, as this is not platoons of tanks and assault guns. This is mano a mano, with a few ACs, LOTS of fortifications to fight through/around, and OBA/Stukas if your purchasing flavor so chooses. The OBA and Stukas are almost prohibitively expensive to purchase, and one must frugally husband one's TP points to do so. Although not initially a fan of the "HMG Pillboxes" concept in some of LCP's other scenario packs, they play quite true and well in this TM and seem quite natural as befits their mention in the notes.
My playing of the TM was quite enjoyable with the Germans winning at the end of the 3rd date (4). If the Belgians had "rolled out" on T6 like the previous scenario, they would have lived to see the final date; alongside all of the devious defensive purchases to be made. The Germans gambled a large portion of their 3rd date TP points on an OBA module that provided the timely SMOKE to cross Stein Hill and enter the riverbanks to the north of it. Surprisingly, they also got a great 105mm HE stonk that crushed the Belgian holdouts near the L15 bridge. The Belgians had some brokies within 2 hexes of the VC road, but none were GO. Thus the Germans fulfilled the TM VC one scenario early.
I am not going to say that the TM is "impossible" or even "overly difficult" for the Belgians, but I feel it does favor the Germans somewhat. Between two different level players, I would give the newer player the Germans. Equally matched players might consider giving the Belgians the Balance. The dice ebbed and flowed throughout, and notwithstanding the horrible DRs the Belgians had in the ConPh (especially TP replenishment), I still feel they have a tougher row to hoe than the Germans.
My overall assessment is a definite thumbs-up for originality, fun, and as always with LCP...value for the $. I'd play it again in a heartbeat, either side.