WuWei
Elder Member
AAR RB6 Turned Away
Stalingrad, 15 November 1942: I play the German attacker and have to conquer the HQ building of a cut off Russian portion of the city. The problem is: I don't know where it is! There are three possible locations. And: In the HQ are 1.5 HIP squads of elite 6-2-8s with a 9-2 and a 7-0. The rest of the Russians consist of a mix of 4-5-8s, 5-2-7s and 4-4-7. There's a HMG, too, somewhere, and another 8-1 leader. Some of their buildings are fortified.
On the plus side, I attack with a whopping seven elite 5-4-8s, a total of five machine guns, 9-2, 9-1, 8-0 and a single DC thrown into the mix. The game begins as my Germans sneak through the gullys towards the Russian position.
German Turn 1
This is my setup:
My plan is to concentrate my forces in the south and overwhelm the forces there. If the HQ happens to be the northern location, I have a problem, but I should be able to rush there if I have to. I use my 8 ? counters to build a huge stack that mixes well with my other huge stacks.
My first turn is not very eventful: I carefully move into position, keeping my concealment. My opponent, too, values his concealment, and doesn't fire. So at the end of the turn, ther are only a lot of ?s on the map, some of them topped with a CX counter.
Russian Turn 1
The Russian first turn is a mirror image of the German first turn: Careful movement without loss of concealment, and no fire from the German side.
German Turn 2
Finally we will see some action: I start with the stack in Z43 shooting across the street into BB42. It's enough to strip concealment there: It's squad+LMG, in a fortified building. Looks like a roadbump!
In the MPh, I move the HS in Y45 out of the gully and into AA44 (only Russian dummies there), and the Russians in BB44 open point blank fire. They pass their MC, and I follow up with the big stack in X44 that also moves there. Neither the residual FP nor the subsequent first fire have any effect.
In the North, I want to keep concealment a little while longer, so there's only some minor shuffling.
The Russians also want to keep concealment and only shoot with the already revealed squad+LMG in BB42.
In the AFPh, I manage to PIN the squad in BB42 - also a fortified building as it turns out. They voluntarily break in the RtPh before I advance there.
So far, this looks good. The fortified buildings in the South are an indicator that I'm on the right track and that the HQ is probably in the South, too.
Russian Turn 2
In the PFPh, only the unconcealed Russian squad fires, to no effect.
Only minor adjustments in the MPh. In the DFPh, I form a fire group with my big stacks in the South and manage to CR and break the Russians in BB42.
German Turn 3
I don't have time for prep fire.
I use the HS in BB43 to bump scout DD42, but it's a real unit there, and the point blank fire breaks the HS.
I then concentrate on the North: I assault move into the street adjacent to DD39, and when there's neither fire nor even a demand to strip my concealment, I conclude that's only a dummy there and move forward in force.
Back in the south, I dash across the street to occupy the fortified building BB42, and leave the fortified building BB44 to move further East.
I advance into DD44, the concealed Russians there manage to ambush them (the beginning of an annoying trend), but instead of killing me, mercifully decide to withdraw.
Russian Turn 3
I manage to Rally the HS.
In the PFPh, the Russian opens fire with a HMG in FF39. It's only a PIN check, fortunately, which I pass. But we now have unconcealed units in the North, too! But that was only the prelude: EE44 is the Russian HQ, and concentrated fire directed by a 9-2 totally obliterates my squad+9-1 in DD44. They just die.
German Turn 4
I have a target to prep fire at! But to no effect. The rest of the turn is minor movement and inconclusive fire.
Russian Turn 4
In the DFPh, I manage to break the squads (but not the 9-2) in the Russian HQ! That's good. They rout out of it and reinforce it with the HS that lay in waiting behind the building for just this occasion.
German Turn 5
Here I make my one big mistake: I should have seized the opportunity of a weakly defended HQ and aggressively move forward with the units in BB42. Assault move from DD41 to EE42, hoping to provoke fire from the HMG. Throw smoke from CC44 into DD43 and AM into DD43 to provoke fire. And then move the squads+9-2 BB43-CC44-DD44. In the best case, there would be three squads + 9-2 for point blank advancing fire, and to advance into CC. They would be CX, but it would be rather impressive.
Instead, I prep fire from BB42 and then have a lone squad adjacent to the HQ. They break their LMG in AFPh before advancing into CC, where they promptly got ambushed and killed. Nonetheless, this was as close to winning as I got during the game, and with two good rolls (ambush, CC), I could have won the game right here. But I didn't.
I also tried to CC the Russian HMG with a HS, hoping to keep them busy for a turn or two, but (noticing a trend here?) they get ambushed and killed.
Russian Turn 5
I'm still in the game! The Russian is down to 1.5 unbroken squads, a HMG and two leaders. If he doesn't rally some of broken ones, he's really into trouble! Unfortunately, he manages to rally two squads, and in PFPh, the lone halfsquad in the HQ manages to inflict a 1MC to my stack on the street in CC43. The 9-2 passes, but I roll 11 and 12 for my squads. Ouch! The Russian HMG manages to break my squad in FF39, and suddenly, I'm down to 1.5 unbroken squads (and the HS is away hunting brokies on the other side of the map).
German Turn 6
My second to last turn, and it doesn't look good. There a 2.5 Russian squads in the HQ, and a 9-2 leader. Also, the approach is covered with a HMG directed by a 8-1 leader. And I have a total of one (1) unbroken squad in a position to do something. But I might rally an additional three (two of which are stacked with the 9-2)! Unfortunately, I only rally one. So it's two squads against the HQ. My attempts at smoke fail miserably, one of my squads breaks, the HS gets hit by a sniper, and although, against all odds, a full squad and two leaders end up adjacent to the HQ at the beginning of the APh, they can't get in and instead of waiting there, I "advance" back to try again next turn, hopefully rallying a few more units in the meantime. I don't have much hope to win this game.
Russian Turn 6
Because it isn't bad enough already, the Russians manage to rally the HS+LMG I managed to chase to V41. His squad in FF44 also rallies, it's HoB->berserk! My squad in CC43 also rallies, thanks to the 9-2 leader. But since there won't be any German units in LOS at the beginning of the MPh, that won't matter.
The Russians now have an easy job. In prep fire, they break my whole stack in CC43.
German Turn 7
Realistically, this game is over, but in theory, it's still possible for me to win this game. So we keep on playing, and it pays off! The 9-2 becomes berserk, and takes the whole stack with him! This will be glorious!
In the MPh, I storm towards the HQ, beginning with the berserks, of course, but followed by everything I got left. When the smoke settles, I have a lone HS left, knocking on the barrikaded doors, unable to get in. The Russians win.
This was a really fun game. I kept on playing hoping for a miracle, but the miracle never came. But the HoB->berserk at the end was a nice consolation prize, so I went out with a bang.
Stalingrad, 15 November 1942: I play the German attacker and have to conquer the HQ building of a cut off Russian portion of the city. The problem is: I don't know where it is! There are three possible locations. And: In the HQ are 1.5 HIP squads of elite 6-2-8s with a 9-2 and a 7-0. The rest of the Russians consist of a mix of 4-5-8s, 5-2-7s and 4-4-7. There's a HMG, too, somewhere, and another 8-1 leader. Some of their buildings are fortified.
On the plus side, I attack with a whopping seven elite 5-4-8s, a total of five machine guns, 9-2, 9-1, 8-0 and a single DC thrown into the mix. The game begins as my Germans sneak through the gullys towards the Russian position.
German Turn 1
This is my setup:
My plan is to concentrate my forces in the south and overwhelm the forces there. If the HQ happens to be the northern location, I have a problem, but I should be able to rush there if I have to. I use my 8 ? counters to build a huge stack that mixes well with my other huge stacks.
My first turn is not very eventful: I carefully move into position, keeping my concealment. My opponent, too, values his concealment, and doesn't fire. So at the end of the turn, ther are only a lot of ?s on the map, some of them topped with a CX counter.
Russian Turn 1
The Russian first turn is a mirror image of the German first turn: Careful movement without loss of concealment, and no fire from the German side.
German Turn 2
Finally we will see some action: I start with the stack in Z43 shooting across the street into BB42. It's enough to strip concealment there: It's squad+LMG, in a fortified building. Looks like a roadbump!
In the MPh, I move the HS in Y45 out of the gully and into AA44 (only Russian dummies there), and the Russians in BB44 open point blank fire. They pass their MC, and I follow up with the big stack in X44 that also moves there. Neither the residual FP nor the subsequent first fire have any effect.
In the North, I want to keep concealment a little while longer, so there's only some minor shuffling.
The Russians also want to keep concealment and only shoot with the already revealed squad+LMG in BB42.
In the AFPh, I manage to PIN the squad in BB42 - also a fortified building as it turns out. They voluntarily break in the RtPh before I advance there.
So far, this looks good. The fortified buildings in the South are an indicator that I'm on the right track and that the HQ is probably in the South, too.
Russian Turn 2
In the PFPh, only the unconcealed Russian squad fires, to no effect.
Only minor adjustments in the MPh. In the DFPh, I form a fire group with my big stacks in the South and manage to CR and break the Russians in BB42.
German Turn 3
I don't have time for prep fire.
I use the HS in BB43 to bump scout DD42, but it's a real unit there, and the point blank fire breaks the HS.
I then concentrate on the North: I assault move into the street adjacent to DD39, and when there's neither fire nor even a demand to strip my concealment, I conclude that's only a dummy there and move forward in force.
Back in the south, I dash across the street to occupy the fortified building BB42, and leave the fortified building BB44 to move further East.
I advance into DD44, the concealed Russians there manage to ambush them (the beginning of an annoying trend), but instead of killing me, mercifully decide to withdraw.
Russian Turn 3
I manage to Rally the HS.
In the PFPh, the Russian opens fire with a HMG in FF39. It's only a PIN check, fortunately, which I pass. But we now have unconcealed units in the North, too! But that was only the prelude: EE44 is the Russian HQ, and concentrated fire directed by a 9-2 totally obliterates my squad+9-1 in DD44. They just die.
German Turn 4
I have a target to prep fire at! But to no effect. The rest of the turn is minor movement and inconclusive fire.
Russian Turn 4
In the DFPh, I manage to break the squads (but not the 9-2) in the Russian HQ! That's good. They rout out of it and reinforce it with the HS that lay in waiting behind the building for just this occasion.
German Turn 5
Here I make my one big mistake: I should have seized the opportunity of a weakly defended HQ and aggressively move forward with the units in BB42. Assault move from DD41 to EE42, hoping to provoke fire from the HMG. Throw smoke from CC44 into DD43 and AM into DD43 to provoke fire. And then move the squads+9-2 BB43-CC44-DD44. In the best case, there would be three squads + 9-2 for point blank advancing fire, and to advance into CC. They would be CX, but it would be rather impressive.
Instead, I prep fire from BB42 and then have a lone squad adjacent to the HQ. They break their LMG in AFPh before advancing into CC, where they promptly got ambushed and killed. Nonetheless, this was as close to winning as I got during the game, and with two good rolls (ambush, CC), I could have won the game right here. But I didn't.
I also tried to CC the Russian HMG with a HS, hoping to keep them busy for a turn or two, but (noticing a trend here?) they get ambushed and killed.
Russian Turn 5
I'm still in the game! The Russian is down to 1.5 unbroken squads, a HMG and two leaders. If he doesn't rally some of broken ones, he's really into trouble! Unfortunately, he manages to rally two squads, and in PFPh, the lone halfsquad in the HQ manages to inflict a 1MC to my stack on the street in CC43. The 9-2 passes, but I roll 11 and 12 for my squads. Ouch! The Russian HMG manages to break my squad in FF39, and suddenly, I'm down to 1.5 unbroken squads (and the HS is away hunting brokies on the other side of the map).
German Turn 6
My second to last turn, and it doesn't look good. There a 2.5 Russian squads in the HQ, and a 9-2 leader. Also, the approach is covered with a HMG directed by a 8-1 leader. And I have a total of one (1) unbroken squad in a position to do something. But I might rally an additional three (two of which are stacked with the 9-2)! Unfortunately, I only rally one. So it's two squads against the HQ. My attempts at smoke fail miserably, one of my squads breaks, the HS gets hit by a sniper, and although, against all odds, a full squad and two leaders end up adjacent to the HQ at the beginning of the APh, they can't get in and instead of waiting there, I "advance" back to try again next turn, hopefully rallying a few more units in the meantime. I don't have much hope to win this game.
Russian Turn 6
Because it isn't bad enough already, the Russians manage to rally the HS+LMG I managed to chase to V41. His squad in FF44 also rallies, it's HoB->berserk! My squad in CC43 also rallies, thanks to the 9-2 leader. But since there won't be any German units in LOS at the beginning of the MPh, that won't matter.
The Russians now have an easy job. In prep fire, they break my whole stack in CC43.
German Turn 7
Realistically, this game is over, but in theory, it's still possible for me to win this game. So we keep on playing, and it pays off! The 9-2 becomes berserk, and takes the whole stack with him! This will be glorious!
In the MPh, I storm towards the HQ, beginning with the berserks, of course, but followed by everything I got left. When the smoke settles, I have a lone HS left, knocking on the barrikaded doors, unable to get in. The Russians win.
This was a really fun game. I kept on playing hoping for a miracle, but the miracle never came. But the HoB->berserk at the end was a nice consolation prize, so I went out with a bang.