Houlie
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Finished FT268 Spain’s Crusader’s as the 1941 Eastern Front Spanish against Paul Lauger’s Russians in this all-infantry 5-turn smash-up on board 3. The VCs are: Russian wins if they earn more VP than the Spanish. 1 VP awarded for each building controlled on/between hexrows L – Y. Completely rubbled/ablaze buildings yield no VP.
There is an overlapping setup area in the village center (The Circle) where the sides can set up a subset of their OB MMCs: Spanish set up first and move first. The downside to moving first in this scenario is the Russians move last. That means most every available Russian unit will be moving to take back buildings in the final turn.
Prior to start, each side place some rubble and shellholes and the Spanish get a blaze (with a mild breeze blowing to a randomly determined direction after both setups are complete). The blaze and smoke played a huge role in our game.
Each of us rubbled buildings in each other’s rear to deny each other VPs. I placed the blaze in the woods to help protect the buildings I possessed at-start in The Circle. I also figure the blaze/smoke could help my attack since I started with fewer buildings at the start. I set up with the 9-2/468/MMG to rip the Russians set up in the circle. Unfortunately, the smoke direction was unfavorable and drifted over the defenders – and the MMG did almost nothing all game.
Setup

With blaze sending the drifting smoke over the defenders most IFT shots were a no-impact proposition, either +4/5 IFT mods. I was forced to close in CC which lacked any robust success for me all game – even with my 9-2. The Russians had a slight numerical edge that had me 1:1 or slightly behind the raw CC odds. My height of mid-game success was picking up three buildings at the loss of none.
Midgame (end of turn 4)

I was sitting on a ~10-9 VP margin at this point. However, I lost my 9-2 (now wounded to an 8-1) on a 1-1 CC losing that building and another lost on a mutual 1-1 CC that emptied yet another (and would be occupied in the upcoming Russian player turn.
Fortunately, a 248’s 2+1 pot shot broke the 447/LMG holding the lower left building opening it up to be entered for CC on Igor, the surviving 8-0 which died unenthusiastically in CC for the Motherland. In the final half turn the Russian bum rush was on. No less than FOUR CX MMCs from across the board rushed this single building with one MMC breaking, two pinning, and one surviving, due in part to at least two FPF shots. The ensuing AdvFire 12+2 broke the 248 by a single pip.
As it turned out, a building in The Circle held by the Russian lit up to a blaze removing one VP for the Russian. Had the 248 not broken (and subsequently could have avoided elimination against the CX 447 in CC), the Spanish would have won with a 9-9 VP score. It can’t get much tighter than that!
Final Positions

Final thoughts
A very fun scenario for all these reasons:
There is an overlapping setup area in the village center (The Circle) where the sides can set up a subset of their OB MMCs: Spanish set up first and move first. The downside to moving first in this scenario is the Russians move last. That means most every available Russian unit will be moving to take back buildings in the final turn.
Prior to start, each side place some rubble and shellholes and the Spanish get a blaze (with a mild breeze blowing to a randomly determined direction after both setups are complete). The blaze and smoke played a huge role in our game.
Each of us rubbled buildings in each other’s rear to deny each other VPs. I placed the blaze in the woods to help protect the buildings I possessed at-start in The Circle. I also figure the blaze/smoke could help my attack since I started with fewer buildings at the start. I set up with the 9-2/468/MMG to rip the Russians set up in the circle. Unfortunately, the smoke direction was unfavorable and drifted over the defenders – and the MMG did almost nothing all game.
Setup

With blaze sending the drifting smoke over the defenders most IFT shots were a no-impact proposition, either +4/5 IFT mods. I was forced to close in CC which lacked any robust success for me all game – even with my 9-2. The Russians had a slight numerical edge that had me 1:1 or slightly behind the raw CC odds. My height of mid-game success was picking up three buildings at the loss of none.
Midgame (end of turn 4)

I was sitting on a ~10-9 VP margin at this point. However, I lost my 9-2 (now wounded to an 8-1) on a 1-1 CC losing that building and another lost on a mutual 1-1 CC that emptied yet another (and would be occupied in the upcoming Russian player turn.
Fortunately, a 248’s 2+1 pot shot broke the 447/LMG holding the lower left building opening it up to be entered for CC on Igor, the surviving 8-0 which died unenthusiastically in CC for the Motherland. In the final half turn the Russian bum rush was on. No less than FOUR CX MMCs from across the board rushed this single building with one MMC breaking, two pinning, and one surviving, due in part to at least two FPF shots. The ensuing AdvFire 12+2 broke the 248 by a single pip.
As it turned out, a building in The Circle held by the Russian lit up to a blaze removing one VP for the Russian. Had the 248 not broken (and subsequently could have avoided elimination against the CX 447 in CC), the Spanish would have won with a 9-9 VP score. It can’t get much tighter than that!
Final Positions

Final thoughts
A very fun scenario for all these reasons:
- Simple all-infantry OB
- Both attack/counterattack
- Overall, both sides felt they were an inch/centimeter from losing
- Good replayability – blaze can make it really unpredictable
- Playable in a sitting
- Felt very balanced, though we agreed it could be swingy – however you know that going in
- Went to final turn AdvFire/CC phases
- Most importantly, super fun
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