So what scenarios have you played Recently?

[waltu]

Yeah, I was being nice.

 

[Gunner Scott]

Have WO 44 Little village on the table and will be playing it the next couple of days. my set up before I start noting my HIP stuff.

 

[Paul John]

Board 89 looks really great. I look forward to trying it out.

 

[Gunner Scott]

We got to German turn 4 before we called it a night, wow, this one is a very cool scenario. I popped up a 447 hipped in the middle of board 90 and kia'ed 2 squads and his 8-1 running by. Took out two panzers but he has taken out my ART piece crew and is trying to roll up my flank. ha ha, totally forgot about my minefield in the middle of board 89 oh well. Anyway super fun scenario thus far that is for sure. We will finish it up sunday and maybe turn it around to try again.

 

[VonHutier]

Played my regular FtF opponent this morning, the much anticipated ASL Scenario AP83 " Thai Hot".....Wow! Shortest game of ASL ever, for me and him at least.
I played the Thais, and started well - three of his LC bogged two hexes out in shallow Ocean, and of the two that made it to the shore one had its entire PRC ( 2x447, 1x237, and an 8-0 ) wiped out by my MMG and squad with an 8-1 directing....and then he rolled through the Thais in the buildings, through a firelane which had some, but not enough effect and destroyed my last defenders in CC in the last building needed to get his 1VP needed to win by the end of turn 3 - in Japanese turn 2...
Maybe I shouldn't have set up the majority of my original force up front but I just didn't want him to land unopposed.
My ( and his ) first beach assault, good fun but was over in an hour....if anyone has any suggestions as to how I should have set up the Thais, please let me know.
Overall the dice were fair except in the very beginning of turn 1 and if they hadn't been it might have been even shorter....🫣

 

[Eagle4ty]

Played my regular FtF opponent this morning, the much anticipated ASL Scenario AP83 " Thai Hot".....Wow! Shortest game of ASL ever, for me and him at least.
I played the Thais, and started well - three of his LC bogged two hexes out in shallow Ocean, and of the two that made it to the shore one had its entire PRC ( 2x447, 1x237, and an 8-0 ) wiped out by my MMG and squad with an 8-1 directing....and then he rolled through the Thais in the buildings, through a firelane which had some, but not enough effect and destroyed my last defenders in CC in the last building needed to get his 1VP needed to win by the end of turn 3 - in Japanese turn 2...
Maybe I shouldn't have set up the majority of my original force up front but I just didn't want him to land unopposed.
My ( and his ) first beach assault, good fun but was over in an hour....if anyone has any suggestions as to how I should have set up the Thais, please let me know.
Overall the dice were fair except in the very beginning of turn 1 and if they hadn't been it might have been even shorter....🫣

Curtis Brooks & I played this one a while back and had a similar experience except it was my Japanese that were tore up in a very brief time. Total playing time may have been about a half an hour longer than yours; but that was because I was just stubborn and HAD to do an amphibious assault.

 

[Gunner Scott]

Hi all-

Bob and I did finish up WO 44 with my Russians winning by turn 5. It was a fun but for Bob a very frustrating scenario. He tried to attack along my right flank but also had a few squads with a HT attack along my left flank and that failed pretty much. The main defense in the village did hold and was able to cause a very substantial losses for the German infantry. We both think the Germans just need to pick a side of the map and attack forward.

So we turned it around with me taking the Germans, and I too as Bob had experienced, the Russian AT assets are devastating, putting the mines with the cupolas makes taking them out with infantry very tough but I have managed to take out his 57LL AT crew and 50cal team but I have lost two HT and 2 pZ's along with I think around 4 squads and I have not come across his 76L ART or 45LL ATG. Lots of HIP Russians north of that board 89 road so BoB took advantage of that little SSR. This might be a tough one on the Germans but I am turn 2 and have reached the village, just gotta see how many more surprises I will have to deal with next time we play. here is a pic of Russian turn 2 when we commence this one again later this week:

 

[waltermcwilliam]

Panzerpioneers from the new Journal against Al Saltzman as the attacking Germans. Great Game, went the full length but a US victory. This is a fun scenario with a lot of maneuver required of the defender. Highly recommended but probably a bit pro-US.

 

[Gunner Scott]

How can you play a scenario once and determine it is pro this or that?

Panzerpioneers from the new Journal against Al Saltzman as the attacking Germans. Great Game, went the full length but a US victory. This is a fun scenario with a lot of maneuver required of the defender. Highly recommended but probably a bit pro-US.

 

[waltermcwilliam]

I don't disagree that my determination may well be a bit hasty Scott. However, Roar has it 4 to 2 in favor of the US and the Scenario Archives 4 to 0 in favor of the US so, early on anyway it kind of looks that way also, the pace and feel of our game felt that way to me and my opponent. But who knows, it's a young scenarios. We'll know more in dozen or so playings. Even if it is, would still play it again as either side, it's a lot of fun.

 

[Houlie]

I don't disagree that my determination may well be a bit hasty Scott. However, Roar has it 4 to 2 in favor of the US and the Scenario Archives 4 to 0 in favor of the US so, early on anyway it kind of looks that way also, the pace and feel of our game felt that way to me and my opponent. But who knows, it's a young scenarios. We'll know more in dozen or so playings. Even if it is, would still play it again as either side, it's a lot of fun.

Rich Domovic and I played this recently. I had the attacking Germans; Rich the defender. We enjoyed it very much, and it felt winnable for both sides, but we felt the same as Walter. An edge goes to the Americans as there is less margin for error for the Germans. Rich had a few thoughts over in the VASL League thread.

 

[M Faulkner]

"Collect Call" from the latest Journal.
A neat little puzzle, and a fun scenario.

“Collect Call” was originally a SP scenario called “Out of Order.” Bill Stoppel has been wanting this in a deluxe format for years. Glad you enjoyed it!

 

[M Faulkner]

J206 Collect Call -- I agree with Chris, it's an interesting puzzle! On the last turn I asked my opponent if he wouldn't mind taking a break as I had to think through how to engage the Partisans on the last turn.

This scenario has Partisans (including 6-2-8s and 5-2-7s SSR'd as Partisan) defending their headquarters and 8 SS squads starting in/near the building and the rest coming in from various edges by Turn 2 (also reinforced by a platoon of Bosnians).

The Partisans have 12 squad-equivalents and 10 ? to defend with. The VC are Axis win if no Good Order Partisan MMC in building aK2.

On the last turn (Turn 5), the 8-1 with 6-5-8 had survived Defensive Fire to make it into the woods at J0 to later advance into CC vs the ? 5-2-7 in I1 (had a "backup" squad to CX for a desperation second attempt if needed). In I1, the 2-2-7 stack would break/go berserk from advancing fire. The 5-2-7s in I2/ground level and I2/level 1 would also be engaged in CC, along with the ground level melee in J1 being reinforced by the Bosnians.

We finished the game with four tense CCs, three of which, the Germans had to not get ambushed by the stealthy partisans, and not get eliminated themselves with Partisans surviving. The Partisans did wipe out the Germans in one CC with a "2" but they themselves were eliminated and the emerging leader could not change the outcome.

The Germans obtained their objective of no good order Partisans MMCs in the building at game end.

We gave the Germans the 3-2-8 balance as two other playings in our club were Partisan wins.

We agreed it's a scenario we'd try again.
View attachment 24240

Thanks for the AAR. Glad you liked it.

 

[von Marwitz]

I played AP171 Pössl's Posse FtF vs. @M.Koch yesterday.



Part of Action Pack #16, it is from one of the Australian mates, Andrew Rodgers. This designer should ring a bell with some for he is known for scenarios that get close & personal. This one is no exception.

Basically, the Russians have to storm the village on the hill defended by the Germans set in July 1944 to control a number of building/rubble Locations. Attention - mind the difference between Building Control and Control of a Building Location! . Also remember that beginning in July 1944 German PF just have a range of 2 hexes.

The Russians begin with an elite Guards infantry force supported by two SU-76M Asssault Guns.
The Germans defend with a 1st Line force of approximately the same size supported by a PaK 40 and a Marder III(t)H.

The Russians will receive reinforcements in Turn 2 in the form of 2x T-34/85 and M4/76(a) Shermans with 4 squads plus leader. The Germans in Turn 2 get 2x Pz IVJ, with powerful Infantry in the form of 5x 548 with two Leaders.

The scenario length bein 5.5 Turns, the Russians have no time to lose unless they want to lose the game. And there starts the conundrum: The Russian setup area allows to set up for a Human Wave and/or a short and rather covered way to the village on the hill. Else, they will have to take a detour. The conundrum for the Germans is that they will need a forward setup in force to discourage or survive a Human Wave onslaught, but to do so, there will be nothing much left at start to defend with elsewhere. The reinforcements of both sides will rush forward to plug holes or shift the Schwerpunkt of each sides forces.

I played the defending Germans and chose a strong forward setup. This succeeded in scaring off the Russians from forming up for a HW. I was so fixated on discouraging it, that I was somewhat taken aback that the Russians only sent two HS from the bd15a setup area and all the rest from the bd1a Orchard and Grain zones. I reckon, this "bought" me a turn but at the price of hastening to redeploy back into the village.

An early disaster struck, when a long range shot in the AFPh by one of his SU-76M's took out my Marder by Critical Hit. You think this is bad? I had placed it in the same hex with my HIP Pak-40, which was now shrouded in the smoke of the Wreck Blaze. My plan had been to dish it out with the Marder in the first Russian half-turn (which worked), and then pull out of LOS in the first German turn (which did not work...). The PaK would still be HIP (unless it had been provided with prime targets earlier) and await the unwary with a mean and powerful surprise. This would have worked just as planned - had there been no Marder wreck-blaze.

Due to this setback and the Germans not achieving anything with half a dozen of those dreaded 2 even / 2@-1 shots, the Russians soon crested the hill from the east in force and good order, having overrun the PaK on the way. The Germans defended the eastern row of buildings, but Russian pressure was such, that I had to voluntarily break two or three German units to pull them out just in time to avoid almost certain death. Things looked rather grim for my defenders, so I assessed. Luckily, all those Germans who did voluntarily break voluntarily rallied immediately thereafter, one of them even Battle Hardening. That was relief in dire straits.

The Russian Shermans surged forward with Riders along the road, while both T-34/85s with Riders hastened to the 15aB5 area for a flanking move. One of the Russian SU-76M's, which had been Stunned before, audaciously surged into the village to VBM-freeze my German 'killer-stack' while BU. To add insult to the injury, it got away with it despite being OT and having no MG-armament whatsoever, as my perplexed Germans were too scared to pass their PAATC, while their Leader, having found a ATMM, had to do it alone by himself - but failed just one pip short...

The Germans entered one tank on each road, while the reinforcing Infantry could just crest the hill from the West. The entry restrictions prevent the German reinforcements of doing anything meaningful during their turn of entry.

Yet, the German defence had crystallized. While the north-eastern row of houses atop the hill was firmly in the hands of the Russians, the buildings further to the north-west atop the hill were held by the Germans in force with the road in between. The Germans were also successful of firmly establishing themselved in the south-eastern part of the village atop the hill before the Russians could reach it, at the same time discouraging any fanciful dancing around of the T-34/85s by threatening with the PSK and PFs. Both Pz IVs had contrieved to acquire both Shermans (one of which had malfed its MA), and one of the latter went down while popping his sM for the last time. The other pulled himself from the noose, also popping its sM and thereby out of LOS of the threatening PzIV due to cumulative Hindrances. Not enough with that, it pulled around a house and attempted a long range Bounding Fire shot against the other German tank which had already exhausted the fire-capabilities of its MA - and the Sherman took it out with another Critical Hit! Doh!

Meanwhile, the inevitable Russian Berserk HS had entered close combat with a German 548+LMG, which needed two turns to red rid of the red critters. Another Russian HS survived even longer than this against a full Germans squad, somehow blocking the path for follow up Russians, though.

With two Movement Phases to go, the Russians had so far secured 5 of 10 needed building locations and were threatening two more, which were in turn re-threatened by some flanking Germans which had taken cover downslope of the hill. The Germans retained a strong hold on the rest of the village. As it was getting late, we called it a day. At this point, the game could still have been won by both sides, but we assessed the current situation favoring the German chances by 60:40 and thus called it a German win.

This scenario so far has a very balanced record on ROAR (24:21 for the Russians). Depending how it is played, it can be a short and bloody affair, namely if the Russians dare a Human Wave for their opening move. At first I was a bit reserved about this scenario, because sometimes Andrew Rodgers' designs are too much of a hand-to-hand fistfight for my taste. In this case, I was positively surprised, and the reinforcements did their job in adding a well-timed maneuver element that allow both players to adapt to the situation and to shift the focus.


von Marwitz

 

[Michael R]

When the SU-76 used VBM to lock some Germans from firing, did you remember that the infantry being locked could fire at the SU-76 crew even though it was buttoned up?

 

[von Marwitz]

When the SU-76 used VBM to lock some Germans from firing, did you remember that the infantry being locked could fire at the SU-76 crew even though it was buttoned up?

Curses, no! Good point! Per A7.211.

That would have been TPBF and a 27FP@+1 Attack (+2 Vehicle, -1 Leader).

But unless the Crew would for some reason be Unprotected as per D5.311, what would it have helped?

A KIA or K/ result would have STUNNED/Recalled it, a MC would have Stunned it. So it would still have been freezing me in the hex.

If the Crew would have been Unprotected as per D5.311, then it would have been subject to Pin/Break/K/*/KIA instead and thus would likely have either had to rout away or be killed outright. But I don't see, why a BU Crew of the SU-76 should be considered Unprotected. Am I missing something?

von Marwitz

 

[Eagle4ty]

I played AP171 Pössl's Posse FtF vs. @M.Koch yesterday.

View attachment 24476

Part of Action Pack #16, it is from one of the Australian mates, Andrew Rodgers. This designer should ring a bell with some for he is known for scenarios that get close & personal. This one is no exception.

Basically, the Russians have to storm the village on the hill defended by the Germans set in July 1944 to control a number of building/rubble Locations. Attention - mind the difference between Building Control and Control of a Building Location! . Also remember that beginning in July 1944 German PF just have a range of 2 hexes.

The Russians begin with an elite Guards infantry force supported by two SU-76M Asssault Guns.
The Germans defend with a 1st Line force of approximately the same size supported by a PaK 40 and a Marder III(t)H.

The Russians will receive reinforcements in Turn 2 in the form of 2x T-34/85 and M4/76(a) Shermans with 4 squads plus leader. The Germans in Turn 2 get 2x Pz IVJ, with powerful Infantry in the form of 5x 548 with two Leaders.

The scenario length bein 5.5 Turns, the Russians have no time to lose unless they want to lose the game. And there starts the conundrum: The Russian setup area allows to set up for a Human Wave and/or a short and rather covered way to the village on the hill. Else, they will have to take a detour. The conundrum for the Germans is that they will need a forward setup in force to discourage or survive a Human Wave onslaught, but to do so, there will be nothing much left at start to defend with elsewhere. The reinforcements of both sides will rush forward to plug holes or shift the Schwerpunkt of each sides forces.

I played the defending Germans and chose a strong forward setup. This succeeded in scaring off the Russians from forming up for a HW. I was so fixated on discouraging it, that I was somewhat taken aback that the Russians only sent two HS from the bd15a setup area and all the rest from the bd1a Orchard and Grain zones. I reckon, this "bought" me a turn but at the price of hastening to redeploy back into the village.

An early disaster struck, when a long range shot in the AFPh by one of his SU-76M's took out my Marder by Critical Hit. You think this is bad? I had placed it in the same hex with my HIP Pak-40, which was now shrouded in the smoke of the Wreck Blaze. My plan had been to dish it out with the Marder in the first Russian half-turn (which worked), and then pull out of LOS in the first German turn (which did not work...). The PaK would still be HIP (unless it had been provided with prime targets earlier) and await the unwary with a mean and powerful surprise. This would have worked just as planned - had there been no Marder wreck-blaze.

Due to this setback and the Germans not achieving anything with half a dozen of those dreaded 2 even / 2@-1 shots, the Russians soon crested the hill from the east in force and good order, having overrun the PaK on the way. The Germans defended the eastern row of buildings, but Russian pressure was such, that I had to voluntarily break two or three German units to pull them out just in time to avoid almost certain death. Things looked rather grim for my defenders, so I assessed. Luckily, all those Germans who did voluntarily break voluntarily rallied immediately thereafter, one of them even Battle Hardening. That was relief in dire straits.

The Russian Shermans surged forward with Riders along the road, while both T-34/85s with Riders hastened to the 15aB5 area for a flanking move. One of the Russian SU-76M's, which had been Stunned before, audaciously surged into the village to VBM-freeze my German 'killer-stack' while BU. To add insult to the injury, it got away with it despite being OT and having no MG-armament whatsoever, as my perplexed Germans were too scared to pass their PAATC, while their Leader, having found a ATMM, had to do it alone by himself - but failed just one pip short...

The Germans entered one tank on each road, while the reinforcing Infantry could just crest the hill from the West. The entry restrictions prevent the German reinforcements of doing anything meaningful during their turn of entry.

Yet, the German defence had crystallized. While the north-eastern row of houses atop the hill was firmly in the hands of the Russians, the buildings further to the north-west atop the hill were held by the Germans in force with the road in between. The Germans were also successful of firmly establishing themselved in the south-eastern part of the village atop the hill before the Russians could reach it, at the same time discouraging any fanciful dancing around of the T-34/85s by threatening with the PSK and PFs. Both Pz IVs had contrieved to acquire both Shermans (one of which had malfed its MA), and one of the latter went down while popping his sM for the last time. The other pulled himself from the noose, also popping its sM and thereby out of LOS of the threatening PzIV due to cumulative Hindrances. Not enough with that, it pulled around a house and attempted a long range Bounding Fire shot against the other German tank which had already exhausted the fire-capabilities of its MA - and the Sherman took it out with another Critical Hit! Doh!

Meanwhile, the inevitable Russian Berserk HS had entered close combat with a German 548+LMG, which needed two turns to red rid of the red critters. Another Russian HS survived even longer than this against a full Germans squad, somehow blocking the path for follow up Russians, though.

With two Movement Phases to go, the Russians had so far secured 5 of 10 needed building locations and were threatening two more, which were in turn re-threatened by some flanking Germans which had taken cover downslope of the hill. The Germans retained a strong hold on the rest of the village. As it was getting late, we called it a day. At this point, the game could still have been won by both sides, but we assessed the current situation favoring the German chances by 60:40 and thus called it a German win.

This scenario so far has a very balanced record on ROAR (24:21 for the Russians). Depending how it is played, it can be a short and bloody affair, namely if the Russians dare a Human Wave for their opening move. At first I was a bit reserved about this scenario, because sometimes Andrew Rodgers' designs are too much of a hand-to-hand fistfight for my taste. In this case, I was positively surprised, and the reinforcements did their job in adding a well-timed maneuver element that allow both players to adapt to the situation and to shift the focus.


von Marwitz

Great to see you back in action. Your R&R is hopefully over.

 

[Michael R]

If the Crew would have been Unprotected as per D5.311, then it would have been subject to Pin/Break/K/*/KIA instead and thus would likely have either had to rout away or be killed outright. But I don't see, why a BU Crew of the SU-76 should be considered Unprotected. Am I missing something?

Nope, you are quite correct. I forgot that even stunning the SU-76 would still leave your units locked.

 

[M.Koch]

Brave little Suka

 

[Ray Woloszyn]

Panzerpioneers from the new Journal against Al Saltzman as the attacking Germans. Great Game, went the full length but a US victory. This is a fun scenario with a lot of maneuver required of the defender. Highly recommended but probably a bit pro-US.

I agree, it is pro-US. The Germans have got to throw everything at one sector, probably trying to dump some half squads from the half-tracks to add problems for the Americans so the PzIV's can get up to target a Sherman or two and dual it out. Dave Stephens and I played this today but we had to stop the game due to an illness in his family and he headed home. He had made little progress.