Jude
Senior Member
Played A4 Beyond the Blue Beach as the attacking Germans. Decent scenario. Definitely old school. Ten(!) turns for the Germans to either get two tanks (of four) off the playing area for an instant win, or one by game's end as long as they have more CVP than the Americans. With so many turns, I took it very slow. I concentrated on the two American ART pieces and succeeded in knocking both out (one to a long range tank MG shot on a loaded truck and the other to a CR MC roll). I stayed at least four hexes away from suspected BAZ locations (anything with two pieces topped by a concealment) and crept my tanks up. By turn four I was in position for a one move win. The Americans had one of the aforementioned stacks next to a wooded road at the edge of the playing area. I knew where one BAZ was due to a fumble by my friend when he moved a stack and toppled it. I was pretty sure about the locations of two others but not the last. I decided the hell with it and risked the move on turn 5. I figured he would need a 5 To Hit with all the modifiers so it was worth a try. If he got it, all the other tanks would have to run back two boards if my armor leader failed a TC before they could try again. I drove up and...nothing! It was a squad with a MMG trying to trick me while the other bazooka teams were working their way into position. Game.
I liked it because the Germans have so much time to chip away at the Americans and slowly work their way up. Ideally, if the Germans can take out the two ART pieces, they can move three tanks close for a one turn exit and risk a BAZ shot (something I thought about after the game). Even if the first tank gets taken out, the trailing armor leader should pass the TC and the other two can then exit. If not, with 10 turns, they can regroup and still have plenty of time to try again. Without the ART guns, the Americans are at a big disadvantage with so much ground to defend. Even with them, they need to find HEAT or a side shot to have a decent chance of taking out one of the MK IVs. Even though it is 10 turns long, it plays very fast. With a 70.5% win rate on ROAR for the Germans in 34 games, I'm not sure the American balance of adding three foxholes would really make any difference. Maybe adding one more BAZ (tougher) or deleting a couple of turns (more reasonable) might be better - but I wouldn't want to do that; having 10 turns (and not a ton of pieces) is what made it fun!
I liked it because the Germans have so much time to chip away at the Americans and slowly work their way up. Ideally, if the Germans can take out the two ART pieces, they can move three tanks close for a one turn exit and risk a BAZ shot (something I thought about after the game). Even if the first tank gets taken out, the trailing armor leader should pass the TC and the other two can then exit. If not, with 10 turns, they can regroup and still have plenty of time to try again. Without the ART guns, the Americans are at a big disadvantage with so much ground to defend. Even with them, they need to find HEAT or a side shot to have a decent chance of taking out one of the MK IVs. Even though it is 10 turns long, it plays very fast. With a 70.5% win rate on ROAR for the Germans in 34 games, I'm not sure the American balance of adding three foxholes would really make any difference. Maybe adding one more BAZ (tougher) or deleting a couple of turns (more reasonable) might be better - but I wouldn't want to do that; having 10 turns (and not a ton of pieces) is what made it fun!