So what scenarios have you played Recently?

JRKrejsa

Elder Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
3,667
Reaction score
1,094
Location
USA
Country
llUnited States
The Culling at Xiang River HoB LM3 Chinese Civil War, '34. ChiCom force tries to delay a large Nationalist group with two A/Cs, on boards 5 and 7. Both objective buildings are by the river, and the whole Communist OB starts HIP. I decided to use the Nationalist numbers, and advanced down the river bank, in one large mob. Some ambushes, but a steady push was fatal for the ChiComs. My opponent tried to flank, but this did not slow down my guys. I bogged both A/C in the woods... And never got them freed. But they had already done their jobs as moveable cover....

Interesting.
 

Michael R

Minor Hero
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Feb 4, 2003
Messages
4,622
Reaction score
4,162
Location
La Belle Province
First name
Michael
Country
llCanada
Bruno L'Archeveque and I have decided to do a few night scenarios. I had the first choice. I chose MM31 SEVASTAPOL BY SEA. This scenario by Dan Best has the added fun of assault boats.

The attacking German force of 19 squads and a crew start entirely in assault boats in the water of board 8. They can reach the shore on their first turn. A few hexes allow them to disembark immediately; most need to disembark in the advance phase. Being in assault boats means the Germans lose the advantage of Cloaking that the attacker normally has at night.

The Russians have 18 squad equivalents made up of 628, 458 and 248 units. There are 8 half squads that help the Russians to spread out the defence and make up a bit for the No Move counters. The Russians set up on board 58. They can use the entire board 58, but their 7 trenches and 8 foxholes must be on hill hexes. The Russians came with one 8+1 commissar and I swapped out a leader for a second commissar. The Russians can HIP five squad equivalents per the night rules. I placed my trenches to allow some skulking on each hill.

The NVR is a generous five, but it does not give the Russians much opportunity to fire at the assault boats in the water. I had only one or two shots before everyone beached.

Bruno had not played a night scenario in many years. He forgot how difficult it can be to lose the No Move counters. Had he remembered, he would have focussed on only the larger hill, which has just enough level 3 hexes to satisfy the VC. Instead, the Germans landed from one end of the map to the other. Of course it took time to build some fire groups and send the troops forwad. The Russians were aided by the open ground that the Germans needed to cross, and by rolling starshells in reasonable quantities. The Germans took a fair number of casualties approaching the mountains. Their 82mm MTR started behind buildings for its IR capability. After Bruno brought it forward to try to lay smoke, it malfunctioned. The Germans took their first level three hex during their fifth turn. The Russian sniper had taken out the 9-2, which cause the infantry manning the HMG to break. By the beginning of the sixth German turn, the Russian casualties had almost caught up to the German casualties. Bruno felt that his Germans did not have enough manpower to win.

The image below is at the end of turn three.

10889
 
Last edited:

Ray Woloszyn

"Fire and Movement"
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Messages
4,080
Reaction score
1,215
Location
Kernersville, NC
First name
Ray
Country
llUnited States
I played oldie but goodie Far from Home [AP53] against Chuck Payne yesterday. I was doing well getting eight of the nine VP's through turn three but turn four became a nightmare when his six PzKpfw I's tore up my infantry defense. When my reinforcing two T-26's arrived one was immobilized and the other shocked. The TWO effect rolls from the German Panzers were too much for my tanks and despite a B11 Chuck never broke a MA and only lost one tank. It was pretty much over by turn five though a turn six suicide attack by my infantry made things closer but not enough to call it quits at that point.
Fun scenario.
 

Danno

Ost Front Fanatic
Joined
Mar 12, 2005
Messages
1,472
Reaction score
873
Location
Land of OZ
Country
llUnited States
Bruno had not played a night scenario in many years. He forgot how difficult it can be to lose the No Move counters. Had he remembered, he would have focussed on only the larger hill, which has just enough level 3 hexes to satisfy the VC.
Nailed it! The Germans must concentrate their forces and go all in at one target. Or their attack dissipates in the night. Great write up and analysis.
 

Kijug

Senior Member
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
418
Reaction score
390
Location
Texas
First name
Matt
Country
llUnited States
Just played ASL 29, "The Globus Raid" with a JROTC young teenager I've been teaching (future marine!) All in all, fun. However, how are the Germans supposed to win? ROAR shows it about 3:1 in German favor, but I (Germans) got smashed.

The Partisans have 11x5-2-7 and the Germans have 7x2-3-7 HS with one 4-4-7/LMG/8-0 "kill stack". The OB specifies the Germans with one HS here and there--spread out. The Partisans bunched on the east side and quickly went through the wire on the first turn. There was only one or two German 2-3-7s available to fire...and missed. Next few Partisan turns, the Partisans advanced onto a few Germans and a few CCs later and the Germans were down a few units. By turn five, both hexes of building 22I7 were rubbled and a last stand of the German "kill stack" in the large stone building got swarmed. Two remaining HS to stop the exit failed with more Germans going down. Hard to win CC with 1:4 odds for the Germans and 3:1 or 4:1 for the Partisans (527+leader or 2x5-2-7 vs 1x2-3-7).

In general play, folks seem to shy away away from CC as a general rule given its risks. However, with two 5-2-7s vs a single 2-3-7, mowing down Germans in CC seemed like a cake walk. With 11 units, the risk of getting stuck in Melee (which did happen a few times) isn't that big a deal. Trying to fire Germans 2-3-7 at OG advancing Partisans with 2 FP -2 DRM (FFMO/FFNAM) just wasn't enough to stop the advance.

The only thing I can conclude for the 1/3rd of the folks that won as the Germans was that either a) the Partisans had a hard time getting through the wire (dice), b) the Partisans were spread thin enough across the advancing line (bad strategy?), or c) just a lucky dice game for the Germans. The balance was for the Germans to swap a HS for a 4-4-7. I'm not sure that would have been enough. I'm even wondering if one whole additional 4-4-7 would be enough.

In the end, every single German was eliminated. The Germans did manage to kill one squad and reduce two other squads to HS.

Thoughts/comments? Who has won as the Germans and what did you do?

Thanks!
 

buser333

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Messages
940
Reaction score
419
Location
central WI
Just played ASL 29, "The Globus Raid" with a JROTC young teenager I've been teaching (future marine!) All in all, fun. However, how are the Germans supposed to win? ROAR shows it about 3:1 in German favor, but I (Germans) got smashed.

The Partisans have 11x5-2-7 and the Germans have 7x2-3-7 HS with one 4-4-7/LMG/8-0 "kill stack". The OB specifies the Germans with one HS here and there--spread out. The Partisans bunched on the east side and quickly went through the wire on the first turn. There was only one or two German 2-3-7s available to fire...and missed. Next few Partisan turns, the Partisans advanced onto a few Germans and a few CCs later and the Germans were down a few units. By turn five, both hexes of building 22I7 were rubbled and a last stand of the German "kill stack" in the large stone building got swarmed. Two remaining HS to stop the exit failed with more Germans going down. Hard to win CC with 1:4 odds for the Germans and 3:1 or 4:1 for the Partisans (527+leader or 2x5-2-7 vs 1x2-3-7).

In general play, folks seem to shy away away from CC as a general rule given its risks. However, with two 5-2-7s vs a single 2-3-7, mowing down Germans in CC seemed like a cake walk. With 11 units, the risk of getting stuck in Melee (which did happen a few times) isn't that big a deal. Trying to fire Germans 2-3-7 at OG advancing Partisans with 2 FP -2 DRM (FFMO/FFNAM) just wasn't enough to stop the advance.

The only thing I can conclude for the 1/3rd of the folks that won as the Germans was that either a) the Partisans had a hard time getting through the wire (dice), b) the Partisans were spread thin enough across the advancing line (bad strategy?), or c) just a lucky dice game for the Germans. The balance was for the Germans to swap a HS for a 4-4-7. I'm not sure that would have been enough. I'm even wondering if one whole additional 4-4-7 would be enough.

In the end, every single German was eliminated. The Germans did manage to kill one squad and reduce two other squads to HS.

Thoughts/comments? Who has won as the Germans and what did you do?

Thanks!
It should be quite tough for the Partisans to get through a wall of wire, set a couple DCs to blowup Building I7, and then race for the edge through a lot of open ground to cross another wall of wire to make it off the board in only 8 Turns. All this while the Germans sit comfy and cozy in their big stone building. In the game I played as the Partisans (and lost) I didn't blow up the building until Turn 6. That was probably one Turn too late. That being said, since you played the updated version perhaps the extra 5-2-7 and 8-1 made enough difference. The extra leader would certainly help to get more units through the wire. Or perhaps your opponent was just extra lucky and you were not. You're looking at an outdated report based upon the original scenario. The updated version is 0-0 on ROAR. Ideally these tweaks to older scenarios make them more balanced, but sometimes they can even swing the balance strongly one way to strongly another. Perhaps that is the case here.
 
Last edited:

Kijug

Senior Member
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
418
Reaction score
390
Location
Texas
First name
Matt
Country
llUnited States
Here is approximate setup and after Russian turn one (as best I recall). Stack M2 moved to L2 and got stuck on the wire. Stack L1 moved over the roadblock and CC'd (killing) the Germans. Stack N2 moved over the wire into the brush. Stack O4 moved over the wire and would go to kill the Germans. Unfortunately, bad rolls and FP 2 w/ -2 DRM or FP 4 w/ -2 DRM didn't phase the Partisans. My Germans in P8 would move around to K9 to get OG shots at J6. The "trap" worked great for a shot...but no damage. By then German in I7 would get CC'd and killed.

Anyway, OG shots from 2-3-7 w/ -2 DRM just didn't do the trick (bad luck dice?) Then the Partisans stormed the "factory" and the German "kill stack" couldn't survive. By mid/late game the victory building was rubbled and the eight or so 5-2-7 Partisans remaining, just sort of walked off. I couldn't move the back to Germans for quite a while, given the SSR TI move limitations. I did make use of the 3 range vs 2 range to get full FP when the Partisans got 1/2 FP. But 2 FP just doesn't cut it; a few broken Partisans, but they rallied with three leaders roaming around. I couldn't waste shots keeping them DM.

Hmmm... Again, the wire didn't slow things down. That said, the roadblock is fairly easy to move through, you can even risk overstacking a little to get more troops through. Even if the wire wasted a turn or two, it seems eight turns is rather long. The Partisans certainly were not in a hurry and taking their time. Six turns and 20 VP, perhaps. Seems drastic, but it would make the Partisans hurry more and less likely to CC.

My young teenager friend isn't on ROAR so I cannot post the results for this updated version.

Thanks!

10919
10920
 

jrv

Forum Guru
Joined
May 25, 2005
Messages
21,998
Reaction score
6,206
Location
Teutoburger Wald
Country
llIceland
Stack N2 moved over the wire into the brush. Stack O4 moved over the wire and would go to kill the Germans.
You do know that each unit moving in a stack rolls its own separate wire dr, right?

q&a:
B26.4 Is a stack that has declared movement with a leader a “Unit” when moving under wire, so that only one dr is required for the stack?
A. No; each individual unit has to make its own Wire exit dr.
JR
 

Ganjulama

Tuco B.P.J. Maria Ramirez
Joined
Oct 30, 2003
Messages
2,305
Reaction score
1,090
Location
Wilmington, NC
Country
llUnited States
You do know that each unit moving in a stack rolls its own separate wire dr, right?
Thanks JR. Something I've been getting wrong for years.....What is the base MF for a stack? Does each unit have a MF of '6' since they are stacked with a leader?
 

jrv

Forum Guru
Joined
May 25, 2005
Messages
21,998
Reaction score
6,206
Location
Teutoburger Wald
Country
llIceland
What is the base MF for a stack? Does each unit have a MF of '6' since they are stacked with a leader?
I'm not sure what "base MF" is. It's not a term I have heard before.

Units need not be moving with a leader to move in a stack [A4.2]. There are times when it makes sense for a group of units to move as a stack without a leader. For example if the enemy has a +5 "soft" hindrance attack with a MG but will likely put down a firelane, it might make sense to move as a stack because the initial +5 hindered attack is much less likely to cause damage than moving through through the firelane. Also a squad carrying a heavy (e.g. 5 PP) SW might move as a stack with a hero to get the 1PP portage share even though the hero does not give the leader MF bonus.

My understanding of "moving as a stack" is that if a stack tries to move under wire, all units roll their wire dr and the maximum dr applies to the stack, again per A4.2.

JR
 

Kijug

Senior Member
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
418
Reaction score
390
Location
Texas
First name
Matt
Country
llUnited States
Yea, we got that wrong. We did one dr for the whole stack. That said, based on above, each MMC (if stacked with a leader) would roll a dr but have up to 6 MF to wiggle through the wire. Good to clarify.

Thanks!
 

jrv

Forum Guru
Joined
May 25, 2005
Messages
21,998
Reaction score
6,206
Location
Teutoburger Wald
Country
llIceland
That said, based on above, each MMC (if stacked with a leader) would roll a dr but have up to 6 MF to wiggle through the wire.
If you spend one MF moving onto the wire and move with a stack of one leader and three squads, the odds are around 52% that no one will roll the six, and around 48% that the stack will hang up on the wire. That's substantially worse than the 83% chance of getting through if you only make one dr. If you spend more MF to get on the wire, the odds that the stack will be hung up are higher of course. And if the stack starts on the wire it gets through automatically.

JR
 

JRKrejsa

Elder Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
3,667
Reaction score
1,094
Location
USA
Country
llUnited States
The Closer ASL AP142 Normandy '44, Germans trying to break through- escape Canadians in the new village board, 12a. The Germans came on, crossing the river/ steam on either side of the church. At first, I did well, inflicting same damage on the on coming horde. Then the Panzers showed up- I lost most of the tank duels, but did kill the Panther and Puma. But, this cost me 4 Shermans, including the Firefly..... I looked like I might have slowed them down enough, but my chewed up Canadians weren't up to the task.... A Pz4, and a Tiger exited, as well as some Infantry and Fallschirmjager.
German win., good scenario.
 

Khill

Elder Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2004
Messages
2,188
Reaction score
792
Location
MAINE
Country
llIceland
Played Fuller's Folly [AP135] last Sunday against neighbor Derek (Ritter). This is one of Pete Shelling's shopping list scenarios where the defender buys non-FDA approved supplements to his OB.

There was little time for Derek's Amis to take the hill which obviated the shortest approach. However, I spread out just in case the Americans do a student body right but was able to concentrate just in time to stop the assault. I bought some HIP and concealments given that the area of attack is so wide it would be shear chance that the mines and wire would pose much of an obstacle. Anyway, I have a habit of forgetting my minefield locations and end up moving onto them myself.

The battle will culminate on turns five and six as all the six morale American units advance to face German prep fire from their eight morale units with Height Advantage. ROAR is 2 Germans wins versus three American wins. I am curious how this scenario will end up over time. The scenario plays quickly, two to three hours, and is all infantry with two German 81mm mortars. Hand Grenades used by the Americans' strong pitching staff are added chrome.

Sven and I played this one today. we diced for sides, I got the defending Germans. he more or less pushed up through the center. the Germans were able to keep enough pressure forward while slowly falling back to make for slow going for the Amis. by the end of Amis turn 5 he had but a few MMC clustered in the woods in front of the hill in the center. no way he was gonna make the VC conditions so he conceded. it was fun and it is always good to get in a game with Steve but we both though it is tough on the Amis
 

Ray Woloszyn

"Fire and Movement"
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Messages
4,080
Reaction score
1,215
Location
Kernersville, NC
First name
Ray
Country
llUnited States
Sven and I played this one today. we diced for sides, I got the defending Germans. he more or less pushed up through the center. the Germans were able to keep enough pressure forward while slowly falling back to make for slow going for the Amis. by the end of Amis turn 5 he had but a few MMC clustered in the woods in front of the hill in the center. no way he was gonna make the VC conditions so he conceded. it was fun and it is always good to get in a game with Steve but we both though it is tough on the Amis
I think the Americans need to set up a fire base on the two hills in front of the victory hill in order to allow for suppressing fire and keeping the Germans off balance. Of course, the German will probably have his mortar sited in on those hills.
 

asloser

The Head Tuomo of the Finnish ASL Community
Joined
Jan 29, 2003
Messages
1,047
Reaction score
1,593
Location
Klaukkala-Finland
Country
llFinland
Quick write-up of my games in October and November. Nice to have the ability play on a regular basis.

AP62 Shouting Into the Storm

This one I played the attacking Germans against Lars Thuring. My attack rolled nicely until mid-game when I ran into 100L gun in the middle which bagged two StuGs, flanking 57LL gun forcing my King Tigers into alternate routes and a .50 cal with never-ending ROF stalling my infantry.

The endgame centered on the board10 victory building. I managed to maneuver my remaining StuGs to kill JS-IIs. In return one of my King Tigers was immobilized on an ESB attempt and another fell into cellar when I drove it into building to blast the final Russian defensive positions.

In the last turn I managed to get the last Russian pocket in the victory building into CC and luckily enough killed them at last possible CC roll. Great game, cool scenario.

KGP7 The Bridge at Cheneux

My 2019 comeback to Ardennes continued with this one which I had never played before. I was German and Rami Saarinen was US. We played this in VASL over couple of sessions. I was a bit too bold with my halftrack loaded with squad and 9-2 leader and MMG shot stunned the AFV and PF shot by a paratrooper killed and burned the halftrack. Still was able to pull my defenses around the bridge where my hevy weapons were and managed to hold long enough to keep US out of the bridge. It has been fun to revisit KGP.

HF1 Black Day in Hatten

I played the third game of Hatten against Timo Kärnä. This one turned out to be a one-sided affair – I got down nice amount of WP on the first turn and got the attack rolling nicely with Hellcats supporting it. Timo Xed out the PSK as soon as it was possible and I took out the German defenders methodically. I won this one handily, the initial move went very well because of the WP screen and Timo did not get a break. This is not a bad scenario but the others I have played (HF2 and HF3) are batter, mainly because both sides have armor on them.

FT229 A Push in the Bush

As we had some time remaining we played a small one out if LFT14. In this one I played the Italians and managed to stop the initial rush and reorganize my defenders. I entered my aromor and managed to contain Timos attackers. The interesting part of this scenario is the placement of the overlays, not a bad for a scenario to fill an hour or two.

AP65 Baw Drop

This was again played against Rami Saarinen using VASL. I was the British. The supply counters landed very well into the village and close to it. Still this one proved to be difficult for British, as the Japanese have 4 leaders, 3 mortars and a DC you are facing continuous barrage of smoke/WP, DC hero and multiple Banzais. In the end I just ran out of bodies to defend. I think this is a difficult one for the British if the Japanese player plays an aggressive game.

RPT85 Choiseul Few

I played this with my old friend Tommi Kangasmaa. I realized later that we screwed up a few things and our playing did not do the scenario justice. But it sure is a very interesting situation and I will be sure to play it again properly.
 
Top