So what scenarios have you played Recently?

[Mister T]

The ROAR record of this scenario baffles me too.

I have seen a fair number of playings: two things I have seen many Russian players mess up is either a) being super conservative with their AFV, trying not to loose them, so running out of time or leaving their infantry to do the work alone and b) Russians infantry charging through open ground in stacks in LOS of Level 2 German MMGs, which is usually not wise.

Beyond that, two good players should be able to have a close game.....

I agree that the scenario probably does not deserve so unbalanced a record, yet i still think i would be more comfortable with the defender. Possibly something like 35/65

To put things into perspective, it's the only unbalanced scenario in the pack imo.

 

[Ganjulama]

I agree that the scenario probably does not deserve so unbalanced a record, yet i still think i would be more comfortable with the defender. Possibly something like 35/65

To put things into perspective, it's the only unbalanced scenario in the pack imo.

Scenario has a learning curve. I made a couple of mistakes that cost me as the Russian's at ASLOK vs. Woloszyn. That said, I only came up one VP short. I've seen a lot of close games that just don't seem to go the Russian's way. I've not seen if played with Russian balance, which if I remember correctly is to make all 6-2-8s AEs. This seems like too much to me.

 

[Eagle4ty]

Set up and played a portion of AP140 MISTY MORNING MAYHEM lately. This is one of the few scenarios that includes a +1 FOG (E3.31) effects that we both believe detracts significantly to the enjoyment of the scenario. With the Germans entering from off-board even with using road bonus it takes at about 3 turns to get most of your units into the fight because of the extra MP/MF one must expend (Fog is treated as SMOKE so an extra +1 per hex entered), and this is with the infantry double timing for at least 2 turns. Additionally when firing, one must add an additional +1 to firing out of Fog (SMOKE) as per E3.311...All Smoke rules otherwise apply normally. For the Americans this means even a BAZ or ATG immob shot at a stationary Adjacent Panther is going to be +7 DRM shot (+5 Delib immob, +1 Firing out of Smoke (FOG), +2 FOG TEM range, -1 Tgt Size); heaven forbid the vehicle is in Motion/Moved. With the plethora of hindrance terrain about along with bocage and walls, and the fact the Fog will never dissipate, very few shots are going to be made at much more than 1-2 hexes distance or CC though the American's can afford to stack with little threat to their often times lower morale to up their FP considerably; add in a defender in a stone building (which the Germans have to take control) and you're firing at a +7 DRM if adjacent [EXC: a Minus Mod Ldr directed shot] as an attacker. Additionally some HIP defenders can re-appear at game end to recapture a building left un-garrisoned by the Germans as they advance as the Germans simply don't have the troops or time to effectively check out all potenntial terrain and it's a steep road for the attackers under any circumstance let alone going into CC at a disadvantage for some German units (467's/468's vs 666/667 U.S.). For an historical representation of the engagement or for a study in differing aspects of esoteric ASL it may be a decent scenario; however for us the fun factor wasn't there.

 

[Fort]

I agree that the scenario probably does not deserve so unbalanced a record, yet i still think i would be more comfortable with the defender. Possibly something like 35/65

To put things into perspective, it's the only unbalanced scenario in the pack imo.

One of the three ASL scenarios I have played in over 3 years.

I think it's balanced fine -
around 60:40 or better, Fascists:Communists.

I had the Russians and it was a comfortable win vs a fairly experienced player, with me being way out of practice.
I'd take the Soviets any time.

 

[Gunner Scott]

You do not get road movement bonus in smoke. I forget where the rule is lol. I do agree, a very boring scenario.

Set up and played a portion of AP140 MISTY MORNING MAYHEM lately. This is one of the few scenarios that includes a +1 FOG (E3.31) effects that we both believe detracts significantly to the enjoyment of the scenario. With the Germans entering from off-board even with using road bonus it takes at about 3 turns to get most of your units into the fight because of the extra MP/MF one must expend (Fog is treated as SMOKE so an extra +1 per hex entered), and this is with the infantry double timing for at least 2 turns. Additionally when firing, one must add an additional +1 to firing out of Fog (SMOKE) as per E3.311...All Smoke rules otherwise apply normally. For the Americans this means even a BAZ or ATG immob shot at a stationary Adjacent Panther is going to be +7 DRM shot (+5 Delib immob, +1 Firing out of Smoke (FOG), +2 FOG TEM range, -1 Tgt Size); heaven forbid the vehicle is in Motion/Moved. With the plethora of hindrance terrain about along with bocage and walls, and the fact the Fog will never dissipate, very few shots are going to be made at much more than 1-2 hexes distance or CC though the American's can afford to stack with little threat to their often times lower morale to up their FP considerably; add in a defender in a stone building (which the Germans have to take control) and you're firing at a +7 DRM if adjacent [EXC: a Minus Mod Ldr directed shot] as an attacker. Additionally some HIP defenders can re-appear at game end to recapture a building left un-garrisoned by the Germans as they advance as the Germans simply don't have the troops or time to effectively check out all potenntial terrain and it's a steep road for the attackers under any circumstance let alone going into CC at a disadvantage for some German units (467's/468's vs 666/667 U.S.). For an historical representation of the engagement or for a study in differing aspects of esoteric ASL it may be a decent scenario; however for us the fun factor wasn't there.

 

[Carln0130]

You do not get road movement bonus in smoke. I forget where the rule is lol. I do agree, a very boring scenario.

B3.4......nope.

 

[MajorDomo]

Set up and played a portion of AP140 MISTY MORNING MAYHEM lately. This is one of the few scenarios that includes a +1 FOG (E3.31) effects that we both believe detracts significantly to the enjoyment of the scenario. With the Germans entering from off-board even with using road bonus it takes at about 3 turns to get most of your units into the fight because of the extra MP/MF one must expend (Fog is treated as SMOKE so an extra +1 per hex entered), and this is with the infantry double timing for at least 2 turns. Additionally when firing, one must add an additional +1 to firing out of Fog (SMOKE) as per E3.311...All Smoke rules otherwise apply normally. For the Americans this means even a BAZ or ATG immob shot at a stationary Adjacent Panther is going to be +7 DRM shot (+5 Delib immob, +1 Firing out of Smoke (FOG), +2 FOG TEM range, -1 Tgt Size); heaven forbid the vehicle is in Motion/Moved. With the plethora of hindrance terrain about along with bocage and walls, and the fact the Fog will never dissipate, very few shots are going to be made at much more than 1-2 hexes distance or CC though the American's can afford to stack with little threat to their often times lower morale to up their FP considerably; add in a defender in a stone building (which the Germans have to take control) and you're firing at a +7 DRM if adjacent [EXC: a Minus Mod Ldr directed shot] as an attacker. Additionally some HIP defenders can re-appear at game end to recapture a building left un-garrisoned by the Germans as they advance as the Germans simply don't have the troops or time to effectively check out all potenntial terrain and it's a steep road for the attackers under any circumstance let alone going into CC at a disadvantage for some German units (467's/468's vs 666/667 U.S.). For an historical representation of the engagement or for a study in differing aspects of esoteric ASL it may be a decent scenario; however for us the fun factor wasn't there.

Tried Misty today. Loaded up seven squads on seven panthers and headed for town.Every one else ran through the fog ASAP. The 57L killed one panther.

Threw in the towel on my German turn four as the prospect of bug hunting near thirty American concealed halfsquads in the five board 71 two level stone buildings (24 locations) looked as impossible as it would be boring.

I had captured the one separated board 71 and the one board 54 multihex buildings.

For the reasons Eagle4ty stated, this was easily the worst scenario I have played this year or for as long as I can remember.

 

[wrongway149]

Played AP135 Fuller's Folly (from AP14) last weekend, in a rather rare FtF opportunity.

Quick notes on the design: the US troops are denied Assault Fire to account for their use of Springfields instead of M-1 Garands - the "folly" that makes up the scenario title. This does indeed have a huge effect, especially since the Germans can often grow concealment thanks to the Bocage. They are given some form of range-2 MOL capability, but in my game this didn't help them much - with the +1 drm for non-AFV targets, the bonus is quite unreliable. My opponent didn't try to split his attacks into smaller fire groups so as to get more MOL drs, but since many attacks were against +1 or +2 TEM, I'm not sure if this would have helped.

If you were feeling the same same frustration as the real-life GIs (trying to get the job done without the best tools) - I will consider my mission accomplished

 

[asloser]

Scenario has a learning curve. I made a couple of mistakes that cost me as the Russian's at ASLOK vs. Woloszyn. That said, I only came up one VP short. I've seen a lot of close games that just don't seem to go the Russian's way. I've not seen if played with Russian balance, which if I remember correctly is to make all 6-2-8s AEs. This seems like too much to me.

I agree the learning curve is "the problem" here. The ROAR record most probably reflects two ASLers playing it once out of the box and never coming back at it. We discussed it after the game and got some better ideas for the Russian, and I'd be happy to try my luck as the Russian.

It is not a dog, I have designed and published a dog or two myself so I can tell the difference!

 

[Jacometti]

I agree that the scenario probably does not deserve so unbalanced a record, yet i still think i would be more comfortable with the defender. Possibly something like 35/65

To put things into perspective, it's the only unbalanced scenario in the pack imo.

Maybe next ASLOK we can play it, George....I'd gladly take the Germans !

 

[Philippe D.]

If you were feeling the same same frustration as the real-life GIs (trying to get the job done without the best tools) - I will consider my mission accomplished

I wasn't, but that's because I was playing the Germans

I'd say it's a good design - just not sure how much of a help the "MOL SSR" is to the Americans.

 

[JRKrejsa]

I wasn't, but that's because I was playing the Germans

I'd say it's a good design - just not sure how much of a help the "MOL SSR" is to the Americans.

They came in handy in our playing. SOME of the time...

 

[wrongway149]

They came in handy in our playing. SOME of the time...

Sounds like about right then --- after all --if they were THAT effective in real life, we would have heard more about them.

 

[JRKrejsa]

Sounds like about right then --- after all --if they were THAT effective in real life, we would have heard more about them.

Exactly. And a lot more units would have tried them. Officially and unofficially.

 

[JRKrejsa]

A Midnight Clear ASL OA 23. Bulge, ‘44. A meeting engagement after KGP was destroyed, with SS going one way, and paratroopers a different way. You hate to say you won because you diced your opponent; but it wasn’t my brilliance. The SS won the race to the bridge, but once the two sides came to blows, most of the CC went my way. And the SS could not pass an MC. They exited 5 VP, the Airborne 10.

Nice all infantry fight, in the woods, and a river valley, in the dark.

 

[JRKrejsa]

Winter's Fury FT 249 Italy, '44. US troops must defend the board 60 village as it is attacked from 2 sides, Italian Alpini on one side, Germans on the other. The Germans made towards the church from board 61, The Italians from the 58U9 area. The Italians made more progress against my split troops. Once onto the hill, I lost a melee, and had to fall back towards the 60P7 area. I was able to make a stand around the church and held out. US victory.

Nice scenario. Board 60 is underused, and it was nice to see it in this design.

 

[RevJJ]

My Buddy Rob Wirthlin and I got together last night for our annual holiday ASL game.

OA28 Where Iron Crosses Grow My Germans setup to heavily defend the fortified multihex building. I enclosed it in wire and had the 9-2 and a 9-1 on level 1 w/ 467s and MMGs. I had hipped 1/2 squads in the cellar and ran the trench line out of the cellar back to the P1 building. Foxholes littered back there too to provide faust threats and rout paths, etc. I hipped 2 half squads w/ shreks on the flanks protecting other AT assets on my back line. The Russians came on strong w/ 3 x T34-85s on my left flank. followed by infantry. My level 1 infantry took some long range shots to no avail. A T34-85 stopped two hexes away from my shreker on the left flank. I bounced it. Snakes from a leader led 2 flat AF shot killed them before they got a chance to prep @ an 8 to hit, My 75L gun caught a leader and a stack of 628s moving through the woods on the right flank. I broke one and pinned the other two. On my prep I malfunctioned the gun. My IVJ on the left that was now out flanked without a shrek kill/threat had to risk re-positioning and got killed. AL gone. Other IVJ malfunctioned its bmg. Another snakes from the Russian 10-2 led 24FP deathstar hit my 9-2 stack and I threw in the towel.

A few glasses of whiskey later to lick my wounds and ...

ASL Scenario V Auld Lang Syne from the General Vol 31, No 3. I took the Germans again this time on the attack. I setup a couple of over watch stacks on level 2 to soften the Americans and the rest launched from their stone building starting positions. Had a good Prep phase which allowed me to move up and get into position to take two buildings. I hit the HOB daily double and got a hero and battle hardening. I also got a Heroic 8-1. The Americans did tie me up for a few turns in Melee but I came out victorious eliminating a 666 in one of them. I brought one of the level 2 stacks down to assault and the other had good line of sight and kept broken units DMd. By Turn 6 I still had one building to take which resulted in the heroic 8-1 and a 467 taking out a 346 in CC. Last roll of the game. Can't ask for more tense than that.

 

[Jude]

Played BRT1 The Hawk as the defending Japanese. I figured it would be a cakewalk for the US marines. It started out badly for me as my HMG and then one of the MMGs broke down on back to back boxcars. Luckily, the marines had a hard time passing MCs. What almost swung the tide for me was getting ambush in pretty much every CC that occurred. Even though I whittled the US forces down, once Lt Hawk started making his presence felt my men started to go down like flies. By turn 4 (of 5.5) all I had left was one crew and the CVP total was reached. We made some mistakes with the new rules, but it was fun. I'm definitely glad we started with this scenario as we begin to play through the BRT scenarios. Fast scenario; both my friend and I would recommend it.

 

[Michael R]

Bruno L'Archeveque and I continue our foray into night actions with FrF48 BAD MOON RISING. This 1941 scenario by Peter Sruif and Chris Mazzei lives up to their reputation; the scenario is not ordinary. The two boards used, 24 and 42, are staggered, so there are some odd looking woods hexes along the board seam. The play area is slightly larger than two half boards. The SSR modify the night rules just a bit in terms of troop type and cloak counter allocation. The German defenders consist of ten squads with a normal collection of SW and leadership, but the addition of two Pak 36 pea shooters that are nice anti-infantry guns in this scenario. The Russians need to make some choices regarding their OBA. They have three infantry groups, of which they must select two, similarly they have two support groups (leaders, SW) of which they select two. The choices are interesting mix of quality or quantity. One infantry+support group attacks from the south edge of a single board, while a second infantry+support group attacks from east/south edge of the other board. The Russian objective is to take five or more stone buildings from the Germans.

The play area has a large pond in the German setup area, near the north edge. There are only two hexes between it and the board edge. I put only HIP forces in those two hex rows to try to lure one Russian group into a bottleneck. That plan actually worked. Bruno's other force used a gully to safely approach the German defence. There was no opportunity for the Germans to try for starshells during the first turn. The Germans obtained freedom of movement for the best leader on turn two. Two HS stacked with him were freed as well. This allowed me to move the two HS to counter the Russian movement along the west edge.

Bruno could not find any holes in the German defence, so ended up trying to force his way through. That fighting went more in favour of the Germans. The Russian ELR of 1 helped keep the Russians down once they broke. After six turns, with one Russian turn left, the Russians had taken three buildings. There were no easy buildings available to take, however, and Bruno felt he did not have enough infantry to take two more buildings by force so he conceded. I enjoyed this scenario and I hope I can try it as the Russian side one day.

The image below was taken at the end of the fourth Russian turn.

 

[von Marwitz]

I have played less than a dozen of Night scenarios. Almost all of them in a row, but alas not many enough to make the rules stick.

I remember FrF48 Bad Moon Rising as the best scenario of my foray into darkness. It was awesome fun!

von Marwitz