Philippe D.
Elder Member
BtB5 Martinville Ridge, played on VASL over a few evenings (we are not particularly fast players as we like to chat as well as playing)
A mix of German 548 and 447, with a trio of StuGs, try to take a hill (large BFP overlay: two-level hill with lots of (light) Bocage dividing it into 5-6 hex fields, with some Orchards thrown in that tend to cut a lot of different-level LOS) from a smaller force of US troops, with good MG support but lousy AT capability (a single Bazooka). Oh, and a customised Bombardment right before play starts, to the Americans are incited to start in the provided Foxholes.
I was playing the Germans. The Bombardment was hard on the Americans, breaking 3 out of 4 affected units. This, together with a lot of blocked LOS from Orchards (and Americans in Foxholes behind Bocage, meaning safe approach) let me push forward on the first turn: one StuG managed to cross Bocage and even climb to level 1, another Bogged down trying to do the same; the third one started a flanking maneuver to the west, followed by a platoon of 548 under cover of a Bocage-bordered Orchard-road.
This threw the American defense into a panic, as their HMGs (placed in Foxholes at the edge of the second level hill) quickly came under fire from the StuGs and my Infantry, which could easily regain concealment behind Bocage. As a result, the foxholes on the edge became death traps that prevented skulking, especially with heavy SWs.
In their second turn, the Germans didn't advance much, instead firing on whatever was still in sight; the Americans tried to reorganize their defense, moving behind the crest line and grabbing the Bocage on the plateau. Third turn, the early losses and lack of AT assets started to tell: one StuG managed to climb to level 2, with the Americans adjacent and holding the Wall Advantage but this let several German squads ascend in Advance Phase, some even retaining Concealment. My opponent didn't want to abandon his Wall Advantage (probably a smart move) and Prep Fired at the adjacent Germans, but this was ineffective; my Defensive Fire resulted in the loss of two more squads (including a CH by one of the StuGs, and another DR2 on a Flamethrower attack), and he conceded at the end of turn 3 (of 6).
The scenario seems hard on the Americans, and the ROAR record (24:12) shows this; but the scenario is still an interesting one to play, at least for anyone who likes the challenges of the Bocage. Adding a few more BAZ to the Americans would probably make the German armor more cautious.
Next up will be BtB7 Blood on Hill 192, another Bocage fight from the same pack - much larger, with the Americans attacking the same hill from the other side, only with many more toys and a lot of fortifications.
A mix of German 548 and 447, with a trio of StuGs, try to take a hill (large BFP overlay: two-level hill with lots of (light) Bocage dividing it into 5-6 hex fields, with some Orchards thrown in that tend to cut a lot of different-level LOS) from a smaller force of US troops, with good MG support but lousy AT capability (a single Bazooka). Oh, and a customised Bombardment right before play starts, to the Americans are incited to start in the provided Foxholes.
I was playing the Germans. The Bombardment was hard on the Americans, breaking 3 out of 4 affected units. This, together with a lot of blocked LOS from Orchards (and Americans in Foxholes behind Bocage, meaning safe approach) let me push forward on the first turn: one StuG managed to cross Bocage and even climb to level 1, another Bogged down trying to do the same; the third one started a flanking maneuver to the west, followed by a platoon of 548 under cover of a Bocage-bordered Orchard-road.
This threw the American defense into a panic, as their HMGs (placed in Foxholes at the edge of the second level hill) quickly came under fire from the StuGs and my Infantry, which could easily regain concealment behind Bocage. As a result, the foxholes on the edge became death traps that prevented skulking, especially with heavy SWs.
In their second turn, the Germans didn't advance much, instead firing on whatever was still in sight; the Americans tried to reorganize their defense, moving behind the crest line and grabbing the Bocage on the plateau. Third turn, the early losses and lack of AT assets started to tell: one StuG managed to climb to level 2, with the Americans adjacent and holding the Wall Advantage but this let several German squads ascend in Advance Phase, some even retaining Concealment. My opponent didn't want to abandon his Wall Advantage (probably a smart move) and Prep Fired at the adjacent Germans, but this was ineffective; my Defensive Fire resulted in the loss of two more squads (including a CH by one of the StuGs, and another DR2 on a Flamethrower attack), and he conceded at the end of turn 3 (of 6).
The scenario seems hard on the Americans, and the ROAR record (24:12) shows this; but the scenario is still an interesting one to play, at least for anyone who likes the challenges of the Bocage. Adding a few more BAZ to the Americans would probably make the German armor more cautious.
Next up will be BtB7 Blood on Hill 192, another Bocage fight from the same pack - much larger, with the Americans attacking the same hill from the other side, only with many more toys and a lot of fortifications.