SP142 To No Avail

[ON TOP ASL]

Hi!

Played this scenario yesterday and the design "growed" during play, very cool idea with lots of fortification possibilities for defender.

Currently the ROAR stat are 10-3 in favour of German (8-2 at time we played it). This lead me to think of this scenario as it perhaps seems to be played in 2 different fashions.
As it should not favour the german as currently ROAR indicates, IMO.

Play possibilities.
1. As a normal ASL scenario with Board 49, and 1 defenders with a forward setup to slow down an assault.
2. Use the SSR given fortifications to create 'fortress' in VC-locations with Tunnels, Fort Buildings, Wire, AP-mines + RB Cellars.

I guess that if the recorded playings all had been from experienced RedB players, the ROAR stat would possibly be 10-3 in favor of russian by now!

My opponent and I played a regular basic straightforward ASL game of this scenario (although he sat up most troops and AFV's in VC-building in the rear) - it was a german victory. We forgot upper level and my opponent did not use RB Cellar or exchanged a fortified building with Tunnel.

At end of T3 I had NO leaders left onboard as German player, The FT did not enter play on whole scenario. My opponent managed to Malf, AT-Gun, MMG, and a LMG. In T4 I had troops in the rear VC-building. The game went to last Turn, with me winning a CC to gain Victory and only 2CVP points away from a loss of scenario. Very good/fun ending!

If the russian player seems to loose, use your russian tank assets very agressively, the CVP cap is a good last way out to save scenario. German AFV's are very low odds survivals.

Dont shy away from this scenario because of preliminary ROAR result, this design has a lot more depth than it first appear looking only at the OB's.

A well crafted scenario that bears the high standard design mark of Shelling without any flaws! Highly Recommended.

 

[Houlie]

Played this one as the Russians and was able to win on Turn 4 with good dice at the right moments. Agreed this has a lot of options and subtleties. The CVP cap is key and forces some caution for the SS once the halftracks start going down.

Entered this game when ROAR showed 7-1 for the Germans and thought this would be a tough one to win against a very skilled player. Indeed, the Russian has his hands full in this one, but the German must work very efficiently.

As the Russians, I set up back with only one 458 up front. My thinking was the SS firepower too devastating to survive long up front and broken units would be unable to rout back to the factory. If that were the case, I wouldn't have much of a chance to stop those jack-booted thugs. I did exchange a FF location for a tunnel between the two victory buildings, and placed one FF in each in the two buildings. All wire was placed in the road on the Russian left flank with mines in the woods to the right of the wire and in the dirt road hex in the center.

The ATR was set up front in the factory with the 9-1 and the 45LL was in the back building to cover the right flank. The ATR bagged two HTs which help the communist cause immensely and adding 10 CVPs. I was very fortunate to win considering I was perhaps a bit too aggressive with my armor, in one case, blundering right in front of his 75* HT. "HEAT, yes, TH, yes, TK, burn."

Agreed, a fun scenario with many options for both sides. I have heard others say this has gone down to the last cc as well. Another Shelling classic.

Cheers!

 

[wrongway149]

Agreed, a fun scenario with many options for both sides. I have heard others say this has gone down to the last cc as well. Another Shelling classic.

Cheers!

This is what makes a scenario well-balanced, regardless of ROAR record. Glad you liked it.

Although when I read the record a month or so ago, I would have sworn it was pro-Russian.

Must've had my contacts in backwards. :nuts:

 

[Ronnblom]

This scenario is on my play-list. Definitely looks like the most interesting from the new Schwerpunkt. I've heard good things about it from other Swedish ASL-players as well.

("Aufklärings Abteilung 2" should be "SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2", though, so not to be confused with German Army's 2. Panzer-Division's recon battalion.)

 

[Carln0130]

FWIW, played this one at WO. I had the Germans and it was a last CC roll event also. I got the win, but it wasn't in the "had it all the way" category for sure. I think this one will even up some on ROAR over time.