SP253 De Zwarte Duivels - AAR

von Marwitz

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SP253 De Zwarte Duivels - AAR

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Early war west-front action which pits German defenders vs. Dutch elite attackers. The Germans have to gain more VP basically by holding building(s) on the 'dutch' side of a canal while remaining Good Order and in LOS to it. They can attempt to reinforce their Kameraden on the 'dutch' side, but only across two bridges. As the Dutch have a 9-2 and a HMG and an Armored Car section, this is tricky business...

I had the Germans in this one. The plan - of course - was to hold the big building on the 'dutch' side, prevent the Dutch forces from closing in and to get some reinforcements across the canal. Tricky to begin with, but I was stopped cold by the Dutch 9-2+HMG going on a ROF tear in four subsequent phases, including three snakes, which left 'my side' of the canal in a shambles and destroyed my HMG per Random SW destruction.

Of course, this emboldened the Dutch to close in and all what I could do was to attempt to delay them in the process. In this, I had some success but my opponents numbers were overwhelming and he was ahead of me with regard to VP despite I had successfully sneaked one 467+ATR across the canal.

In German Turn 4, some of my Germans in the big building were already engaged in Melee but held on. A broken 548 needed to recover on a 7 and rolles Snakes. The subsequent HoB roll was a 12, so he surrendered to adjacent Dutch which had happily dropped Concealment and declared No Quarter. This was a severe blow!

However, my Germans on 'my side' had recoverd in a dead angle from the Dutch 9-2+HMG, and as there was nothing to lose but the game, they made an attempt for the bridge to get across. The first HS was fired on and had to pass a 1MC. It rolled Snakes and went Berserk! Perfect! The HS charged into its attackers and thus opened the way for the following Kameraden which only would have to navigate that 1 @ -2 Resdiual FP attack. Which none of them did as all of them broke. The ensuing CC went in German favor but basically, the game was lost.

In the last Dutch halfturn, my opponent decided to up his chances in Melee by advancing many of his men in as a reinforcement. This actually presented me with a theoretical chance to win this game if - against the odds - he would fail in Melee while I succeded.

In the event, the final VP tally ended up 9 to 7 in favor for the Dutch. I had come closer to turn this one than I had thought after the catastrophic beginning. Losing a 548 surrendering himself after HoB only to be killed and 1.5 squads plus an 8-1 leader all succumbing to a 1 @ -2 RFP proved to much to make up for by my other heroic defenders. Dutch win.


von Marwitz
 

Jacometti

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I played this at ASLOK the year it was published and found it a complete failure.

The Dutch should just focus on capturing as Prisoners some of the Germans on their side of the canal and keep their AC out of harm's way. Against that strategy, I could not see any reasonable German answer.
 

lightspeed

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I played this at ASLOK the year it was published and found it a complete failure.

The Dutch should just focus on capturing as Prisoners some of the Germans on their side of the canal and keep their AC out of harm's way. Against that strategy, I could not see any reasonable German answer.

I'm not as convinced as you are...I have won as the Dutch twice* and the Germans twice. I think
the Germans have a tougher time to be sure.

*Played as the Dutch at a tournament. Got quite lucky on turn 1, my sniper killed the only German
leader on the Dutch side of the canal. Then the MTR got a CH on Germans trying to cross the BB5
bridge. My opponent resigned on turn 2, as he was not going to risk the residual the MTR left
on the bridge. Since it went so quickly, we played it again. He resigned again on turn 2 as I had two
lucky fire phases and his ML 8 guys in stone buildings broke like crystal.

My opponent, John Johnson was extremely gracious and had every right to curse my immense
good luck.

Curiously, ROAR has this as 12-10 Dutch.

indy
 
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