Sugarloaf Hill Playtesting Underway!!!

Gordon

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I want to know what Sean Connery did to rise from the rank of Private invading Sword Beach on D-Day to the rank of Major General in the 1st Airborne Division in 4 months!
 

Eagle4ty

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I want to know what Sean Connery did to rise from the rank of Private invading Sword Beach on D-Day to the rank of Major General in the 1st Airborne Division in 4 months!
Haven't you ever seen the Dirty Dozen?:giggle:
 

witchbottles

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In the Royal Navy, the tot of rum/grog was abolished as late as 1970. It took them until then to have 'enough concerns that regular intakes of alcohol would lead to unsteady hands when working machinery'. Sherlok Holmes would have remarked: "'Splendidly fathomed, Watson!"

Then again, I think it took the British to formally declare the mounted lance obsolete until 1946...

If this weren't enough, the British had this dude John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill, who would probably have fiercely insisted that he is Scottish known for his trademark of a Scottish broadsword slung around his waist, a longbow and arrows around his neck and his bagpipes under his arm who served in WW2 and allegedly shot a German with his longbow.

However, we have to give it to the Americans, who outdid him: It was John James Rambo, who as late as after 1979 shot down a Russian attack helicopter with bow and arrow in Afghanistan.


von Marwitz
Grog is still an official USMC issue. It occurs on the Marine Corps Birthday, and the issue is made by the President of the United States to the Marine Corps Band, following the traditional naval recipe for grog. Each Marine present receives one tot, the Marine Band Drum Major receives two tots, which he traditionally shares the second with the President.

Politics aside, the tradition still continues to this day, and represents an official in the regs issue of grog to American troops on active service. It is the only remaining official issue of spirits to the troops in America.
 

witchbottles

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Happy New Year! Any updates on Sugarloaf? I'm hoping that it is still moving along the publishing path. - Cheers!
I am but a lowly playtest and proofreading volunteer. This is Chad's project. I do not know his plans on if/when he will ever submit it or publish it.
 

TopT

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Grog is still an official USMC issue. It occurs on the Marine Corps Birthday, and the issue is made by the President of the United States to the Marine Corps Band, following the traditional naval recipe for grog. Each Marine present receives one tot, the Marine Band Drum Major receives two tots, which he traditionally shares the second with the President.

Politics aside, the tradition still continues to this day, and represents an official in the regs issue of grog to American troops on active service. It is the only remaining official issue of spirits to the troops in America.
Grog is also a must at every MC Mess Night! Mess Nights are the absolute best.
 

witchbottles

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Grog is also a must at every MC Mess Night! Mess Nights are the absolute best.
Yes. Mess nights were always an enjoyable experience. Mess Dress looks outstanding, way better than simple Dress Blue Alphas.

Mess Nights are optional to attend, but grog is always present, in the apportioned naval recipe. 7 tots per NCO, one for each of the 7 traditional toasts.

Usually by the end of the evening, we were pretty toasted ourselves.....

:)

We always obtained dedication champagne flutes for our Mess Nights, with the parent command and the date inscribed on the glass, under a pair of crossed NCO swords and the EGA topping it all off.

We had good connections back then with local wineries who made stuff like that for us.

Grog is typically always present as well at Birthday Balls for the Corps. Traditionally, the first tot being served to the guest of honor by the senior SNCO present. That is an optional event as well, but I still attend every MC Ball I can get to, as retired Marines are always welcome.
 

witchbottles

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I want to know what Sean Connery did to rise from the rank of Private invading Sword Beach on D-Day to the rank of Major General in the 1st Airborne Division in 4 months!
As I understand it, Urquhart was holding the rank title of GOC at the time of Market-Garden, rather than just Major General.

I am not 100% familiar with rank formalities in the British Services, but I believe that GOC puts one on the same level as any other GOC, regardless of date of rank. (Please correct me if I am wrong). One of course would be equivalent then as any other divisional GOC, even if the other Major Generals acting as divisional GOCs outranked you by way of date of rank or commission.

I just learned, and was previously unaware of, Urquhart's role in the Malayan Insurgency.

Interesting reading.
 

witchbottles

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I want to know what Sean Connery did to rise from the rank of Private invading Sword Beach on D-Day to the rank of Major General in the 1st Airborne Division in 4 months!
He was a CB affixed after his name, Urquhart that is. No idea when it was awarded. Perhaps someone has access to that information?

As for Connery. I think he did some dirty work for Ian Fleming's MI 5 detachment in between The Longest Day and the jump on Holland.

:)
 

sunoftzu

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Euan Dennison and I got underway with playtesting this awesome product. Completed 2 turns of the first scenario. I formed all the USMCs into platoons, which used armored assault to get on to the board. Usually I wouldn't make such target rich stacks for the Japanese, but it's that or dance in the open. Marines have to pick their poison. I got everyone on okay, but got very little smoke/WP help. In turn 2, the Japanese AT gun brewed a M4, then shredded a fire team some 13 hexes away (with the help of back-to-back-to-back snakeyes). At least the surviving M4s
landed a number of direct fire hits and have broken the crew. Still need to find 3 caves. Euan's cave dwelling Japanese are playing reclusive for now....

16634
 
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wlee123

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Euan Dennison and I got underway with playtesting this awesome product. Completed 2 turns of the first scenario. I formed all the USMCs into platoons, which used armored assault to get on to the board. Usually I wouldn't make such target rich stacks for the Japanese, but it's that or dance in the open. Marines have to pick their poison. I got everyone on okay, but got very little smoke/WP help. In turn 2, the Japanese AT gun brewed a M4, then shredded a fire team some 13 hexes away (with the help of back-to-back-to-back snakeyes). At least the surviving M4s
landed a number of direct fire hits and have broken the crew. Still need to find 3 caves. Euan's cave dwelling Japanese are playing reclusive for now....

View attachment 16634
I can't wait to give this one a try. Please keep the reports coming!
 

sunoftzu

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I can't wait to give this one a try. Please keep the reports coming!
This is indeed an awesome product.

At the risk of being Captain Obvious, I recommend cutting your teeth on Kakazu Ridge in the meantime....

( that's good stuff, too - especially the Spigot Mortar Caves !!! )

John.
 

sunoftzu

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2 more turns of BD-01 "Opening Probe" done.

I've grabbed a trench (for now), and this gives the Marines a bit of initiative, as now the Japanese have to make tough choices as to whom to fire at. The Marine MCs have been a little patchy, but it was good of I15 to pass a 3MC (albeit pinned) when a DC Hero got through my protecting fire. One more HIP cave remains. The Marines need to control both trenches and control/destroy 1 cave to win, or control/destroy 3 caves with 1.5 turns left. It still looks hard, but I think my Marines definitely have a sniff.....16909
 

wlee123

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This is indeed an awesome product.

At the risk of being Captain Obvious, I recommend cutting your teeth on Kakazu Ridge in the meantime....

( that's good stuff, too - especially the Spigot Mortar Caves !!! )

John.
Definitely. I have KZR and have played 2 scenarios so far. It's a blast. Glad to see this one progressing!
 

sunoftzu

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Euan and I finished our playing of BD-001 "Opening Probe" this morning.

I was optimistic of my chances at the start of turn 5. I felt I had assembled enough assets to control the 2 trenches and I just needed to control/destroy 1 cave. But the Japanese just keep passing their MCs, and I wasn't able to make any progress, leaving it up to desperate DC charges in the last MPh, which left me coming up short. Euan feels the scenario is pro-American, but it's not easy to get your guys into position in 1 piece, so it looks 50/50 to me. In fact, I'd probably want to take away 1-2 DCs from the Japanese (they start with 3).

One other comment that Euan made was that the Broken Hillsides (BD4) could look a little bit vague to some players. So, a thought to be sure that the published map will have these well defined.

17034


This is a real fun scenario to play, though.

John.
 

sunoftzu

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A cautious approach by both sides in the first 2 turns of BD-002 "Limited Gains".

17335




There are more Marines entering on turn 3, so the Japanese doesn't want to show too much of his hand early on, lest the Marines steal a march on them.......
 

sunoftzu

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Jon and I finished our game of BD-003 "Western Anchor" this morning (evening for him).

Initially, the Marines got cut up pretty bad in the opening turns, but 2 key caves and their contents were destroyed by well placed satchel charges nonetheless. As a result, the Marines were able to canter onto Sugar Loaf Hill, but getting squads across to Hill 1 remained in serious doubt. By the time the turn 7 RPh rolled around, the Marines had hit a wall, as no units were in position to get to level 2 of Hill 1.

17441

Another very enjoyable scenario. I can't emphatically say that it's perfectly balanced, but so far so good....

John.
 

witchbottles

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Jon and I finished our game of BD-003 "Western Anchor" this morning (evening for him).

Initially, the Marines got cut up pretty bad in the opening turns, but 2 key caves and their contents were destroyed by well placed satchel charges nonetheless. As a result, the Marines were able to canter onto Sugar Loaf Hill, but getting squads across to Hill 1 remained in serious doubt. By the time the turn 7 RPh rolled around, the Marines had hit a wall, as no units were in position to get to level 2 of Hill 1.

View attachment 17441

Another very enjoyable scenario. I can't emphatically say that it's perfectly balanced, but so far so good....

John.
This was an interesting, if longer than expected (due to my difficulties last year). I like the scenario. I feel tactically, my error was in turn 5, moving the 8-1 led HMG/MMG kill stack to the right for fire position, rather than to the left to beef up the final push for Hill 1. By turn 5, the right was secure and the focus should have switched over to Hill 1. That japanese DC on the right of sugarloaf east is possessed by a marine 7-6-8.

There was a good chance of taking one of the required Hill 1 hexes in the last MPh/APh with double timing a fanatic 7-6-8 and a hero, but not in taking both, as a Hero alone cannot gain control of a hex, and the fanatic MMCs of the deployed 7-6-8 could not get the required 8 MF, only the hero could. the 8-1 stacked with a 3-4-8 midfield was coming up one MF short, as they double timed and would need 9 MF to get in position for any advance to take another hex.

so they key was bad tactical repositioning for my Marine firebase in turn 5.

I think I agree with John, this is a well-balanced scenario. It does seem that often, the Marines just take it on the nose coming down the left side. It is hard to deal with a japanese MG of any kind in a cave at A11or A12. Not enough space to manuever into without being in the line of fire.

We also relearned that thrown DCs are a real threat to cave occupants, and so are Assault Engineers with a 5 smoke exponent and lots of WP grenades.

This time around, most of the Marine tanks stayed in action to the end.

Next up is BD4, my Japanese vs John's Marines clinging to a foothold on the hill in the low light of constant IR rounds.
 

witchbottles

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John Knowles and I began BD 04 this evening. Talk about setups with units stacked on top of each other.

We did run into a single important play test question @cVan , Can the Marine LVT go for ESB in an attempt to try an immobilize onboard? As written, it looks like he can. If so, those AAMGs become on board assets not otherwise present due to the recall when unloaded SSR.

Also, what does the crew do if it does immobilize for any reason before leaving via recall? Do they stay with the AAMGs or are they going to be forced to abandon? (similar to what happens in BRT?)

That question will need to be answered in the next copy of the scenario revision, unless we are missing something in the SSRs.

KRL, Jon H
 

sunoftzu

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2 turns of BD-04 done with Jon.

Both sides are being cautious, being careful not to suffer attrition before their reinforcements arrive.

I am rolling 12s left and right, but other than losing half of my 668s to boxcars, nothing that spoils the game. Losses for both sides pretty even.

17789
 

von Marwitz

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We did run into a single important play test question @cVan , Can the Marine LVT go for ESB in an attempt to try an immobilize onboard? As written, it looks like he can. If so, those AAMGs become on board assets not otherwise present due to the recall when unloaded SSR.

Also, what does the crew do if it does immobilize for any reason before leaving via recall? Do they stay with the AAMGs or are they going to be forced to abandon? (similar to what happens in BRT?)
I have used the sleaze go for an ESB for the maximum of extra MP in order to provoke Immobilization before. If a Crews are by SSR not allowed to voluntarily Abandon their vehicles, this still does not allow them to do so (red). At this point, the manning Crew could use the MG assets firing from the vehicle.
In order to remove the MG armament, the vehicle would first have to be attacked without being destroyed, stunned, shocked, the crew would have to pass its Immobilization TC, remaining in the vehicle. Only afterwards it could voluntarily Abandon it, which opens the path to attempting the removal of its MG armament (green).

So in practice, while this sleaze has a good chance to keep an Immobilized vehicle in place, it seems unlikely to me that its Crew will indeed manage to get out removing MG armament. Probably, the Immobilized vehicle would rather be destroyed before that happens as the LVTs are rather thin-skinned.

In case of an Immobilization of a vehicle under Recall, I believe the Crew would have to Abandon it without the option of MG-Removal and be 'Recalled' on foot, being required to reach the friendly board edge unless doing so would be impossible (say due to a water obstacle). In case of a Beach Landing, I suppose the sea would be the friendly board edge.

In case of an Immobilization before a Recall and not due to ESB, then the 'normal' procedures would apply.

D5.5 IMMOBILIZATION TC: An immediate TC is required of the non-Shocked, non-Stunned Inherent crew of a vehicle [EXC: one in a Water Obstacle; 16.3] that becomes immobilized by any non-CC attack, or that is already bogged/immobilized and is hit by Direct Fire ordnance which fails to destroy, Stun, or Shock it but that would have destroyed or Shocked it with an Original TK or IFT DR of 5. Failure of the TC results in the crew being immediately placed beneath the vehicle (expending all remaining MF) and subject to the Hazardous Movement DRM during that phase (see also 9.3). Place an Abandoned counter on the vehicle (5.41). A crew thus forced to leave its vehicle may not Remove (6.631) any weapons from it. If the TC is passed, the crew may continue to Inherently man it or may abandon it voluntarily (5.41) during its MPh.

I do not know if BRT special rules exist, which would alter this.

That said, if you want to prevent ahistorical ESB sleazing in order to keep some more LVTs on board as firebases, cover or for later Scrounging, you'd need to catch that by an SSR.


von Marwitz
 
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