PS NJ
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Had a great time at the Texas tournament! Highly recommend coming to Austin if you haven’t. Rick runs a great event with movies, snacks, box lunches and a good group of players. All I brought was a dice cup and dice. Got to play Paul Works, Jim Ferris, Jay Harms, John Garlic, Matt Shostak, and Dan Best. My only goal was to play strong players who I don't see much at east coast tournaments. Went 3-3 overall with almost every scenario going to the wire. I didn't get there in time for the Thursday Ferocity Fest, but that was my favorite event several years ago when I did it, with all allied+axis players competing for style points (berserkers, CC, etc...). The format in Texas is open scenario choice. I only suggested one scenario, which was on the list at both Albany and Nor'easter this year but I didn't get to play (an unpublished Steve John's scenario). Diced for sides in all the scenarios.
Game 1- 203 Hard ROK vs Paul Works of Kansas
I've played Paul a few times a long time ago. He has a super cool job in wargaming/threat analysis for the Army at Leavenworth. He suggested this early Korean War scenario which I played when it first came out. In ROAR it was 25 North Korean wins vs 17 South Korean so we gave the SK an extra 9-1, but it didn't factor into our game. One question we had before we started was whether the rowhouse black bars, which didn't didn't exist due to an SSR, were open ground or buildings. We decided they were buildings.It would be a huge difference if they were open, for both sides. Grain was irrigated rice paddies (0 hindrance but slow due to inherent mud). Light woods are +1 TEM and +2 hindrance. I got the NK (all elite 628/458 plus two T34 and two Suka) and Paul set up the SK (mix of 447/336 but with 3 Baz 50's) which had a forward force and a rear force. I had 7.5 turns to get 15 CVP(including 8 of infantry) across a one-hex bridge of a canal. Paul set up with a few speed bump squads. My turn 1 and 2 I rolled hot and killed/captured 5 squads (some failed FPF shots were involved), losing a couple half squads to -2 shots and a 628 to a conscript 336 in CC.
South Korean turn 1
Paul used ALL the rules, including setting up some of his 8 'human bullet' THH HIP. I kept my AFV's back in support with lots of near-by infantry due to the BAZ/THH threats. I kept a 9-2 with 3 458 and the HMG/MMG/lmg to get a nasty 24(-2) firepower to crack open stone building defenders. I pushed forward quickly, risking some -2 shots and taking the first board by the end of turn 3. I massacred my prisoners SK3, invoking NQ and bumping up the SK ELR.
South Korean turn 3
NK4 was a pivotal turn. Our dice reversed roles as mine became stone cold and Paul's got hot. A 2(-2) got a KIA on the 9-2/458HMG. The 458 and HMG were eliminated. This lack of firepower was important. The SK 9-1 threw a DC vs a Suka and stunned it. A 628 advanced in to protect it, but the 2nd THH to charge it took it out. Another HIP THH took out a T34 which got too frisky and moved ahead of its support.
In SK5, 447/BAZ, 9-1/227 HMG and 37LL were still HIP. I thought most of them were in the building just across the bridge and kept firing 2 flats with my 9-2/MMG; but didn't get a result for several phases (they weren't there). The HIP Baz/447 killed SUKA #2, getting the 3TH it needed. The SK hero of the game was the far left flank 447/BAZ who survived a dozen morale checks and hit at least ten times with the baz vs infantry in buildings (Usually with NE though on the IFT). He tied up three NK squads most of the game and survived.
South Korean turn 5
In NK7 the HIP SK 9-1/HMG were revealed far back in L1 with a LOS to the bridge. On a 6 flat shot it rolled a 12. Due to early-war rules it only repaired on a dr1, which it failed to do in 2 tries. However the SK 9-1 with 12 fp and two MMG got 4 ROF vs the 10-0 and three elite squads next to the bridge. The results weren't bad though, just a wounded, unbroken commissar and two broken squads. With no SK units looking down the road they were able to sit tight and rally in SK7.
South Korean turn 7
For the finale on NK8 it was super tight. I had a wounded 7-0 across the bridge already and lots of squads within sprinting distance of the far side. My last remaining AFV, the T34, got the show started by running across the bridge (it was 0/3 in the game using its sD). Paul's 4 TH on the Baz missed and I turned the turret towards where I thought the 37LL was. Sure enough it took the shot and got a hull hit. It needed a 5 to immobilize the tank for the win, but Paul rolled a dud. Paul had multiple shots on the bridge/approach hexes and left several 1 and 2 resids, which broke all of the long-distance runners. I did AM the wounded commissar and three elite units on to the bridge. If they didn't pin/break they could advance for the win. It came down to the final fire phase, drum roll please.....Paul had two 4(+1) shots. Paul rolled a five for an NMC and I rolled two ten's to lose the game. A very fun and exciting game with an excellent opponent! 0-1
Game 2- SJ2 Tougher than it looks vs Jim Farrell of Ft. Worth
Jim also has a cool job teaching high school history, including a year-long WW2 class. I had 7 548 Finns defending a village from 16 447/426 plus 3 mg-less T26 tanks. Russian early war doctrine is in effect so no armored assault and the tanks have to move first. Jim's infantry were split towards the flanks with tanks in the middle. There were no shots in RT1 or FT1! In RT2, two tanks entered AT mine hexes for NE. One T26 froze a 8-0/DC who tossed it to kill the tank but also ELR'd and surrendered. Adjacent ATR and 2 MG hits bounced. A nice human wave then ran up. but a 7-0 and one squad were KIA and a few others broke. On the right flank my HIP 548/lmg/hero hit an 8-0/two 447's at 2 hex range with an 8(-3), ELR'ing all of them(elr 2 sucks). FT2 the 8-0/ATR stayed to get the adjacent penetration bonus, but bounced a 2nd hit. Then it ELR'ed to a 24+1 (the Finns say 'who needs leaders anyway?').
Russian turn 3
For the next few turns the finns stabilized the defense of the 3-hex building area, killing a tank with the MMG from the front. A squad survived a tank rubbling the building it was in and shot the offending tank in the ass to kill it. Jim's infantry never could get traction when moving up to the finns. I think this is a good tourney scenario and winnable by the russians, if they mass the conscripts for multiple human waves. The boost in movement and morale is important. Plus tying up the outnumbered defenders, allows the 447's to move up safely. 1-1
Rules (re-)learnings:
Game 1- 203 Hard ROK vs Paul Works of Kansas
I've played Paul a few times a long time ago. He has a super cool job in wargaming/threat analysis for the Army at Leavenworth. He suggested this early Korean War scenario which I played when it first came out. In ROAR it was 25 North Korean wins vs 17 South Korean so we gave the SK an extra 9-1, but it didn't factor into our game. One question we had before we started was whether the rowhouse black bars, which didn't didn't exist due to an SSR, were open ground or buildings. We decided they were buildings.It would be a huge difference if they were open, for both sides. Grain was irrigated rice paddies (0 hindrance but slow due to inherent mud). Light woods are +1 TEM and +2 hindrance. I got the NK (all elite 628/458 plus two T34 and two Suka) and Paul set up the SK (mix of 447/336 but with 3 Baz 50's) which had a forward force and a rear force. I had 7.5 turns to get 15 CVP(including 8 of infantry) across a one-hex bridge of a canal. Paul set up with a few speed bump squads. My turn 1 and 2 I rolled hot and killed/captured 5 squads (some failed FPF shots were involved), losing a couple half squads to -2 shots and a 628 to a conscript 336 in CC.
South Korean turn 1
Paul used ALL the rules, including setting up some of his 8 'human bullet' THH HIP. I kept my AFV's back in support with lots of near-by infantry due to the BAZ/THH threats. I kept a 9-2 with 3 458 and the HMG/MMG/lmg to get a nasty 24(-2) firepower to crack open stone building defenders. I pushed forward quickly, risking some -2 shots and taking the first board by the end of turn 3. I massacred my prisoners SK3, invoking NQ and bumping up the SK ELR.
South Korean turn 3
NK4 was a pivotal turn. Our dice reversed roles as mine became stone cold and Paul's got hot. A 2(-2) got a KIA on the 9-2/458HMG. The 458 and HMG were eliminated. This lack of firepower was important. The SK 9-1 threw a DC vs a Suka and stunned it. A 628 advanced in to protect it, but the 2nd THH to charge it took it out. Another HIP THH took out a T34 which got too frisky and moved ahead of its support.
In SK5, 447/BAZ, 9-1/227 HMG and 37LL were still HIP. I thought most of them were in the building just across the bridge and kept firing 2 flats with my 9-2/MMG; but didn't get a result for several phases (they weren't there). The HIP Baz/447 killed SUKA #2, getting the 3TH it needed. The SK hero of the game was the far left flank 447/BAZ who survived a dozen morale checks and hit at least ten times with the baz vs infantry in buildings (Usually with NE though on the IFT). He tied up three NK squads most of the game and survived.
South Korean turn 5
In NK7 the HIP SK 9-1/HMG were revealed far back in L1 with a LOS to the bridge. On a 6 flat shot it rolled a 12. Due to early-war rules it only repaired on a dr1, which it failed to do in 2 tries. However the SK 9-1 with 12 fp and two MMG got 4 ROF vs the 10-0 and three elite squads next to the bridge. The results weren't bad though, just a wounded, unbroken commissar and two broken squads. With no SK units looking down the road they were able to sit tight and rally in SK7.
South Korean turn 7
For the finale on NK8 it was super tight. I had a wounded 7-0 across the bridge already and lots of squads within sprinting distance of the far side. My last remaining AFV, the T34, got the show started by running across the bridge (it was 0/3 in the game using its sD). Paul's 4 TH on the Baz missed and I turned the turret towards where I thought the 37LL was. Sure enough it took the shot and got a hull hit. It needed a 5 to immobilize the tank for the win, but Paul rolled a dud. Paul had multiple shots on the bridge/approach hexes and left several 1 and 2 resids, which broke all of the long-distance runners. I did AM the wounded commissar and three elite units on to the bridge. If they didn't pin/break they could advance for the win. It came down to the final fire phase, drum roll please.....Paul had two 4(+1) shots. Paul rolled a five for an NMC and I rolled two ten's to lose the game. A very fun and exciting game with an excellent opponent! 0-1
Game 2- SJ2 Tougher than it looks vs Jim Farrell of Ft. Worth
Jim also has a cool job teaching high school history, including a year-long WW2 class. I had 7 548 Finns defending a village from 16 447/426 plus 3 mg-less T26 tanks. Russian early war doctrine is in effect so no armored assault and the tanks have to move first. Jim's infantry were split towards the flanks with tanks in the middle. There were no shots in RT1 or FT1! In RT2, two tanks entered AT mine hexes for NE. One T26 froze a 8-0/DC who tossed it to kill the tank but also ELR'd and surrendered. Adjacent ATR and 2 MG hits bounced. A nice human wave then ran up. but a 7-0 and one squad were KIA and a few others broke. On the right flank my HIP 548/lmg/hero hit an 8-0/two 447's at 2 hex range with an 8(-3), ELR'ing all of them(elr 2 sucks). FT2 the 8-0/ATR stayed to get the adjacent penetration bonus, but bounced a 2nd hit. Then it ELR'ed to a 24+1 (the Finns say 'who needs leaders anyway?').
Russian turn 3
For the next few turns the finns stabilized the defense of the 3-hex building area, killing a tank with the MMG from the front. A squad survived a tank rubbling the building it was in and shot the offending tank in the ass to kill it. Jim's infantry never could get traction when moving up to the finns. I think this is a good tourney scenario and winnable by the russians, if they mass the conscripts for multiple human waves. The boost in movement and morale is important. Plus tying up the outnumbered defenders, allows the 447's to move up safely. 1-1
Rules (re-)learnings:
- Pinned units may interdict. (rule# ?)
- Does a CH vs infantry subject to FFMO/NAM still get the -2 TEM (not sure about his one)? Probably not, but something makes me think it's a possibility (#?)
- When an AFV rubbles a building by moving into it, there is NE on its occupants. (B23.41)
