Jude
Senior Member
I haven’t written an AAR in a while because the scenarios I’ve played lately haven’t warranted a good write up. I did play several before this one and here is a brief recap. I played as the Axis in each of these.
A34 – Lash Out – Loss. Tough victory conditions. Didn’t help that two of Patton’s leaders battle hardened then started rolling KIAs.
T10 – Devil’s Hill – Win. Highlight was an American “rage rush” that was quickly squashed.
ABtF4 – First Threat – Loss. Let myself get too bunched up and then totally bogged down.
We then switched to Stalingrad which isn’t my favorite setting but my opponent Zhukov loves it.
VotG18 – In Sight of the Volga. Win. I wouldn’t say Zhukov got diced, but I had some serious rate tears with Munch that played a major part in the defeat. At one point Munch blasted everything he could in his CA and could still fire but there was nothing left (or worth) shooting. Zhukov conceded early.
OK, now for the real AAR – which isn’t really much of one. What I’m posing in this one is how can the Germans win this scenario?
The Russians must set up in Hex FF43. It is a two story fanatic strongpoint and all locations are fortified. To defend it they have a 4-5-8, three 4-4-7s, a crew, a 9-2, a 7-0, a hero, a HMG, and an ATR. Both leaders are heroic.
The Germans at start group is decent, but fragile. Four squads, three leaders (one -1) a HMG, three LMGs, and a DC. They set up to the west of FF43.
The Germans must break everyone in the building before accumulating 12 CVP in 4 ½ turns.
Here is the problem: if I went for a kill stack, the best I could muster would be 24+3. With rate that would drop to 12+3. Against a fanatical strongpoint, that’s not much. Assuming average rolls of 6-8, a 1MC would be likely, but easily brushed off assuming average rolls for the Russians. Then the Germans would have to hope for the best in the DFPh.
I decided to set up spread out so Zhukov couldn’t concentrate his fire. That is a problem too, because my firepower was too weak to do anything. What I was hoping for was to maneuver the 8-0 with the DC across the street and do some damage. However, again assuming average rolls, a 2MC might be possible. The problem is the 2MF to lay the thing down facing PBF.
I ended up committing my troops piecemeal to draw some fire so I could try the DC maneuver. I ended up with a bunch of broken and CR guys.
Turn 2 (of 4½) saw the arrival of a 75L StuG and a half squad on the east side. I parked it on HH43 hoping for low rolls (no smoke, no sD, low ammo from the start). The half squad closed to one hex and was KIAed the next turn.
My 8-0 DC gambit almost worked but he was pinned trying to make the attempt. By then, Zhukov had accumulated nine CVP (I forgot crews were worth 2 when I tried to draw some fire) and then the final blow came. I knew the game was already lost, but since I rolled so well in In Sight of the Volga, I let my opponent have his due.
In Turn 3 one and a half squads and a 9-1 leader must enter during the movement phase on Hex HH43. Using all his FP, Zhukov had a 24-1 shot. He rolled a 12. Bye, bye, HMG and one of his 4-4-7s went down in quality. Still, he pinned my leader and broke the squad. With his Subsequent FF shot he rolled snakes, thus ending the game.
Now I knew from the start going at the building piecemeal like that wasn’t going to work. However, setting up a kill stack doesn’t seem like the answer either. Yeah, the Russians have low ammo issues so the dice could play out funny, but that’s why I said assume average rolls. Should the Germans pull back and wait for the other two tanks to come on board and then try and storm the building? They could VBM freeze the whole lot with one tank and hope it survives the Street Fighting attack. If it goes down, however, that’s six CVP, half of what the Russians need. Besides, the other two tanks don’t come on until Turn 4. Not much chance for shots.
I’m OK with the loss. I think this is one of those puzzle scenarios. I’ll never play it again because I have too many other scenarios waiting for me, but I’d like to hear what you guys out there think the “solution” is to this problem.
A34 – Lash Out – Loss. Tough victory conditions. Didn’t help that two of Patton’s leaders battle hardened then started rolling KIAs.
T10 – Devil’s Hill – Win. Highlight was an American “rage rush” that was quickly squashed.
ABtF4 – First Threat – Loss. Let myself get too bunched up and then totally bogged down.
We then switched to Stalingrad which isn’t my favorite setting but my opponent Zhukov loves it.
VotG18 – In Sight of the Volga. Win. I wouldn’t say Zhukov got diced, but I had some serious rate tears with Munch that played a major part in the defeat. At one point Munch blasted everything he could in his CA and could still fire but there was nothing left (or worth) shooting. Zhukov conceded early.
OK, now for the real AAR – which isn’t really much of one. What I’m posing in this one is how can the Germans win this scenario?
The Russians must set up in Hex FF43. It is a two story fanatic strongpoint and all locations are fortified. To defend it they have a 4-5-8, three 4-4-7s, a crew, a 9-2, a 7-0, a hero, a HMG, and an ATR. Both leaders are heroic.
The Germans at start group is decent, but fragile. Four squads, three leaders (one -1) a HMG, three LMGs, and a DC. They set up to the west of FF43.
The Germans must break everyone in the building before accumulating 12 CVP in 4 ½ turns.
Here is the problem: if I went for a kill stack, the best I could muster would be 24+3. With rate that would drop to 12+3. Against a fanatical strongpoint, that’s not much. Assuming average rolls of 6-8, a 1MC would be likely, but easily brushed off assuming average rolls for the Russians. Then the Germans would have to hope for the best in the DFPh.
I decided to set up spread out so Zhukov couldn’t concentrate his fire. That is a problem too, because my firepower was too weak to do anything. What I was hoping for was to maneuver the 8-0 with the DC across the street and do some damage. However, again assuming average rolls, a 2MC might be possible. The problem is the 2MF to lay the thing down facing PBF.
I ended up committing my troops piecemeal to draw some fire so I could try the DC maneuver. I ended up with a bunch of broken and CR guys.
Turn 2 (of 4½) saw the arrival of a 75L StuG and a half squad on the east side. I parked it on HH43 hoping for low rolls (no smoke, no sD, low ammo from the start). The half squad closed to one hex and was KIAed the next turn.
My 8-0 DC gambit almost worked but he was pinned trying to make the attempt. By then, Zhukov had accumulated nine CVP (I forgot crews were worth 2 when I tried to draw some fire) and then the final blow came. I knew the game was already lost, but since I rolled so well in In Sight of the Volga, I let my opponent have his due.
In Turn 3 one and a half squads and a 9-1 leader must enter during the movement phase on Hex HH43. Using all his FP, Zhukov had a 24-1 shot. He rolled a 12. Bye, bye, HMG and one of his 4-4-7s went down in quality. Still, he pinned my leader and broke the squad. With his Subsequent FF shot he rolled snakes, thus ending the game.
Now I knew from the start going at the building piecemeal like that wasn’t going to work. However, setting up a kill stack doesn’t seem like the answer either. Yeah, the Russians have low ammo issues so the dice could play out funny, but that’s why I said assume average rolls. Should the Germans pull back and wait for the other two tanks to come on board and then try and storm the building? They could VBM freeze the whole lot with one tank and hope it survives the Street Fighting attack. If it goes down, however, that’s six CVP, half of what the Russians need. Besides, the other two tanks don’t come on until Turn 4. Not much chance for shots.
I’m OK with the loss. I think this is one of those puzzle scenarios. I’ll never play it again because I have too many other scenarios waiting for me, but I’d like to hear what you guys out there think the “solution” is to this problem.
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