West Coast melee AAR

[Anonymous]

Attended the West Coast melee this weekend at the very comfortable Crowne Plaza Hotel in Irvine. The hotel offered two nice gaming rooms, a good buffet breakfast and two good restaurants within walking distance. The group was friendly group of gamers. Some club members were play testing a giant Kursk (Ponryi?) campaign game, looks cool.

Anyway, here is my tourney AAR:

Played David Haasl in Makin Taken (J84). This encounter occurred in 1943 on the Butaritari, Makin Atoll. I always think that theses scenario battles were often fought in places that I could not possibly pronounce, why not easier names. Then I remember, that I am very lucky that these battles occurred in places that are not very familiar to me.

I had the Emperor's finest and had to inflict 14 CVP of casualties on the
Americans to win. The Americans needed to earn 40 VP (CVP + 1 per hut + 2 per stone building) and avoid losing the 14 CVP.There were 14 huts on board 35 and 9 stone buildings/2 huts on board 42. Additionally, the Japanese player places 6 Bobai pits (bog hex, minimum move and advance versus difficult terrain) anywhere except road/path/building hexes. We made one change to the victory requirements based on several player's feedback – The American 14 CVP went to 16 CVP (balance was 18 CVP). That may not seem like much but in this scenario it is significant.

Board 35 received two conscript squads in the 35I2 jungle (and bobai pit) and the other in Hut 35J6 . The 228/Mmg/9-0 went in the second row of huts 35F3, a 237/Mtr in 35F6 (hip) and the 70*Inf gun in 35G8 (hip, emplaced and facing the road but only able to kill the M3 HT with a side/rear shot).
Board 42 buildings had: 447/Lmg in 42J2, 336 in 42K5, 447/Lmg in 42J7,
228/Hmg in 42F3 and 228/Mmg in 42H8. Additionally, the 448/Lmg/10-1 went in 42G3 (bobai pit) and a hip 237/Mtr/Bobai pit lurked in light jungle 42L8.

The Americans divided their 12 squads in half sending 6 to take the village huts and the others along the P3 road using armored assault with the two M3 MT tanks and into palm trees in L2. The H3 MT tanks possess 37LL main armament, a bow mounted 75mm secondary gun (forward only) and 2/4/2 for machine guns. These tanks seem like they belong in the 1940 French armor corps. Born of a confused infantry support/tank destroyer schizophrenia, the H3 MT was a white elephant. The Russians didn't want them in the lend lease program, they didn't hold up against German armor so they ended up in the pacific. In this scenario, the two guns/Mmg are formidable (in my opinion should be low ammo for the few
shells of each type it could carry). Finally, an American 666/Baz/8-0 proceeded along the jungle path.

The first three turns saw the Americans on board 35 eliminate a 336, stripe a 336 and take 8 of the huts. Their only casualties were a steady stream of broken/rallied squads. Board 42 was more violent. The 666/Baz/8-0 in the jungle advanced onto the hip/bobai 42L8 237/Mtr. Ambush was –5 (-2 concealed, -1 stealthy, -1 CX in bobai and -1 for PTO jungle attacker) followed by a 1-4, -3 CC roll. They died. The middle group Americans eliminated a 336 and striped both machine gun's 228s.

Turn 4 fighting saw my 448/Lmg/10-1 in 42I3 and a squad across the road trading fire with three American squads in J1/J3. My Hmg fell back to 42F5 and a tank round killed the striped 128 manning the Mmg. My sniper reduced two broken squads and my victory total sat at 5 (2 squads and the 8-0). Board 35 was holding out and I had broken 5 of the six 666 squads. My prep fire phase in the fourth was a disaster. The 70*Inf, Hmg and 42L8 Mtr all broke and the 10-1 in 42I3 went berserk, taking the 448 with him.

Turn 5 saw most of the board 35 Americans rally and start towards the crews manning the 70*Inf and Mtr. The board 42 Americans eliminated a 447 in CC (but lost a HS) and prepared for the 448/10-1 berserk run to the J5 building 666 squad. It looked pretty grim for the my Japanese as none of the guns repaired and the Mtr 6'd the repair attempt. I decided to attack! The berserker sprinted towards the 666 squad as four 666 squads and a tank blazed away. The 10-1 made it into the target hex but the striped 448 fell to a 12 roll on a 2 morale check and vaporized. Luckily, they had consumed almost all American local fire, and the –6 ambushing 237/Mtr dropped the mortar, ran to join the 10-1 in CC and along the way generated a tank hunter hero. The hero made it to the tank, survived an adjacent FPF attack and rolled a three to destroy the tank. My last
unmoved unit, a striped 447 in the H1 woods generated my second and final tank hunter hero. The THH made it across the road to a tank in bypass of 42J1, surviving an escorting squad's TPBF. I didn't attack immediately and advanced the now 237 into the tank's hex. Even with an ATMM, the THH missed the tank for the CVP win but the escorting US half squad died. It had been a good turn for me and David's Americans were exactly at the CVP cap. I eventually double broke a 346 for the win.

We both recommend Makin Takin. It has its own feel, but use a 16 point CVP.

Rich Domovc

 

[Anonymous]

the whole West Coast Melee AAR

Game 2 – Played Chad Cummins in Bloody Nose (J83), a nice Journal 5 village fight. The village of Kransnokutskaya, Southern Russia hosted this battle in the German 1942 advance into Russia. Six 1st and second line German squads with 14 Romanian (347) squads, average leadership, two 81mm mortars, Hmg, Mmg, four Pz 38t tanks and a 75* PzIV tank need to control 11 muti-hex buildings on partial boards 22 and 49. The Axis starts on part of board 49 with two multihex buildings already under control, five more are on Board 49 and nine are on board 22. The Russian defenders have 15 447’s, two 527s, average leaders, two 45L AT guns, two 50 mm mortars and 3 Atrs. Oh Yeah! The Russians also have 80mm off board artillery (OBA) with a two level observer. A ground level railroad divides the two forces.

The dice gave me the attacking Axis side and I both setup and moved first. I took the option to have the tanks enter from off board to prevent the Russians 45Ls from setting up second with LOS to a tank in my first movement turn. The 8 ? decoys served to hide my plan, an attack up the middle covered by smoke and the lightly defended buildings around the 49S9 and 49W9 victory locations. One 81Mtr went in 49Y4 to throw smoke down the road and also hinder Russian lateral movement. The other 81Mtr went up front to support the first turn attack with smoke.

Chad set up slightly back on board 49 and on 22. One AT gun went in 49P9. I guessed the location of this gun and saw another game where the same 49P9 location held a gun. The other gun was in the 22X2 building, choking the other open terrain row Y. The initial turn went well and I penetrated through 49S9 and 49W9 and into the 22V0 forest on turn one. A Rumanian platoon/leader attacked down the M-P corridor, the open Q row naturally slices this corridor and its five victory locations off from the rest of the board. Another Rumanian platoon/dummies attacked through the 22CC1 woods.

Both flank diversionary attacks slowed down as each Rumanian platoon faced superior 447/527s. The middle was going well as 6 German/ten Rumanian squads staged in the forest the second turn. The 45L in 22X2 gun smoked a Pz 38t in 49Z9 but the V0 infantry broke the crew. This allowed a Pz38t and the PzIV to move past the choke point, to the 22Y2 objective building opposite the forest and blast away at the defenders. In that building were two Russian squads, a Mmg and a 9-1 leader with an Atr.

The two flank positions slowly eroded in turns 2-4, as Chad realized that my Romanian platoons/dummies were weak. We traded two squads on each flank. My Romanians fell back to defend the 22CC1 woods and the two victory buildings on one flank. On the other flank, a fierce firefight developed along the M-P corridor and the open Q row between his 45L, Mmg, Mtr (22Q3) and my 81Mtr/Hmg/Mmg. I brought a tank around back after the 45L crew broke.

The game was in the middle as we traded fire in turns 2 and 3, I advanced into building 22Y2 and melees resulted. His 447 battle hardened, generated a hero who immobilized a Pz38t with the Atr. Broken Russians huddled in building 22W5. Three German brokies were stacked in 49W10 next to three similarly unmotivated Rumanians.
I figured progress was OK. I had a solid chance to seize the 22Y2 building with four squads, run several squads/tanks right past and divide the Russians in half. The last phase would then involve attacking whichever flank seemed weaker for a win. The negatives, a the desperate situation on either flank as my Romanians were advancing to the rear and my seven broken squads with leaders in the forest were a concern.
I figured wrong! He landed his OBA right on a forest hex (no easy task, look at the blocking buildings) and kaboom the bottom of the 4th saw 6 squads disappear to 16+2 and 16-1 attacks.

The game effectively ended there as my tanks enjoyed success shooting up his infantry, overrunning… but Chad continued to skillfully present minimal shots in my defensive phase and there just wasn’t enough Axis infantry left to follow the tanks and take buildings.
Bloody Nose plays longer than it looks (6 hours). There is a lot of tension, excellent firefights and it has good replay value. You should definitely try it.

Game 3 – It was Chris Castellana and the Escape to Wiltz (J88). The escape has Americans retreating in Belgium during the “Bulge” German offensive. An interesting concept has the American 11 squad force with abundant SW and six leaders led by a 10-2, enter in the middle of board 39 on the first two turns and rush to the edge of Mountain board 17. The Americans must exit 28 VP but have eleven points in two armored vehicles (37LL tank with canister and 37LL armored car with canister). The scenario takes place in 1944 and fausts abound.
The Germans have 3 first line 447s, Mmg, Lmg and panzerschrek as an exit blocking force. They also have 10 squads with SW entering at the edge of board 39 who try to catch/harass the Americans from behind.
Chris’ Germans moved first and ran most of the pursuing squads down the East to West road on board 39, another platoon went South on board 39 to try and harass the racing Americans with long range fire. Two exit blocking squads tried to entrench and a deployed squad, 9-1 leader and Psk took up a position in mountain woods overlooking the road.
My plan was to send the tank, two 666 squads and an 8-1 leader to slow down the road force, leave two 5-4-6 squads, supported by a 347/Mtr to intercept the Southern pursuers. These 546s/347/Mtr also covered the board 17 woods South of building 17P9, the 666’s road blocking position. All the other squads made like banshees towards the exit hexes. There were 30 heavily armed VP heading towards the German blocking force and the when the tank joined them, the total was 36 points.

Three engagements evolved:
The road blocking force broke three German squads, wounded a leader and fell back from building 17P9 to woods 17L10. The two 666 squads and their 8-1 leader broke/Elrd, rallied and kept the German pursuers from any long range shots (the Germans had two Mmg) through turn seven. The tank left on turn 4 for the exit battle. These lucky 666 guys won the battle, absorbing a 12+1 shot with 6 morale and later rallying just in time. They received several bronze stars, albeit posthumously. Next time I would send the two elite 667s with a Mmg/9-1 leader to block the road.
The two 546’s and 347/Mtr stopped the South pursuing platoon and fired effectively in support of Chris’s infiltration of the woods around 17P9.
The large force racing toward the exit fell upon the blocking force. Mr. 10-2 directed machine gun fire and the rest swarmed. The defenders were wiped out allowing a 6th turn exit for an American win. Nary a canister shot was fired.

This was a rare American win as five other playings of this scenario yielded German wins. It looks like the Americans have little room for error and the armored car/tank are crucial for VP purposes. The Germans need to get their MMGs into W3(L1) and P4(L1). They then slow down the 2nd turn Americans and there just isn’t enough time. As Chris said afterwards, think vertical. I will be surprised if this scenario is balanced now that Roar put the J5 stuff up for W/L tracking.

Game 4 – Played Clayton Queen in Aachen’s Pall. This battle takes place as Americans entered the first German city, Aachen. This was one of two scenarios in the “citifight” mini that neither Clayton or I had ever played so we picked it sight unseen. It is a short, four turn, fight over a single 2-story five hex building (P5) on board 1. The Americans must clear out all good order German squads.

Clayton’s Germans set up 447s in H5, G6 and F5. The 6+1/447/Hmg went into F6, the 10-3/447/Hmg went into E4 to cover the most likely entry hex H5.
My American force of 12 first line infantry, supported by a 155mm open topped assault gun, Mmg, Baz (2) and a 9-1 leader, mostly started in building J4 across the street from the P5 German held building. The Assault gun setup ready to fire, in hex J6 and it took aim at the Germans in F6. This gun must limber/unlimber to fire/move, it had a low ammo number of 9, cannot intensive fire but had a smoke chance of 8 and was, of course, a big cannon. It had an attached ammo vehicle but in a four turn scenario was effectively a static big cannon.

First turn, I Prep fired small arms across the street until the German squad in H5 broke (and Eld’ed). The big 155mm ran out of smoke immediately, then missed an area shot at F6. Covered by another squad’s smoke grenade, a 666/346/Baz assault moved into I6 and survived the defensive final 4 even shot. The Germans skulked in their turn and returned in their advance phase.

The 155mm missed again, badly enough to trigger their low ammo situation. The 666/346/Baz assault moved into the victory building (F5), a 8+3 PB shot broke the 666. The 9-1 leader and three squads infiltrated the H7/I7 buildings to shoot across the street at F6. Several other squads entered the street hexes H6/G6 to later advance into the building. The 346 in H5 advanced into close combat with the 447 in G6 where a melee developed. German turn two, saw the F6 group skulk from the growing firepower and the 10-2/447/Hmg assault move/advanced into E6 towards the growing building fray. The G6 melee continued and the 6+1/447/Hmg advanced back to the only staircase hex F6.

Turn three saw the big low ammo gun roar and break the 6+1/447/Hmg stack. The attack enabled an American sniper (San 2) which shot and killed the 10-3 leader with the squad failing the resulting –3 morale check. It was the back breaker for the defenders, who simply did not have a chance in the ensuing 3rd turn building melees. The outnumbered Germans either died in CC or were mired in melee and thus none were in Good Order, game over.
Aachen’s Pall is a quick 1.5 hour small scenario, good for beer and pretzels, just remember shake the glass the right hand and drink with the left. Good beginner’s scenario.

Game 5 – Played David Haasl (Pronounced Haaaaaaasil, not HASL) in Makin Taken (J84). This encounter occurred in 1943 on the Butaritari, Makin Atoll. I always think that theses scenario battles were often fought in places that I could not possibly pronounce, why not easier names. Then I remember, that I am very lucky that these battles occurred in places that are not very familiar to me.

I had the Emperor’s finest and had to inflict 14 CVP of casualties on the Americans to win. The Americans needed to earn 40 VP (CVP + 1 per hut + 2 per stone building) and avoid losing the 14 CVP.There were 14 huts on board 35 and 9 stone buildings/2 huts on board 42. Additionally, the Japanese player places 6 Bobai pits (bog hex, minimum move and advance versus difficult terrain) anywhere except road/path/building hexes. We make one change to the victory requirements based on several player’s feedback – The American 14 CVP went to 16 CVP (balance was 18 CVP). That may not seem like much but in this scenario it is significant.
Board 35 received two conscript squads in the 35I2 jungle (and bobai pit) and the other in Hut 35J6 . The 228/Mmg/9-0 went in the second row of huts 35F3, a 237/Mtr in 35F6 (hip) and the 70*Inf gun in 35G8 (hip, emplaced and facing the road but only able to kill the M3 HT with a side/rear shot).
Board 42 buildings had: 447/Lmg in 42J2, 336 in 42K5, 447/Lmg in 42J7, 228/Hmg in 42F3 and 228/Mmg in 42H8. Additionally, the 448/Lmg/10-1 went in 42G3 (bobai pit) and a hip 237/Mtr/Bobai pit lurked in light jungle 42L8.

The Americans divided their 12 squads in half sending 6 to take the village huts and the others along the P3 road using armored assault with the two M3 MT tanks and into palm trees in L2. The H3 MT tanks possess 37LL main armament, a bow mounted 75mm secondary gun (forward only) and 2/4/2 for machine guns. These tanks seem like they belong in the 1940 French armor corps. Born of a confused infantry support/tank destroyer schizophrenia, the H3 MT was a white elephant. The Russians didn’t want them in the lend lease program, they didn’t hold up against German armor so they ended up in the pacific. In this scenario, the two guns/Mmg are formidable (in my opinion should be low ammo for the few shells of each type it could carry). Finally, an American 666/Baz/8-0 proceeded along the jungle path.
The first three turns saw the Americans on board 35 eliminate a 336, stripe a 336 and take 8 of the huts. Their only casualties were a steady stream of broken/rallied squads. Board 42 was more violent. The 666/Baz/8-0 in the jungle advanced onto the hip/bobai 42L8 237/Mtr. Ambush was –5 (-2 concealed, -1 stealthy, -1 CX in bobai and -1 for PTO jungle attacker) followed by a 1-4, -3 CC roll. They died. The middle group Americans eliminated a 336 and striped both machine gun’s 228s.

Turn 4 fighting saw my 448/Lmg/10-1 in 42I3 and a squad across the road trading fire with three American squads in J1/J3. My Hmg fell back to 42F5 and a tank round killed the striped 128 manning the Mmg. My sniper reduced two broken squads and my victory total sat at 5 (2 squads and the 8-0). Board 35 was holding out and I had broken 5 of the six 666 squads. My prep fire phase in the fourth was a disaster. The 70*Inf, Hmg and 42L8 Mtr all broke and the 10-1 in 42I3 went berserk, taking the 448 with him.

Turn 5 saw most of the board 35 Americans rally and start towards the crews manning the 70*Inf and Mtr. The board 42 Americans eliminated a 447 in CC (but lost a HS) and prepared for the 448/10-1 berserk run to the J5 building 666 squad. It looked pretty grim for the my Japanese as none of the guns repaired and the Mtr 6’d the repair attempt. I decided to attack! The berserker sprinted towards the 666 squad as four 666 squads and a tank blazed away. The 10-1 made it into the target hex but the striped 448 fell to a 12 roll on a 2 morale check and vaporized. Luckily, they had consumed almost all American local fire, and the –6 ambushing 237/Mtr dropped the mortar, ran to join the 10-1 in CC and along the way generated a tank hunter hero. The hero made it to the tank, survived an adjacent FPF attack and rolled a three to destroy the tank. My last unmoved unit, a striped 447 in the H1 woods generated my second and final tank hunter hero. The THH made it across the road to a tank in bypass of 42J1, surviving an escorting squad’s TPBF. I didn’t attack immediately and advanced the now 237 into the tank’s hex. Even with an ATMM, the THH missed the tank for the CVP win but the escorting US half squad died. It had been a good turn for me and David’s Americans were exactly at the CVP cap. I eventually double broke a 346 for the win.

We both recommend Makin Takin. It has its own feel, but use a 16 point CVP.

Game 6 – Played Urban Guerrillas against David Reinking. I had never played this classic scenario. The are many AARs on this scenario and another will not add anything as this was a very lopsided loss for my Russians. I blew up the PzIV on turn two with a placed DC and made slow progress towards the cathedral. Turn 4, the German sniper picked off my 8-1 leader, the 8-0 wounded
and a 458/458/Hmg/458/Mmg/9-2 ran towards the cathedral. A tricky LOS from the hull down panther converted an 8-0 via snake-eyes into a mess of dead bodies, of which one was the German goose, thoroughly cooked. Dave played very well, I did not and the Melee ended for me. I split my six games had a fine time and thank the SoCal club for putting it together.

 

[Anonymous]

Game1 AAR

Game1 – Played Bruce Billett in Shklov’s Labor Lost (T4). It is a 1941 battle in the Russia city of Shklov on board 1 over the M5, M7, P8, P5 and P3 stone multi-hex buildings. I had the defending Russians [(7.5) 458s, 10-3, 10-0, Hmg, Mmg, Lmg and Atr] and needed to maintain my hold on at least one of the five stone multi-hex buildings. Attacking was a strong German force [(9) 458s, 10-3, 9-2, 8-1, (2) Mmg, (4) Lmg, (2) StugIIIb tanks, 9-1 armor Ldr, 8-1 armor Ldr].

Looking at the five buildings, the two Southern ones (M7 and P8) are fairly isolated so I put one 458 in M7 where he would gain concealment and hopefully divert some German squads for a couple of turns. The two back buildings each held a leader, large machine gun and a squad. The five hex, two story M5 building was manned by 2.5 squads with a Lmg. A 458 went upstairs to deny concealment and force turn one prep fire, while every one else hid from the 10-3’s initial prep fire. Finally, a squad with Atr went into stone building O2 to interdict the road from tanks (needed a side shot or deliberate immobilization) , and provide support against a North flank attack.
In retrospect, I would move 458 in M7 to a back building and use the 248 instead of the 458 upstairs to deny concealment.
He sent three squads to clear out the picket in bldg M7 and surrounded him in back with a Stug. My 458 broke one German squad, retreated, pinned another German and died in close combat with two squads in turn 3.
In the center building, his 10-3 fire group broke my upstairs 458 in Prep and he was stuck upstairs as the only staircase was up front and next to a German half squad (oops!), The 458 with Lmg was broken in turn two and routed to a back bldg to the loving arms of Nikita the Commissar. The Germans smoked the North end of the five hex, M5 bldg and they worked their way through the small bldgs north of it and entered M5 on turn 3.
In a premature defensejaculation, I filled the void in the M5 bldg with the Colonel Rambo (10-3) and 458/Mmg stack. All my squads rallied but turn four was very, very bad for my defenders.
Rambo and his squad soon lost the duel with his opposite 10-3. Snakeyes caused a 1 KIA, then Rambo and the squad rolled double five to leave to battle for resting spots under the earth. Next the StugIIIb scored a critical hit, a 24, -3 vaporizing attack on the 458/Lmg and a third squad was casualty reduced in a Melee. I cried No Maas in the bottom of the 4th turn, it wasn’t pretty.

Bruce played well and had the coolest tool, a miniature air bag attached to a small suction plunger. The plunger was smaller than a counter and was very handy for placing and removing a counter.

 

[Gunner Scott]

Hey Rich,
Great AAR, looking forward to our next match in april.


Scott