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Jobbo_Fett posted:With regards to the victory conditions, provided the Magyars capture both MMGs intact, that right away gives them 4 points, so as long as you can prevent a squad or a leader from going offboard you're in the clear. I mean, you literally cannot capture anyone in the scenario. It's just  . And if you do assault the hill, you're just making it harder for yourself later.
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Mar 9, 2021 14:34
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Hypnobeard posted:I mean, you literally cannot capture anyone in the scenario. It's just You can capture in CC, No Quarter prevents you from accepting a unit surrendering.
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Mar 9, 2021 14:47
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Jobbo_Fett posted:You can capture in CC, No Quarter prevents you from accepting a unit surrendering. I'm missing the rule in the CC section that allows that, then--it's either eliminated or Casualty Reduction afaict.
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Mar 9, 2021 15:58
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Hypnobeard posted:I'm missing the rule in the CC section that allows that, then--it's either eliminated or Casualty Reduction afaict. 20.22 CCPh: Any non-vehicular, non-berserk unit attacking anything but a manned AFV in CC may predesignate its CC attack as an attempt to take prisoners by adding a +1 DRM to its CC DR. If the Final CC DR is < the CC Kill Number for that attack, all defending units are captured; if the Final CC DR is equal to the CC Kill Number for that attack, one defending unit of the defender's choice is captured (one HS if the defending unit is a squad; the other HS remains uncaptured). The +1 DRM for a capture attempt is instead a -1 vs Inexperienced Personnel (A19.35). Nothing in A20.22 says you can't capture if No Quarter is invoked. There's four "Perry Sez" about it: quote:A20.22: May this be attempted by a side which earlier invoked No Quarter? The rule for No Quarter (A20.3) also does not mention Capture Attempts, AKA Capturing during CC is A-Ok! 20.3 NO QUARTER: The captor may opt to reject a RtPh/Disrupted surrendering unit/stack at the instant of its capture and eliminate it instead, but if he does so all other enemy units will subsequently always use Low Crawl or risk Interdiction to avoid surrendering—even if Disrupted. When one side invokes No Quarter by rejecting a RtPh surrender (or by Massacre), the other side's ability to accept such a surrender is unaffected. A rejected surrendering unit does not count toward the Battlefield Integrity Casualty Tally (A16.1).
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Mar 9, 2021 16:47
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Oh, it's in the section on Prisoners. Silly me.
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Mar 9, 2021 16:57
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Hypnobeard posted:Oh, it's in the section on Prisoners. Silly me. I always search with the Index. Way less hassle.
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Mar 9, 2021 18:25
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History is unclear as to the exact composition of the Bolshevik Partisans as they defended themselves from Elements of the US Forces stations in and around Vladivostok in June 1919. The Reds had captured a handful of men, due in part to a misconception that the US Forces were attempting to help the White Russians, their true purpose was to help evacuate the Czech Legion. In response to this action, the US had mounted a rescue effort in order to rescue the men. While there are records that indicate that the Bolshevik Partisans in the area of the Novitskaya Mines were composed of some 7.5 squads, it has yet to be settled if they had: A: A higher number of trained reservists and LMGs; or B: More partisans, as well as explosives taken from the mines And, while the original party that had been sent to rescue the prisoners is well documented, little is known of the reinforcements that arrived later. Were they: C: Raw recruits who'd gotten lost on the way; or D: A better-equipped troop attempting a flanking maneuver Please cast your votes by 8PM EST this Wednesday [17 March]
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Mar 15, 2021 22:06
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B, D
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Mar 16, 2021 01:46
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B,D
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Mar 16, 2021 01:50
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B & D
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Mar 16, 2021 04:39
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FAI-25: Mannerheim's Parade - Part 1 Location: Helsinki, Finland Date: 10 April 1919 Briefing/Outcome: The German Baltic Division, commanded by General Rudiger von der Goltz, landed in Hanko on April 10, 1919 and immediately made for Helsinki, invading the city on the 12th. Finnish Whites, in hiding, quickly joined the battle. German soldiers, aided by Finns, moved about the city, winkling out pockets of Reds from amidst positions in the city's buildings and along the railroad line. Fighting continued until April 13th, when at 1400 hours a white flag was seen fluttering on the tower of Kallio Church. By early May the last Red bastions in Finland fell. A victory parade in Helsinki was led by Mannerheim on May 16th. The Finnish leader was mounted admirably on his steed. It was a sight that was described as so compelling by onlookers that the Marshall's place in the hearts of Finns, one that would carry the nation through its wars from 1939-1945, was sealed that day. Mannerheim's public display also stole the spectacle of victory from the Germans. In a canny political move, Mannerheim made von der Goltz a recipient of the Finnish Cross of Liberty medal, 1st Class with diamonds.  Red Finns Strategy Forget the Grey counters for a sec, as they weren't there in my initial setup. My job is to protect what buildings I can, make life miserable for the advancing Finns/Germans, and try to keep claim on as many buildings for the VP condition at the end of the game. Now, I can only set up on hexes 7 or less, while my opponent can only set up on hexes 8 or higher. [NOTE: Illegal setup for Finns in FF6!] As per rule A26.11 "Gaining Control", all hexes within my setup area begin under my control, so each building in hexes 7 or less are mine. The Finns have backup from the Germans, who can appear onboard from any direction aside from South [Down], and I want to have a good defense on either side, with a solid core in the middle. Conscripts are in front of more valuable units, and the MGs in CC5 and U4 in locations that could cover some important avenues. CC5 covers the road ahead of it, the potential road entry at GG5/6 and, with slight movement, can get into BB4 to protect the lower quarter in case of a flanking maneuver. In a similar fashion, U4 blocks the U5-U8 roadway, and the two other roads providing access to the heart of the town. The leaders (Commissars, to be exact) are also placed to facilitate recovery by units forced to rout, although looking back on it, I should've probably had the 9-0 Leader somewhere in W5. Regardless, the important bit is that the Conscripts are there to absorb shots, rout, and rally thanks to Commissars ignoring DM status AND increasing the morale of all same-Location units. Any Casualty Reduction or Elimination will hurt me plenty, however. In any case, all forward positions are meant to be abandoned if pressure is too high, or if no enemies are nearby. A series of fallback positions, essentially the next building over, will be used in order to remain in good defensive terrain [+3 TEM!] and attack any approaching enemies as they cross roads. I have two armored cars coming in as reinforcements halfway into this one, and hopefully I'll be able to put their 45mm guns to good use. Additionally, the Blaze in Z7 disperses smoke immediately, which I'd forgotten, and the nature of fires can be quite dangerous as the flames lick and catch in adjacent hexes, creating and dispersing even more smoke. Victory Condition: The side with more VP at game end wins. VP is gained as follows: 1 VP for each single-hex building controlled. 3 VP for each multi-hex building controlled. Special Rules Weather: EC is Moderate. There is a Mild Breeze from the Northeast. Orchards are in season. Burning Inferno: A Blaze exists in hex Z7. Turn 1 - White Finns and Germans  A massive effort is spent attacking my troops with all available Finns, netting a Pin in the first shot, and a break in the 2nd. [I have to say I was surprised here. While you could argue that CC8 shooting at CC7 was a good idea, in case a Morale Check or better result forced a Casualty Reduction, I'm a little surprised that no attempt was made to get into the AA9/10 building. Similarly, the 4-4-7 in DD9 shooting at CC7 is a particularly notable waste. A 4FP shot at +3 means you need a 2 or a 3 in order to achieve anything worthwhile (NMC) against the broken unit. In my opinion, that squad should have run towards DD7 or go around EE8 and into EE7. The conscripts in DD7 are pinned, so the most FP they can achieve is 4 against an adjacent target. If you happen to break in DD7, you can rout into EE8 and get rallied by the good leader there, or breaking in EE7 allows FF6 with a not-so-bad leader. If you don't break, you advance into CC against a Pinned, Lax opponent, netting you a good Ambush chance, and subsequently an easy kill.]  Post-rout phase. Turn 1 - Red Finns  Not much to say about this turn, I move a bunch of units to grab buildings, prepare for defending against reinforcements, while merging a few stacks in order to gain concealment and confuse opponent when I decide to re-split them. Turn 2 - White Finns and Germans  The Germans arrive and immediately pounce on the south-western buildings. A very large stack moved into EE2 and 6FP managed to break a squad. An Armored Car is also supporting the Whites, setting up shop in W4, which is a little awkward for me. Removing it will either require my own vehicles, or a lucky shot/CC against it. I'm honestly surprised Hypnobeard didn't Dash a unit from CC7 into BB5. At least I'm fairly certain that would've been legal.  Post-Advances. The CC in DD6 is inconclusive and becomes a Melee. Turn 2 - Red Finns  Lots of movement for the Reds. In particular, I have two squads reveal and accost the armored car, while another hidden unit moves into W5. Additionally, the 9-0 leader [YOUR NAME HERE] runs over to U9 to claim the free 1VP. A 1st Line squad goes to T2 in order to get into the buildings there and prevent the Germans from flanking further.  As the Germans and Whites take shots at my line, a good roll sees both squads in BB4 break. A pair of sniper results later and I have broken a HS and pinned a Squad, in DD7 and EE7 respectively.  The melee ends with a (White) Finnish victory, and neither of my squads manage to pass their PAATC (Patsy) check to get into CC with the Armored Car. Oh, and the Blaze spread!  Turn 3 - White Finns and Germans  Commissars get antsy and shoot a HS worth of men for their lack of faith! Some more movement, but also a lot of shots with very few gains. The Armored Car moved for an Overrun attempt against the Conscripts in V4, where my men in W5 fail their PAATC check. The squad in the streets break. In retaliation, the MMG I had hidden in the U4 building reveals and takes their shot, barely scoring a hit, and luckier still when they put the Armored Car out of action!  The flames in AA8 turn into a Blaze, another hex becomes consumed by fire! Turn 3 - Red Finns  Things start to heat up as my Armored Cars arrive on-scene. A shot from my MMG in CC5 pins the men holed up in DD3 but a lucky shot (and unlucky responses) at BB4 sees my 10-0 Commissar take a critical injury and dies on the spot. To make matters worse, the Squad he was with breaks as a result of that, whereas they'd survived the shot with only a pin. As my men make their way to the South-East portion of the town to shore up defenses wherever possible, I have my ACs apply pressure in the Advancing Fire Phase, if only to generate some Acquisition or the odd lucky result. Sadly for me, the vehicle in W1 immediately jams [ie: Malfunction] their Main Armament (MA). If I can't repair it, I'll be stuck with Machine Guns only. Worst still, if I manage to Break the gun on a repair roll, they'll be forced to leave the combat area!  State of the board, end of Game Turn 3. To Be Continued...
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Mar 16, 2021 20:06
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A, D Also, this current battle is very interesting so far! It looks to me like Hypnobeard needs to start really pushing to take some of those buildings, but he's in a good position to do so with his reinforcements from the bottom-left coming in and sweeping aside resistance. Seems like if he can gain the cover of the buildings in the next street over, the building hexes in front of those will also block LoS and let him leapfrog into them in the turn after.
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Mar 17, 2021 23:20
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FAI-25: Mannerheim's Parade - Part 2 State of the board, end of Game Turn 3. Three turns of movement left, and the White Finns are enveloped in Smoke, while the Germans have control of the South-West. The problem I have is that, I truly do not have enough forces to defend all that well against this. My conscripts are worse in terms of range and morale, and I have less forces overall. The two armored cars can be pretty big in terms of force projection, but the MA'ed gun on the one in W1 and the somewhat wimpy 6FP from the Machine Guns is tough to use considering the buildings and the vulnerability to Street Fighting if I were to get closer. Turn 4 - White Finns and Germans  The Finns finally make their attempt to get across the road, the Germans try to recover the HMG in CC1 but a pin ends that particular dream. This is when I realize that my MMG in BB4 is screwed. I would've preferred getting a kill with it instead of the pin result in CC5 (the follow-up shot in CC4 yielded no result), but at the very least saving it to Turn 4 ain't bad.  Some more incoming fire sees my squad in BB4 break.  Another ambush for the White Finns, and yet another half-squad of Conscripts fall to the gray horde. Turn 4 - Red Finns  Not many shots for me to do, but a lot of movement to compensate. I pull back three squads to areas that can't be seen, in order to shore up defensive lines and to help re-gain concealment at the end of my turn. I got two pins from BB4 as Hypnobeard tried to go for CC Reaction Fire against my Armored Car moving in the road.  The Squads in Y4, W5 will both regain concealment and shots against my non-DM broken units allowed me to pull them back to safety. The AC that moved parked in the road at W4 to look towards Z5 and potentially cause some issues should Hypnobeard try to go across the road (also why I still have the concealed unit in Y8, I'm fairly certain the LOS is clear to Z5 for a perfect shot!) Oh, and our blaze spread into Y8, so I'll want to move them sooner rather than later lest they become engulfed in the flames! Turn 5 - White Finns and Germans  A snake eyes breaks the squad with the MMG in W2 to open up the turn, but no other shots find their marks. I think the mortar shot was also blocked by LOS. More counters gets pretty tricky to eyeball, and takes getting used to. However, I think this is a turn they definitely should've moved with all their Finns, instead of the back three squads. Hell, consider dropping the HMG and just rushing those men towards the enemy as well! [The unit in Z3 is a dummy] and I only had good line of sight on Z5 with my troops. It would only take 4MF to get from AA6 (or BB5) to get into the Z4 building, which is a good, central position to attack from, doubly so if you're also squeezing from the south. The squad up north was also a good move. As it will distract me and force me to commit the squad in Y8 to either defend where they are and drop concealment (not great for an Orchard hex) or retreat into X7/8 and hold there, which hurts my vision on Z6/Z5.  One turn to move after this one, and everything east of the X1/10 column is pretty much inaccessible. You can deny a few buildings for VP, but otherwise you likely won't capture them to score points for your side. Turn 5 - Red Finns  I take some pot shots from W2 and W1. A good shot from the conscripts in Y6 breaks a squad [Note: Actually 2] in AA6. Moves a plenty follow, mainly so that I can bunch all my concealed men and then piece-meal them out and reduce the chances that my opponent knows which is a fake, which is VERY important, as they could decide whether a shot is "wasted" on them or not, or for the prevention of moving into their hex. My 2nd AC goes into Z1 and takes shots throughout the turn but is lucky enough to survive unscathed.  End of turn, the flames in the Orchards of Y8 turned into a Blaze, but no extra smoke is added since there's already a blaze in Z7. Imagine a scenario with 3 starting blazes! Turn 6 - White Finns and Germans  End of Game - White Finns concede Not much to say about the end of the game here, a pair of losses sealed it. To go into more detail... The turn started with my AC in W1 discovering the Malfunction was actually a broken gun, effectively forcing it to Recall [Recall forces the AC to go off-board by the fastest means possible (least hexes). Shooting in the Prep Fire Phase cannot be done to "use up" your move] which was rather unlucky for me. The Germans attempted some shots against the AC in Z1, a shot was attempted by AA2 to Y3 (iirc) and BB4 shot at Z4 or Z3. Nothing was revealed, so the squad inside of BB2 attempted to Dash into Z3, not a bad choice since it will effectively halve FP against it and, had the unit in Z3 been a dummy, would've granted easy access into the multi-hex building, forcing one of my two other squads there to shoot, which is how you want to chip away at a defender's position for scenarios like this. The squad in Z8 was deleted by a very strong 3 (down 2) roll on 8FP by the real squad that was concealed. I think Hypnobeard lost track of who was real and who wasn't, or just felt they needed to risk it. Regardless, the end of the scenario saw the Red Finns win with a 31 to 22 score. Had I lost control of any hex in the multi-hex buildings in the center, it would've reduced my score from 31 to 25. A potential 25 to 22 victory, by the slimmest of margins. Now, I was counting the building in FF6 for me since that was an illegal setup, and Hypnobeard never recaptured AA9, which would've given them an additional 3 points, but that's something you don't notice while playing. In any case, Hypnobeard continues to improve, and attacking is a very tricky subject to learn, regardless of how many years you've been playing.
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Mar 18, 2021 02:49
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We'll be on a bit of a Le Franc Tireur run for the next 9 or so scenarios in From The Cellar Pack 4 moving forward and this is a GENERAL ALERT that we will absolutely need a 3rd player in 8 Scenarios, which might be about 3 or so months from now judging by our pace. So  On this crazy map 
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Mar 18, 2021 03:07
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For the love of god someone that's halfway decent at ASL please play Jobbo. He's getting bored steamrollering me.
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Mar 21, 2021 04:40
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FT-120: Never Say Navoz - Part 1 Location: Novitskaya Mines, Maritime Province, Siberia, Russia Date: 22 June 1919 Briefing/Outcome: President Wilson, in July 1918, dispatched the US 27th and 31st Infantry Regiments from Manila to Vladivostok. The US Infantry's primary purpose was to assist the Czech Legion's escape across Russia while maintaining a strict non-intervention stance in the Russian Civil War. Within a few months, the 31st was scattered from Lake Baikal, near Irkutsk, to Vladivostok to the rugged mountain terrain of the Suchan mines, 80 miles east of Vladivostok. Trouble for the 31st started when the local Bolsheviks believed the US was there to support the White Russians. On 21 June, four soldiers and one officer of H Company were captured while fishing. The captured men were not missed until the next morning. Organizing a rescue effort of about 110 men, Col. Williams, CO of the US Suchan Mine Guard, personally led his men to demand the release of the US prisoners.  Americans Strategy I mulled over this one a bit. I could come from offboard anywhere on the bottom-left half of the west side, or anywhere on the south. The problem for me is that the Western side offers little in the way of protection should I want to move up. The large stack in E8 could potentially shoot at units in open ground, and the same applies to D9, if either of them are real. I also don't really want to split up my limited force right away, having to go after the units [RED STAGE] that are occupying buildings I need to win. The solution for me was to go full south-east and make Turn 1 moves along the black lines, Turn 2 moves along the red lines, and so forth. My MMGs will set up in the Level 2 Hill hexes on T6/S7, hoping to use the higher elevation to offset the limited viewpoints that the maps offer. At such elevations, I should be able to target a few of the occupied locations, and will also be using them to pin down anyone that moves out of such spots. The Partisans have a number of Dummy Concealment counters too, and I should reasonably expect about half of those stacks to be fakes. Thus, I will need to split up some units and designate some men to lead the charge to bait out real and fake troops. This is dangerous, and losses could immediately spike, but not expecting losses is quite foolish when dealing with crossing open ground towards the unknown. The important part is making sure that the ones getting shot at are the ones I want to take such punishment, with reinforcements quickly in place to support and overcome such opposition. Victory Condition: The side with more VP at game end wins. VP is gained as follows: CVP earned as normal, each Stone building is 2 VP, each Wood building is 1 VP. The at-start prisoners are worth -20 CVP to the side that kills them. If the Partisans control +2 buildings at Game End, the Partisans earn 15 CVP is they are Guarded or have been exited off the map. Special Rules Weather: EC is Wet. There is no Wind. Seasoned Veterans: Any Heat of Battle result of Berserk is treated as Battle Hardening instead. Turn 1 - Americans  Tons of movement, and just far enough to get me in good positions for the next turn, but not close enough to be shot at should any of those stacks be real. In fact, I was rather relieved when T8 didn't shoot. Even a 1 or 2 FP shot carries a lot of weight with in on a -2 DRM. Turn 1 - Partisans  Nothing to report. The Partisans are as still as the trees outside their homes. No shots from my men accomplish anything. The value of CX is important to note, I cut two turns of movement down to one, for the most part. Turn 2 - Americans  Ahhhhhhh! My first move is to use a 2-2-6 Half-Squad to move into the building in W7. If they aren't dummies, I'm in for a shock. A 6FP shot with a -1 or -2 is bad news. They turned out to be fake, so I continued to V7 and claimed Wall Advantage. The important part about that is that getting WA gives me the bonus +2 TEM and, if the units in V8 aren't fake, will either have wanted that bonus, or won't get it if they leave the building. I get shot at by a 3-3-7 squad in W9 when my other 2-2-6 moves into X8. A full squad, later in the turn, moves to W8 and, honestly, should have been shot at. While it would've been subsequent First Fire, meaning instead of 6FP (as against X8), it would've been a 2FP, the added Residual Firepower that could've been left there could severely impact my decision to bring in a second full squad, which is what I ended up doing. Different strokes for different folks.  Fire from my men up front (Note: One of the squads in W8 broke as a result of a Final Fire from the Partisans The usefulness of that 9-1 will immediately be put to the test.) While the men elsewhere get a lovely shot that reveals another Dummy Stack. I breathe a sigh of relief.  Good luck and good planning add up to a successful Turn 2 where I'm exactly where I want to be. The CC claims a half-squad (Sorry Greenies) but I Casualty Reduce the Partisans down to a HS. I've got my broken squad ready for a potential rally next turn, my MMGs are on the elevated position, and I'm ready to punch towards H9 and O10 next movement phase. Turn 2 - Russians  The only notable action was a move of the big western stack in G9. My MMGs shoot but don't reveal anything, sadly. The Melee continues as neither side rolls low enough. [I thought of this later in the game, but if the units in K10 are real, perhaps they could've shot at W9, provided the firepower was strong enough. Yeah, you run the risk of breaking your own men, but what if you broke the Americans?] Turn 3 - Americans  Go, go, go! The half-squad attempts to bait out a shot from K10, but nothing is forthcoming. I'm having a bad feeling about that G9/H9 building, so I opt to try for a strong punch with Advancing Fire and maybe going in for Melee afterwards.  A few shots go out, but no results are achieved by either side.  My reinforcements came on board this turn, and the Advance Phase sees them move a little further from the G1 hex they'd gotten to. This'll cut off any exit route the Partisans may have wanted to use.  End of the turn sees two of my attempted advances get Ambushed (G9 and K10) and my Half-Squad in K10 is outright killed without ever seeing who did it.  Well, I was expecting the worst anyways. I'm surprised that, despite a successful Ambush in G9, Hypnobeard chose to withdraw to H9 instead. The Ambush, on top of the CX modifier would've given a -2 DRM to the CC roll, on top of any other modifiers.Turn 3 - Partisans  This is an interesting turn, because there are two shots I would've made, given the opportunity. Firstly, the H9 stack would turn out to be a 9-1, a 3-3-7, and a HIP 4-4-7. That's 14FP -1 on a target of your choice, of which there are two good options here. #1: Shoot my 9-1 + squad. This removes one of the three leaders I have, the only people that can hope to bring back any broken squads easily. Even simply breaking the squad they are with is a good enough deterrent. #2: Shoot the squad in G10 (the single unit with a CX counter) in order to break up the potential Fire Group that would see the eventual 12FP (Halved from 30FP!) reveal and affect the stack. On the plus side, if you break any of the squads, either G10 or Z10/H10, you can Advance into G9 after for some Close Combat and potentially get a kill there. Gotta maximise any breaks/kills you can get! Secondly, I would have shot at the CX squad in L10. It's only a +1 TEM and a break helps you out immensely. Its also a great shot to make now, so that you can pull out in your next turn, or deeply frustrate the squad in W9.  State of the Board, end of Partisan Turn 3 Turn 4 - Americans  Up North, my men run over the hills, attempting to close the distance. A very lucky set of rolls not only starts a Heat of Battle, but it results in a Hero AND my squad Battle Hardening, which turns into a Fanatic. That squad has a Morale of 7 now! In the Advance Fire Phase I break the enemy squad in H5.  Never stop moving! The minute I stop moving a large portion of my forces is the moment I cede the advantage to my opponent. Shots to H9 break the squad, but Battle Harden the 9-1 leader to a 9-2. Not much use considering the lack of troops now, but could still be useful. I try dashing across the road in F8, but get pinned down by enemy squads revealing themselves in the buildings just north of the men being attacked. The Green Squad in L10 attempts to move into K10 to remove their pesky concealment which works... but they break in a retaliatory attack and ELR. They'll be forced to surrender if I don't do anything about it.   I win both CCs, and even reclaim my Prisoners! Grabbing the Partisan's weapons, they get back in the fight immediately. [Had they not been a Green-quality squad originally, they would have been rearmed as one.] Turn 4 - Partisans  Excitement occurs as the DC on the upper floor of H9 is thrown to the ground floor, resulting in a Broken American squad. [This was technically an illegal move because the 9-2 Leader didn't have possession of the DC but I let it slide because it was cool and winning isn't everything] My MMGs finally achieve something after 3 turns of shooting anything they can, and reveal fakes in K8. I wasn't keeping track beforehand, but I think that's all the fakes? Had me guessing for a while. Shots are exchanged drat near everywhere, and the Rout Phase sees two Partisan squads eliminated for Failure to Rout from H9. This, and the developing situation, convinces Hypnobeard to concede.  State of the Board at Game End. Historical Result posted:As the US troops marched into the mining area just outside of the town, the partisans opened fire from every house, building, tree, and bush. Four soldiers were killed and two others wounded. Four other soldiers ran into town and over a fence. The first and third soldiers were shot. The other two made it over the fence, only to land in piles of cow manure; one soldier remarked how sweet it smelled. Although the town was secured and some partisans captured, the rescue attempt failed. Many partisans escaped north, including all of the US prisoners. Fearing for the safety of the US prisoners, Col. Williams withdrew back to Suchan. Walking in rain and mud, the doughboys returned with only the sweet smell of navoz (manure).
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Mar 24, 2021 04:18
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Just going to say, the historical result is so unlikely given the setup restrictions and reinforcement locations as to be comical. Also, Jobbo, I swear to god if you are throwing the current game because you want me to get a win...
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Apr 3, 2021 05:19
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FT-121: Red Star Express - Part 1 Location: West of Sitsa, Maritime Province, Siberia, Russia Date: 26 June 1919 Briefing: During the afternoon of the 25th, word reached Maj. Gen. Graves in Vladivostok about the Bolsheviks attacking A Company that morning at Romanovka. MGen Graves ordered Maj. Joiner to send elements of C & D Companies by train to the Suchan mines. The troops left Shkotova on the morning of the 26th to clear out the Bolsheviks along the railroad. The first stop was to reinforce a platoon of C Company that was guarding the Sitsa Bridge. However, during the night of the 25th, Partisan leader Sergei Lazo had formed up a group of 200 men to try and stop the American reinforcements and blow up the bridge. As the Americans neared the bridge, their train came under a fusillade of fire from a commanding forested hill overlooking the railroad.   Bolshevik Partisan Strategy This is a difficult scenario, with both sides attacking and defending. The Americans have units in or around the bridge hex [Red X] but I don't know where. Additionally, there is a large group that is coming from offboard on the left on board 39 and, potentially, at the southern map edge if Hypnobeard waits a little. My objective is to survive and be able to put firepower on any and all Railroad hexes (see TIMG above). The wooded hills provide great defensive terrain, but the extent of wood coverage also makes it impossible to have any effect unless you're adjacent, which will severely impact me once the Americans close in and can get into melees, or use plenty of Assault Fire. Since the objective can rely on my need to destroy the bridge if my defense of the hills goes poorly, I'll have to manage how those guys get on and attack the bridge. The other issue is that we both set up simultaneously, hence why I can't see the American units that start on-board. To try and squeeze out the capitalists, I've got a plan to send the majority of the forces on the northern side of the hill north and force them to break and rout. I've chosen two spots for having HIP units, signified by the blank chits on top of each stack, with the northern one having a Demo Charge. I'm hoping that Hypno's units get close enough for me to throw the DC, blow them up, then immediately shoot them with the attached squad. Since the hardest part will be breaking them initially, the DC should help with breaking/eliminating any leader(s) I suspect a stack may have. Otherwise, grabbing the woods south of the bridge, halfway between my hill, will also be crucial. Victory Condition: Provided the Partisans do not suffer 36 or more CVP (which results in an immediate American Victory), the Partisans win if they have Good Order units with LOS to, and in normal range of, the Railroad, provided they can apply a total of 30 or more Firepower to hypothetical attacks vs any hex(es) of that Railroad. The railroad is the road travelling from 39GG5-39Y10-47H8-47I1. SSR#5 dictates several modifications to the Victory Condition. There's an explanation in one of the streams, but its complex. Special Rules Weather: EC is Moist. There is a Mild Breeze coming from the south. The stream is deep. Turn 1 - Americans  As the fog of war is (somewhat) lifted, it reveals a decent presence on the hill overlooking one of my goals, the woods south of the bridge. Its also apparent, on review, that I likely committed too much to the southern defense group.  The first movement phase for the Americans sees an approach towards the hill, although somewhat conservatively. That said, I don't have many options to shoot back, simply because of all the poor sight lines, and not wanting to expose myself to return fire.  A pair of shots go out and I get a lucky 4 to pin a pair of units in the foxhole in I8. I'll take the loss of concealment that caused.  Post-advance phase, the Americans have taken shots at several locations, revealing themselves, but otherwise force no change. Turn 1 - Bolshevik Partisans  The Partisans have their orders. Close in and try to get that bridge. Initial shots in the Prep Fire phase broke and pinned the men in J8, but could not do the same against I8. To force the retreat of J8, as well as threaten the still-fighting troops in I8, a partisan squad is sent to get adjacent, for a potential CC. They break in I9 from defensive fire. Another squad is sent to J9, having to go CX and go the long way around.  A look at the northern portion of the map.  Exchanges are made in the south, with only a broken American squad as a result.  Post-Advance Phase  Post-Advance Phase Turn 2 - Americans  The American horde continues to advance, and what would've been AN AMAZING SHOW OF FORCE, with a DC tossed from CC8 to DD8 that rolls a 10 and an 11 against my own men. The blast brushes aside from vegetation, revealing my HIP squad, and nothing else... (This would've been like... 8 CVP had the DC done its dang job)Some shots are made by some of the Americans, but there's no significant change.  Plenty of shots go out, and the limitation on Fire Groups is unfortunate as I can't maximize my firepower without becoming extremely vulnerable to the Americans. Regardless, one squad breaks, hopefully making the advance towards the bridge that much easier.  Not sure why there's a seven-of-nine counter, but I was using it to denote which squads are considered Ghurkas as per SSR3. In the end it doesn't provide any benefit and my squad dies at the hands of three American squads.  State of the Board To be continued...
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Apr 3, 2021 19:33
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This thread inspired me to pull down my (Basic) Squad Leader set and play through some of the classics solo. (No matter how many times I try it, I can't pull out a German win in The Guards Counterattack...12x6-2-8 with a 10-2 leading them just spells doom for the left side of the board.) This led me to do some research. It turns out ASL Starter Kit #1 has just been reprinted and is available from Multiman Publishing. Umm, I may have ordered it.
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Apr 4, 2021 19:57
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Admiralty Flag posted:This thread inspired me to pull down my (Basic) Squad Leader set and play through some of the classics solo. (No matter how many times I try it, I can't pull out a German win in The Guards Counterattack...12x6-2-8 with a 10-2 leading them just spells doom for the left side of the board.) Guards counterattack is a pretty classic scenario, though i think the asl version is slightly different. You should play it online, wouldnt mind seeing how you play it and what i would do differently
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Apr 4, 2021 20:48
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I bought Starter Kit #4 (the only one in stock here in Europe at the time) after binging this thread one night and am looking forward to probably never opening the drat thing.
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Apr 5, 2021 19:23
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Well, as long as I have time for it and it isn't during a planned stream night for the thread, I'm not against playing people or whatever to get some extra games in.
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Apr 5, 2021 20:15
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Drone posted:I bought Starter Kit #4 (the only one in stock here in Europe at the time) after binging this thread one night and am looking forward to probably never opening the drat thing. You could always volunteer to play a side in one of the multiplayer scenarios coming up...
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Apr 5, 2021 23:30
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FT-121: Red Star Express - Part 2 With the Americans starting to cross into the Partisan lines, several squads are poised to attacking the units down by the river. Concealed units are set to move in closer to the trench next to the bridge. Turn 2 - Bolshevik Partisans  I break 9 units on 3 shots and feel really good about myself. No ELRs are done, erroneously. This would've been especially good for me, as that's some free prisoners if they become Disrupted. Oh well. Another thing to bring up is that I would've loved more units to shoot with here. Breaking units is one thing, but the Americans are pre-disposed to rally at a higher rate than other nations due to their higher broken morale. The move of my units from V4 to Z2 should've been different. I think moving north-west would've been a better idea.  On the upper-half of the game, I've got numerous units moving, and practically encircle the Americans.  US units pair up and an unlucky Casualty MC on my end seals the fate for this poor Partisan squad.  I try my damndest to break the units in the trench, as well as the others near the bridge, but only break those men in I7.  The turn comes to a close with get the Bolsheviks shoring up the line.  Up top, I make a pretty bad mistake. I retreat a squad from H4 to I5. I should've thrown them into the CC in G5. Losing them would've sucked, sure, but the 3-3-7 in there is guaranteed to die, whereas twice that, or more, has a better chance at locking them down for another turn. Turn 3 - Americans  Americans open up with a pin on my DC Leader, and break three squads.  Whereas only movement occurs in the south.  In the Defensive Fire Phase, I manage to break another Leader + Squad, but the return shots later pin the leader and the squad goes Berserk. This will kill the squad later.  State of the Board  State of the Board [The Advance onto the bridge here was an illegal move. You must enter a bridge from the Road hexside.] Turn 3 - Bolshevik Partisans  Despite pinning everyone in the Trench, they still manage a 1KIA against a squad going into H5.  No good results from my shots, and my Berserker immediately moves into CC5 and promptly dies from a K/# result, being casualty reduced and then rolling over the 10 morale.  The men in the Trench fire again at my units in the building across the road. This was an illegal shot, as they were marked as Final Fired, and could only shoot at adjacent targets. The end of this turn really shows that I should've moved a squad adjacent to the Trench, on the hill hex above them. Consequences of the illegal move onto the bridge, yadda yadda. I would like to note that I don't mean to imply anything on Hypnobeard's part. ASL is a complex game and errors are guaranteed, though some do have more weight to them.  State of the board Turn 4 - Americans  Not much occurs here.  Whereas movement is plenty in the hills. I was hoping for a break or two, but my dice have been failing me.  An alright shot sees a squad break and the other generate Heat of Battle and become Fanatical (+1 Morale for the rest of the scenario)  I get a snake eyes against the squad on the bridge (Damnit, why wasn't that on the Trench!  ) Advancing Fire breaks a squad and pins a stack a little further up north.  State of the Board  As per last mention, this would've been an illegal rout, since it was not made onto the road first. Turn 4 - Bolshevik Partisans  Plenty of movement, but some of this is too little, too late. They should've been heading north-west 2 turns ago. Getting 2 breaks is nice, however.  Even more movement, and there are two major issues I spotted while going through the recording. The 2nd unit that moves into H5 is shot at by the two squads in G5 and they cowered. They should have been marked Final Fire, and could no longer shoot unless it was Final Protective Fire. The MMG in G5 shot at G4, and should have a Covered Arc counter to denote it could not be turned to shoot at H5 later.  Back down south, the Leader + Squad in BB8 take a nasty shot and the Leader goes Berserk and the squad breaks. Had I known, I should've rolled to see if the Squad immediately goes berserk, rallying them.  And this is the shot that spoils my chances at victory. Had they been Final Fired, they wouldn't be able to shoot. Instead, they get a shot, break the Leader and pin both squads. Now I can't send units into the Trench, and I can't blow up the bridge.  State of the Board (Northern half) Turn 5 - Americans  Stuck in the open, the two squads adjacent to the Trench are easy pickings and quickly gunned down.  Meanwhile, Hypnobeard moves almost everyone on the southern side of things.  Lack of results from shots seal the fate of this scenario.  State of the Board We played my last turn after this but nothing of importance changed. The fact that my Leader and Squad with the DC broke some 4 times was not something that I could recover from, and I'd lost my position on the hill through poor planning for the objective at the start of the game. Hypno's steady/consistent pace did well to negate any advantages I could get from breaks, and his Leaders did very well for themselves. The Trench position was also very well placed, and I should sent the DC I had on the hill up to the bridge. A well-deserved win by Hypnobeard! Special shoutouts to our snipers that activate once on like... 40 rolls. Historical Result posted:Both companies detrained and immediately engaged the partisans on the hill. While the US troops were fighting the partisans on the hill, a group of mine workers with some explosives worked their way to the bridge. Before the explosives could be used, the bridge detachment scattered the mine workers. Over on the hill, automatic fire from the BARs started to take a toll among the partisans. Sergei gave the order to withdraw and the partisans disappeared. The reinforcements were able to continue by train.
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Apr 7, 2021 05:38
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You know, if I'm doing illegal moves/shoots, just say something. 
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Apr 7, 2021 15:26
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Hypnobeard posted:You know, if I'm doing illegal moves/shoots, just say something. For the most part its only observed while going back through the footage. Rule A.2 takes care of the rest 
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Apr 7, 2021 15:38
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FT-122: Grasp The Wind - Part 1 Location: Kazanka, Maritime Province, Siberia, Russia Date: 3 July 1919 Briefing: The second part of Gen. Graves' plan called for an attack against the village of Kazanka, a partisan stronghold. Both C and D Companies were ordered to secure the village and drive the partisans into the hills. The US infantry was divided into two forces. The main attack force arrived on time but the supporting force got bogged down. After shelling the village with two 37mm guns, the infantry attacked at 0830 without the supporting force.  Bolshevik Partisan Strategy There's quite a bit to cover here, and, as can be seen, the Americans start in all of the high spots on the map. The fact that I'm, essentially, confined to a large valley, means any movement in the open is treacherous, and I can't be relied to be able to safely traverse entire areas of my setup zone while those Infantry Guns command the hill, not to mention the MMG(s). As for strategy, I have dummies set up in front, as I guess(ed) that Hypnobeard wouldn't attempt to enter those hexes and force them to be revealed as fakes. (Z1 is real, however!) The name of the game, for me, is to delay where possible and conserve my forces. It is a little similar to the last scenario, and I need to do a better job this time around at withdrawing to prevent shots from the American in the Prep Fire Phase. This means using what little forces I have in Y9, Z9, and Z2 to stall out the Americans for two turns, fall back to the brush/woods, and then maximize the defensive security I receive from that terrain. The troops in J5 and the surrounding area exist only to prevent a flanking attempt that in the event that the Americans set up on the left flank. Considering the terrain, I feel like its the better side to attack from. Ultimately, the goal will be to guard the neon-green building in the upper left, the factory building (S5), and S5/T6 + U4/V3. I may lose the latter 2-hex buildings if the push is hard enough, but I'm not particularly worried if that is the case. The Americans will pay in blood. I'm allotted a Set DC that sets up Hidden. Any guesses as to where it may be? [I made 3 mistakes in this setup. I forgot to Fortify buildings, I had 4 to play with! The MMG in R4 isn't on the Roof, concealed. I gave a DC to the wrong unit, and likely won't get to Set it by Game End.] Victory Condition: The Americans win at Game End upon earning 21 or more LVP in the Partisan setup area, without suffering 15 or more CVP. [Single-hex Buildings = 1 LVP. Building 24S7 = 2 LVP. Buildings 24oN3, 24R5, and 24U4 = 3 LVP each.] Special Rules Weather: EC is Moderate. There is No Wind at start. All buildings are Wooden. Building 24R5 is a Factory. Turn 1 - Americans  A sneaky group was set up on the left side of the map, and the lack of any troops there on my part means they get a free ride into the gully. On the right flank, however, the Americans are poised to strike hard. The only units that don't move were busy firing 37mm shells or from machine gun posts, peppering anyone they could see. Luckily for me, that didn't involve any of my units breaking. On the flipside, I broke the 9-1 Leader thanks to my HIP squad, and I got a pair of breaks from the sacrificial squad in the building.  Advancing fire only managed to pin the half-squad in Z1, but it decides their fate, with no possibility of running away, vastly outgunned, they will perish in the CC Phase.  State of the board Turn 1 - Bolshevik Partisans  For my turn, I have plenty of units moving to cover a slightly different area, and also to waste time on the right flank. There are too many units for me to deal with effectively, so pulling back is the name of the game for now. I get a lucky shot from my LMG+Squad in P7 and break both squads in S2. On the other hand, the weapons on the hill display their own deadliness by almost pinning my squad moving back towards the middle, as well as breaking the Crew + MMG in my factory. [I should've set them up concealed!!]  Fire continues to be exchanged in the Defensive Fire Phase and Advancing Fire Phase. A truly lucky shot nails both broken squads, Casualty Reducing both. Hypnobeard's Sniper activates twice, but only pins the same squad twice in retaliation. My squad+LMG in P7 breaks and casualty reduces as well, unfortunately.  State of the Board Turn 2 - Americans  The support weapon teams on the hill continue to harass anyone in vision, scoring a break and ELR from my previously pinned 1st Line squad in the forward woods. The men in the gully in the west move up to the bridge.  The fighting post-movement is three exchanges of fire. A snake eyes seals the fate of the CR'ed squads from the last turn and the 1st Line Squad is immediately renamed "Dwym's Destroyers" in honor of one of the viewers on the stream. We kept rolling 7 or above afterwards. My broken squad in T9 is forced to surrender, as they could not safely rout away without being shot at. The Americans refused to take prisoners, and NO QUARTER is invoked by the Allied side. None of the Partisans will surrender now.  State of the board (Forward Area) Turn 2 - Bolshevik Partisans  Madness, fire, and death consume the right flank! The DC only pins a squad, bullets rip through all manner of vegetation and cover, manmade or otherwise, leaving two squads (one for each side) broken. The Infantry Guns, having no range limits, switch targets and start attacking my MMG and a Partisan squad I'd thought was in a safer position. Damnable sight lines!  State of the Board The Americans are making progress on the right flank and have been hampered by bad dice, especially this turn, with powerful stacks that simply couldn't convert into breaks. Control of two buildings (plus another soon, once the CX squad in DD7 moves into the unoccupied building) and being on the edge of the village is enough to make me nervous. I have a strong left and right flank, but my middle is a little less... real. Shortening my lines will be necessary, and I need to get everyone not Dwym's Destroyers in that large forest (IE: L9 and connecting hexes) need to move northeast. Anything that can delay the US troops on the right needs to be used, which means I'll be pulling out after shots in my next Prep Fire Phase, or simply moving out and frustrating Hypnobeard. After all, they're the one with the time limit... To be continued...
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Apr 15, 2021 02:51
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FT-122: Grasp The Wind - Part 2 Turn 3 - Americans  The Americans are all out this turn. The guns on the hills are relentless, but good luck on my part prevents all but one from breaking, and the crew on the factory from pinning. A sniper activates on one of my many rolls, leading to the attack, and reveal, of my fake stack in O10. In the move phase, Hypnobeard's forces approach my men in the woods. In my opinion, they should've CX'ed, especially after breaking the squad on the right, but I'm writing this with hindsight. Critically, for me, two squads move into the open and accost my two broken squads. Without the HIP unit there, it would've been disastrous for my units. As it stands the squads are devastated by point-blank fire with negative DRMs, and they both break.  I reduce a Squad, Hypnobeard kills one of mine. Not the sort of exchange I was hoping for on the left flank.  State of the Board Turn 3 - Bolshevik Partisans  One shot, and the rest is movement. No shots find purchase, from either side.  State of the Board Turn 4 - Americans  Hypnobeard gets some great movement this turn, with the majority of the Americans now in or adjacent to the eastern forest. I did manage to break one squad, which I forgot to mark above, thanks to some residual fire.  As if to laugh at us, the following Defensive Fire Phase and Advance Fire Phase provide not results. The eager American troops advance into two of my occupied hexes, costing me a squad, while a half-squad manages to escape one hex north thanks to having ambushed the foreign occupiers. Turn 4 - Bolshevik Partisans  The Bolsheviks retreat, but not before breaking a pair of squads in the eastern woods. An unfortunate move puts Dwym's Destroyers at risk, and they break as a result; a sniper manages to break my squad on my left flank. The squad with the prisoners proceeds to make their way off-board. Turn 5 - Americans  Turn 5 spells disaster, and the end for the American bid to break through the Bolshevik line and get into the town. Three breaks followed my loss of a Half-Squad during Prep Fire, spelling the end of the possible push. Post-Game Analysis Breaking both infantry guns, and losing one completely, did a number on the American firepower. Not to mention the 8-1 leader + the squad they were with absorbed a ton of shots, never breaking. Similarly, moving two squads as a stack on the eastern flank before getting hosed by my hidden squad was terrible luck on Hypnobeard's part. It would've likely taken one or two more turns than was available for the Americans to nab the required buildings, however, the way that the Americans attacked showed promise when getting men near the buildings in the town. With 100% hindsight, I also think this scenario is better suited for the Americans to throw everything at one side, or even having both MMGs in the same hex with the 9-2 leader. Though, if I'm being honest, it is something that would need to be tested by replaying the scenario several more times. Historical Result posted:The US infantry launched their assault and started to rout the partisans. The partisans attempted to delay the US force, but the automatic weapons of the US infantry was too much for them. The partisans fled north and the US forces were once again holding an empty village. Later that day, the US forces returned to their starting point - Suchan. The partisans were back in Kazanka three days later.
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Apr 20, 2021 03:44
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FT-123: Schurter's Sortie - Part 1 Location: South of Piryatina, Maritime Province, Siberia, Russia Date: 5 July 1919 Briefing: By July 4th, all overland supply routes and communication for the Americans had been severed by the Bolsheviks. Any supplies and messages had to travel through partisan territory to America Bay. On July 5th, M Company led a procession which included D Company, a MG detachment, and a Japanese Infantry Company. Just south of Piryatina, on a hill 800 yards away, the partisans opened fire on M Company, wounding six soldiers.  American Strategy With the objective denoted by the light blue outline, and the vast amount of woods dotting the board, I need to clear out as much of the map while taking less than 5.5 squads in losses. Getting into close-quarters, great for unleashing vicious attacks against my 6 morale troops, could turn out to be problematic. In total, I have 15 squads, 4 leaders, 1 hero, as well as 4 medium machine guns coming in from off-board at the bottom of the maps. The long-range 16 FP they provide could prove to be invaluable. The spread out nature of my attack is specifically to spready out my 6-morale troops so that any one attack won't break multiple units. Its also to frustrate the defender by making individual shots less valuable in what they can break/kill, while reducing the chance of any residual firepower being able to seriously affect my mobility. Victory Condition: The Americans win at the end of any Game Turn if there are no armed, unbroken Partisan MMCs on board 50 at level 3 or higher in hexes 4 and above, provided they do not suffer 11 or more CVP. Special Rules Weather: EC is Moderate. There is No Wind at start. Safe Havens: Trench and Crag locations are treated as Rout and Rally terrain. The Path to Success: Roads do not exist; roads are paths in woods. Turn 1 - Americans  Every possible American unit moves forward. Looking back on this, I probably should have CX'ed everyone for the additional movement.  MMGs move in from off-board to the southern hill, offering the same type of high elevation LOS to the Russians 10 hexes up north.  State of the attack, post-Advance Phase Turn 1 - Bolshevik Partisans  Nobody shoots, and only a few units move at all. A quiet turn...  Down south, every MMG crew re-assembles their machine guns and prepares for the next turn. Turn 2 - Americans  More movement occurs, and thanks to the restrictive sight lines, I'm still not under much threat from any of the Russians.  State of the board, end of turn. Turn 2 - Bolshevik Partisans  The Russians finally open up, but the Pine woods are a little too thick for bullets from the Reds! Numerous units pull back, putting in question whether or not the units in the foxhole on the right flank are real. The MMGs on the opposing hill get luck and break a squad hiding in a trench.  Interestingly, the foxhole units do move out, but not directly up and out of contact from any of my units. Turn 3 - Americans  The MMGs unleash hell once more, but only score a pin against the crew handling the Russia MMG in the trench. Movement up the hill in front of that gun ends with a broken and disrupted half-squad, and another in open ground. Several of the moves were specifically to threaten nearby enemy units and force them in a bad position regarding dropping concealment or risking Close Combat.  More fire continues, but nothing occurs from it. In the Rout Phase, the Disrupted squad immediately surrenders to the nearest Russians.  Rolling two Boxcars in a row means that neither CC is successful, and even allowing the Heroic 6+1 Leader to escape and live for another Turn 3 - Bolshevik Partisans  The blasted Bolsheviks unload on my troops on the right, leaving me with 1.5 squads broken and one squad pinned. The ASL Gods strike, giving Hypnobeard snake eyes for the Partisans locked in Melee, generating a Heat of Battle, only for that result to be a Surrender... On the plus side, the shot also caused the Russian sniper to attack, breaking my full squad in J6. Otherwise, units move to cover the right rear, and into some trenches for more safety.  Two shots radically change the defensive landscape, with the Heroic Leader on the right taking a wound following a 2nd boxcards by Hypnobeard this turn. The other is into the melee at the top of the hill, breaking my own half-squad, the Russian squad, and eliminating the crew on Hypnobeard's 3rd 12 of the turn. You can tell even I hate these types of situations when I suddenly go quiet after laughing about breaking my own men. Oh, and my broken half-squad? Surrendered.  State of the board, end of turn Turn 4 - Americans  The Americans continue to brave Bolshevik bullets, with only poor accuracy to blame for their success.  Three close combats develop, one involving dummy ? counters. The other two are victorious for the Americans, due to good rolls, although the high Firepower US squads have helps mitigate good rolls by their opponents. Turn 4 - Bolshevik Partisans  Men on both sides occupy portions of the trench network at the top of the hill, and shots are exchanged with deadly consequences. A second wound on the Russian Hero dooms him, while a sniper kills the leader I had with the MMGs, coming to reinforce my men and potentially rally the broken squad in I6. Two american squads break in the trenches, in exchange for pinning virtually all the Russians, and breaking a crew.  The jaws close shut on the hill. Without some luck, the Russians are surely doomed... Turn 5 - Americans  And it is the US Machine Gun Company that seals their fate. 12FP from this group pinned the leader in L4, and broke everyone else in it thanks to higher-than-average rolls.  With nowhere to run, the broken squads were likely never going to recover and the scenario was called here. Post-Game Analysis The Russian balance is to remove two US Crews and two MMGs. Do that. I found that having 16FP you can throw at the Russians once a turn as soon as they set up is far too powerful in my opinion. It seems unlikely to me that the Russians would have enough to combat them AND all of the advancing units, considering they only have 2 MMGs, with only 2 or 3 squads having equivalent strength. It didn't help that Hypnobeard misunderstood their setup, which I'm not pointing out to be mean, just that it will absolutely throw you off, since reconfiguring an entire action plan is a tough thing to do. Hypnobeard got the lion's share of boxcars too, and the MMGs rarely accomplished much without breaking in the process. Despite our grumblings, I wouldn't mind retrying this one in the future, but certainly appears to be tougher for the Partisans than the Amerikanskis. Historical Result posted:One of the wounded soldiers, Private Schurter, charged with his platoon, firing his BAR. The Partisans were routed from the hill top by M Company with supporting fire from the MG Detachment. Private Schurter had to be physically restrained by his platoon sergeant to stop his charge after the partisans so as to receive medical attention. Private Schurter died of his wounds shortly thereafter.
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Apr 26, 2021 04:07
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For those in the know, the streams have been continuing and we're finishing up with scenario FT-124 "Deadly Sleigh Ride" on Friday. The scenario features White and Red Russians, while the next, FT-125 "Russian Purges" has Red Russians vs Bolshevik Partisans. My question to the thread is, should I play as the Red Russians on Defense (for twice in a row), or should Hypnobeard get a turn on defense? Should I play as the Red Russians? Yes/No Should the Red Russians get: A: Heavy Artillery B: Light/Medium Artillery Do the Bolsheviks receive: 1: Additional Demolition Charges 2: Additional Machine Guns Voting ends Wednesday Apr 28 - 1300 EST.
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Apr 26, 2021 04:47
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Forgot to mention, I'm still in search of a 3rd player for the fast-approaching IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS; a brawl between Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, and the Red Army in an urban setting. Will two sides join together and split a draw? Who will be the first to backstab the other? These are questions we hope to answer!
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Apr 26, 2021 04:53
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No A 2 Also I'm sorry, I know earlier in the thread I expressed interest in trying to learn ASL and join in for some of the big battles but things just haven't been working out, I will not be able to help with Mouth Of Madness.
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Apr 27, 2021 16:08
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Shoeless posted:No No worries. Offer is still up for anyone who wants to learn ASL or participate. We'll have plenty of opportunities for multiplayer games, especially come Monster scenarios and campaigns like Stalingrad.
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Apr 27, 2021 16:11
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No B 1 Also I would need serious hands-on tutelage to learn ASL because holy poo poo this game is dense, and my brain is not as good as it used to be.
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Apr 27, 2021 20:32
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No Light/Medium, assuming that it's easier to switch covered arcs, etc for a dynamic defense or to shore up holes in your defensive plan than with heavy artillery MGs, but I'm biased because the dice gods always frown on me when I try to use demo packs
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Apr 27, 2021 20:57
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For anyone interested, I will be streaming some ASL tonight around 7pm EST provided my opponent doesn't cancel. If they don't cancel I can answer questions while providing commentary on my own moves, otherwise I'll likely stream a random game, and we can discuss at that plays out.
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Apr 27, 2021 21:08
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FT-124: Deadly Sleigh Ride - Part 1 Location: Nizhne Udinsk, Siberia, Russia Date: 20 Jan 1920 Briefing: On January 15th, the Czech Legion, which had been escorting Supreme Regent Adm. Kolchak eastwards, guaranteed their safety from the Red Russians by turning over Adm. Kolchak in Nizhne Udinsk. Within a few days, all of the White Russian forces knew of this treachery and moved to the rescue, Perhaps the best general in the White Russian Army was General Kappel, who was the closest to Nizhne Udinsk. Gen. Kappel had managed to keep his forces together while destroying the Red Army units in front of him and fighting the Red Army units following him during the dead of winter. The small city of Nizhne Udinsk needed to be taken to rescue the Supreme Regent and give his men rest. Mounted on skis, horses, and in wagons with machine guns, Gen. Kappel and his troops launched their rescue attempt.  Red Russian Strategy The Red Russians get three guns, all of which can be hidden if placed correclty. 4 Ice Sangars that can allow units to be hidden within them, and start with 11 squads and several bad leaders. On the plus side, I get 13 squads of reinforcements later on. I have to survive the initial push by the Whites, then hope my reinforcements can pressure, or relieve pressure, as they come on the board. Additionally, I have shown a strong central defense, in order to incentivize the attacker to hit the sides and divert their attention. By doing this, I hope to surprise enough units with close, high-firepower attacks, and cause them to break, or force Hypnobeard to rethink their approach. The tricky part will be trying to figure out when exactly is the best time to attack with each individual unit. Holding off attacks from the pillboxes may not yield the same desired effect if it narrows my arcs of fire. Similarly, if the guns don't hit their target, they will be vulnerable to return fire. Victory Condition: The White Russians win at the end of any Game Turn by earning 21 or more LVP without suffering 44 or more CVP. White Russian Prisoners count double during play. Each building/pillbox in the Red Russian setup area is worth 1 LVP. Any building or pillbox completely rubbled is counted as controlled by the White Russians for the purposes of determining LVP. Special Rules Weather: EC is Snow. There is No Wind at start. Got Wood: All buildings are wooden. All woods are pine woods. Mr. Plow: All paved roads are plowed. Turn 1 - White Russians  I'll be skipping some of the more nitty gritty activities this time around, due to time constraints, and the overall complexity of scenarios like this where there are many more units moving around than a "regular" or small scenario may have. In this case, the White Russians have a number of squads approach on the left flank, revealing a pillbox of mine, with a crew+MMG inside. I hold back from firing this turn. Turn 1 - Red Russians  My turn is equally boring, simply pulling back some troops on my right flank closer to the middle. In actuality, this is a feint on my part, as those troops are fakes. If I make my right flank that little bit weaker, it should draw more reinforcements there later. Turn 2 - White Russians  The White Russians show up en masse, and movement by a squad+leader forces my hand, taking a shot that yields no result.  Suspected cavalry troops move into the woods on the right flank in front of my lines, whereas another leader+squad combo on horseback have their steeds shot out from under them by the pillbox MMG in Z5.  By the end of the turn, the foe has set themselves up heavily on my left flank, threatening to dig through the houses there, while having another group on the right flank to stretch mine defensive line as thinly as possible. Turn 2 - Red Russians  As my 2nd turn comes and goes, I take few shots, and get even fewer results. A pin against men in the open does me no favors, and I pull out the 3-4-6 on the left flank to get back to the objective buildings, whereas the other front-line squad breaks and is forced to run back to O3. Turn 3 - White Russians  As Hypnobeard's forces continue to approach, I take as many shots as I can, though it only results in one broken squad. I'll have to talk to their COs and have them train more!  State of the board Turn 3 - Red Russians  Turn 3 closes out with me malfunctioning the gun on the left and my MMG in the town. The HIP squad I had in the sangar on my left flank takes a nasty hit as they move out and is eliminated later on during the rout phase. Elsewhere, my troops in the entrance of the town break and rout to the building next door. Additionally, the squad at the front of my right flank takes a shot from the LMG-equipped White Russians a few hexes away and break. Since the adjacent enemy squad is also broken, they end up routing away. I also advance into CC against the intruders on the left flank and manage to win that particular fight... thankfully. To Be Continued
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May 8, 2021 23:26
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I was told of a change to make the top map snow, so enjoy the new, less confusing, map set. FT-124: Deadly Sleigh Ride - Part 2  With White Russians plowing their way through the snow on my left flank, and some pressure mounting on the right, I'm hoping that my reinforcements will come in and either surround Hypnobeard's forces, or ease pressure on a given flank. Turn 4 - White Russians  They continue to advance, reaching the houses I occupy on the left flank. A point blank shot breaks the full squad in the open, but everyone else is safely in the trees or further away. The berserker squad on the right easily advances into the broken squads hex. My artillery piece in S3 malfunctions while trying to do something against the Whites.  The turn comes to a close with my broken men on the right being eliminated, and a melee developing on the left. Turn 4 - Red Russians  The Reds get their reinforcements, and I go all out on the left flank. With a lot of White Infantry on that side, I am hoping that anyone that breaks will be eliminated when they try to rout... nearer to my units. Not shown is me rolling double 1's to repair my Art and Inf guns in the town.  6 shots go out, and the only result is a DM'ed squad...  The result of all my reinforcements moving in.  And, annoyingly, the squad I broke in S1 had to rout... which they had to choose V0/L0, forcing me to reveal the HIP squad+LMG there. I was hoping to save them for a turn or two from now... Turn 5 - White Russians  Hypnobeard is getting very aggressive, but is punished a little thanks to the open ground right in front of the buildings I occupy. They also get into CC with my once-HIPed squad, and enter into the Graveyards of the right flank. The sad thing about pillboxes is they are locked to a specific direction, and you can't have multiple in the same hex. I also can't abandon it, since its a Victory location. Hypnobeard's trying to be sneaking, sending a full squad into the woods next to my MMGs as well. Turn 5 - Red Russians  My turn sees my squads advance further down my left flank, doing all I can to avoid attacks by Hypno, while trying to gain as much ground as possible to get into the town safely. I've also got a squad advancing towards the large stack in the top middle of the map, in order to force those broken guys into worse positions. Not much occurs despite all the units that shoot. Turn 6 - White Russians  The White Russians move a bunch of their Taczankas and infantry, both of which are proving impossible for the Reds to accurately attack, aside from two squads that broke on the left, both in open ground. One Taczanka is also defeated, but the others are still in rather annoying positions... I'm losing ground in the town and, thankfully, Hypnobeard will be focused on shooting some Dummy ? counters for a couple of turns. While risky, I might've risked a squad advancing into O3 to try for a Close Combat, or revealing fakes. On the right, strong squads are in place to push into the church, attached to the graveyard, and my Pillbox is coming under threat. Not much I can do with just a crew inside. To Be Continued... Jobbo_Fett fucked around with this message at 21:01 on May 17, 2021 |
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May 16, 2021 05:28
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Jobbo_Fett posted:[timg]https://i.imgur.com/b399P4u.jpg[/img] broken tag here!
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May 17, 2021 20:08
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| # ? May 24, 2024 15:48 |
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biosterous posted:broken tag here! Whoops, thanks!
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May 17, 2021 21:02
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