The mighty struggle for Borisov concluded last night and my erstwhile opponent secured the victory in a game that really did come down to the final turn. Back in the middle of this game...I felt my chances for victory were all but gone...but ASL is a game that is rarely decided early on and opportunities to at least force a draw remained until the very last movement.
Here's how it ended up:
Board 1 = Russians 4 pts. / Germans 3 pts. = control neutral
Board 2 = German control
Board 3 = German 36 pts. / Russians 20 pts. = control neutral
Board 4 = Germans 26 pts. / Russians 9 pts. = German control
Board 5 = German control
An overview. The remaining German AFV's took control of Board 4. The Russians moved as many squads as possible from Board 3, but it wasn't enough to turn the tide.
Boards 3 and 5 remained firmly in German control once my Ukranian conscripts were eliminated.
The final Stuka strafing run was ineffective, but we can chalk that up to a lack of ammunition after a truly dominating performance throughout the game.
Board 1 was quite a surprise. The Russians managed to get an Armor crew and a 9-1 officer onto the board and deny German control. No one was more surprised than I was, but again, the first maxim of ASL is to never give up.
At the end the Hotel Solidarity proved its value to the Russians and served as the final focus of Soviet power in this game. I just wished I had checked in earlier!!!
In our after action discussion we both agreed that the 4 corners area was perhaps the key position for controlling and winning this scenario.
As feats of daring go, I was very pleased with the performance of my 9-1 who ran the final gauntlet of well positioned German fire to gain entry to Board 1 and effectively deny it to German control. Sometimes the luck is on your side!
The Stukas gain altitude and head back to their forward base. Together they knocked out two Soviet Tanks, disrupted numerous Soviet infantry assaults and kept many others pinned inside the woods or buildings. Air Assault medals all around for these pilots. ***Naturally this is only a game, and one can only imagine the real terror experienced by soldiers and civilians in those dark days of 1941...who were on the receiving ends of a Stuka attack.***
I still can't believe your 9-1 leader successfully ran that 5(-2) gauntlet! Thanks for the great competition, I really enjoyed this monster.
ReplyDeleteIt was a hugely entertaining game that kept me thinking about strategy from October to January. ASL at its best.
DeleteSounds like a tough fought game. I can't imagine what being on the receiving end of a Stuka attack must have been like.
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