After 15 years, Grumble Jones has finally updated its page image. Tools exist today that didn't back in the early days of 2011. AI has given me a tool kit that is really exciting. I have always been concerned about my blog becoming stale and dated...like a kitchen from 1978...yeah nobody wants that today. ChatGPT and I have been collaborating on Logos and brand images for the Grumble Jones Blog. Pretty excited for the seasonal images that we have and will create of the coming year.
AI still has some obvious limits. It has a tendency to use "frog DNA" in images when it can't quite comprehend what is in an image or how to actually create it from whole cloth. I asked it for a Tiger Tank with an orange background and headers for the upcoming March Madness Tournament in KC. I was happy with the dynamic image, but I received immediate criticism upon posting it on the Advanced Squad Leader Facebook page. Some criticism was around the image errors such as bolts, etc, which again goes back to some of the "frog DNA" methods AI uses. Since I had not uploaded an actual Tiger Tank picture...I was a bit to blame. But the point of the entire endeavor was just to support the March Madness Tournament and get the word out with an eye-popping image. I took it down across all sites and platforms as a result of the backlash. There are members of our ASL Community that quite literally simply wait to criticize inputs from others. It's not an indictment of our community, but an acknowledgement that some people cannot behave with grace and decency on the internet. We have observed this across all of the ASL social media platforms/sites. I have a very thin skin (too thin), so I tend to withdraw my energy when confronted by folks whose intent is to belittle, unduly criticize or even throw barbs at you.
Link below to the upcoming KC March Madness Tournament. I cannot recommend it enough!
Kansas City March Madness ASL Tournament
Before we wade into this week's scenario AAR's, I want to talk a bit about losing, personal ELR and Dice. Prior to this week's scenarios, I was on a 10 game losing streak. This is the longest losing streak since my days in 2014-15 playing against Big Kansas. He was a very good player and I was 3 wins and 20 losses including two CG's: Pegasus Bridge and Purple Heart Draw that I also lost. I learned a lot, but also concluded that I wasn't at his level. Dan Best and I are very evenly matched and while we have both experienced losing streaks...my 10 game streak has taken it to the next level. Going into the 10th game of this streak...I was not looking forward to the game at all. It was Critical Hit's Forest Strongpoint. The Russians have to assault a German strongpoint manned by a 9-2, 2 crews with HMG's, 3 x 4-6-7's and a Hero along with 48 AP Mine factors, lots of wire and a pre-cleared fire zone around the primary German strongpoint. Oh and the Germans get 80mm Battalion Mortar OBA. Nothing like a 16 factor -1 shot as you plow through the woods in Deep Snow. I was of course the attacking Russians and I already knew the scenario outcome. Dan is too good a defender when given that kind of tool kit. I would concede on Turn 6 as the minefield belt only gave me three hexes from which to put fire down on the center German position. In the house, Dan had the 9-2, 2 x crews with HMG's, a 4-6-7 and a 4-6-7 with an LMG. You can easily image the breaking of Russian squads that risked the fury of the 9-2. Then the OBA fell and caught my brokies in the back of the treeline. I had a group attempting to come around the backside, but the German Hero, a 7-0 and 4-6-7 were waiting for me. Interestingly, neither of us suffered any losses. Breaks and ELR's, but no casualties. I had diligently searched for the mines and avoided all but one. But I also couldn't create a human wave assault because of the minefields. And of course the searching cost me valuable movement. So, time was running out and I had no interest in some final desperate self-destructive attack that would fail regardless of my effort. So..I conceded for yet another awful loss.
Let's look at ROAR stats for these games:
Forest Stronghold: 6 Russian to 3 German wins. Not sure how the Russians managed those wins.
The Replacements: 24 Italian to 12 Russian - I was the Russians and MALF'd my 45 AT Gun and an ATR...kinda important assets when your opponent has 6 tanks and squads equipped with an absolutely ridiculous 8 machine guns. Seriously...
House of Cards: Germans 0 and Americans 7. I was the Germans and had two of my Panthers knocked out, which made it impossible to win. Clearly...being the Germans in this one isn't worth your time.
Short Sharp Shock: 0 Vichy French to 3 British. This is a night scenario where the Vichy French have a very constrained setup and find themselves under assault by 8 British 6-4-8 Commando squads. Do I even have to explain the murder in the dark that occurred?? I really did not enjoy this scenario. I do not enjoy "murder" scenarios. These are great for introducing a new player to the game...but sitting in the dark and getting murdered by your opponent because he can't help but get Ambush is the height of unfun ASL.
A Handful of Howdy: 18 American to 26 German. My American 6-6-6's had to attack across open ground against German 5-4-8's with again waaay too many machine guns including an HMG. I managed to clear the hills (he didn't defend them) and take one of the two victory buildings. I conceded on the final turn, because Dan had all his boys in the two hexes of the final victory location. 30+ factor shots from both into adjacent hexes. Again...a lot of effort for no reasonable chance to win. This is my opinion of course...but again I have too much respect for Dan's abilities as a defender to speculate that I had any chance of advancing adjacent to his kill stacks. Watching my squads get slaughtered is not fun for me...so I don't do it.
Retreat from Bairak: Russian 16 wins to German 14 wins. I was the Germans and MALF'd my AT Gun on it's first shot, which was a side shot on the KV-I. I then 6'd it on the next Repair dr. This was early war, so I had no answer to the Russian tanks, which together with the Russian infantry sliced and diced me. Another critical asset lost because of the absurdity of MALF's in ASL.
Worker's Settlement No. 8: 35 German wins to 23 Russian wins. I was the attacking Russians and didn't fare well.
Butchers and Bakers: 16 British to 20 German - I should have won as the Germans...but I didn't.
Cracking Fortress Holland: German 3 to Dutch 6 - Again, I should have won as the Dutch. But Dan's dice were hot and my oncoming reinforcements were cut down at long rang by low rolls that wiped me out fairly early.
Rush Hour: German 10 to American 18. I was the Americans and playing this scenario for a second time as the Americans. I defeated Dave Mareske in one of my very rare wins against Dave. After a few hours of playing, Dan and I were stuck in a Q Row face off...which is pretty common for this scenario. We believed that were tied with a couple turns left. We were tired and agreed that we could call it a game as a tie. As we cleaned up, Dan informed me that he actually had one more VP than me, so had won the game. This loss was the beginning of my epic 10 game losing streak. I should not have conceded this one, even for the draw as my Americans had the edge going forward. So...I created my own losing karma, which I have yet to shake off.
Dice - yep, they play are large and unfortunate role in ASL...A lot of forum talking heads like to blather on about ASL being a game of movement and on and on. They also love to downplay the impact of the dice. I find this curious and bewildering at times. The dice determine everything in the game...literally. Move all day...but at some point you have to roll the dice. And guess what, ASL is a game, where your own rolls hurt you...MALF's, Cowering, Casualty Reduction, Sniper Activation and on and on. In these past 10 games, my Dice were not very good overall. MALF'ing AT Guns cost me dearly. On the other side, Dan's dice were good to very hot in several games. I tend to be a conservative attacker and every time I took the risk for the biscuit, Dan burned me down with snakes, 3's and 4's down 2. Sometimes, risk is necessary in this game. We rarely if ever have enough turns to cautiously attack. Dan's Battle School Sniper Die is also a real killer. He routinely gets a 1 sniper with that die. I have that die also and it never gives me anything...so I stopped using it.
I have a history of not rolling very well. It's a pox on my house. None of my dice towers or dice glasses seem to help. One of my two dice will almost always be a 6 or a 5. You can't be successful in this game rolling high all of the time. It's like playing Basketball and your opponent is dropping 3's and you are missing your layups...not be a good outcome.
And yes, my personal ELR has suffered badly. During the 2024 Grumbler Invitational, I rolled the most poorly of the 4 players: Dave Mareske, Paul Works, Dan Best and myself. All three of those dudes out rolled me in SNAKES. They all had almost double the number of snakes rolled versus me. I rolled the most Boxcars and suffered accordingly in those games.
I love this game and won't stop playing, but my personal confidence has been shaken and I really have reached a point where I question whether or not to take a shot from time to time, because I don't believe I will roll successfully. That's no way to play this game...
Okay on to this month's AAR's...
Our first scenario, played on Thursday would RPT 164 Let's Shoot the S.O.B.'s. Set in Korea in October of 1950, this is a nice sized DASL scenario designed by Evan Sherry. Four US squads with 2 x BAZ 50's try to hold off 6.5 North Korean Squads and 3 x T-34/85's. This would be our first DASL Korean scenario. So that was pretty cool!!
As the defending Americans, I would command elements of F Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. My force would consist of 2 x 6-6-7's, and 2 x 6-6-6's led by a 9-1 with an LMG and 2 x BAZ 50's.
As the attacking North Koreans, Dan would command elements of the 105th Armored Division. His force would consist of 2 x 6-2-8's, 4 x 4-4-7's and a 3-2-8 led by an 8-1 with an LMG and 3 x T-34/85's.
The North Koreans win at game end if there are no Good Order US MMC's in level 2 or 3 hexes and as long as they have at least one mobile AFV with functional MA.
All American units begin the game HIP. Dan would have to move with the intent to search and reveal my units. I would reveal to push back the North Koreans. A 4-4-7 would break and ELR to a 4-2-6 and never rally for the remainder of the game. A half squad would KIA'd and the first of the 3 T-34/85's was knocked out. The crew got out but were KIA'd by the 6-6-7.
Turns 1 and 2 went ok for me. I was holding my own.
Turn 3 attack would reveal the two HIP 3-4-6's. They would be eliminated accordingly.
In my PREP Fire, my intrepid tank hunter 6-6-7 would knock out a second T-34/85.
After my final move, it was time to assess things before beginning Turn 4. This was it. There were three American squads in victory locations. Dan's squads to the south were mission killed. His 8-1 had 2-1/2 squads available to make the final assault. The remaining T-34/85 would have to be risked as it was the only asset that could reach my tank killers under the T-34/85 wreck.
My tank killers fired and knocked out their third T-34/85. Those BAZ 50's are powerful. That was game as Dan had to have a functional T-34/85 in order to win the game. With that is was game over and my first victory in the past 11 games. I had finally stopped by losing streak.
For our second game, played on Friday, we would stay in Korea with RPT 150 Diggers at Cheongju . This is one of the few times that we have every played back to back Korea scenarios. I'm not a big fan of Korea scenarios, but every now and then it's worthwhile to explore that theater.
Interestingly, this scenario is also set in October of 1950 as was our previous scenario. Evan Sherry is also the credited designer for this scenario. I have always been a big fan of his Rally Point and Schwerpunkt designs. These are honestly my favorite scenario packs.
In this scenario, the Australians are attacking with 5 American Easy 8's against 3 x T-34/85's and an SU-76. It's always fun to see Soviet and American armor facing off post World War II.
I've seen a few history programs on YouTube of late, extoling Patton's desire to have rearmed the Germans and gone after the Soviets in the closing hours of World War II. While the Iron Curtain that followed was terrible...a continuation of that war would have imperiled the ending of the conflict in Asia and would have had a terrible impact on the American forces engaged. As I recall, the greatest threat facing the Americans in Europe towards the end of the war was the scarcity of riflemen. These are the fellas that bear brunt of the casualties in war and we were running low on veteran riflemen. At any rate, Patton's ideas were not adopted and we didn't have to discover the folly or wisdom of his opinions.
As the attacking Australians, I would command elements of Company A, 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, 27th Infantry and Company D, 89th Tank Battalion. My force would consist of 16 x 4-5-8's, led by a 9-2, 9-1, 8-1 and 8-0 with an HMG, MMG, 4 x LMG's, 3 x BAZ 50's, 2 x 51 MTR's and 5 x Easy 8 Shermans with a 9-1 Armor Leader.
As the defending North Koreans, Dan would command elements of the 17th Tank Brigade. His force would consist of 2 x 4-5-8's, and 8 x 4-4-7's led by a 9-1 and 8-1 with an HMG, MMG, 2 x LMG's, an SU-76 and 3 x T-34/85's.
The UN Forces are very stout for this scenario. The 5 Easy 8's have plenty of APCR and just have to get hits to take down the dug in T-34/85's. I would set up to use my mortars to smoke the suspected MMG and HMG kill stacks. Then my tanks would take on the two upfront T-34/85's. The infantry movements would be dependent on the success or failure of the smoke attempts and tank on tank shots.
My mortars would successfully smoke the the HMG and MMG positions. My tanks would successfully knock out both upfront T-34/85's. With successes, my infantry moved up.
Turn 1 had gone very well. My only loss was a broken mortar. Otherwise my advance had gone better than I could hoped for.
Turn 1 defensive fire would see the elimination of the remaining T-34/85.
Turn 2 - with the armor threat removed, my Easy 8's and Diggers moved forward with a purpose.
My Diggers were able to break the North Korean squads in their immediate front and were beginning to press on the 9-1 with the HMG and the 8-1 with the MMG. My armor was giving me a huge advantage.
Turn 2 - the North Koreans received an SU-76 as a reinforcement. Unfortunately my Defensive Fire was once again just devastating as the 8-1 and MMG group were broken and the squads supporting the 9-1 were in similar bad straits. With the Board 58 hill nearly under Australian control and my armor dominating the battlefield, Dan gave the concession. Without the T-34/85's there were very little the North Koreans could do to stop the Australians.
The Diggers would win the second game of our four game weekend. And for me, I was on two game win streak that was rebuilding my confidence that I actually knew how to play this game. But I would remiss if I didn't point out that my dice were giving me results...I was hitting on my shots and forcing Dan to make morale checks. These exact same dice plagued me with non results through the previous ten games. It has always mystified me why my dice behave ins such a Jekyll and Hyde manner.
Our third game, played on Saturday would be RPT 156 Wiking Rescue. This scenario is taken from the excellent Kampgruppe Muehlenkamp by Remy Spezzano and Douglas Nash. There are currently three books in this amazing series of coffee table books. These are large format, well bound with some of the best photographs of specific actions I have ever run across. Expensive books to be sure, but well worth the expense.
In the book as well as the scenario, Kampgruppe Muehlenkamp of Wiking Division is sent to the relief of z.b.V. 560 which was on the verge of being encircled and eliminated. The Kampfgruppe would be successful in reaching and relieving the troops of z.b.V. 560, which would suffer heavy losses before and during the relief effort.
I just received my copy of Wiking Sommer and was impressed by the size of this book and the great photographic record that has many pictures that were entirely new to me. Apparently, Ernst Baumann's collection of 6000 photographs were saved by his family and don't appear to have gone into the Bundesarchiv. I could of course be mistaken about that.
As the attacking Germans, I would command elements of the Grenadier Penal Battalion z.b.V. 560 and Company 5, SS Panzer Regiment 5, and III Battalion, SS "Germania" Panzergrenadier Regiment 9, 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking. My force would consist of 3 x 4-6-7's, 5 x 4-4-7's, and 10 x 6-5-8's led by a 9-2, 9-1, 8-1, and 2 x 8-0's with an MMG, 3 x LMG's, 3 x Panzerschrecks, 12 x Halftracks and 3 x Panther Tanks.
As the defending Russians, Dan would command elements of the 193rd and 44th Rifle Divisions. His force would consist of 15 x 4-4-7's led by a 9-1, 8-1 and 7-0 with an HMG, MMG, 2 x LMG's, 2 x ATR's, a 50 MTR and 6 x SU-76's.
My Penal Battalion boys (in the blue circle) have it bad. Not many hiding places from the Russian 9-1 and 8-1 with their heavy and medium machines. My goal was to survive as long as possible...hopefully until the Wikings arrived.
Turn 1 German - my Wiking boys advance towards the railroad embankment. Two of my Panthers go on top it and the third is hull down behind it. The half-tracks must bog check while crossing it.
Turn 1 Russian - my Panthers would battle it out with SU-76's as a third left that compound to reinforce the SU-76 grainfield lager. My Penal Battalion hunkered down and tried to survive all the incoming fire while also repelling the advancing Soviet infantry.
The two SU-76's would fall in Defensive Fire...but only after a desperate Intensive Fire Shot. Hitting small hull down targets can be tough.
The Panthers waved for my half-tracks to move up. It was time to get rolling. We were on the clock.
Turn 2 German - I begin advancing over and past the railroad embankment. None of my vehicles would bog. My Turn 2 goal was to evict the Russians from the compound and the house to the east. I would be successful in this effort.
Turn 2 Russian - Dan would go multiple rate of fire tears with his mortar and machine guns, which would seriously impact my Penal Battalion defenders in the three house position. And then the Russian sniper would hit and recall one of my Half-Tracks. Things were not really going well for me at this point.
Dan's boys would suffer some mishaps on Turn 3 German. I would break the 8-1 stack with the MMG as they had advanced into the three house row defense. My 4-4-7 would succeed in breaking them all. But Dan's HMG would tear them apart in Defensive Fire with a unending rate of fire tear. I would reduce to a broken half-squad and then Heat of Battle and go Berserk and then be KIA'd. A lot of emotions for a rate of fire that never seemed to end. (Rate of Fire is another ASL rule that can really irk me at times. It can really undo a good scenario when it just goes off the rails.) Dan would also MALF the MA on one of the SU-76's. But on the west edge, his SU-76's destroyed three of my half-tracks and killing the 8-1 and 6-5-8 with an LMG. That attack was completely shattered. Again, two of the SU-76's kept rate of fire. I even complained loudly that Dan's colored die only had one number on it. As someone who only rarely enjoys rate of fire...I get angsty when others get it too often. The Force demands balance...
Turn 3 Russian - and the final picture. I would concede at the end of Turn 3. With my western attack completely destroyed, I could no longer reach the village from that area. In the west, I had made some progress, but was losing half-tracks to another SU-76 and ATR rounds were pinging dangerously around them. Dan' SU-76 would go for deliberate immobilization on my circle Panther. He would hit and I was immobilized. I rolled to see if stayed in the tank and of course rolled an 11 and that was that for the crew and the point at which I was done with the scenario. I was losing the village and soon the Penal Battalion would be overcome. I had no infantry ready to take back the village. I had to eliminate the SU-76's and was now down to only two tanks that could handle the job. After 3 hours...I was tired...and hard pressed to see a way to win this one. So, I gave the concession and Dan's Russians had the win.
Some observations. The Russians are very tough, even though they don't initially appear to be. The mortar, HMG and ATR's can all take out the half-tracks. The SU-76's can rip them apart with ease. 6 x SU-76's with 2 Rate of Fire against a guy that can't stop rolling rate is a recipe for disaster. I never got into a good attack momentum. I was flailing away and my force had been stalled. I couldn't risk any more half-tracks until I had dealt with the SU-76's and that was not going my way. The Russians have 4 ELR in this game. I don't believe that aligns with the historical event. The Germans carved up the Russians pretty handily in the actual engagement. Still, it was a fun scenario and I would certainly recommend it. It's a bit too big for play over Microsoft Teams. It was really tiring for Dan and I to go through each German movement phase. So much easier to move these things in face to face.
Congrats to Dan on a great defensive stand.
Our fourth and final game of the weekend, played on Sunday would RPT 151 Luodian Lament.
This scenario as well as the Wiking Rescue are both found in Rally Point 16. This scenario is set in August 1937 and is of course a clash between Nationalist Chinese and the Imperial Japanese Army.
The Chinese win at game end if they control 7 or more single hex stone buildings.
As the attacking Chinese, I would command elements of the 66th Regiment, 33rd Brigade, 11th Division. My force would consist of 12 x 4-4-7's and 7 x 3-3-7's led by a 9-2, 8-1, and 8-0 with an HMG, MMG, 2 x LMG's and a DC.
(Just an observation, but I do think HMG's are showing up too often in all of these scenarios.)
As the defending Japanese, Dan would command elements of the 44th Regiment, 11th Division. (A clash between the 11's!!!) His force would consist of a 4-4-8, 4 x 4-4-7's, 6 x 3-4-7's and a 2-2-8 led by a 9-1, 9-0 and 8-0 with an MMG, 2 x LMG's and a 50 MTR.
Trying to secure control of 8 single stone buildings...hmm...looks a bit difficult. I arrayed my squads to flood the zone on the left, with fire teams in the center and the 9-2 poised to secure the two "gimme" buildings on my side of the stream.
Turn 1 Chinese - I move full steam ahead and my 9-2 secures the first building. Dan lays a fire lane, but my boys manage to move without loss.
After Turn 1 move, I was not in a bad position.
Turn 2 Chinese - I move ahead and try to dislodge the 8-1 and LMG 4-4-8 squad holding the first stone building on the left. The unit would bedevil me and really probably cost me the game.
Turn 2 - not much change. I tried to eliminate a pinned 4-4-8 and failed. Hand to Hand against Japanese...not be taken lightly..
The circled Japanese positions would drain my resources and my time.
I moved back in Advance Phase to avoid being attacked in Close Combat by Concealed Japanese.
My ARTY finally began to fall and it would help reduce the Japanese MMG position.
I am often criticized for being overly cautious on the attack...but I have learned the hard way that not being cautious has consequences. I would soon experience that. I went into two close combats. I would lose 2-1/2 squads in the fight and only clear one building.
As Dan's MMG position covering the bridge was eliminated, he began to funnel troops that way.
I was pressing hard on the left side and not having good luck. In the east, opportunity beckoned. My 9-2 and squad made a run for the rear. The successfully crossed the bridge and rushed towards a victory building in the backfield.
Going into the last turn, I was despondent. I knew I had the lost the game...and I always hate the last turn desperation attack. But here I was...ready to go after five victory locations that were still not controlled.
Final turn, I attack all five available victory buildings. Close Combat would butcher me. I would be ambushed in two of close combats. Dan would declare hand to hand and butcher my boys. I would win the third close combat and end the game with 5 buildings. The two ambushes took away any chance I had to win. So Dan's Japanese would win the day.
Dan and I finish 2-2 . Very happy with those results.
Long time readers know I am a huge fan of Lonesome Dove. Robert Duvall has passed away. Robert Urich preceded him years ago. Lonesome Dove hits me a very certain way...an American way. It tells a quintessential American story. And Robert Duvall as Ausgustus (Gus) McCrae embodied the very best of American character. He will be missed.
That's all for now.
We'll see you soon.
