Started N-463 the other night. I drew the Free French and quickly set up my MLR with a focus on the two hexes of open ground between the large stands of trees. It is really the only gap for the Jagdpanthers to pass through without chancing an immobilization. Of course the one real problem is that my Fireflies can't do jack without the APCR rounds...which I promptly rolled too high to have on my first to hit rolls. So splang...splang and splang with the big cats laughing off my hits.
Of course serves me right for not respecting the scenario. As with most scenarios this one is well play balanced. It doesn't feel like it at first, but it really is well done.
Then in my first Prep Fire I make a terrible mistake. I fire at some Germans at the treeline and ruin a key part of my own strategy. I needed to smoke the two open hexes to protect my now very vulnerable Fireflies.
And this is where knowing the rules is critical. Once anything other than smoke is fired in a Prep Fire Phase...you can't fire any smoke. This mistake proved to be fatal as one Firefly was smashed to bits in the German D-Fire. And I can expect to lose another in his upcoming Turn 2 Prep Fire.
So after only 1 turn, my strategy is turned on its head and I will have to scramble to find a way to stop the big cats and keep the Germans away from N-463...I can hear in the distance... "Zweite Kompanie...angriff..." oh boy...it looks bad...
Turn 2 completed tonight. Managed to avoid losing another Firefly as the Jagdpanther rolled a 10 to hit. Successfully made smoke and made turn 2 a good one for the Free French. Also managed to break three squads and slow down the German advance into the woods on either edge of the map. My infantry also reacted and are positioned to confront both German infantry assaults. Success will hinge on holding my MLR and keeping the Germans from massing their considerable firepower.
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