Friday night saw me in action once again with my age old opponent, Scott Waites of St. Louis. Having played against one another since 1978, we know each other's gaming styles pretty well...but in ASL...the dice gods will always be heard from and on this night, they would arm themselves with very accurate sniper rifles.
We continued our replaying of the Paratrooper scenarios and ASL 16 - No Better Spot to Die was the current scenario on deck. I drew the Germans and the role of attacker with 13 x 4-6-7's and 4 throw-away French tanks converted to German service. My objective -- control 3 buildings on Board 24 at game end. Sounds easy enough...but the 6 x 7-4-7's with mortars, bazookas, and MMG's ...oh and a 57L AT Gun make it a bit of a challenge!!
I entered the game confident that my 4-6-7's would stand up well in the contest that would follow. Honestly, there is no squad I enjoy fielding more in ASL than the German 4-6-7.
I elected to move my mortars across the open ground to the north with two Tanks advancing beside them. One tank went armored assault with infantry up the middle road and the final Tank did an armor assault with infantry on the south board edge. My 9-1 positioned with the MMG would provide the base of fire for the attack.
Despite having 9 Turns to achieve my objectives...I still decided to just go straight forward. Probably not the wisest course of action...but things turned out ok for the most part, as the US forces remained quiet. But I knew they were watching my every move...
My objectives were to move my mortar teams to the North board edge where line of sight across the field was the greatest. Meanwhile my middle and Southern forces were moving towards the gully.
Nothing worse in ASL than moving in the open and just waiting for the chatter of a 30 Cal to open up your boys...
But it wasn't the US machine guns that I should have been worried about...it was freakin' Gus McCrae and his never miss Winchester that would lay low my 8-0 with a shot to the head.
The US 9-1 with the MMG would also open up and promptly roll an 11, which invited a lot of German advancing fire thrown his way.
By the end of Advance Phase of Turn 1, my boys were in the initial objective positions for the loss of no one. Couldn't ask for better.
Turn 2 would heat up as the US 6cm Mortar began dropping rounds on my mortar teams.
In Turn 2, I prepped both mortars and my 9-1 MMG kill stack...for no effect...woohooo....
Turn 2 movement saw my forces advance into position to test whether or not I was facing dummy stacks in the foxholes.
Monty...I'll take foxhole #2 for dummys!!!
By Turn 2, my forces were still on the move and other than losing my 8-0 to a sniper...were completely intact...that would of course change...
It began when my firing battle hardened the US 9-1 to an angry 9-2. Not the result I was hoping for...
In the center, I revealed a foxhole full of dummys...but right next to them was a HIP 7-4-7 with a Bazooka. Another bazooka fired from the foxhole in F7...but rolled an 11 and that was that. The HIP squad (despite was it written on the pic) would go on to knock out a tank.
The German sniper would also make an appearance and KIA'd the US 9-2...WOW!!!!
Back at the gully, things also got real for my boys as my 8-1 was wounded and the men with him broken.
It didn't get better from there...I managed to break both my mortars and a bazooka round found the first of my tanks...oh and Gus McCrae was back at work and managed to KIA my 9-1. Can't remember the last game I played where three officers were KIA'd by snipers...this might be a first....
Yep...all you can do is grin and bear it when boxcars show up...
Despite the setbacks, my boys had made some good progress and were getting into the next jump off positions to make a run on some buildings.
We stopped for the evening at the conclusion of the German phase of Turn 3. All in all ,both sides have been rocked and each side only has one officer, which will be problematic going forward as more squads break.
But as always...already looking forward to next Friday's game!
To play some ASL...who wouldn't???
But as always...already looking forward to next Friday's game!
HELL YEAH@@@
ReplyDeleteGREAT SCENARIO!!!
And AAR!