After a two week hiatus, my STL opponent and I were back in the saddle to complete 1-1/2 more turns of ASL 18 - The Roadblock. SKYPE issues one week and business travel the other caused us to miss some playing time. Work has been a central issue for us both for several months now. We might have finished another 1/2 turn...but work related banter (a necessary time to vent) took up a good half hour.
The game play which followed would be wild and woolly to say the least as the dice just made events crazier and crazier. Those of you familiar with my AAR's know that I'm no fan of some of the rules around dice...especially cowering. Good grief that rule just seems so gamey to me...like I'm rolling dice in Vegas or something. You roll doubles and whamo..whether or not your rolled snake-eyes makes no difference...no officer leading the attack and you suffer. And in tonight's game, my opponent would suffer from cowering on two critical fires, which would end up benefiting my Germans very much. One last comment...while my opponent and I may from time to time lament some of ASL's more "dicey" rules, we abide by them nonetheless. Honor the game...not the dice.
Going into Turn 5, my opponent had done a good job of maintaining a solid front with good flank protection. At the end of Turn 4, my opponent dropped back in the center, perhaps a bit too much. This would leave the east edge 57L AT Gun without much support.
My boys would definitely take note of that and move accordingly in Turn 5.
My Prep Fire in Turn 5 was more the same...useless. I dropped a bunch of mortar rounds on the US 9-2 in the 2nd floor of the stone building and bounced a few belts of MG-42 ammo against the walls.
My opponent was channeling a little Castle Keep action with his 9-2 and MMG position. The 9-2 was hurting me in a lot of ways. His vantage point was stripping concealment in addition to laying waste with his 30 Cal.
He had to go...but I didn't have any catapults...what to do...what to do...
With the 57L AT Gun pretty much isolated, I decided to rush it. My Hero and a 4-6-7 went first. The crew fired away with their small arms...2 down 2 shot...I cringed...this could be bad...double 4's...and a cower. My Germans smiled and moved adjacent to their new neighbors. The first unfortunate Cower had occurred.
I know it's wrong...but in ASL you gotta take advantage of your opponent's bad fortune...he would do the same for you.
Naturally, in the east, my boys jumped on the hapless 57L AT Gun crew with a Hero and 2 x 4-6-7's. But in the south...my Advance Phase Move was about as stupid as anything I've ever done in this game. I almost didn't blog about this...because it is so stupid...that I can't even offer up an explanation...even I don't know what I was thinking...
So I moved my concealed 4-6-7 W4 into the ground floor of the stone house two floors below the Castle Keep 9-2 and MMG. Then I moved three more 4-6-7's adjacent to the Castle Keep...I know...how incredibly stupid...
Of course...it wouldn't be...but we'll get to that carnage in a moment.
The Close Combat with the 57L AT Gun crew went successfully and my Germans now had a way around the US center.
The US Prep Fire Phase...My opponent couldn't wait to roll the dice...22 down 1 shot against my three poorly led squads.
It was bad...all three squads broken and two ELR'd to 4-4-7's ...but everybody survived...
The US 7-4-7 in U2 continued to pepper away at my boys in Y4.
For the most part, they were just annoying and didn't do much more than inflict pins on my boys...but nonetheless this squad was holding down the West flank.
My opponent's center squads...sensing a great opportunity to move forward and finish off my broken units...didn't really do that...only 1 squad came forward and inexplicably didn't move to cut off my routs. The other two moved back and to the left...back and to the left...ooopss wrong movie...
I was baffled...but in a good way. Then in my D-Fire...lots of good things went right for the Germans. I managed to pin the pesky 7-4-7 squad in U2 and then miracle of miracles....my combined MMG fire group managed to break the US 9-2 and his 7-4-7 squad with the MMG.
The only downside was that it occurred in D-Fire, which meant I couldn't move up and take advantage of the break. But it was a start...
My fire group in the rear finally came through for me. I have 3-1/2 squads tied up in this fire group and will have to get them moving forward very soon...time is running out.
Turn 6 Rally Phase...wouldn't you know it...the 9-2 rolls snakes on the rally...instant 10-2...ouch that hurt...(NOTE= Misplayed Heat of Battle rule here. HOB doesn't apply to self-rally snakes.)
Yeah...maybe later...as I was feeling a bit shagged already....
With the 10-2 MMG Stack back in action, my opponent had reassembled his center. He had failed to eliminate any of my broken squads. And I was successful in rallying three of them...so my boys were poised to make a move forward on Turn 6.
Turn 6 Prep Fire phase...only one of my mortars still had an LOS to the 9-2 MMG Stack in Level 2 of U4. So back to dropping rounds again...no expectations...and then HOLY COW...snake eyes...critical hit...resulting die roll is 1 KIA...my opponent rolls to see if the 9-2 or the 7-4-7 is KIA'd...doubles...both are gone...
In the blink of an eye...the game is turned on its head...as can only happen in ASL...
The heroes of the hour for the Germans!!!
With the 10-2 gone...it was time to make tracks. And my boys moved all along the front.
My squads who had so foolishly moved adjacent to the 9-2 kill stack moved once more into Hex W4.
The US 7-4-7 with the remaining US MMG in U5 gave up concealment to shoot at my concealed 4-6-7 in V3. He managed to cause a PTC...but again doubles...and the Americans cowered. In Advancing Fire Phase my boys would return fire and DM the Americans. The center had been cracked wide open in a half turn of play...
The Americans fell back towards the center stone buildings.
The arrows tell a good story overall for my boys in Turn 6.
But it wasn't all good news for my boys. The American reinforcements had arrived on Turn 5 and taken up residence in the gully covering the exit for my boys. 5 x 7-4-7's with MMG's and Bazookas...yikes...
The Americans will be waiting for me as we take this game to the final turns....can't wait for next Friday.
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