Our Saturday Game - ASL Scenario AP12 Cream of the Crop

For our Saturday game, Dan Best and I selected ASL Scenario AP12 - Cream of the Crop (designed by Rick Troha). This scenario would challenge Dan and I both as we tried to make hay with our respective forces. Like a great boxing match, the momentum would shift from German to Russian and would result in a very tense ending as the game entered the 7th and final turn. And it would end with mental exhaustion and a sense of relief...that at last...the battle was over. The end would be decided by the clock as Rocky and Apollo slumped to their knees after a hard fought match.

Cream of the Crop takes place on Barbarossa Day 2 near the Bug River.

Of course Cream of the Crop should not be confused with Creamed Corn....which although it is golden and delicious...doesn't quite feed the soul the way an outstanding ASL Scenario does!!!

So let us go now into the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant for another outstanding Saturday of ASL!!!

After rolling for sides, Dan ended up with the Germans and would be the scenario attacker. He would command elements of Panzergruppe 2. This force would consist of 3 x 4-6-8's, 7 x 4-6-7's, 2 x 2-4-7's, led by a 9-1, 8-1, and 2 x 8-0's with an MMG, 2 x LMG's, ATR and 5cm Mortar with 3 x Stug 75*. Each Stug would have a 9-1 Armor Leader. Only scenario I can recall where every piece of armor had an armor leader. All in all a very tough force to tangle with. 

I would enter the ring in the opposite corner with the Russians and would be the scenario defender. Under my command would be elements of the 6th Soviet Army. My boys would consist of 7 x 4-4-7's, 3 x 5-2-7's, led by an 8-1 and 8-0 with an MMG, LMG and ATR...oh and did I mention that my KV-1...it must have slipped my mind.

Yeah Baby!!! KV-1 in the 1941 house!!! I was pretty happy to see this in m OOB. Bring on the Stugs I said to myself. I got things covered. And guess what!!! I would also get 3 x T-60's on Turn 3 to help my KV-1 set the house in order! I was pretty stoked with my little force. 

As always the Grumble Jones staff photographers would be imbedded in the action to provide the best possible AAR coverage. Nothing escapes these guys!

5:00...the SKYPE rings and it's time to get our ASL on!!!

And we were off...time for Wind Change!

 Both sides began the game with onboard set up. Right off the bat, Dan surprised with a Schwerpunkt from the south. Due to the woods and water obstacle I had written that area off and focused my defense on the center and northern flank, where I felt Dan's Stug's would have the best area to support the German grenadiers.

 So on turn 1, Dan had really caught me flat footed. His 9-1 with the MMG broke my one 4-4-7 on the south flank. Meanwhile his infantry came rushing along the forest trails while the three Stugs came rumbling into town...unescorted...

Fortunately for me, Dan's Stugs had no machine guns and no infantry support, so I spun my KV-1 around and sent my infantry forward to go after the Stug's in close combat. I got lucky when one of Dan's Stugs MALF'd its MA while intensive firing at the KV-1.

Only my 5-2-7 made its PAATC, while the 4-4-7 boys shook their heads no and crouched by the stone wall. I needed the additional squad and failed to take down the Stug.

My immediate goal was to quickly move the boys to a new line to cover the southern approach into the victory location zone. 

As my infantry moved into new positions, my KV-1 tried to start up and join the resistance...oh but guess what...yep... I rolled a 12. Now you would think the odds of these would be relatively rare, but this would the second scenario for me in which a 12 would immobilize my most important armor asset. So not that rare really. I love ASL...but often find myself doing battle as much with my opponent as my dice.

 Now Dan's Stug with the MALF'd MA would relocate into the town center. It had escaped my first attempt to take out in CC...but it would not my second attempt.

 Back in the south, one of Dan's squads would snake it's rally roll and go fanatic!

Turn 3 - Dan's grenadiers were coming in for the first of many assaults. My thin red line had gotten into position in just the right time. Residual fire markers covered the field as Mosin-Nagants cracked in the summer air.

Dan's boys would take their first building location.

 Hex Z9 would be one of the most critical of my positions throughout the scenario. Dan quickly went into CC with my 5-2-7 holding the wall.

Neither of us would roll what we needed. Close Combat is one of those events that I truly suck at in ASL. I honestly seem to roll very poorly when I'm in CC. 10's would be my initial roll for many of this evening's Close Combat rolls.

OK...I'll have some cheese with my whine now.

(Dang this blog is making me hungry...creamed corn, cheese...)

 On my part of Turn 3, I sent my T-60's into Dan's flank. I hoped to bisect his rout paths and force his between the water obstacle and my boys behind the wall.

 Now after admitting that I suck at Close Combat...what do I next...I jump into Close Combat with a pinned 2-4-7. My 4-4-7 felt confident that it would make short work of a pinned 2-4-7. Well...in theory it works...but in real life...that 4-4-7 would lose its life.

Yep..MELEE...would occur in AA10 for quite some time. Fortunately, my 5-2-7 would win his Melee in Z9.

 Turn 4 - Dan would keep the pressure on. He was down to one Stug and his infantry came at me full tilt. On the west flank, his 9-1 would be KIA'd when my 8-1 went for final protective fire. Turn 4 would see the end of German assaults on my right flank.

My Russians were holding the line.

 Despite his losses, Dan would secure another victory location in the center of my southern line. He was relentless in pushing his attack forward.

 I would try to keep up the pressure on Dan's forces as best I could, One of T-60's MALF'd its MA and would be recalled. Another would be taken down by the German ATR. My final T-60 sprinted towards the west and would eliminate a German 2-4-7 in an overrun attack.

 With Dan's grenadiers in the center of my line, I sent two squads against his half squad. And yes..even with those odds...I ended up in Melee. I continued to leave the door open for Dan to kick it wide open!

Turn 5 would be a turn to remember. My Russians had managed to hold the line and looked like they would seal up the gaps on the south line...but then Dan's 5cm Mortar team went to work along with his remaining Stug. 

 My line had been restored and was ready to hold on to secure a scenario win. 

 As my part of Turn 5 began...you can see that Dan's mortar and Stug had devastated me. My last T-60 was eliminated and my LMG and ATR squads had both been KIA'd.  For the first time in the scenario, I was beginning to think, I wouldn't be able to stop Dan's boys.

I had to cover my eyes...

 Dan had punched a wide open hole in my line. I had fallen back to a new line and was trying to send my boys from the right to help out on the left.

I couldn't believe the turn of events. I had been rocked on my heels and had only 4 unbroken squads left to face what remained of Dan's Landsers.

But at this point as we went into Turn 7, even Dan was beginning to believe the game was over. I pointed out that he had blasted me hard and I felt like we should continue the fight and see what Dan's boys could do with one final assault.

Dan's last Stug officer led the final assault.

 And Dan would secure several more victory locations as time expired. 

A final look at one hard fought battle. We were both exhausted and the cardboard carnage had been heavy on both sides. So as the German phase of Turn 7 ended, Dan offered the concession. His boys had taken as many Victory locations as they could, but the Russians still retained control of more buildings. 

Cream of the Crop was over...and we both sighed with relief. What a game!!

My Russians had won the day, but only just barely!

That's a wrap...

Dan and I will trade blows again next Saturday in Scenario RPT4 Transylvania 6-5000.