Our final Saturday game of 2017 was a doozy!!! The first 3 Player Scenario played by the Cardboard via SKYPE method. From the warmth of the Hollis Renewal Center in Kansas City, Dave Mareske and Dan Best took me on in this ASL Classic Scenario. It would be prove to be one of the most enjoyable games of the year!!
ASL Scenario 33 - The Cossacks are Coming depicts the events in Palesnik, Croatia in the summer of 1944 as Partisans surrounded Croatian Militia units in the town. Receiving a request for assistance, the Germans sent in elements of the Don-Cossack Cavalry Regiment 1 to rescue the militia and eliminate the Partisans. The Scenario Victory Conditions require the Partisan Player to maintain a minimum of 18 Fire Power factors within normal range of the road traversing Boards 2 and 10.
One of the things about my AAR's is that I do spend considerable time prior to posting to search Google for as many relevant images to a given scenario as possible. Mainstream battles and campaigns are relatively easy to document with correct photos. Less common battles such as the Palesnik fight can be very difficult to document. This becomes doubly difficult when dealing with highly sensitive political issues related to a given scenario. Again, Battle of the Bulge scenarios...are no problem. A fight between the various factions of 1944 Yugoslavia...way more difficult. And this particular conflict continues to resonate in the nations involved. So, having said that, my intent with t his AAR is to simply document our playing of this ASL Scenario and nothing more.
With Dan and Dave in the same location, we all felt that it made sense for them to control the Don-Cossacks and the Croatia Militia. Dan would command elements of the Don-Cossack Regiment 1 consisting of 10 x 5-4-8's, led by a 9-2, 9-1, and 8-0 with 3 x LMG's and the entire force on horseback at game start.
Dave would command elements of the Croatian Garrison of Palesnik. He would field 1 x 3-4-7's, 7 x 3-3-6's led by an 8-0, 7-0, and 6+1 with an MMG, 3 x LMG's and a 50 MTR.
The Croatians would have an ELR of 2 which would definitely hamstring Dave's forces throughout the battle..
Dan's Cossacks would have an ELR of 4 to complement their 8 Morale. All together they would field 28 squads.
As the Partisans, I would command elements of the II Proletarian Brigade. My force would consist of 8 x 5-2-7's, 12 x 3-3-7's led by a 9-0, 8-1, 8-0, and 7-0 with an HMG, MMG, and 2 x LMG. I would also have an 82* Mortar for support. I would also begin the game with 3 x foxholes. The downsides for my Partisans would their limited firepower and range a well as the inability to fire group or dig any additional foxholes.
Let the game begin!
Dave's Croatians would come at me from the south side of the game area.
Dan's Don-Cossacks would ride in from the north.
I had elected to focus on the hill closest to the Croatians. I wanted to fight Dan's 5-4-8's as late in the game as possible. I tried to avoid putting too many folks in the woods, where Dave's Croatians could creep up on me in close combat.
Dave and Dan's respective positions following Turn 1. Not much firing at this stage of the game.
My boys would sit quietly and watch the enemy advance towards their mountain.
Dave would initiate first combat and try to take down my mortar with his 50 MTR.
In the North, Dan was moving as fast as possible over some difficult terrain. And Dan's sniper would DM my only squad in that area.
On the southeast, Dave sent two squads. I didn't take these seriously and they would end up hurting me by eliminating some of my potential rout paths late in the game.
Dave's mortar would be broken and then eliminated from play.
By Turn 3, the battle was joined and I was feeling the heat from all sides. My dice for the most part were good to me, but the first time I fired my MMG and my HMG would both be boxcars. I didn't get the production needed from any of my heavy support. My MG's and my Mortar would not contribute. My lowly 3-3-7's would do the most work for me.
Yeah Mobile Infantry!!!
Turn 4 saw an interesting development. Two of my squads had gone berserk. Before they got the chance to move, Dave set up the killing ground to eliminate them. When the shooting was done, I still managed to get a 1-2-7 into Close Combat where they would give up the ghost. Well Done Dave...well done Sir.
So the rules say that my boys have to go through the open ground hex...that's just GREAT!!!
Dave had managed to break my Mortar Crew and then get into the foxhole. He quickly began firing my own mortar at me. I did manage to take it back in Close Combat. This position would trade hands one more time, before game end.
Turn 4 - I was being squeezed hard like a lemon...but my Sniper would do good service against Dave's Croatians.
Dan's Don-Cossacks had some big brass balls and swept forward unafraid of my boys. I would manage to DM a few of his squads as they rushed forward.
"Careful there cowboy...even the punter makes a tackle now and then!!!"
Meanwhile back on top of Hill 538....things were getting hairy. I was in trouble...
My Commissar had held things together against Dan's Don-Cossacks...but time was running out for me against Dave. We fought three Close Combats and unbelievably...I came out of them all in fairly good shape.
Dan's Don-Cossacks were finally in good positions and Dan would move right up into my grill.
My Alamo position was shaping up. I still had over 18 Fire Power hitting the victory location road, so I was still in the fight. Dave and Dan would have to come up and get me!!!
All we had to do was hold the line!!!
By Turn six, Dan and Dave were making big moves to take me down. Dan would jump into close combat with my Commissar and finish off the entire stack.
I fired in all directions...desperate to push back the enemy....but didn't do squat...
The end was near. Dan's 9-1 even managed to go Heroic on me... gee what fun!!!
Oh gee...that's just great!!!
A final look at my defenses. Dan had nuked me in the north and Dave had me on the ropes in the south.
Turn 7 and the final phase of the game! Dave and Dan came at me full bore.
My boys prepared for the end.
At 11:00 PM after 6-12 turns and nearly 6 hours of game play, I gave Dan and Dave my concession. I no longer had the ability to put 18 fire power factors onto the victory location road. My forces had been overwhelmed. My congrats to Dan and Dave on a well played scenario. 9-1/2 turns is a long time to survive in this scenario. I was pretty happy to make it to Turn 7.
My thanks to Dan and Dave for a great night of ASL and for the completion of our first 3 player SKYPE game. I hope we can do it again soon!
So that's a wrap for 2017. Thanks for following "Our Saturday Game" Series. Dan and I will be back in the saddle in 2018 with more Saturday gaming!
Good night for now.
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