Our Saturday Game - ASL ASCENARIO 1 Fighting Withdrawal

For our Saturday game...Dan and I would transport ourselves back in time...to a time when ASL was young and ELO was playing on the radio. ASL SCENARIO 1 - Fighting Withdrawal...perhaps the most played of all the ASL scenarios. The first stop on the ASL journey for so many players. The scenario that gripped your imagination so tightly that 40 years later...you are still playing this greatest of all WW2 Tactical Wargames. So journey with us as we rediscover ASL's first Scenario!!!

Perhaps, now that I am over fifty, I find myself reflecting more and more on the bygone years. I started high school in 1979 and had the great joy of being at the beginning of SL, ASL and of course my other gaming passion...D&D. ELO's Out of the Blue was the soundtrack for those days of playing SL and D&D after school and later when in college we began playing ASL.

So...any time I hear the start of Turn to Stone...I'm transported to the tree-lined streets of Webster Groves, Missouri and the afternoons spent playing Squad Leader and ASL.

Now...this night of ASL would be a huge milestone for my opponent. Dan Best would be playing his 500th game of ASL. Of course, he's probably played more than that over the years, but this game would be the 500th documented game that Dan has logged into ROAR and the ASL Scenario Archive. So it seemed entirely fitting that the 500th game be Scenario 1. Just a perfect way to play the 500th game.

Congrats Dan...here's to 500 more!

Scenario 1 - Fighting Withdrawal is played on board 21 and is an infantry only struggle between the Russians and the Finns in a race to see which side can exit the most VP off the south board edge. Sounds a whole lot easier than it actually is to achieve. The last time I played this scenario was February 23rd, 1991 and I lost as the Finns. I was hopeful that my second time  playing it would switch things up and produce a victory.

This scenario takes place on September 2n, 1941 as the Finns attacked across the borders between Finland and the U.S.S.R. established at the end of the Winter War. Under Mannerheim's direction, the Finns sought to reclaim lost territory. 

The Russians, already reeling from the German invasion, would be caught off surprise and pushed back. In this scenario, the Finns are advancing toward Terijoki as the Russians attempt to retreat and regroup.

As noted earlier, this scenario is one of if not the most played ASL "only" scenario. ROAR has it with 302 Russian wins and 270 Finnish wins. On the ASL Scenario Archive it is 52 Russian wins and 47 Finnish wins. Clearly, the battle seems to favor the Russians. 

After rolling for sides, Dan would be the Finns and the scenario attacker.  He would command elements of the Finnish 1st Jaeger Battalion. This group would consist of 16 x 6-4-8's, led by a 9-0 and 2 x 8-0's with an MMG and 3 x LMG's for support.

This would be a sizeable force with an ELR of 4 and a Sniper of 2. They would prove to be tough to stop.

Here now are Dan's Pre-Game Comments:

"The attraction of this scenario is the classic of excellent infantry attacking basic infantry. It is the most played scenario on ROAR with 571 games logged 302 Russian Wins to 269 Finn wins. The excellent Finns must get past the Russians and exit more troops. It is all basic infantry combat, no smoke, no guns, no tanks. Just infantry and MG's.

The Finns advantages are their morale, the ability to deploy and recombine without a leader and being stealthy. 

My plan is to attack the width of the board and get past the Russians to eliminate them in close combat or cut rout paths. The Finns will take prisoners to exit them off the board for extra VP. I will set up the 9-0 and MMG in a high level to keep an eye on the Russians and to take long range shots as they retreat. This unit will have to make a break for the exit after turn three. All others will attack, with several squads deploying and getting past the Russians."

As the Russians, I would be the scenario defender and have the dual requirement to slow down the Finns and then run like hell to get off the board with as many squads a possible. Not an easy task...but as I will point out at the end of this AAR...there is a strategy (had I followed it) that would really give the Russians the edge. Naturally, I didn't do it...cause I don't that far ahead...might need to play more Stratego in the future!!!

I would command elements of the 131st Border Battalion with an ELR of 3 and SAN of 7. That's right 7! When was the last or any time you ever saw a SAN of 7.  My force would consist of 14 x 4-4-7's led by an 8-1, 8-0 and 7-0 with an MMG and 2 x LMG's. 

 My plan for the Russians was to have two squads up front with a squad on the flank with an LMG to slow down the Finns at the start. My HMG and one  LMG would be set up HIP covering Row W and creating my next line of defense. Everyone else was to run for the rear.

Eh...it was a plan...not saying it was a good one...but it was a plan...

 Dan positioned his boys on the start line ready to begin the battle.

Dan's kill stack on the east flank would go after my 4-4-7 with the LMG behind the stone wall. My boys would shrug off all the attacks. Dan would charge his boys across the street and into the action. Dan would deploy a ton of squads and quickly surround my front screen. They would not have any chance to escape. I will say that I have learned a lot about the value of Half-Squads from playing Dan these last couple of years.

After eliminating a dummy stack on the west edge, Dan's boys went into Close Combat with my two remaining good order squads. Melee would be the result for both. I would go on to win the west melee and lost the east one. My HIP units kept quiet.

I was pretty happy to lock down some of Dan's boys in Melee, but nonetheless Dan had essentially broken my first defensive screen.

On my first movement, I would send 6 squads and 2 officers hustling for the rear. I forgot that Dan's MMG was at level 2 and could see one of my stacks....UGH!!! It would break the leader and 2 squads. Just a stupid move on my part. I could ill afford to lose any squads like that.

 Turn 2 and Dan's Finns were on the move again. And I would totally screw up my HIP unit surprise. Dan's kept sending half-squads past me. I tried to wait for the big stacks to come through...but got impatient and finally fired with almost no effect. And my first roll from my MMG was an 11...yep broke it on the first shot and my Fire Lane of Death became a myth.

 My MMG stack was quickly surrounded as Dan smelled blood in the water and came in for the kill.

On my part of  2, I would fall back to try and set up another line and move as many boys to the rear as possible...while avoiding Dan's Level 2 MMG.

I continued to rush for the rear.

Amazingly...my MMG squad would survive two close combats, fix it's gun and shoot down one of the Finnish 8-0's and two squads with the KIA of the game. This unit would be the hero unit of the game. 

The success of my 8-1 and MMG squad would be the highlight of my defensive effort and contribute the most to nearly stopping Dan's Finns. And best of all they kept me from a totally embarrassing effort. So thanks guys!!!

Dan came after me with everything he had. His MMG team left their 2nd level perch on Turn 3 and ran into the streets to follow the rest of the Jaeger Battalion.

 I ran and ran....

C'mon...you know  you liked them too!!

 Dan's effort would not be without some mishaps. 

He too would MALF his MMG with a nice little 12.

Going into Turn 4,  I had finally put some distance between Dan and my escaping boys. On the west flank, my boys made ready to try and stop Dan from using the road.

 Dan came down the road anyway and sprinted past my weakening defenses.

 By turn 5, I had exited 9 VP off the map.

It was about this time, that my Sniper finally showed and did some nice breaking of Dan's boys in the backfield. The surviving unit in the hex had not fired yet... so Dan went for a Sniper Check to take out my sniper. He wasn't successful...but something to remember when this occurs in your game. 

My Sniper waved a high five to Dan to congratulate him on his 500th game!!! 

 Meanwhile back at the Ponderosa the end game was developing. I had one 4-4-7 left to try and slow down the Finns. 

I would manage to exit off another 3 points for a grand total of 12 VP. I would lose over 5 squads as prisoners to Dan's Finns. Not all of them would manage to exit the board, but 4 points worth would.

Game end. I had not left anyone behind to try and stop Dan's exit from the board. A really dumb move as the two board edge woods hexes would have been perfect for interdicting his retreat and I'm sure that is a typical defense. Rather than placing my HIP guys on the W row, I could have placed them on this back row and probably have done some real damage...but of course that's a big maybe. My MMG took out 5 squads...so who knows if he'd have been that successful at the back of the board. My Russians would lose 8 squads KIA'd or captured and 8-1 KIA'd. Dan's Finns would lose 8 squads and an 8-0 KIA'd.

We played 6-1/2 turns with Dan managing to exit a total of 19 VP off the map for the win! Dan had played and won his 500th game of ASL. 

My thanks to Dan for another great game and congrats on 500! That is waaaay Cool!

Dan's Post-Game Comments:

"It was fun playing this classic infantry fight as always. And a close game after the Russian 8-1 and MMG squad killed 5 and a half squads. The infantry only game was fast and fun.

The plan worked well except for how badly the Finns did in CC. They never got ambush and lost 3 and a half squads in a CC to the Russian one and half squads. Most were lost against the Russian 8-1 and squad. Taking prisoners worked well with 5 Russian squads eventually captured. However, one prisoner was lost to combat and only two eventually were able to exit. The 9-0 and MMG squad earned their pay by catching several units moving in the open and stripping concealment. With the biggest break being catching the Russian 7-0 and three squads in the open and breaking the leader and two squads.

The best moment in the game was when the close combat around the Russian 8-1 and MMG squad.  Although it did not work well for the Finns. The group was assaulted by 2 and a half squads in two different CC attacks and won both. Then was able to zap two Finn squads and the 8-0 leader moving in the street. That group kept the game close and fun. Although they were eventually killed by Finn Fire Groups. They also kept another squad delayed until it could not exit. Truly the hero of the battle for the Russians."

So that's a wrap. Go listen to some ELO and remember your great ASL memories!!

Dan and I'll return next Saturday for a playing of LFT 222 Hetzer Butcher. 

See you then!