Our Saturday Game - ASL Scenario 239 - Fighting at the World's Edge

For our Saturday game - Dan Best and I would be joined by our good friend Dave Mareske for a three player game. This would also be our first test of multiple SKYPE locations. Previous three player games involved only two locations. So this would taking our SKYPE play up a notch!

3 Way SKYPE....that's just crazy talk!!!

Dave, Dan and I have played quite a few three player scenarios over the past two years and have gotten very comfortable playing these over SKYPE. The first game I ever played against Dan Best was at the 2013 Texas Tournament and was a four player game of A Winter Melee. So, multi-player games go way back with Dan and I.

Fighting at the World's Edge is a legacy scenario that was reissued in the updated Croix de Guerre. It was first issued as U20. I don't recall having ever played this one, so thought it was a good choice for tonight's 3 player game.

ROAR has it with 15 German and 10 Allied wins. The ASL Scenario Archive has it with 3 German and 3 Allied wins. 

The scenario adaptation is credited to Jim  Stahler. This scenario uses boards 2 and 4...ahhh...the original boards...almost like going home!! I really love boards 1-5. They are sacred ASL ground for me. In fact, I have spent hours of my life moving cardboard beings over their roads, hills, and through their forests. Kinda weird to think about that...

At any rate...I always enjoy playing on the old boards. And I am stoked at the chance to break out my new French counters!!

This scenario covers the actions of May 28th, 1940 at Taraldsvikfjell, Norway. Here on the slopes, German mountain troops would mount a defense against French Foreign Legionnaires, Polish and Norwegian troops supported by two French H39 Tanks.

 Historically both tanks would bog in the soft sand and would not offer much needed assistance to the Allied attack.

After rolling for sides, Dan and Dave would command the Allied forces. Dave would command the men of the 1 er Bataillon, 13 eme Demi-Brigade de Legion Etrangiere. This force would consist of 10 x 4-5-8's (who would retain 8 morale when broken per SSR), led by a 9-1, 8-1 and 8-0 with 2 x MMG's, 4 x LMG's and 60 MTR.

Dan would command the men of the 6th Norwegian Division consisting of  8 x 4-5-7's , led by an 8-1 and 8-0 with an MMG and 3 x LMG's. 

Allied reinforcement would consist of 1 or 2 French H39 tanks. All in all a tough force to face with only 8 German squads.

As the defending Germans, I would command the men of the 2, Gebirgsjaeger-Regiment 139, Gebirgsjaeger-Division 3. My force would consist of 8 x 4-6-8's and a 2-2-8 led by a 9-2, 2 x 9-1-s, and an 8-0 with an HMG, MMG, 3 x LMG's, an ATR, 50 MTR and 37L AT Gun. With the right leadership this is a powerful force. My biggest advantage would range and ability to see the battlefield from level 3 hill hexes. The Allies will have to move through the woods to get close. But with my dice rolls and habit of not getting rate of fire don't bode well for my chances of stopping an aggressive attack by 18 squads. 

The Allied player(s) win immediately upon exiting 15 or more exit VP off the south edge. 

 And now for Dan's Pre-Game Comments:

“The French and Norwegians have nine turns to exit 15 VP out of 44 in infantry off the southern edge.  They get one or two tanks as reinforcements.  Dave and I are playing the French and Norwegians.  As the Norwegians I am attacking through the woods toward the hill and playing the role of the spoiling attack.  To keep the Germans occupied and threaten the hill.  While the French try to flank the hill to the west  and exit.  Hopefully the French tanks both come on and can be used to break some German positions.”

And now for Dave's Pre-Game Comments:

“There is plenty of time in this scenario so sneaking up on the Germans and staying concealed as best possible.  I may have to sacrifice some squads to keep some of my squads with weapons safe.  I hope to keep the mortar back to have some good shots up on the hill.  Keeping my leaders alive will be key so a mad dash to the exit will be possible.”

Believe it or not...this was my first time to ever do a three-way SKYPE call. And it WORKED!!! I gotta say I was pretty happy with this!!! 

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

"And I will hold this hill against everything you throw at me!!!"

"Zum befehl!"

 I did a little prep before this game and watched VASL'ing with Stew and his recounting of this scenario (the U20 version) on Youtube. Highly recommend these if you never seen them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QouKifqsorA -- seriously...check it out!

My defense was anchored by my 9-2 with the HMG. He had great visibility across the battlespace and could interdict the Allies should they incautiously enter the open patches in the woods.

In a bit of a change...the defending Germans got to move first. Dan's Norwegians were sitting at the edge of the woods...so my mortar and 9-2 let fly. Losses ensued.

Turn 1 - Allies - Dan's unbroken squads move ahead through the safety of the forest. Dave's moves his French cautiously towards the German left flank.

Dave set up his mortar and was able to put some shots towards my 9-2...YIKES...I got a quick reminder that I wasn't sitting inside a castle on top of the hill. My own mortar did manage to KIA some of Dan's Norwegians who tested the opening in the forest.

At this point in the game, Dan's Norwegians were catching the brunt of the German fire.

In some great Allied luck...Dave would successfully roll in 2 French H39 Tanks. This was way sooner than I had expected and would be an unwelcome distraction.

My 37L AT Gun would take some long range shots...but misses were the rule of the day. Dan would get his Norwegians moving forward and in the center and left Dave's French were putting some real pressure on my flank.

My boys could only watch the approaching tide of Allied infantry coming towards them.

I had managed to KIA Dave's mortar squad, but the Allies had made good progress and would take down one of my 2-4-8's in Close Combat.

 At this point in the game, my mountain troops were holding their own.

I was keeping Dan's Norwegians at bay...but Dave's French were nearly to the hill and I had been forced back on the left.

The Allied perimeter had reached the hill. I was hanging touch, but the game wasn't even half-way over. 9 turns...this game is 9 turns long...too long is you ask me and waaaay too long to ask my Germans to stop a determined attack. Just say'n.

Naahhh….I complain enough for 3 people!!!

Breaks would be a persistent issue for all of us. My Mortar wouldn't make it and the Dan and Dave would also chuck an LMG or two during the game. And we would all roll Morale Check boxcars and hurt ourselves.

I really hate boxcars...really I do...

I had managed to shock one of Dave's tanks with the ATR, but it came right back and both tanks went their separate ways when the Platoon was disrupted by the lead tank being shocked. One tank would VBM freeze my squad in the center house, while the other overran my boys behind the wall. They would suvive the overrun.

Dave's other tank would come right after my AT Gun...but I would succeed in shocking it with an Intensive Fire Shot.

In the Close Combat Phase, my 8-0 and squad would destroy the first French Tank and then in my Close Combat phase they would destroy the second one. At this point, Dan thought the Allied cause was lost, but Dave reminded everyone that the tanks were not worth any points. I was pretty happy with the success against the tanks. I breathed a sigh of relief...but did so way too soon.

My 8-0 was one tough hombre and you will hear from him again before this AAR is over....

Despite the success against the French armor, Dan's boys were now on the hill and my center was about to be cracked wide open.

The end came sooner than I had anticipated. I went from feeling confident to watching my boys break one aftter the next and my left and center literally collapsed. I felt like it was game over for me at this point....but tried to keep my personal ELR in check.

My boys knew things were not looking good...

 I had only two good order squads left and both were on the right flank.

My 9-2 and his squad had been captured and the Allied perimeter was nearly to the south board edge. And I was broken badly on the left...with nothing in the center. But the Allies had only gotten off a single half-squad at this point...soooo....

 Dave would take possession of my AT Gun...fire at me and MALF it.  The circled unit would be my awesome 8-0 and squad. They would have to rally if I had any chance.

 And they did!!! And created a HERO in the process!!! WOOHOOO!!!!

Take that Dan and Dave!!! I'm still in this fight!

My sniper was active throughout the game, but mainly hit the French 2-4-8 in the backfield with the mortar. He would finally KIA the squad. Meanwhile, as Turn 8 ended, the French were poised for the final break out.

Turn 9 - I would send the Hero and the 8-0 towards Dave's exiting force. And beyond all hope...both would get into positon.

In the 1-4 and 4-1 close combat...my 8-0 would take down the enemy and die. Posthumous Knigh't Cross...but what a moment in the game. I was giving myself a chance to win this thing.

I should have stayed down...

At the end of 8-1/2 Turns...it was down to this. Dave's boys would exit...but Dan only had on squad in position to make a run for it. One French and one Norwegian squad were mission killed. Dave's boys would only give the Allies 14 Exit VP.

Dan's Norwegians put on their running shoes and made ready for the game-winning dash.

As expected, Dave's French made it off with no trouble and pushed the exit VP total to 14. Only 1 more VP was needed for an Allied win. But before Dan's boys took off...Dave sent his mission killed French half-squad to draw fire. I didn't take the bait...but it was now adjacent to me. So I would get no subsequent fire against the Norwegians if my first shot failed to connect.

Ready for what!?!...are we talking ASL...??

Oh yeah...Dan...bring it...my German mountain troops have waited the whole game for this!!!

Dan's squad takes off...I take my shot....a PIN CHECK...not a PIN Check...

C'MON....I hit him right in the chest!!!

OK...Dan rolls the dice...

And he passes the pin check...game over...

Dan's exiting Norwegian squad would give the Allies 16 exit VP and the win! 

Congrats to Dan and Dave for pulling out a win on the final move of a 9 turn game. It was that close.

And now I belong to the ages...

That's right folks...ASL was played on this night.

Oh yeah...you know you were!!!

And now for Dave's Post-Game Comments:

“While I was trying to find my way on the west flank, the center opened up after several German squads broke and the French were able to storm the hill.  Both tanks were lost to close combat though they were able to break a couple of German hold-outs and allow movement by the French infantry.  The mortar only got off a few shots, eventually being finished off by an active German sniper.  It was a great game and the allies were close to conceding around turn 5, but sticking it out paid off, and anything can happen in a game of ASL.  Thanks to Scott and Dan for a 3-way Skype game.”

And now for Dan's Post-Game Comments:

“The Norwegians exited three Green squads and a 7-0 leader.  All ELR reduced from start.  While the French exited three and a half squads plus the 9-1 leader.  The game started bad when the Germans were able to shoot down two Norwegian squads.  But on turn 2 the two French tanks came on.  When both were knocked out by a German squad in CC it looked tough for the Allies.  But in one turn four German squads broke including the 9-2 leader and the door was open for the allies to exit.  Germans had some late rallies with two heroes created.  But the Allies exited seven VP for the win in the final movement phase.  Great game.  This scenario is great fun and worth a play.  My thanks to Dave for his determined play of the French and to Grumble Jones for a great game.” 

That's a wrap on our 3 Player game of Awesomeness. Dan and I will return next Saturday for a playing of Scenario U35 Semper Paratus...which in Latin means..."I will have vengeance Dan Best!"

You can google that...