After a week off, Dan I and managed to get in three games over the past week. On Monday, we played RPT 106 Balck by Example. My French would trade yards for time and just manage to squeak out the win as the Germans were needing one more turn to take the win. On Friday, Dan and I would play scenario RPT 1 Ferenc Jozef Barracks. I would roll terribly in this game and really after multiple boxcars was starting to lose my mind. But the dice would show me a final mercy and give me the ambush in the final game winning Close Combat of the game. I would win ambush, infiltrate next door and steal the win.
Not really a satisfying way to win a game, but a win nonetheless.
Dan would get his revenge on me in our final game of the week...ASL Scenario 206 Hey, That Ain't a ROK! Sometimes, the side you roll in a given scenario determines whether you will win or lose. This would be one of those times.
This would be my sixth scenario from the Forgotten War module. Gotta be honest...I'm not a huge fan of the Korean War scenarios. I can't put my finger on exactly why. It might just be the scenario choices so far, but in general, the fun factor just hasn't been there. The terrain is a big reason. The ability to maneuver is always difficult and you don't have a lot of combined armor and infantry actions. Certainly nothing like a typical WW2 scenario.
Dan and I will be playing more of these as we try to play through the module.
Designed by Paul Works, Hey, That Ain't a ROK details the ambush of an American column by North Korean troops in the early days of the Korean War. ROAR currently shows this with 10 North Korean and 3 American wins. This is an extremely tough scenario on the Americans. A lot of things have to go right for the Americans and a lot of things have to wrong for the North Koreans for this to be an American victory. Of course that's my opinion, but having just lost it as the Americans...I feel like that's pretty accurate. The Americans are 2nd line troops, setting up exposed for an ambush, and suffering from Ammo Shortage, LAX, and whatever else the SSR's can do to screw them over. I'm not a fan of slaughter scenarios and especially the ones where I get to play that side that gets slaughtered. I would not recommend this scenario for competitive play and doubt that it would ever be considered for tournament play in light of its 8 turn length and the overall situation. This is a scenario that you play to really experience how awful the early days of the Korean War were for the American Army. As I was being savaged in this game, I could imagine the fear and terror experienced by the green American troops placed in this situation in real life.
As the hapless Americans, I would command elements of the 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. My force would consist of 6 x 6-6-6's, 19 x 5-4-6's, 3 x 3-4-6's, and 2 x 2-2-7's led by a 9-1, 2 x 8-1's, 4 x 8-0's, and 5 x 7-0's with 6 x MMG's, 3 x BAZ 45's, 2 x 57 RCL's, 2 x 75 RCL's, 4 x 60 MTR's, 4 x Jeeps, and 6 x Trucks.
As the North Koreans, Dan would command elements of the 6th Division. This force would consist of 7 x 6-2-8's, 18 x 4-5-8's, 16 x 4-4-7's, and 2 x 2-2-8's led by 2 x 9-1's, an 8-1, 3 x 8-0's and a 7-0 with 2 x MMG's, 7 x LMG's and 2 x 82 MTR's.
A look at the terrain for this scenario. The North Koreans set up right on top of the Americans. This is a CVP game. The side inflicting the most will win. Both sides also get EVP of the east edge of Board 50. For the Americans, standing and fighting is a miserable option. 5-4-6's up against 4-5-8's, 4-4-7's and 6-2-8's is not good. The American I and M Companies set up on Board 50 and can easily exit on Turn 1. I would elect to send them all off, leaving behind support weapons for any other Americans that would be lucky enough to get there.
And now for Dan's Pre-Game Comments:
"The North Koreans must overrun the American troops strung out along the hills and road. The North Koreans will set up for an assault move attack. Making a human wave attack is always risky and doubly so when your units do not step reduce. The MTR will set up where it can hit the cross road on the other hill. All the 8-0 leaders will be exchanged for a 9-0 commissar. This is to rally the inevitable broken units. The elite squads will set up on the R5-R6-S6 hill along with all the LMG and 9-1 and 8-1 leaders. Three more elite rifle squads will set up with the 9-0 and MMG in N5. Three 4-4-7 squads will set up in P5. Hopefully the assault moving units will survive the high American firepower and get into CC, where they have advantage over the lax (and ammo shortage) Americans."
The SSR's are very specific about US setup. The Americans have 4 groups and only 1 of these is in a relatively safe place...although the 82 MTR on the hill will have them in it's sights. Oh and by SSR, the 82 MTR gets to place a -2 acquisition wherever it wants to at game start. Ain't that great!?!
Turn 1 NK Prep Fire - the 82 Mortar KIA's my 2-3-6 with a 60 MTR. I also lose a Jeep and a Truck in addition to some broken squads. Then Dan's boys lurch forward down the hill and from the west board edge. I had very little response.
At the end of the NK Turn 1 - you can see that Dan is right in my grill.
My boys know they are in trouble.
Turn 1 American - Companies I and M exit the board and give me 26 EVP. My other groups try to move out of contact with the North Koreans. I end up losing all of my remaining Jeeps and Trucks. At the end of Turn 1 - Dan had inflicted 19 CVP to my 26 EVP.
Turn 2 NK - Dan's boys press the attack. My Recoilless Rifles manage to break a number of squads, but the only CVP gained is from a 12 rolled by Dan to give me 1 casualty reduction CVP. That would be my only CVP of the game. I would break a great number of NK squads, but they would rout away easily. I would lose many squads for failure for rout.
I would MALF weapons left and right as my dice continue to plague me to no end. I would not fare well in the Close Combats and my only snakes would cause a 5-4-6 to go Berserk and rush to their deaths in the next movement phase.
At the end of NK 2 - I was pretty much broken and my remaining pockets were going to be encircled in the next NK movement phase.
Final picture at the conclusion of Turn 2 - Dan had achieved 29 CVP against me. I would give the concession as I was unlikely to get any more CVP and my EVP wasn't going to amount to much and with 6 turns of movement remaining, Dan would easily exit his remaining forces off the board for a resounding victory. It took about four hours to play the 2 turns. Not really sure why 8 turns are needed for this scenario. It should reasonably be over way before that. My congrats to Dan on a very solid victory. He devastated me for the loss of a half-squad that he killed himself. Really a humiliating defeat for me...but honestly, I really didn't care, because I went into this game knowing I would be beaten badly. It was really scripted by the SSR's and the rule limitations imposed on the Americans. Those 3 fellas who have won this as the Americans have my respect!
And now for Dan's Post Game Comments:
"The plan worked. The initial assault was successful at closing with the Americans, while the reinforcements came on mostly on board 50. Even those Americans who managed to retreat to board 37 were closely perused by the North Koreans. Grumble Jones conceded at the end of turn 2 when the American EVP amount was exceeded by the North Korean CVP amount. This scenario is very difficult on the Americans if the Koreans do not take high initial causalities. While several North Korean squads broke they were able to route and rally. My thanks to Grumble Jones for giving this scenario a try."
That's all for this AAR.
Dan and I will return next week for a good ol' fashioned East Front Double Header!!
We will see you then!
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