ITR12 Sosabowski Slapdown After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

ITR12 Sosabowski Slapdown After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Victory Conditions

The game features several buildings that grant Victory Points (VP). Additionally, there are two roadblocks in the game that, if cleared by the Germans, are worth 5 VPs each. To win, the Germans must accumulate 22 or more VPs. The Poles begin with a weak force that includes several dummy units and an AT gun. However, they receive reinforcements in the form of a much stronger force at Turn 4 of 8. The Poles also have the ability to HIP 2 squads (+ SMC/SW) and throw MOLs, although this was not utilized during the game. Both sides have the option to declare HtH combat.

After Action Report

ITR12 Sosabowski Slapdown After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The above was the German view of the Polish setup. Reinforcements could arrive from the right, top, or bottom of the map, and the preferred strategy was to hold the right  side firmly, delay the Germans in the middle, and use SW to prevent the Germans from traveling on the left through Open Ground.

ITR12 Sosabowski Slapdown After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

On the right, the Polish first liners guard two 3VP buildings with a 9-1 and an AT bore-sighted to a ‘bottleneck’ building that can also provide cover for enemy clearing the right Roadblock. The two vertical rows of buildings to its immediate left are defended by green troops, Dummies, and a 10-0. A pair of HIP’d HMG and the 10-3 provide overwatch from a level two building at the back, covering both Roadblocks and also guarding the approach to the 10 VP building on the top right. My opponent might be wary of my AT Gun covering the vertical street on the far left or the diagonal street off from the 10 VP building.  

I do not have enough personnel to defend all of my buildings. My only hope is to force the Germans to waste time and to not lose all 22 victory points before reinforcements arrive. I considered stationing four HIP HS’s in various victory point buildings. This will force the Germans to conduct more searches and mop ups. At the end, I prefer not to reveal the location of my Death Star, as the Germans might target it with their 4 x MMGs. ITR12 Sosabowski Slapdown After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

In just two German Movement Phases, they have quickly advanced up the board. The MMGs on the two vertical lanes to the left have successfully prevented the Germans from using the street, but only slowed them down slightly. We were able to reduce a sapper squad with a bore-sighted hex, which is fantastic. The Germans conducted extensive searches but ultimately resorted to running through the buildings in the middle when they realised they were all dummies. During the battle, my hidden Jedi death-star, decided to reveal itself and attack a flamethrower bearing 8-0 leader stacked with a squad. However, the attack missed, telling the Germans that there were no HIP’d HS lurking in the VP buildings. The green squads who were protecting the right ‘outer’ buildings were slow to retreat and would be captured or killed. On the other hand, their 10-0 leader managed to cross the street and fought until the end. The soldiers on the right skulked and cycled concealed units to the front. The squad on the third level did well in disrupting German movements behind their lines.

ITR12 Sosabowski Slapdown After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Both Polish MMG teams ran! At first, it seemed impossible to escape, but the 10-3 HMG death star maintained its dominance over the battlefield. At this point we lost 11 VP, including all buildings except the right flank. The Germans attempted to clear the left Roadblock, but the HMG decimated the squads. Had they cleared both, they would have gained 21 VP. The Berserker seen here would eventually be destroyed on the street. The Germans were closing in on the death star from the left. Firepower were moving continuously towards the top (as indicated by the 10-2 stack). The squads in the buildings on the right side kept rotating Concealed units forward.

Fortunately, the Polish reinforcements arrived, and they occupied the 10 VP building on the top right. The 4-5-8 troopers boosted the last line of buildings (2 x 3 VP), and Concealed Polish stack advanced onboard into a German MMG team, causing it to voluntarily break and rout. A Polish Hero was positioned to prevent that rout. However, the Germans soon realized this and all guns converged onto the brave man and killed him. He took most of the defensive fire off the desperate defenders for a round.

ITR12 Sosabowski Slapdown After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The German heavy weapons teams broke my Jedi death-star!!  The two MMG teams fought to hold off the attackers from the left.  The issue here was that all the Polish SWs were more than 3 PP, meaning if they break, they abandon their SWs.  Meanwhile the Germans on the right threatened to cross the street, and to clear the right (with other team on the left) Roadblock.  Fortunately, it got pinned and the team on the left failed the Clearing roll (for lack of a sapper squad).  The 4-5-8 Poles (bottom left) continued to push up against the German flank.  

ITR12 Sosabowski Slapdown After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The 10-3 Jedi didn’t rally! On top of that, the lone Polish HMG squad broke and joined their brothers at the backstairs. One of the guarding MMG teams broke and the Germans rushed in. One German 8-0 with a flamethrower got into a position to re-DM the 10-3 but a lucky shot from a HS downstairs broke him. The 10-3 will get another chance to self rally (on a 11). Meanwhile over on the right flank, a Polish green squad braved rounds after rounds of German Prep Fire and delivered the first of an encircling fire over two German sappers at the right Roadblock. With the completing fire from the Polish squad coming from the bottom, the Germans broke and Fate reduced those two sappers to 1 HS. My opponent conceded.

My opponent conceded.  Clearing the two Roadblocks would only give him 22 VPs.  He would need to clear one of the two 3 VP buildings.  

I mentioned earlier that I didn’t use MOLs.  Apart from potentially increasing firepower by 4 FP, there’s a 1 in 6 chance of starting a fire in the hex.  Having the ‘jump off’ buildings to the right on fire might be a rather good thing to protect the right most VP buildings.  

ITR11 Cremation Station After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

ITR11 Cremation Station After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Victory Conditions

This was 1938 in Tai’erzhuang.  The Chinese 31st Division looked to evict all Good Order IJA MMCs from the factory the Japanese used to prepare IJA remains for their return to Japan in 8 turns.  The Chinese had a 100+mm OBA and a 37 fighter bomber.  There’s a Mild Breeze from the top left but we couldn’t get any smoke going anyway. 

After Action Report

The IJA had second floor positions in which they could place their heavy weapons.  The Chinese thought of moving the bulk of their forces via the right of the mid line but the rowhouses were a nightmare to attack through vertically.   Moving through to the buildings on the far right and coming back in the middle was viable but that seemed a long way off.  There were a couple of third floor position for the overwatch but they were too far away for Chinese guns.  If we put them forward in the couple of second floor positions left of the mid line we would need to protect them from the IJA on the left flank.  So we decided to move the bulk of the forces left to the mid line together with the heavy weapons.  As it happened, the Chinese front was too narrow for the Chinese to make the mass of their numbers felt.  The Open Ground in the middle of the board to the left of the crematorium proved risky for the attackers as well.  

ITR11 Cremation Station After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Anyway, the Chinese heavy weapon squads sprinted forward.  The pair of Chinese tankettes were useless in the city as gun platforms so they were used as cover on those open streets.  The scout car had better guns but they were open topped and were therefore used in hit & runs and as a possible smoke platform.  The one good option my opponent pointed out was to position the scout car on the hill to the bottom right to harass reinforcements trying to push back into the crematorium.  An IJA MMG opened up and promptly malfunctioned.  Spotted mortars took shots at us as well.  The thing to do was to get more of the key IJA weapons to fire and to show themselves to the OBA and the incoming fighter bomber.  

ITR11 Cremation Station After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The heavy weapons teams sprinted upstairs and the tankettes were on the street for the Chinese troops to dash across.  Exposed or not, we constantly pushed everyone forward and threaten to bypass retreating IJA squads.  The more IJA units appear to shoot, the more targets the OBA/FB would had.  Given that, the IJA on the right started moving back towards the library. What I needed to a better job at was to constantly organise threaten Human Wave threats.  Having said that, I have never been able to execute a mid game HW!!

ITR11 Cremation Station After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Come Hell or High Water, the Chinese troops kept pushing forward relentlessly.  The IJA got a HMG team outside the crematorium as AA cover for their incoming AFVs.  The IJA on the right flank were frustratingly successful in making their way towards the crematorium.  The Chinese laid an OBA squarely on the IJA MMG commanding the middle of the board (huge surprise), although that was the first and the last of the Chinese OBA.  The IJA mortar far off also took potshots at anyone who’s not careful enough about LOS.  I didn’t want to waste the fight bomber flying against their AA cover (after their AFVs).  However, the presence of the plane suppressed liberal IJA movement.  

ITR11 Cremation Station After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

My patience with the fighter bomber paid off.  The Chinese overwatch positions took out the AA HMG and the bomber swooped in!  The bomb landed squarely on the biggest IJA tank on the board and lit it up.  The bulk of the Chinese pushed through left of the mid line, we were undoubtedly behind schedule and we had to divert troops to meet the IJA reinforcement coming in from the left.  

ITR11 Cremation Station After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The IJA stunned one of our tankettes and it retreated off the field.  Our front was too narrow and was pretty well plugged by the IJA defenders.  We triggered a HW in a “Do or Die” quest to bust into the crematorium!!  I have to admit, a lot of the IJA shots went wide.  The remaining Chinese tankette helped out some of the chaps with an Armored Assault.  We couldn’t get distracted by the incoming IJA from the left, we pushed most of the folks towards the crematorium and a few guys remained to keep the IJA off.  I had the expensive German scout car in position on the left to help fend them off but it’s MGs promptly malfunctioned!  

(Personal first : mid game Human Wave!  A Chinese one no less!)

ITR11 Cremation Station After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

We could have fired off a couple of Dare Death charges as well but it appeared the coast was clear for the rest of the Chinese soldiers.  We moved them in as close as possible.   The flamethrower team took advantage of the commotion to walk right up to an IJA tank and lit it up.  With two movement phrases to go, I had serious concerns that we wouldn’t be able to get to all corners of the crematorium.  The internal walls funnelled our troops to where they were plugged up.  

ITR11 Cremation Station After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The IJA on the left flank had a chain of units lined up, ready for a Banzai Charge back into the crematorium!  Good thing our overwatch positions separated the IJA leader with the rest of the boys.  The IJA MMG tried to go high but was pinned by heavy weapons fire as well.  The remaining IJA tank crashed into the building but was shot by an LMG near by!  I was mulling about the internal walls when my opponent pointed out my DCs near by.  The folks went “Oh yeah!!”, ran into the crematorium and placed the DC.  All the LMG teams went in (LMGs can fire through breached walls at “full power”).  Other Chinese rounded the bottom of the building and got to the bottom left corner as well.  All that’s helped by the sniper breaking the IJA spotter team, although breaking one of the remaining IJA units inside the crematorium would have been better!

ITR11 Cremation Station After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Wall breached, IJA units shot or killed in close combat!!  We had the crematorium!!  Now to lined up a reception for the inevitable IJA counterattack!  

ITR11 Cremation Station After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The IJA was caught in a web of fire.  I am frankly surprised that both overwatch positions were still operational (the HMG took a quick break).  None of the IJA units reached the crematorium.  The game ended as epically as it started.  

ITR9 Asia’s Stalingrad After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

ITR9 Asia’s Stalingrad After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Victory Conditions

Thirty two squads of Imperial Japanese Army soldiers needed to pick their way through debris & rubble and clear three buildings of thirty squads of good ordered Chinese folks in eight turns.  The Chinese had six fortified locations plus a 10-2 jedi knight.  You can see the four target buildings marked off with a “V” in the maps.  

To be honest, I had just finished reading Col Joseph H Alexander’s “Edson’s Raiders”. I hadn’t played PTO in a while and was determined to play the IJA like the IJA : bypass & flow behind your enemies: infiltrate, infiltrate, infiltrate!  

After Action Report

ITR9 Asia's Stalingrad After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

I thought the Chinese were going to setup as close as possible to the IJA lines and hence lessen the possibility of them being hit by the initial IJA bombardment.  Turns out the Chinese set themselves up very smartly in rubble so as to not get caught in a building collapse.  My PreReg caught them quite well, but the Chinese survived the hit with only 1 broken unit.  Our MMG & HMG teams climbed up two Level 2 buildings to provide overwatch.  The IJA troop rushed on board where possible, with a focus on passing by Chinese flanks.  The idea was to be audacious enough to compel Chinese units to unconceal and to fire (and for dummy units to look suspect).  The IJA deployed where possible.  It’s a HS rush with the backing of their “commissar” leaders!

3X ITR9 Asia's Stalingrad After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The overwatch teams were now put on Opportunity Fire.  The troops were then to get as much of the defenders to unconceal as possible, especially the Chinese overwatch teams that were now in place.  The Chinese kept us away from Open Ground were possible so as to burn up our time.  We kept flowing around defenders who are clearly outnumbered.  A HIP IJA unit leaped up and ran down the left flank when the coast seemed clear.  The troops in the middle met more of the opposition in the rubble.  Assault Engineer’s ability to dump WP was useful in unconcealing (and even breaking) the defenders.  Chinese reinforcements were coming in.  They were largely conscripts so the demand on leadership was huge.  Unfortunately I wasn’t in a position to interdict them, this would hurt me at the end game I was sure.  The troops on the right was on their way around the right most target building.  

ITR9 Asia's Stalingrad After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

IJA reinforcement entered from both flanks!  The challenge would then be to put them in play as soon as possible.  We rushed the left most target building, running into, rounding and therefore encircling the defenders.  The troops in the middle made good progress as well as they cleared the middle target building.  Troops rushed up the right flank with DC’s & FT’s.  That’s the target building housing the dual HMG overwatch!  The Chinese reinforcement arrived on that flank as well.  The overwatch team on both sides were fully engaged with their B11 heavy weapons.  We luckily caught their 10-2 and broke him!  The shooting got more intense all over the streets!  One target building cleared.  

ITR9 Asia's Stalingrad After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

A Chinese counterattack pushed us back out of the target building at the lower half of the map (right flank).  We needed to consolidate and keep the flanks going where possible!  To that end, the reinforcements reached the rest of the team on the top of the map.  They would need it as they ran into a pair of fortified hex in the target building on the top of the map.  As it turns out, the defenders advanced upstairs to avoid IJA fire, got pinned and couldn’t get back into their fortified hexes again.  The middle saw 1-3-7’s pushing through the rubble.  A team of IJA reached the other end of Chinese deployments.  Too slow to interdict Chinese reinforcements but good enough to mess with their routing.  ITR9 Asia's Stalingrad After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

In our efforts to clear the target building on the top part of the map, a HS went Berserk and proceeded to run upstairs after a Chinese squad.  We were ready to go after the third building.  Prep Fire depressed the Chinese HMG nest, so I pushed harder in the center and on the right flank.  Unfortunately, when prepping the right flank target building, both our flamethrowers went out of fuel!  At least we pinned the rival flamethrower in the fortified hex.  Time to get in there!  

ITR9 Asia's Stalingrad After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

We rolled a “1″ on our secret banzai die roll, so now’s indeed the time, especially when his 10-2 hadn’t recovered.  First, the left flank.  We drew off some fire by threatening to bump scout, and we succeeded in getting real close.  The gents in the middle continued towards the back so as to mess with Chinese routing.  Over on the left, we opened with an assault engineering squad threatening WP grenades on the pinned flamethrower.  Then a DC Hero gets generated to show others the good news (BOOM!)!  While fire’s being drawn, an IJA leader stood up on the other side of the right flank target building, drew his sword and screamed “BAAAANNZZZAAAAAAAI!!!!”

Oh did we trampled through that building.  Mixed results in CC but we were in the building and some of the brokies would never recover.  The berserk squad on our left unfortunately walked into a Dare Death squad (“Those guys got broadswords!”).  Things went medieval and our guys got thrown out the windows in chopped pieces.  Urgh, Turn 6 and only one building cleared!

ITR9 Asia's Stalingrad After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

We broke and halved the Dare Death guy on our left flank (sooo thankful that we didn’t have to go HtH them!).  Progress, but not enough!  This scenario SSR declared “No Quarter”, so Mop Up was not an option here.  The drama, however was on the right flank.  A Dare Death squad went berserk, charged downstairs, killed my guys and freed a stairwell.  A Chinese leader then stepped over, dropped a DC from up high on my folks (BOOM!) and snatched a flamethrower off a brokie!  

ITR9 Asia's Stalingrad After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

We rolled a “5” on our secret banzai die roll, so we were limited to three.  Since my opponent didn’t know how many banzai’s would take place, I did one on my left flank to push into that building and to draw fire off my right.  Unfortunately, the boys quickly ran into two Fortified locations (where the staircases were).  I then spend my subsequent banzai MFs crashing up the fortified hex to build up bodies for firepower (+flamethrower “crispy”) and to avoid having to run outside under a pair of HMGs.  

Banzai’s on the right flank started with a one man Banzai executed by a wounded 7+1 leader.  He tried to make as much noise as he could and both the defending squad and the MMG squad upstairs cowered!  The third Banzai came from the other side of the building.  My opponent’s horrible DRs worked hand in hand with my excellent ones.  We passed MCs like nobody’s business.  IJA were upstairs and allover the corridors.  

My opponent conceded.  

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

(Sorry about the small images – the map’s wide!  Please Right-Click on an image to open it in a new tab to make it bigger.)

Victory Conditions

The Germans, with 10 Panthers (and four AA AFVs plus a slew of assets), had to break out into the left mapboard, killed enough Americans (10 CVPs per pt) and/or occupy enough of 4 VC hexes (2 pt per hex) to get 9pts in 9 turns.  To be honest, I didn’t think the Americans had a chance at all.  Those Panthers had front armors that none of us could touch (18 AF vs the three TDs with APCR of 20TK).  They could just drive over, occupy all four VC hexes, kill two US AFVs and win the game.  However we did have two tank busting fighter bombers and an 100mm OBA that could keep the infantry at bay.

My opponent advised that the Panthers couldn’t ignore American armor (or bazooka teams).  They couldn’t allow to them to get in close and (God forbid) get a side shot.  The Americans had to use their gyros and their fast turrets (on most) to keep the threat alive.  We had to keep the German armor chasing after us. It’s a strategy I stuck to on one flank but not the other during this game.

Before we begin, if you look for combined arms and bocage action, this scenario delivered nine turns of nonstop carnage for both sides.  It’s a glorious mess!

After Action Report

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Germans were making their way through the bocage.  We couldn’t see them, given the height of the bocage.  We did land a Harassing Fire OBA in the place where they needed to get out.  We had a few front line units threatening bazooka shots.  They would have little or no chance to escape back into the village.  The majority of our armor is on our left flank.  It threatened hits on German flanks but could also slip back into the middle or even to the right.  The problem was that our frontmost M10 (with the armor leader) and the Sherman couldn’t hulldown on the hill at all for any sort of staying power.  The Germans unloaded their infantry in the bocage corridor.  They also moved their heavy weapons team up the hill to deal with the M10.

Meanwhile back at the village, we were digging foxholes at a few choice places and the cutters were busy opening up some bocages.  We had our AT Gun in the bocage on our right, pointing straight down the road.  A cutter’s opening up a path for the Meatchopper to join it as well.

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Germans were forced to go over bocages to avoid the OBA.  Two Panthers went up a Level 1 hill which prompted most of our Shermans to exit the left flank into the middle.  Our escaping M10 couldn’t escape a shot that came right through the side of a bocage and a building!  Fireball!  The dual Panthers then focused their attention on the church steeple.

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The radio malfunctioned and our Harassing Fire was no more!  Our valiant front line teams were still holding the Panthers back as they dare not show their sides.  Shermans shot smoke rounds to help an M10 hop back down the central corridor.  Meanwhile, a stack of Germans decided to jump the bocage on the right.  Our deadeye M10 stationed there fired the first of its killer shots and broke everyone!

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The dual Panthers on the hill kept the radio guy pinned while he desperately tried to fix his radio.  Germans poured out of the bocage but then the first of our fighter bombers appeared and fired down a bocage corridor.  It killed a Panther and immobilised another.  German AA unfortunately damaged the plane and it was recalled.  Our bazooka teams ran in desperation, the team on the right made it and the one of the left had less of a chance.  A Panther sneaked up on our right!  Our Shermans shot a few smoke rounds & backed away.

The German infantry was getting closer, and with them panzerfausts!

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The dual Panthers kept up the pressure on the church steeple.  Radio guy managed to lay OBA on a Panther in spite of that but didn’t do much damage.  Our pair of spotted mortars worked to keep the Germans off the hill on the left flank so that our M7 howitzers could see them.  Deadeye M10 on the right scored a critical hit on a Panther!  Unfortunately the other fighter bomber had to leave after German AA shot it when it was trying to lay a Fire Lane.  The hide and seek in the centre corridor intensified.

Three Panthers down, two Panthers shooting on the hill, that left five Panthers barrelling down the highway …

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Germans moved an AA tank up the right to deal with our open top M10 but our MVP burned it as well!  (You should hear the cursing.)  German soldiers were now picking their way through the woods in the middle of the map.  They were definitely getting into panzerfaust range.

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Urgh!!  A Sherman was burned by a faust.  That, however, allowed US armor to form a new line behind the bocage on the right, along with an escaping bazooka team.  The M7 howitzers were feeling the stress.  The two shooting Panthers on the hill moved forward, but a German spotting round landed in a curious place in front of the church steeple.

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

A smoke OBA landed in front of the church!  The breeze proceeded to make it worse.  The M7’s on the left are now feeling the presence of German combined arms although the spotted mortars still managed to break a stack of Germans on the hill.  The American’s in the village braced for contact.  The line of American armor on the right fired everything they got but they weren’t deterring these Germans anytime soon.

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Meatchopper covering the final approach to the village made its presence felt, bocage or not!  The Germans shot and burned it, creating issues for the AT gun.  One M7 on the right was lost to a Panther and a Sherman lost to a faust.  Only one M7 survived and ran to the village.  Meanwhile, the folks in the church steeple relocated to the right.  A panzerfaust on the right burned a M10 but the rest hopped over another line of bocage, and so the game continued.

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

A Panther on the right got tired of these bocage hopping Americans and started driving over itself.  Two AFV’s immediately went for my first career underbelly shot and one of them connected!!  A Panther bulldozed into the first VC hex in the village and caught the M7 in the middle of the street.  It couldn’t move away, it would have to fight it out.

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

A German AA AFVs got too close, trying to bust open a path through the American infantry.  It was shot and burned.  So was our M7, right in the middle of the street.  On the right, the last of our M10s got burned by panzerfausts.  The last of the American armored moved to their final positions (or out of the way).  Our spotting round just landed somewhere random … (sigh)

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The was a huge fight going on at the front of the village as the Germans tried to reduce the possibility of a last turn American counter attack.  Our AT gun stopped some infantry but couldn’t do a thing about Panthers driving in and sitting on VC hexes.  We stunned a Panther coming by on the left but the second got through.  We did make a mistake on the right and let a Panther in on the deep right VC hex as well.

BFP25 From Villebaudon to Valhalla After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

We had to take back 3 VC hexes!!!  We tried to reposition our spotting round and it landed an immediate OBA squarely on the Panther in the deep right VC hex!!  Unfortunately that didn’t even scratch the paint.  We tended tried for shots on another VC hex Panther from our AT gun.  That failed to deliver as well.  The Americans conceded.

I looked up the rules on Vehicular Control afterwards.  What I should have done with my remaining AFVs was to occupy the VC hexes with them.  The Panthers would then have to get into the hex and to shoot them in hex to gain control.

I lost the game but it’s a frightful carnage of a scenario nonetheless – FUN!

DB127 Grand Hotel Britannia After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

DB127 Grand Hotel Britannia After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Victory Conditions

The Royal Scots (British) opened up with 3.5 squads, a 9-1plus a DC in the Grand Britannica Hotel (Netherlands).  They also got a Smoke OBA in the building.  The rest of the crew comes from the left of the map: 9.5 squads of fearsome quality plus a 9-2.  They win if there were no Good Order German MMC inside the hotel in 5.5 turns.  The Germans got a mix bag of units with a 20L AA Gun and some fortifications.  

After Action Report

DB127 Grand Hotel Britannia After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

On Turn 1, the Scots popped a DC on one of my (Concealed) stacks inside the hotel.  The Germans also chucked a DC into the biggest stack of Scots and broke a few of them.  The rest of the Scots jumped off from the left.  Their mortar fired its last Smoke round into my trench in the middle of the street on German left and they moved towards the stone wall.  The Germans had their AA gun hiding in the Woods behind a line of Wire.  The Bunker, the MMG and the panzershreck stationed on the right flank, daring the Scots to come through the open.  

DB127 Grand Hotel Britannia After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

We got lucky on one of the CC’s but the other 2 in the Smoke turned into Melees.  The Scots decided to all push up my left.  The Germans shifted to that side to block the Scots hex by hex.  Meanwhile the German left flank shifted to the back of the street to keep it dangerous, looking at covering the back of the hotel all the while.  On the German right, the Germans in the pillbox prepared to move back into the hotel. We couldn’t afford to let the hotel Melees last too long, we needed to resolve them and free up troops for defence before their friends approached the hotel.  The Scots were already pouring over the stone wall in front of our roll of wire in the woods.  We moved a unit on top of the (still) HIP’d AA Gun just so it wouldn’t look suspiciously empty.  I was just waiting for that 9-2 stack to brave the open and come to my right.  Perhaps not, may be they were just overwatch.  

DB127 Grand Hotel Britannia After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Brits filed to my left.  With only 5.5 turns, they didn’t have time to “soften” the Germans up on the right.  A lot of them popped over the wall and dove the Woods.  When the first squads braved the Wires, my hidden AA opened up pointblank, breaking a lot of the intruders.  A platoon of Scots went down the road on our left, banking on the Smoke round to protect them from fire.  The Melees were still going on but we shifted what we could towards Hotel left.  

DB127 Grand Hotel Britannia After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Urgh – the Brits hit our lines again on our left.  the AA gun crew broke and a Green squad picked it up.  The idea was to fire it so much that we delay another British MPh and render the Gun useless for the Scots.  We lucked out on the Melees.  There’s a pinned Scottish squad left on the right of the hotel but we did not have a large British pretence in the Hotel Lobby yet.  The LMG team that was guarding the German left returned to the hotel at the back.  (In retrospect it would been more interesting had we scramble up the multistory, single hex house in J7, and shoot at the attacker’s right flank for a few turns.)

DB127 Grand Hotel Britannia After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Both the Germans and the Scots fell back from initial contact!  The Germans in particular deployed and concealed as much as we could.

DB127 Grand Hotel Britannia After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Germans kept deploying, concealing, spreading out while focusing on Stairwell control.  It’s going to take time for the Scots to render all German MMC not “Good Order”.  They would have to shoot/ close combat us one by one.  

DB127 Grand Hotel Britannia After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Scots made another big push.  They took one stairwell and went up to Level 1!  Unfortunately the Germans had already spread themselves around the hotel rooms.  It’s going to take a while kicking each door down, so the Scots conceded.  

 

FT SmR6 Fox’s Fretful Night After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

FT SmR6 Fox’s Fretful Night After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Victory Conditions

Eleven squads of North Koreans got 5 turns to clear 4.5 squads of Marines off 7 hill top hexes.  All Marines setup HIP’d and had Trip Flares and a 100+mm OBA with Variable Time (VT) Fuses.

After Action Report

FT SmR6 Fox's Fretful Night After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

So the North Koreans had 5 turns to push the Marines off 2 hilltops. The Marines looked very understaffed at first glance but my opponent is never deterred by odds, big or small. I look at terrain differently at Night. Open Ground offers +1 LV straight up especially when most Marines should be on hilltops (equivalent to having Woods everywhere). Walking into Concealment Terrains required +1 MF though which made Open Ground more appealing. This was especially significant when you look at the hilltops. Getting onto a hilltop Brush costed 5 MFs, same of course for Woods. Five of the seven hilltop hexes were covered with Brush or Sparse Woods. So  getting into CC in most cases meant going in CX’d. While it’s harder to rally at Night, Marine squads self rally at 3 and get rid of their DM counter at 8.

Running around in the open when a Star Shell was overhead means certain death against Marine firepower. The threat of Proximity Fuses in the Marine OB is a big cause for concern. We needed to fish out the radio guy as quickly as we can.

We approached the left hilltop from both sides. The way we setup, it would be tough for Korean leaders to get to everyone, but we only have 5 MPh’s to get things done. Not many Americans popped out of HIP but we broke the Marine MMG team early on.. We surrounded the left hilltop but we were too relaxed about the broken MMG team wandering about. No Hipped unit popped up the top though.

We approached the left hilltop from the bottom with the other half of the force coming in from the right. Marine firepower broke up our initial entry but the sunken road offered the Commissar a safe space to talk sense into the chaps.

Two turns down. Marines were not going to show themselves unless we get even more aggressive.

FT SmR6 Fox's Fretful Night After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

We ran NK squad up the hilltops to see if there’s anyone there.

NK piled into the left hilltop CX’d and commenced Close Combat!! We kicked off some wires for trip flares but nothing flared up. We had the left hilltop almost cleared apart from a fireteam taking us into Melee. 

The bad news was that we allowed the broken MMG team to self rally and join the right hilltop defence! The good news was the Marine radio malfunctioned and was inadvertently pushed off the Steep Hills without a shot! The Koreans kept close with the Marines but their concealment were getting rapidly stripped by the insane firepower.

FT SmR6 Fox's Fretful Night After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Koreans reinforced the Melee on the left hilltop but that fight continued. Well placed Marine star shells prevented us from getting too feisty in the open when the Marines had -1 leaders in choice places.

The right hilltop unfortunately saw the Americans got their act together and blew some of our troops away now that most of the sticks and branches we held up for concealment were decimated.

FT SmR6 Fox's Fretful Night After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The left hilltop finally got that Melee over with. The star shell situation convinced the North Koreans to stick with their Concealments as they pushed to the right. It was a mistake as I have only 1 MPh left.

Over on the right, the shot up Koreans were rallied by their fearless Commissar to have one last go. We finally had a DC bearing squad in position to launch a DC hero but the union cited personal safety concerns (the boys sat back down for more tea and cake). The Marines consolidated into solid chunks. We got a Melee going anyway which kept some of them from shooting.

FT SmR6 Fox's Fretful Night After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Bob came back from his bio-break and the chaps quickly volunteered him to be the next DC hero. Someone suggested the moniker ‘The Flash’ but they decided that might not be entirely auspicious. So Bob went off screaming, the Marines opened up and Bob was practically doing the Matrix bullet time all the way up the hill!  He was about to dive into the Marine foxholes when he tripped on an empty coke can, smacked his head against a rock and died. Bob did cause enough distraction for the rest of the band to move up to CC position though! Some of the Koreans got close enough on the left side of the hilltop as well when CC time comes around. 

We couldn’t clear ALL the HDPs at the end though. Plus you know what? It wouldn’t have mattered. A HIP’d fireteam popped up from a hex the left NK team never checked and reoccupied the left hilltop.

`Ah well.

FT SmR5 Fox on the Hill After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

FT SmR5 Fox on the Hill After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Victory Conditions

The Marines had 5.5 turns to attack up a couple of hills and capture 5 out of 7 “HDP” (Hilltop Defensive Perimeters) hexes.  The KPA wins immediately if they could amass 13 CVPs or more.  

After Action Report

FT SmR5 Fox on the Hill After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

It’s US Turn 2, after the Rout Phase.  The Marines plodded through some rice paddies and reached the hills.  The NK wasn’t shy about shooting at anyone who looked a bit too comfortable.  The Marine overwatch however, shot and broke the NK MMG team.  Thus taken out the most powerful gun in the NK arsenal.  I actually expected the right portion of the HDP to be more vulnerable.  Turns out it’s not the case.  I had a unit on the bottom left desperately trying to dig a hole, just so the reinforcing Marines would have a tougher time flanking the left hill.  

FT SmR5 Fox on the Hill After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

US Turn 3: some of the Marines got shot up on their initial approaches to both portions of the HDP.  The broken NK MMG team (leader & squad) failed to rally on time and so the forward elements came back and tried to pick up the MMG.  At around that time, we managed to get a proper foxhole on the left.  Marines crowded the middle of the field, so my guards on the right flank came into reinforce the right hilltop.  The North Koreans had to constantly make the correct choice between shooting or staying concealed for protection against Advanced Fire.

FT SmR5 Fox on the Hill After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

US Turn 4: my left hilltop got swamped by Marines!  Everyone’s pretty much broken in the area with no aspect of rallying.  The right hilltop was holding on, tried to keep the Marines off the backside even but the Marine 8-1 firebase is steadily taking its toll.  Could we take a hex back?

FT SmR5 Fox on the Hill After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

NK Turn 4: my left hilltop was completely swamped.  The Marines were now able to form a firebase against my right hilltop (that’s a trench I shouldn’t have put into hex BB27!).  The right hilltop could only try to keep concealment and keep the Marines guessing.  They had the advantage in that it would CX a Marine to CC three out of the four hexes on the right.  The Marines only needed two more!

FT SmR5 Fox on the Hill After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenarioWhat could be broken were pretty much all broken.  The Marines would be able to advance up at least 2 hexes on the right HDP with no opposition in their last MPh.  The North Koreans were done.  

Thoughts

Most of the fights in LFT Fight for Seoul involves forces with very asymmetrical capabilities.  It’s an art that I have yet to even catch a glimpse of a steady toehold.  As the North Koreans, how do I find the balance between hiding from the insane Marine firepower but yet take steady attrition of his smaller manpower?  How do I take advantage of my ownership of the terrain but yet not get into standup firefights?  Close combat seems to be the natural answer but how do you get close enough to execute?

The elusiveness of these questions is perhaps the key element that brings me back to the game time and time again.  

FT SmR4 Passage of Lines After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

FT SmR4 Passage of Lines After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Victory Conditions

The Marines started dispersed across the rice paddies and had to take at least 2 out of 3 HDP (“Hilltop Defensive Perimeters”) in 8.5 turns.  In retrospect I might have thought about HDP’s wrongly.  You don’t have to take all the HDP hexes to control a HDP.  You only have to take most of a HDP’s hexes to take the whole thing down.  

The Marines had a 81mm mortar and 2 HMGs (6-12) with a 9-2 posted on the hill on the top, giving 2 flat shots in most cases to the Korean positions.  They also had a 60mm OBA which would be useful later in the game.  The North Koreans had 2x82mm mortars, a 45L gun and a 76L gun.  They also had 2 HMGs, 1 MMG and 6 LMGs covering their digs.  The North Koreans win when they take 13 CVPs on KMC personnel or 40 CVP on UN personnel.  

After Action Report (AAR)

There was a group of South Korea Marines (1st Battalion, 1st Regiment) retreating at the start of the turn.  The Marines were all deployed into fireteams and started moving towards the North Koreans. The going was brutal.  Four fire teams and an 8-1 bought the farm early on.  I should have the South Koreans withdraw slower and put their firepower in use a bit more.  As it went, the North Koreans didn’t bother with the KMC at all.   

FT SmR4 Passage of Lines After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The North Koreans malfunctioned both of their 82 mm mortars!  The Marines kept their heads down and tried to move as quickly as possible through the rice paddies.  Regrettably, they drew a red chit on their first call to Artillery, and then they broke their radio!  Our 1-time OBA hit the 2nd HDF from the left but failed to do much.  

FT SmR4 Passage of Lines After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

During US Turn 3, the Marines on the right were almost at the village.  You could almost hear a collective sigh of relief.  That was of course, if you could ignore the bloody curling scream from one of the fireteam that went berserk!  Folks on the left were in the open and running into 2 murderous HMGs.  Good thing both guns were down and one of the 82mm mortars went dead.  Not getting much cover from the HMGs, the fireteams spread out further to not be in the same CAs.  Anyone carrying an MMG was hit particularly hard.  Fireteams from both flanks were doing massive “amoeba” style Advance Fire groups as they move closer.  The big old US mortar on the hill first went out of WP and then out of action.  

FT SmR4 Passage of Lines After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

US Turn 4 saw the pair of Pershings on.  There being 5 antitank mine factors, the Pershings decided to go down the same path.  The railroad takes 2 MP out of every hex, so the road got the vote.  Marines in the village were bringing their firepower to bear.  The Koreans tried to move forward to interdict them.  Some of the Korean units were moving right, so we hoped we could get the tank machine guns in place to hinder the use of that road.  The Marines on the left continued to get decimated in both our turn and the opponents.  The good news was that they were in fireteams, but the bad news was that they were getting taken out at an alarming speed.  

But hey, the 60mm OBA was back in play. 

FT SmR4 Passage of Lines After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The 60mm OBA failed to suppress 1 of the 2 HMGs in US Turn 5.  Fireteams on the left desperately tried to move to the houses on the far left corner, from which it might turn the Korean flank.  One of the Pershings malfunctioned its gun on the first shot and was now trying to move as close as it dared to so as the other Pershing could get a better shot.  The Marines on the right decided that it’s better to hit the HDP on the far right and shifted their people over.  The Koreans moved back up their hills.  The Korean mortar came to life and laid a smoke round on the path in front of the right most HDP to cover their retreat.  

FT SmR4 Passage of Lines After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

When we reached North Korean Turn 7, one of the Pershings is already gone because of a broken main gun.  The remaining one popped off round after round and yet failed to make it’s 90L presence felt!  It did, however, cut off the 2 HDPs on the right from the left.  The 60mm OBA managed to bring down WP which helped a lot.  The wind picked up and made things even better!  The survivors on the left finally managed to get to the buildings on the far left and started to put up a more effective firefight.  At least now the Korean HMG fire was halved as one of them was blocked.  The Korean smoke round on the right that was now billowing down the road proved to be quite helpful.  Marines pushed towards the right most HDP, just in time to greet the Korean reinforcements.  

Two more US Movement phases to go.  We might well be out of time.

FT SmR4 Passage of Lines After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Last US turn!  The Koreans on the HDP on the left were broken but we didn’t have enough time to walk up.  The Koreans on the rightmost HDP were taking a beating but put up a “human wall” that’s going to take a couple more turns to kill.  The US conceded.  My opponent revealed all his mine placements in this last picture.  

FT SmR4 Passage of Lines After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Marines needed more smoke rounds (than HE rounds) in order to be successful in this scenario.  I did the right thing by moving everyone in fireteams.  Some of the chaps on the right of course, recombined into squads when they reached the village.  I was hoping the Pershings with the malfunctioned gun could navigate through the road (trail break through the AT mines) and get on the hill where we would promptly turn left and get around the back between the 2 HDPs on the right.  That was not to be when the leading Pershing X’d out its repair.  My opponent is a very tough one but I feel I am finally getting a glimpse into the proper way to play the Marines in this LFT Fight for Seoul package (we already played through all the Fight for Seoul scenarios, and are now doing the Smith’s Ridge ones.) 

Why you should go to an ASL tournament

I notice there’s been quite a number of “new” players who are really “returnees” from Squad Leader or ASL decades ago. Invariably we talk about how they should join a tournament at least once, since tournaments are great places to learn and to meet the community that accelerates your learning and your enjoyment of the game exponentially. These folks do worry about their level of ASL knowledge and whether they will fit into an ASL community with characters who’s been around for decades. Before joining my first tournaments in 2014, I worried about putting up the expense only to suffer some form of hostility because I was (am) not up to par.

“The Malaya Madman” – Perry Cocke

This is Von Marwitz’s perspective, carried with his permission:

Whether new or coming back to the hobby, I would not be worried about not being good enough.

Back in the days, before I attended my first tournament, I had played exactly one single, very small 4.5 Turn scenario of ASL against an opponent. Besides that, all I had done was playing solitaire and teaching the game to myself – with all that entails.

I believe that even very fast players acknowledge, that under such circumstances nothing else than slow play can be expected. My personal experience regarding my treatment back then and by observation later is, that almost all experienced guys (fast or slow) are willing and open to treat such a game more as a tutorial than a competitive game. Needless to say, I did not win a single scenario during my first tournament but yet I had so much fun, that I am still sticking to ASL 25 years later.

So, this goes out to any newbies out here, to those returning to the hobby, and to those who have never attended a tournament:

Don’t worry about not being good enough or not fast enough. Take the dive and give attending a tournament a try. Altogether, the vast majority of players (of all playing styles) I have met, are a jolly bunch and welcoming.

von Marwitz

(von Marwitz is associated with Grenadier 2023, which is going to be held in Gelsenkirchen Germany, 2 Nov-5 Nov)

Related Article: “Journey to a Tourney, Part 1: Decisions”