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FT-124: Deadly Sleigh Ride - Part 3 As Turn 6 arrives for me, I completely blank on the reinforcements I could have opted to taken, and I wasn't sure if I could bring them on later.  10-0 Commissar, 2xConscript Squads and 1xLMG...For my troops currently in the fight, I've got a hell of a lot of movement left to do. My reinforcements are still entirely focused on the far left side, and I need to get to to the M/O columns. Any troops within the town have to work twice as hard to prevent any type of breakout Hypnobeard is seeking to achieve. Turn 6 - Red Russians  While I have closed the gap to the town, I have three separate hexes suffer breaks on attacks, with another two retaining getting DM'ed again. The breaks from units in both my fortification hexes is a particularly nasty blow... Turn 7 - White Russians  Turn 7 and Hypnobeard's troops are poised to capture more territory. I'm going to have to bust out my last hidden gun and hope it can have an effect on the right flank, otherwise I may be in trouble.  A taczanka tries to wrap around on my left flank but my gun in I5 dials in their sights and blows them to smithereens. I get a good break on the squad that moved in to P3, but otherwise I'm stuck watching the Whites get closer. My pillbox crew on the right takes a sniper attack, and then gets blown up by a DC. Poor bastards.  State of the board, end of Whites Turn 7 - The White Russians have 12 of 17 LVP needed Turn 7 - Red Russians  In an attempt to hold as much ground as possible, I have units reinforce at the southern part of the town, while most of my troops attempt to close in on the White Russians in the buildings on the northwestern side. A lot of my men break as a result, which is unfortunate. Hypnobeard's red-hot sniper continues by breaking my gun crew that has accomplished squat since revealing itself last turn.  State of the board, end of Turn 7 Turn 8 - White Russians  At the end, it was just a little too much for the Whites. Having traded a few turns of movement by some units hurt overall. I was surprised when they didn't go after the U6, T7, and S9 string of buildings that I honestly had no way of defending or reclaiming.  That being said, this scenario does feel very tight, for both sides. The defender really needs to do the most they can to cause losses and hold ground until the reinforcements come in, then push as hard as possible in order to connect the two groups. Hypnobeard ended with 16 of 17 LVP needed. (Note: We did not play the last Red Russian turn as the LVP condition was not met) A very close fought game! Historical Result posted:The city was held by mobilized peasants and a few old guns. Gen. Kappel, his feet and legs suffering from severe frostbite, led his men from a sleigh with a Maxim Machinegun. The general's troops had taken some of the city when lead elements of the 27th Infantry Division, which had taken Omsk and been following the general, attacked from the same direction as the White troops. The White Russians turned captured Red artillery on the attacking Red troops and slaughtered them at the city's edge. After the battle, Gen. Kappel was informed Adm. Kolchak had been spirited away the night before to Irkutsk. Refusing medical help from the Czech Legion, Gen. Kappel made plans for the attack on the twin cities, Glaskov and Irkutsk. Gen. Kappel would never know his plan to take Glaskov was a success, he died seven days later from his frostbite while riding in his sleigh.
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May 22, 2021 01:24
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Taczankas can kiss my rear end.
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May 22, 2021 06:06
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I cant wait for us to never have to use Tazcankas ever again 
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May 22, 2021 07:10
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FT-125: Russian Purges - Part 1 Location: Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia Date: 22 March 1920 Briefing: After the elimination of the White Guardist threat in February, a coalition government was formed between the two democratic parties. This was supported by the city population, peasants, and, for a while, the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks were the true fighting spirit and had the largest number of armed personnel. Soon, the Bolsheviks wanted to remove the other two parties so as to form a Soviet government for all of Siberia. The new government, fearing the Bolsheviks, asked for assistance from the Red Army to secure the peace of the town. Two days later, the Bolsheviks attacked.  Bolshevik Partisan Strategy I have the dubious task of attacking lots and lots of buildings without the benefit of high firepower. Both sides are essential the same in terms of order of battle, aside from the Reds having several artillery pieces to work with. I have no such heavy firepower. 7.5 Turns is quite a bit to work with, but I have to work with Commissars, who can easily sway things in Hypnobeard's favor if they get a little too trigger happy. Some units will be left off in order to threaten coming on-board on the second turn, as per my OOB setup rules, but otherwise I want to get the right side of the map as quickly as possible. Victory Condition: The White Russians win if they control all victory buildings north or south of the wide-city boulevard, as well as one victory building on the opposite side. The Bolsheviks lose immediately if they suffer 22 or more CVP losses. Special Rules Weather: EC is Wet. There is No Wind at start. Got Wood: All buildings are wooden, except for the Factories and building H2. Secret of the Ooze: Sewer movement is in effect. Turn 1 - Bolshevik Partisans  First turn movement has be ganging up on the lonely conscript squad in the factory (under the final fire counter) with little to no hope of leaving alive. Otherwise, not much in the way of shots is attempted.  As my first turn comes to a close, I gain a little bit more ground. The conscripts in the factory attempted to surrender, but seeing as that would only slow me down, I decided against taking any. Turn 1 - Red Russians  Over a dozen shots are made, and the only result of consequence is a malfunctioned LMG. Two Red Russian squads attack one of mine in close combat, but neither side succeeds and it devolves into a melee. Turn 2 - Bolshevik Partisans  After an initial 12 on an attack, I figured I'd have better luck attacking the housing block that was likely the lynchpin of the Red Russian defense. One of my squads break in the road, but the relative ease of routing back to safety makes this a non-issue. Additionally, I didn't bring on some of my reinforcements, which was probably a bigger mistake than I'm willing to admit. After two turns of movement, I control 3 of the 6 buildings I need to win...  Plenty of troops advance further. Still concealed, I have several MMGs in J1 as a blockhouse ready to unload on J3/K3 whenever. In the ensuing Close Combat phase, I lose both squads I had on the left side of the map, but clear out the Reds in L3. Turn 2 - Red Russians  Hypnobeard shuffles some squads further into the left corner, which makes it impossible for me to get on safely now, and the loss of my troops on the left side makes regaining the H2 building a tougher proposition. Additionally, some good rolls for Hypno broke everyone in L4 and even casualty killed a squad. My return fire accomplishes absolutely nothing  .Turn 3 - Bolshevik Partisans  A disastrous turn. Sometimes there's gripes about not getting this morale check or that IFT shot, but this turn goes so poorly that I only have 6 squads that are unbroken, one (or is it two?) of them being pinned. I started with 19... This sort of turn absolutely kills an attackers momentum, and its the result of not having smoke, or heavy weapons, or good dice.  Post-route, can you tell which hexes have broken squads? Turn 3 - Red Russians  Commissars, the 8+1, the 9-0 and 10-0 leaders, allow you to ignore the DM status, which is pretty nice. Unfortunately, not rallying causes the squad to degrade or be reduced. 10 squads and 1 crew attempt to rally, 9 of those without DM status... Everyone in J1 is shot and killed by the Commissar (+4 CVP) One squad in M2 rallies, immediately goes Berserk (They are consigned to death now, because they now MUST run through open ground to kiss some Red Russian muzzles.) Everyone in N4 is shot and killed/reduced, costing me 2 full squads of losses (+4 CVP) Both squads in O8 rally. 8 CVP lost and Hypnobeard didn't even have to expend any effort. gently caress Commissars. To Be Continued...
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May 28, 2021 20:59
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The executions will continue until morale improves.
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May 31, 2021 04:58
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Shoeless posted:The executions will continue until morale improves. Always seems like the most realistic rules use for commissars in wargames would be to give a morale boost to the rest of their unit if they're shot in the face during the battle.
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Jun 1, 2021 22:00
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FT-125: Russian Purges - Part 2 Turn 3 - Red Russians  The loss of so many men to friendly troops does nothing to steel the resolve of the survivors, with more men breaking (and dying) in the vicinity of the J3 blockhouse. On a slightly more positive note, the Red Russians seem to lose their way while travelling the sewers of the city, and end up further away from the action than they would have liked.  The turn continues without much to show for it by the Partisans, thanks mostly to broken units and lack of significant firepower. On the plus side, I still control the one building I need on the left side of the map. Turn 4 - Bolshevik Partisans  Another half-squad is shot by a Commissar. A shot manages to break the squad in K4, thankfully, as that allows the Berserkers in M2 to move into their hex, and hopefully take them out in CC. Elsewhere, the Gun in F7 finally reveals itself, having LOS, and thus a shot, at my units in M7. They break a squad, but also generates a Hero. I'll take it, but I don't think it'll offset my losses; at least they aren't worth any CVP if they die...  At turn end, I've got several units in K6, ready to force their way into J5. [If I was smarter, I would've had them on an upper floor] I've got tons of men at the J3/K3/K4 blockhouse now, and I can hopefully set myself up to take it by the end of my next turn. The only problem is that I'm at 20 CVP lost out of 22! Turn 4 - Red Russians  More casualties for the Commissars, and plenty of exchanges of fire between both sides. A great shot by the gun in J5 smashes the Partisans in L4, taking out both my crews and wounding the Hero. Over in G2, a half-squad throws a DC, a potential game ender, but gets no result on either the target or the owner.  But the nail in the coffin is [another] activation of Hypnobeard's sniper, that ends up targeting a 9-0 with a half-squad. The random selection is the leader, killing him and giving me my 22nd CVP loss. So ends the efforts of the Partisans on this day. Historical Result posted:The Bolsheviks, along with a few Menshevik demolition experts, attacked the key points of the Red Army in Irkutsk. Some Red Army units folded and asked for surrender. When the Bolsheviks accepted their surrender, more units surrendered. A few hold outs were deal with and all of Irkutsk came under new management - Soviet government. Lenin and the Central Committee accepted this as a fait accompli. Yet, a few days later, on April 6th, Lenin ordered a buffer "democratic" state, the FER, to be formed through a coalition of the three governments. Lenin, however, sent secret directions to the Bolsheviks to make sure they were in all the leadership positions. Lenin didn't have long to wait. Post-Game Analysis The Partisans have a really hard time with this one, and I for sure botched an earlier entry that may have done more to hurt the left flank, keeping more of Hypnobeard's units busy. That being said, Hypnobeard had a good setup and plenty of good dice to support it, exacerbating the open roads I had to cross to get into any position worth a drat.
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Jun 2, 2021 00:18
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Just putting this out there in case anyone is interested, I'm looking for a 3rd player for our next game, sessions at 9pm until 12am this fri/sat.
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Jun 2, 2021 11:55
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FT-126: Kabuki Theater - Part 1 Location: Khabarovsk, Siberia Date: 5 April 1920 Briefing: On April 1st, the last of the American and Czech forces had left Siberia. This left the Japanese as the only non-Russian military force in the Maritime Province. The next day, the Japanese issued an ultimatum to the Bolsheviks in Vladivostok under the pretenses of avoiding any military conflict with the Communists. Soviet Russia knew it could not force Japan to withdraw its troops at that time. Two days later, the Russians agreed to the Japanese demands in toto. With an agreement reached, many of the Russian commanders allowed half of their men to go on leave for a day to celebrate Palm Sunday. The Japanese had been waiting precisely for this to happen. However, the Red Russian commander at Khabarovsk noticed the Japanese military in his area was not standing down and the local hills were now occupied by Japanese artillery. He kept many of his troops at their posts.  Japanese Strategy The plan is to appear to have a weak, spread out attack on the left flank, compared to the stronger counterpart on the right. On the extreme left, I want to have my machine guns set up on the heights near my offboard artillery hex [used to determine LOS for the guns] while simultaneously having my infantry go in the pale green level 0 terrain to avoid detection from the defenders. I know that the large concealment counters in the roads are taczankas, so special attention needs to be given to them to make sure they don't surround my forces. The right flank contains a small infantry gun that I will use to pummel units from the heights on the hill. The offboard artillery will pound the defenders from the west. If I can siphon off units from Hypno's western forces, I'll be in a great position to nab two of the required 4 buildings, as well as one of my chosen hexes. I admit, some of my destinations are tough or suicidal to race towards, especially Q25 and M26, because there isn't much in the way of TEM to help my men, but I should be able to apply a lot of pressure as the Japanese don't break like normal units. You see, the Japanese are represented by "Striping" instead of breaking when failing a Morale Check (Until they can no longer be striped, then they break), but this essentially allows the Japanese to brush off multiple failed checks, all while rushing towards where they need to be. Victory Condition: The Japanese win at the end of any Game Turn upon controlling two of four hexes [I10-I22-O23-T22] and controlling [J19/Q25] or [L22/S24], provided they do not lose 25 or more CVP. Special Rules Weather: EC is Moist. Weather is Gusty and Overcast. Watch Your Step: The Red Russians receive Booby Traps. Friendly Fire: The Japanese player has one Gun set up off-board, at Level 8 on the east or west board edge. Acting as a regular Gun, any attacks it makes automatically add 6 hexes to the range of the shot. Turn 1 - Japanese Army  Movement for the first turn goes about as well as it could have. My offboard artillery, having no known units to shoot at, attempts a shot regardless, but achieves no result. On the left, I do my best to keep concealment wherever possible, even if that means a slightly slower approach. On the right, I make it into the stone buildings of Y25/Y26, but an entire squad perishes as it runs into U27 by a devastating result from the Russians in V26. My cavalry advances rapidly up the hill, and I should be able to get them in position next turn.  The Japanese troops advance further, and three separate Close Combats are initiated. As the Japanese, I have to fight Hand-to-Hand, meaning squads WILL perish and there's nothing that can be done to prevent it. Dummies are revealed on the left flank, making moving on that flank much easier. On the right, however, I win one CC while suffering a Casualty Reduction, and I lose the other... with my 10-1 Leader. One squad of conscripts was not worth such a loss. CVP Losses so far: 7 Turn 1 - Red Russians  As is pretty typical of my defensive fire actions, shots go out, but results are nil. There's a small shift in units and their positions, but generally speaking nothing of note happens. The turn ends without any further losses (or gains), and I begin preparing the reinforcements for my next turn...  To Be Continued...
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Jun 7, 2021 17:15
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FT-126: Kabuki Theater - Part 2 Turn 2 - Japanese Army  Plenty of movement is made, and thankfully with few losses achieved. An unfortunate snake eyes against a half-squad sends them to an early grave, and the artillery piece on the eastern hill nearly did away with a full one. The loss of the squad and leader last turn can still be felt, as I had to use the units in Y25/Y26 to pin and break the adjacent Russians, whereas I would've much preferred having them move ever closer to my objectives. Special mention also goes to the off-board artillery nailing a Taczanka.  State of the Board - Turn End Turn 2 - Red Russians  Hypnobeard is once again focused on getting as many shots out as possible without revealing too many of their own pieces, surprising me with a Demo Charge thrown by a rather zealous leader which promptly backfires and breaks the 9-0. The crowded building in S24/T24 sees an exchange of gunfire, demolition charges, and eventually close combat, with only one Red Russian squad breaking. Meanwhile, on the hill in the east, the damned artillery piece sends yet another one of my leaders to the great beyond! Thankfully, the crew manning the small infantry gun is fine...  The Close Combat goes in favor of the Ruskies, and I'm back to square one in gaining control of that damned place! At least the gun in the church on the western side hasn't found it's mark yet. CVP Losses so far: 12 To Be Continued...
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Jun 18, 2021 06:11
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Factionalism is real, and the Bolsheviks are dirty splitters.
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Jun 19, 2021 05:13
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FT-126: Kabuki Theater - Part 3 With a small foothold on the village, the Japanese reinforcements on the hill, and the OBA providing some useful support, the aggressors still have a lot of ground to gain before they tip the scales in their direction. The losses experienced so far aren't crushing, but definitely something to keep in mind as the scenario goes on. Turn 3 - Japanese Army  The only result of prep fire was the crew and squad in W20 being taken out by the HMGs in Z16. Otherwise, everyone was sent forward in a bid to force the Russian player's hand. Units need to start revealing themselves if they wish to stand their ground, as I'll have the advantage in close combat. To that end, three banzai charges were undertaken, two of them being DC Heros (Essentially kamikazes, sans avion); the only success being the 10-0 Leader and the Squad following getting into the church at K22 thanks to the lack of an opposing squad, allowing me to use the rarely seen Infantry Overrun. To keep it simple, an Infantry Overrun can only be done against a single SMC in a Location at twice the MF cost, and forces the opposing player to either immediately retreat into an adjacent Location or immediately enter Close Combat. Hypnobeard had no effective FP, so chose to retreat instead. I think Hypnobeard threw two DCs this movement phase. I got very lucky rolling a 3 on the check in K23. Additionally, I discovered one of their minefields. Those things are absolutely brutal. Hidden, causes an immediate attack against any infantry walking into it (varies based on AP or AT mines), and then attacks them when they try to leave!  Banzai!! CVP Losses: 17 of 24 allowed Turn 3 - Red Russians  I... kinda forget the Russians get reinforcements and can bring them onboard anywhere on the Northern edge. poo poo.  The panic from the reinforcements is cut short when I realized that I had LOS working in my favor, and enough firepower to get the first shot and, hopefully, blunt the attack before it gained any steam. I get stupidly lucky with both my OBA and snake eyes against a crew and a squad in I20. The victory hexes inhabitants both rolled above their morale, broke, and were forced to retreat. In the Close Combat Phase, I suffer CVP losses in all three engagements. CVP Losses: 20 of 24 allowed Turn 4 - Japanese  Turn 4 of 6, I still need to move quite a bit to get into the victory locations, to the point where I don't care about throwing caution to the wind. I have a crew goes berserk when rallying and promptly sniff out the 2nd of 3 minefields sown in the grass. I get sneaky with movement, using Heros and sacrificing Half-Squads to get units to shoot and send in stronger ones thereafter. This doesn't always work, costing me 2 CVP.  The Stealthy bonus for being Japanese saves my rear end 3 times here, giving me ambushes which I convert into successful CC attacks. Hypnobeard throws in the towel for the steadfast Russians. CVP Losses: 23 of 24 allowed I hope Hypnobeard doesn't hold this against me, but I still think we should have continued. Any CVP loss would've been game over for me, and I still needed to get Hex J19. Doable, perhaps, but I suppose when only our pride is on the line it doesn't really matter  . Its a tight scenario, much better than a future one  .Historical Result posted:Within a few hours after the conclusion of the negotiations, the Japanese offensive in the Maritime Province struck everywhere. Vladivostok and most of the other cities fell quickly. At Khabarovsk, the Japanese surrounded the Red Army during the night and annihilated the partisans and Koreans. Shortly after daybreak, the Japanese launched their attack but ran into prepared Russian defenses, including mines and large caliber guns. Even with some Russians soldiers returning, the Japanese overwhelmed the Russian garrison through maneuver and the use of their artillery on the hills. By sundown, the Japanese controlled the main buildings with minimal loss while the Russian garrison was slaughtered. The Russian commander had guessed correctly about the Japanese's true intentions.
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Jun 21, 2021 01:27
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Poll for the thread We're about 3 scenarios into the future, I got some work to catch up on, but the next scenarios AREN'T the Russian Civil War!  Instead, its the Russians vs Poland!Problem is, we don't know which side to play. [At the Crossroads] The first is a 4.5 turn low-counter bruiser where the Soviets have to assault a prepared position held by a few plucky Poles. [A Victory For Early Polish Armor] The second sees the Polish forces on the attack, with each side getting a decently sized OoB and, notably, the Polish player getting 5 WW1-era tanks. To that end: Who should play as the attacking Russians for CH-53's At The Crossroads? A - Jobbo B - Hypno Who should play as the attacking Poles for FE-1's A Victory for Early Polish Armor? A - Jobbo B - Hypno
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Jun 21, 2021 01:36
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Who should play as the attacking Russians for CH-53's At The Crossroads? B - Hypno Who should play as the attacking Poles for FE-1's A Victory for Early Polish Armor? A - Jobbo
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Jun 21, 2021 03:15
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Who should play as the attacking Russians for CH-53's At The Crossroads? A - Jobbo Who should play as the attacking Poles for FE-1's A Victory for Early Polish Armor? B - Hypno
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Jun 24, 2021 16:28
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FT-127: In The Mouth Of Madness - Part 1 Location: Glaskov, Siberia Date: 13 April 1920 Briefing: The "left" and the more militaristic Bolsheviks were going to follow Lenin's orders - be in all leadership positions of the new Siberian government. Word got out to both the Mensheviks and the Social-Revolutionary Part (SRP) that the Bolsheviks were going to seize power, eliminate both democratic parties, and take control of the Red Army units! The Mensheviks were "too moderate" and the Social-Revolutionaries "too violent" according to the Bolsheviks. Leaders from the Mensheviks went to Red Army units to warn them and attempt to join together against the Bolsheviks. The Red Army units wanted nothing to do with the Mensheviks, the Bolsheviks, or the SRP because of a violent clash just a month before. The Bolsheviks found out about this pourparlers and held a tribunal which condemned the Mensheviks and SRP of "crimes", though no actual crime was named. When Red Army units refused the Bolsheviks' demand for surrender, a three-way fight for power erupted in the city. Victory Condition: -One side wins if they are the only occupants of the Q3 Building; or -If they have 2 or more Good Order squad-equivalents than both other sides combined; or -If the Red Army has 3 or more armed, unbroken squad-equivalents at Ground Level of building Q3; or -If a side has more armed, Good Order HS-equivalents in 1 hex of the Q3 building than both other groups combined. Any other result is a draw. Special Rules Weather: EC is Wet, with no Wind. Kindling and Terrain Fires are NA. Buildings: All buildings are wooden. Toxic Avengers: All sides may use Sewer Movement. Vicious Melees: Hand-to-Hand CC is in effect. No Quarters is in effect for all sides.  Setup Everyone gets to set up concealed, which makes things pretty crazy. This is not helped by the fact that we're 2 people playing a 3 player scenario, so we had to attempt to force the third player [GREY] to take certain actions. For purposes that will become later, this didn't quite work. Additionally, it didn't take out much in the way of decision-making, increasing the amount of time it took to play this. And despite the lower overall Game Turn count, the added player adds far more actions overall. Suffice to say that I don't think I will bother with 3-player scenarios in the future, of which there are few to begin with. Shame, too, because they can be rather interesting as the shifting [man]power affects each players objectives and means to achieve them. Turn 1 - Bolshevik Partisans  The Red Army [GREY] starts in the Q3 building, the main focus for the scenario. Armed with a number of machine guns, both of the light and medium variety, and having fortified several hexes, they pose a genuine threat to either side individually, but a concerted effort should be able to pierce the stronghold and allow both the Partisans and Mensheviks access as Grey re-arranges their forces or potentially helps one side to counter the other. At the end of my first turn, I'd approached one of the abandoned artillery pieces, made my intentions for the southern portion known, advanced towards the Q3 building up north, and was waiting for a time to burst through. Turn 1 - Mensheviks  Hypnobeard took possession of the Mensheviks [BLUE] and attempted to use sewer movement to get to their destinations. Sadly, the plan backfired once this turn as one group got lost. A pair of units also wanted to get the artillery pieces south, meaning neither of us took control there. A further unit was sent to an artillery piece almost adjacent to the Q3 building, but that was also foiled. I lose a half-squad, with more broken from better rolls than I could muster. We didn't pull punches as the Red Army, and really took to shooting at whatever target seemed valuable. Turn 1 - Red Army  With little movement for the Reds, it became a shooting match very quickly. This also made the Red Army turns a little dull in my opinion, since there's less strategy to go over rather than just "Point and Shoot". I'm sure a human player may have tried nabbing one of those artillery pieces for shenanigans, especially how some were facing post-setup. At this point in the game, the only losses were my one half-squad and a Menshevik crew. To Be Continued
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Jun 27, 2021 01:31
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This was an interesting scenario, but I agree with Jobbo that it really needed that third player. I think we did OK with it, but the Reds suffered from a lack of focus and were pulled back and forth during the turn as Jobbo or I did things with them. Lacking a proper AI system, though, I think it'd be harder to do better than we did. The scenario does also have the problem of being a pretty static fight, since everything is focused on the main building the Reds are in. I fully admit to just going "what sounds like fun to do" with regard to a lot of decisions, so the Mensheviks were a little random in their choices sometimes.
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Jun 27, 2021 01:44
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FT-127: In The Mouth Of Madness - Part 2 Turn 2 - Bolshevik Partisans  Turn two for me comes and goes, forgetting that I have reinforcements (that I would have flubbed the DR to bring them on anyways) combined with an ambitious plan to get into the Q3 building. Good shots by the Red Russians break some 4 squads, and pins others in spots I really don't want to be in. Petty squabbles between Hypnobeard and I means the Reds are having a blast watching us kill eachother while the objective is safely in their hands. Turn 2 - Mensheviks  Hypnobeard, more on the ball than I, gets their reinforcements, having them come on-board in the south. Fights between us means nobody gets consistent access to artillery pieces for long, the results of their use being apparent in Q5 when a lucky hit broke everyone on that upper floor location. The units down in the sewers still haven't commit to entering the Q3 building, to the detriment of all. Turn 2 - Red Army  The reinforcements for the Reds are delayed and unable to be deployed, although they are not needed for now. With very little need for movement, this is mostly just shooting at targets, most results being against Hypno's troops Turn 3 - Bolshevik Partisans  Finally getting access to my reinforcements, I have them set up north, but the open ground means movement is limited. I have more units move towards the Q3 building, but losses continue to mount. Of special note is the 9-1 Leader I threw in, alone, lest they suffered multiple attacks in the next turn. Not only did he ambush the squad, but also eliminated them on a 1-4 Ratio. Turn 3 - Mensheviks  The Mensheviks have more men to their name, but have only just reached the Q3 building, exposing the need for the non-Red Army forces to band together for that crucial start in taking over the makeshift fortress. My heroic leader in O5 is killed by a sniper, proving how cruel karma can be. Turn 3 - Red Army  By the end of the 9th overall turn, the Bolsheviks are spent. I don't have the force to cross through open ground without serious losses, the Mensheviks have lost the better part of their non-sewer force on the eastern side, casualties have been low for both the Reds and the Mensheviks, but I have lost most of my leaders, and rallying is not in the cards with my crap rolls. Historical Result posted:The Red Army had set up in key points, one of which was the Glaskov Train Station. Because of the warnings, Red Army units were partially ready to fight the Bolsheviks. When Mensheviks attempted to take control of key points, the Red Army fought them, too. After four days of fighting, the violence subsided but not before the Bolsheviks had destroyed the Mensheviks, driven the SRP out of the city, killed opposition leaders, and captured key points, including the train station. A democratic newspaper wrote, shortly before being suppressed for security reasons, Russians were killing Russians while listening to the words of madness. Honestly, this scenario needs a 3rd player, as both the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks need to team up to gain entry into the Q3 building before eventually backstabbing each other. Otherwise, I feel like you end up with what happened to us, two people squabbling over the same objective with shared resources that, ultimately, just screws ourselves out of a win.
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Jul 1, 2021 23:16
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FT-128: Punitive Expedition - Part 1 Location: Approx. 10 miles east of Oloviannaia, Siberia Date: 4 August 1920 Briefing: Bolshevik Partisans had started to make their presence known; and on August 1st, Bolshevik Partisans derailed a train. Some of those on board the train happened to be Japanese military and civilians. Captain Sudzuki was given the task to route out the Communists and teach them a lesson. Victory Condition: The Japanese win at Game End upon earning 22 or more VP without suffering 13 or more CVP in return. (VP gained by CVP normally, and control of buildings and trenches - 1 VP each. The C1 building is worth 2 VP, and any building rubbled or ablaze is worth double.)  Japanese Setup/Strategy With almost every objective in the Top Left corner of this map, I have to "waste" about two turns to make it to the outer woods to even shoot at any of the Partisans. I have about 12 squads to play with, but losing half is a guarantee for failure. The plan will be to have a small force move up to the northern side of the map, cause encirclements, prevent routs, and harass. One squad is dispatched to take the building in N8 in order to burn it to double its value. Of the reinforcements I have, they either come in on Turn 2 in the south, or turn 3 in the south and/or west. This... is going to be an uphill battle. For reference as to how lopsided the deployment vs objective locations are in this scenario, the Defender can set up between hexes B and N, in hexes 8 and below. Aside from hex N8, every LVP (Location Victory Point) is between hexes C1 and F4. That's about 88% of the buildings contained within 15% of the map, lots of open space on approaches, and density of fire that I won't be able to match. Special Rules Weather: EC is Moist, with no Wind. All woods are Pine woods. Firestarters: The Japanese have MOL capability and may attempt to Kindle without a Leader and without a NTC. Turn 1 - Japanese  I choose to strike immediately at the unit in the K7 woods. I'd thought this one might be fake, with the real unit in N8 and, aside from being wrong, but Hypnobeard rolled really well (as my confirmation bias will surely gripe about  ) and caused the squad to stripe and the leader to ELR AND wound, going from 8-0 to a 7+2. This is made worse by my advance into CC because, unbeknownst to me, the Leader must apply his leadership. +2 is loving nasty... and both the squad and the leader are eliminated. This is a bad omen of things to come.Turn 1 - Reds  The unit originally in N8 was a set of dummies, but I only found out after shooting at it this turn with enough FP to reveal it. The crew with the MMG assembled the support weapon this turn and the Reds in the forest scurried back to their supporting units only to regain concealment as I had nobody in the immediate vicinity. Turn 2 - Japanese  My men in N8 attempt to kindle, but I roll too low to get a result. The MMG is put to use, shooting at targets of opportunity, and reveals a Fortified building as a result. The gun in there fires back, but achieves little aside from hurting the crew's feelings.  Post-advance phase, a close-combat in the nearest trenches devolved into a melee, whereas the first building in the top left changed hands thanks to dummy counters. Turn 2 - Reds  The Reds are mostly subdued, which to me is an odd choice, although another Gun does make its presence known. Return fire from the squad in H2 accomplishes little, save for a fun dents in the gunshield. Down in the forests, I manage to break the squad in G5, which is later eliminated in the Rout Phase. The CC Phase only sees an extension of the Melee once more. Of note is the fact that, despite having Molotovs, I have yet to roll for them. I need something like a 1 or a 2 on a single die roll, which has not been going my way. Turn 3 - Japanese  A banzai charge is initiated, and the ballsy attempt traverses three open ground hexes before it reaches its intended target in F2, by the skin of their teeth. My luck doesn't last, with my MMG malfunctioning, Hypnobeard getting two great back-to-back rolls, followed by lovely morale checks that stripe two squads in F5 and G5. A squad is reduced in C5 while trying to move up, and another is reduced and broken in D4. Getting reinforcements earlier is biting me in the rear end right now, as it will later be shown that C1 and C3 are dummies. I do get a flame started in N8 though!  (Kindling sucks rear end by the way. You can't perform it during an opponent's turn and, despite having Molotovs(!) I don't get any modifiers for it. To make matters worse, attempting Kindling means you can't move, AND the Flame can't spread to a Blaze until the following turn, potentially.) As the turn comes to a close, I can claim victory over the melee in D4, whereas a Melee has developed in F4. To further my plight, the crew in F2 rolls Snake Eyes, killing a full squad and my best leader. [9-1] In three turns of play, I've lost 11 CVP for 8 VP of the required 22. And that is where I called the game a loss for me. With no leeway in terms of losses, the lack of a functioning MMG, multiple leader losses, and the dice feeding me to the wolves, I'm forced to concede. We had quite a bit to talk about, and I was pretty miffed by my lack of 7-or-below rolling, but iirc we both came to the conclusion that the Red player has very little need or want to set up any units outside of the village in the top left and, because of that, it forces the Japanese to play very aggressively, which can't be done without suffering losses. With smaller scenarios, getting Diced also becomes a much greater problem, as you don't have enough forces or things to normalize the rolls afterwards. Regardless, Hypnobeard had a good setup in my opinion, save the HIP squad that was in J4 and never revealed itself. I didn't put much thought into where their dummy counters were. It showed and I paid for it in cardboard blood. Historical Result posted:Unbeknownst to the Japanese when they attacked, a small training element of the 232nd Regiment, 26th Infantry Division (Irkutsk) was training with and equipping the Bolshevik Partisans. Although the Japanese captured the Russian position and burned some of the houses in the local village, most of the Russians escaped. The Japanese returned to base exultant that they had routed the Communists. The Bolshevik Partisans re-established their base a few miles further away, and more Russian civilians joined them.
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Jul 10, 2021 22:49
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CH-53: At The Crossroads - Part 1 Location: East of Lwow, Galicia, Poland Date: 14 August 1920 Briefing: After 125 years of foreign rule, Poland was resurrected by the Allied victors at the Versailles peace negotiations. The peace treaty lacked any defined borders for the newly born nation; armed revolt against Germany rectified that problem in the west, while both Poland and Russia eyed the ex-Czarist territories between them. In 1920, the Poles under Pilsudski took the initiative and seized Kiev, deep in the Ukraine. They were then dramatically routed by the Cossack cavalry, and Poland's future hung in the balance. A call for volunteers in early July had swollen the Polish ranks by thousands. These hastily trained troops were proud and defiant, and determined to stop the Bolshevik expansionists. Smygly-Rydz, the Polish commander in Galicia, had positioned small garrisons of men in strategically located towns and junctions to slow the advancing Soviets. At a crossroads east of Lwow, a group of volunteers and veterans of the Great War were waiting to be relieved by Regular Army troops during a lull in the fighting, when firing broke out again on August 13th. The next day, an advance column of Soviet troops approached. Just then, the men of the relief column raced down the wooded road toward the sound of gunfire. Soviet forces forced them back, and Budenny's Russians were able to close within 4 miles of Lwow, surrounding the city on three sides. On August 20, the siege of Lwow was lifted. The small delaying actions in the villages and crossroads had bought the Polish defenders precious time to prepare the defense of their country. Victory Condition: The Soviets wins if there are no Good Order Polish units on/adjacent to hex 38Z5 at Game End.  Soviet Setup/Strategy With 10 squads and 3 leaders, I've got lots of opportunity to move a lot on the first turn, which I'll need to use the road for bonus movement. On the upside, the distances involved will make it unlikely that the exposed troops will be shot at. The Poles, on the other hand, are stuck with 3 squads, with an additional 2.5 squads coming in later as reinforcements Special Rules Weather: EC is Moderate, with no Wind. [u]Follow the Leader/u]: If the Commissar is eliminated, all Russian units in LOS to its Location must take an immediate Pin Task Check. Turn 1 - Soviet  Movement by the Russians has gained access to the grain fields in front of the woods. The Poles let out a burst from a Machine Gun from Y5, but only the sounds of bullets whizzing by threaten my troops. Turn 1 - Poles  Limited movement takes place, with the odd choice to send both forward stacks to the extreme left, and another stack going straight south into the grain fields. In keeping with tradition, Hypnobeard's MMG malfunctions while trying to shoot. Turn 2 - Soviet  As the Soviets successful arrive at the staging points, a 2nd Polish unit reveals itself, but neither side achieves success by force.  State of the Board - Turn End Turn 2 - Poles  Hypnobeard attempts to kindle the grain in AA4, but unfortunately they roll snake eyes. The squad in BB1 shoots at my MMG-laden squad in Z9 and breaks them.  State of the board at turn end To Be Continued...
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Jul 31, 2021 20:47
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Poll for the thread We're getting closer to finishing Le Franc Tireur's From The Cellar Pack 4, with the upcoming Mongolian BBQ scenario, set in the far past of May 1921, on deck. To that end: Who should play as the defending Mongolians? Jobbo Hypno Did the defending Mongolians have more men or more firepower? A - More Men B - More Firepower Did the White Russians bring more explosives or more machine guns? 1 - Explosives 2 - Machine Guns Contradictory reports claim the Mongolians received help from a nearby Cavalry unit 4 - They came as quickly as possible 6 - They arrived when they could 8 - The Cavalry never showed up Poll will close on Wednesday, August 4th @20:00 EST (Note: If 6 or 8 is chosen, the Victory Conditions are increased for the White Russians. However, the 4 squads, leader, and support weapons could be a great boon for the defenders...)
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Jul 31, 2021 20:59
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Hypno A - More Men 2 - Machine Guns 6 - They arrived when they could
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Aug 2, 2021 01:24
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Hypno A - More Men 1 - Explosives 4 - They came as quickly as possible
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Aug 2, 2021 03:12
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CH-53: At The Crossroads - Part 2 Turn 3 - Soviet  Turn 3 means I need to start moving. Polish reinforcements are coming in sooner rather than later, and the crossroads are still easily held by the enemy. Of note is a singular squad that moved into CC2 and drew fire from the two adjacent squads, surviving thanks to a flubbed attack. This opened up the possibility of running the 9-0 Leader and 2 squads into EE4. Their job will be to cut off the Z6/Y10 road and make life hard for those reinforcements. One squad breaks during the advance, whereas everyone else gets to their assigned destinations. I even manage to pick up the MMG on the way!  The end of the turn reveals several dummies thanks to Close Combat, while all the real units involved accomplish nothing, devolving into fierce Melees. Turn 3 - Poles  The Poles get their reinforcements, marching down the road. One squad splits off into the AA8 woods and receives some Russian aggression, but the snake eyes I get are cancelled out by Hypno's own snake eyes and subsequent berserk roll. The foxhole in the road takes a pounding, but a distinct lack of firepower seems them survive without a hitch. In the Close Combat phase, the Poles get a Leader Promotion from another snake eyes. The new leader skews the odds used for the CC fight, cancelling out my attack entirely, while still causing me to lose a squad! In our excitement, I think we skipped the other Melee entirely  Turn 4 - Soviet  Sparking comments of rigged dice, another pair of ones is thrown, rallying a broken squad and generating a leader in the process (A terrible 6+1 Sergeant). Immediately following the Rally Phase, the MMG in Z0 takes a shot against the half-squad in the foxhole, pinning them, triggering a Sniper Attack, which proceeds to find and shoot at my new NCO. Wounded, but alive, the mythical 5+2 Leader rears its ugly head. The berserked squad in X1 runs into the foxhole, surviving all attempts at stopping them, while the squad in V2 survives its own onslaught of lead. The troops in EE5, not being able to prevent much more from such a long distance, choose to approach the building in Y5, while also providing backup for the developing CC in Z3, or the on-going Melee in AA3.  One good roll, many bad ones. Luckily for me the one time I rolled well came against the units in Y5, allowing me to secure the objective area. Elsewhere, Hypnobeard gets yet another Snake Eyes, generating ANOTHER leader. And so far they haven't generated any god awful 6+1s! Turn 4 - Poles  The only notable action being the brave defense by the stoic Soviet defenders in Pavlov's Hovel against the Mad Poles running across open ground in a brazen display of aggression against rightfully claimed Soviet territory! The fact that it was a -2 shot, with a final result producing a KIA result, saved my bacon here. The MMG in Z0 broke, which has been a universal constant in my bouts against Hypnobeard.  Hypnobeard throws a half-squad and leader into Z6, preventing a possible victory from me. The foxhole is finally cleared in Z3, while the Melee in BB2 produces No Result. Turn 5 - Soviet  Hypnobeard prevents a squad running from Z0 to Z5 with, you guessed it, snake eyes! No other shot is successful on either side. State of the Board - Game End At this point, Hypnobeard called it. We rolled the ensuing Close Combat roll (without having moved the pieces), as I would have advanced into Z6. The objective is only to prevent there being a Good Order Polish unit within the Red Perimeter at game end. Units are not Good Order if they are in a Melee. The CC roll by Hypnobeard didn't kill everyone, and that was game. I was pretty glad that a scenario lasted until the last possible roll to determine a victor, as it emphasizes the action and tenacity from both sides. [Historical Result is in the Briefing for this Critical Hit scenario]
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Aug 9, 2021 01:44
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FE-1: A Victory For Early Polish Armor - Part 1 Location:Radzymin, Poland Date: 15 August 1920 Briefing: The summer of 1920 found Poland in a very difficult position. The country, which only 19 months earlier had regained its freedom after 123 years of foreign rule, was defending itself from the encroachment of communist Russia. The Red Army attacked at Auta River on July 4, 1920 and by the beginning of August was closing on Warsaw. The situation was critical. All available units were rushed to the River Vistula, where the decisive battle was to be fought. The Polish command planned a bold action. While a portion of their army held the river line, a large combined arms force would strike the Red Army's flank, cutting off the invaders. An order went out that all available tanks of the First Tank Regiment were to assemble for the defense of the capital. However, only 38 were gathered in time for the battle. The assault commenced after a short bombardment at 8 am. The column moved out and made good time. Two tanks quickly developed mechanical problems and stopped. The assaulting force kept pushing forward though. Since the Russians lacked any AT weapons the tanks were able to move freely, but the infantry paid a heavy price. After 3 hours of fighting the Polish tanks entered Radzymin, pushing out the tank-frightened infantry. This allowed the Polish infantry to come up and occupy the town. This proved short lived however as counter-attacking Russians surprised the tanks. Lack of MG armament on the Polish tanks forced them to retire in the face of this close quarters action. The next day however, once the remainder of the Polish Infantry was able to come up, the town would be seized. Victory Condition: The Poles win if they control 2 or more multi-hex buildings east of hexrow Q at game end.  Polish Setup/Strategy The requirements for this scenario are tough. I have to go through an entire town to capture one of two (or both) multi-hex buildings back there, provided I do (or don't) get the one out front. To do this, I have plans for a flanking group to put pressure on the Soviets, potentially going around the entire town and come down through the brush on the far side. As that is occurring, the Frontal Assault Group's job will be to get into that forward building before pinning down enemy troops facing them to allow for the blocking group to get into position. The 1st Tank Platoon is to go into the heart of the town and be a nuisance. Either they will provide support to the Frontal Assault in doing so, or will be able to penetrate further and cause havoc. The 2nd tank platoon and remaining troops (roughly half or 1/3rd of all my squads) will go an equally long route as the prior Flanking Group in order to take advantage of the open ground to eliminate the Soviet reinforcements as they appear. Should things go well for me, I can use that position as a staging point to attack the scenario objectives.  Special Rules Weather: EC is Moderate, with no Wind. Housed: Neither side may invoke No Quarter Gunned Down: No Polish tank has a CMG Turn 1 - Polish  Without many options to shoot at or with, the first turn is one of pure movement. The WW1-era tanks are slow and must move in groups and are already lagging behind the infantry! Turn 1 - Soviet  Similarly, there's little movement, and even less that I feel capable of shooting at, for the opposition's first turn. Turn 2 - Polish  Contact is finally made, and some LOS lines help me out. An MMG reveals itself in Z5, attempting to knock out one of my tanks, but the sights are off. Two squads and a leader are shown in X7, shooting into V9, but the house provides more than enough security to prevent any casualties.  State of the Board - end of Polish Turn 2 Return fire by the men in V9 proves dangerous, breaking both Soviet squads and pinning the leader. The squads being unable to rally in the next turn, and almost certainly not back to their original positions by my next movement phase will be a blessing. Easy access into the town is exactly what I need! Turn 2 - Soviet  Blocked LOS affects both sides, another Soviet squad breaks under fire. The leader in X7 (with an erroneously kept Pin counter) moves to assist in recovering the broken men adjacent to him, and there's some more shuffling of units in the background. Turn 3 - Polish  With 8 turns total in this scenario, it may appear that I have time to muck about, but the distances involved, and the threat of the reinforcements makes it necessary for me to reach good anchor points to prevent movement. The rush for movement ends up triggering a KIA on a full squad in the open, and a sniper attack.  Which successfully choses the one tank with a leader... Hypnobeard had thought that choosing this tank was a bad idea, since it allowed them to move independently instead of their normal Platoon Movement. The loss of an Armor Leader is annoying, because they are few and far between. The modifiers they provide (-1, -2, or the dreaded +1) can go far towards getting hits in, and combining it with acquisition makes it even better.  By the end of the turn, the Soviets have had to retreat a squad (and accompanying leader) a little further away, and gained access to the building in AA9. Turn 3 - Soviet  Shots! Shots! Shots! This time, it is the Poles who are reeling from strong attacks. At least one of my tanks managed to break that pesky MMG in Z5... Turn 4 - Poles  It is time for the Recalled tank to start going home. Plenty of squads start moving, leading to another three squads breaking. My flanking group is moving along nicely, my second platoon of tanks has gotten into firing range. The AA9 building is causing me plenty of grief, and units breaking now will start putting me behind schedule.  By the end of the turn, I'd lost an ambush, which Hypnobeard capitalized on to retreat to an adjacent building. In AA9, my full squad is reduced, and the Close Combat turns into a Melee. Turn 4 - Soviet  The Soviets, in a nice defensible position, decide to shoot a bunch this turn, pinning three separate units, and re-applying DM status on my broken squad in DD9.  An attempt to shoot into the Melee, in part to save the Half-Squad locked there, in other parts to break the Soviets there, ends in disaster when it only breaks my HS. They are finished off in the following Close Combat Phase. Soviet forces move back in the advance phase, preferring to keep me a little further than arms length. To be continued...
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Aug 15, 2021 01:49
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FE-1: A Victory For Early Polish Armor - Part 2 Turn 5 - Poles  There's some shuffling on both sides of my attack, mostly due to successful rallies, moving tanks, and a sniper that pinned the squad in Z0. With the leader unharmed, I chose to send him to V8 to attempt to rally the squads there. While trying to uproot the squad and LMG in Y5, the gun malfunctions on Tank B. Later, a squad moving alone towards Z6 is intercepted in the road, but the lucky Heat of Battle generates a Hero, and the squad continues, unharmed. Not quite as lucky is that 4-4-7 that broke in the woods of AA8.  As soon as I can get a hero, as soon as they are pinned and the squad they are from breaks from a nice roll by Hypno.  State of the board - end of turn Turn 5 - Soviet  The Soviets busy themselves with consolidating their position on the left, coming under fire by a sneaky shot. (I think Hypnobeard forgot the open LOS from X7, but I rolled high  ) Potential dummies and real quads regrouped in the DD6 victory building, and a squad moves from AA4 to BB3 successfully thanks to a botched shot from the men further up. State of the Board - Turn End Turn 6 - Poles  Three turns of movement left, and its time to move to assault to DD6/CC7 building. A low shot with the men in X8 bring a break and a berserk. Because the berserk squad have to charge the nearest unit(s), those men can now act as bait. The left tank platoon repositions to better deal with the berserkers, and the DD6 victory building is almost surrounded.  Open ground offers no protection to the squad sitting there, and the fire from CC7 is more than enough to wipe them out. Godspeed to them! Their distraction permitted enough firepower to pin the Soviets and eliminate some Dummy counters.  State of the Board at Game End And, sensing defeat being a sure thing, Hypnobeard calls it here. The Soviet reinforcements hadn't shown up, which I thought could prolong or potentially cause a draw, but my optimism was not convincing enough to continue the bloodbath. [Historical Result found in Briefing] An interesting scenario, although I believe the Russian/Soviet troops should enter sooner than what the scenario indicates. Perhaps a turn earlier? In any case, defending on this mission is tough, especially with the lack of any dedicated Anti-Tank weaponry.
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Aug 20, 2021 00:21
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FT-129: Just What The Doctor Ordered - Part 1 Location: Urulga, Siberia Date: 19 October 1920 Briefing: The US had shipped ten US-built Renault FT-17 tanks to the Whites in Vladivostok in March 1920. These ten tanks were loaded into boxcars labeled "American Red Cross Aid". Later that month, the Russian train crew, which held sympathies for the Reds, instead shipped the tanks to the Reds with a train load of bread. Although the tanks did not have armament, magneto, or ventilation belt drives, the Reds worked to procure the needed material and weapons, whether it be Russian, American, or Japanese. The tank crews trained for months to work closely with Red infantry. By early autumn, the Red tanks had started to make many a White infantryman sick. Victory Condition: The Red Russians win at Game End upon earning 20 or more CVP and Controlling all buildings/rubble without suffering 20 or more CVP.  Special Rules Weather: EC is Moderate, with a Mild Breeze from the North. Wooden Wonders: All buildings are wooden. Up Close and Personal: Hand-to-Hand CC is in effect. Shock Effect: The first time each non-Fanatic Good Order White Russian MMC has LOS to an AFV, it must roll a Panic dr. Units that fail this dr suffer ELR replacement, may become broken, or even suffer Casualty Reduction. Turn 3 - Red Russians  I lost the footage for the first part of this scenario/stream. This update will only cover the first two turns, and will only feature the above screenshot for details. Apologies for the cockup. Both of Hypnobeard's tanks, Peasant and Lazo, entered on the road in S8 and made their way to their current positions (AA6 and Z4, respectively). In doing so, they managed to break/ELR at least 3 units, including the crew for my gun in BB1. Hypnobeard's forces split up in three somewhat distinct groups. There is the left flank that is attempting to make it across the road into the U2/W3 area and the buildings therein. I managed to scrape by with concealment for a good amount of time, and Hypnobeard was unwilling to move across the road. The central force mainly comprised the larger machine guns, attempting to get a good location for a powerful base of fire. Lack of good rolls hurt them the first two shots they attempted. Several of their squads made it into Y6, but an extremely lucky shot managed to break the intruders. They still managed to capture the building, so it was still a good move. A hasty roadblock was in Z6, but was easily destroying by the advancing tanks by simply rolling over it. A concealed leader in Z5 was set to lay some Demolition Charges once the tanks stopped and hunkered down, but the opportunity never presented itself and, iirc, they broke and I had to run him back into X2. My MMG has tried to get a result against the tanks, but their armor has, so far, proven too sturdy. I haven't wanted to expose my HIP guns until the time was right. The Russian infantry gun, in particular, is something I was holding onto until I could maximize the rate of fire of 3. On the right, Hypnobeard has advanced up to my lines, capturing the buildings that I couldn't set up in. There's a deceptive amount of open ground, which isn't particularly inviting, and most useful locations have fakes or real units. There's a lot of firepower here in terms of squads anyways, but it will come down to acceptable losses and some luck from the RNG. Mines are in CC7 with the goal of forcing the Reds closer to the MMG stronghold, or into the clutches of my HIP unit(s) in EE7. The Taczanka in DD7 was immobilized (My poor horses! ) by a shot from Peasant, although the crew in the armored machine gun compartment were deemed to have survived and capable of retaliating.With a short turn count (5.5 turns), I'm doing anything I can to force Hypnobeard to trade movement for attacks, which they have graciously given me in the form of shooting at my troops on the left several times for no gain, and the distances involved in going from the left-side of the map to the right. [It was later discovered that the entry rules for the Red Russians was mis-read, which would have drastically changed the play - and outcome - of this scenario. You're supposed to be able to enter from R3-R10-GG10-GG7, almost three entire map sides, albeit on Turn 2 for anyone that didn't enter. Definitely a scenario Hypnobeard will want to replay.] To Be Continued...
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Aug 20, 2021 04:01
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FT-129: Just What The Doctor Ordered - Part 2 Turn 3 - White Russians  With most of my men in defendable positions, I have few options but to shoot at Hypnobeard's troops. Little occurs aside from weakening their left flank and breaking a leader in AA7. Return fire from the angry Russians does little aside from pinning a crew and their machine gun.  State of the Board - Turn End Some CC occurs, although the only result is a dead Conscript squad for no gain. Turn 4 - Red Russians  Attacks are made by the Reds, but disappointing results (aside from destroying my Taczanka) and mounting breaks led Hypnobeard to concede with 2 turns of movement. To be fair to Hypno, I don't think there's much that could be done with only 2 more movement phases, although I hope this scenario gets more action by others within the community. It is shorter than one might assume, and the Reds absolutely must move at all times. I do not wish to critique too harshly, as I seem to say with regular frequency, but spending a Prep Fire Phase shooting with, well, anyone, obviously means they will not move in the next phase. This imposes some harsh restrictions, and requires just as much planning as a defender conducting a fighting withdrawal. Of note, none of my guns have shot. The plan was to have them wait as long as possible before unleashing their firepower on any infantry caught outside buildings on the right flank. Barring that, the tanks were to be prioritized once they were no longer in motion. Since they had been moving for some time, and I could not guarantee blowing both up in the same turn, I opted to wait until the right moment. "Historical Result posted:White forces were completely frustrated in their attempts to deal with the Red tanks. Many times, White formations broke and ran just at the appearance of the tanks. The Red attack against the Whites at Urulga was met with a furious retort of machine guns and small caliber artillery guns. As the Red tanks, the Lazo and the Peasant, came into view, the Whites started to panic and abandoned their positions. The Reds were able to capture the city with the help of the American "medical" aid.
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Aug 28, 2021 23:36
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FT-130: Mongolian BBQ - Part 1 Location: South of Kyakhta, Outer Mongolia Date: 27 May 1921 Briefing: Baron Ungern declared himself to be the Emperor of Russia and the savior of Russia from Communism. To celebrate, the baron led his troops north into Siberia. A small group of Mongolians near the Russian border did not share the baron's views. They were labeled Communists by Baron Ungern and a company of infantry was dispatched to teach these upstarts a lesson, despite the protests of some of the Baron's Mongolian allies. Victory Condition: The White Russians win at the end of any Game Turn by earning more than 80 VP [CVP+LVP]. (CVP is earned normally; 5 LVP is gained for each building/rubble Location)  White Russians Strategy My plan involves having my machine guns setting up on the left side to use the walls as protective terrain and harass the high number of Mongolians potentially staged there. If my estimation is correct, I can cover the road in the middle of the town, effectively cutting Hypnobeard's troops in half. Meanwhile, my center will use the high(ish) ground of the hillocks, coupled with the woods there to further pressure the left, or strike down the middle if the opportunity presents itself. On the right, I have a massive amount of infantry ready and waiting to scramble through the ford in the valley and the flood that side of the battlefield and overwhelm the Mongolian defenders. I have to make gains quickly, as the Mongolian reinforcements could come in earlier or later, and I can't risk the early option being chosen.  Special Rules Weather: EC is Wet, with a Mild Breeze from the East. Weather is Overcast, with Light Rain. The Hills Are Alive: All board 18 hills are Hillocks. Der Kommissar: All White Russian leaders are White Commissars. Turn 1 - White Russians  Loads of movement, and not much in the way of opposition. In Hypnobeard's defense, there's no much in the way of a setup that would ever prevent any of this movement, which to me seems like a strange oversight from the designers. I also forgot that Conscripts can't move as far, which messed me up during my movement .Turn 1 - Mongolians  Without a reason to move around, the only notable actions are a shot from the hillock machine gun that breaks a concealed Mongolian squad. Their sniper retaliates, pinning a squad on the right flank. Turn 2 - White Russians  The MMGs on the left flank continue to pepper the building in G1, for no result. Meanwhile, everyone else gets a move on, gaining me spaces to attempt to push further on the left flank (re: be annoying with two squads and a leader), while the right flank moves with all they have, providing me with overwhelming force to attack with in the Advancing Fire Phase. The attack easily sweeps aside the half-squad there, breaking and disrupting them.  State of the Board - End of turn Turn 2 - Mongolians Nothing of note occurs, other than finishing off the disrupted squad, and no movement is made by the defenders. Turn 3 - White Russians  Got to capture objectives? Throw bodies at it! A hidden unit reveals itself in X1 as I attempt to enter the woods. The lead and copper expended causes only frustration, thankfully. On the extreme left side of the map, a squad breaks while moving in open ground, but is adjacent to some woods, so they will be safe. Had Hypno shot at them in hex A2 instead, they may not have been able to stage themselves behind their line.  The following Advance and CC phases gains me some ground, the concealment counters in Q2 turn out to be fakes, but an ambush against me costs me a crew. (I don't think I should've been able to get the CR result on Hypnobeard, sorry about that!) Turn 3 - Mongolians  The action continues with a White Russian squad breaking in K1, while the Russians find no success anywhere. The melee turns hand-to-hand (which should've been declared before rolls, but I wasn't paying attention to it) and everybody dies. Goodbye 9-1 leader, you did barely anything . State of the Board - End of Turn 3 To Be Continued...
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Sep 7, 2021 19:43
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FT-130: Mongolian BBQ - Part 2 Turn 4 - White Russians  Most of my shots miss the mark, but a 4 secures the reveal on the unit in G1, and a concentrated attack breaks the Mongolian squad in J1. This opens the door for more movement, eventually revealing dummy counters hiding in a building from the DC-packing elite squad on the right. A lucky rally allows me to pressure the rear left, nabbing some vital buildings for the VC condition.  Further movement in the Advance Phase generates some prisoners (technically from the Rout Phase) and the follow-up CC Phase nets me a Casualty Reduction on one of my two full squads fighting for the foxhole.  And that's where it ends. I forgot that we ended it here  There wasn't much more that Hypnobeard could've done, and the initial setup can really hamper your ability to do... anything, really. Even looking back on it now, I'm not entirely sure how you're supposed to defend without more support weapons, or perhaps receiving the reinforcements earlier? In any case, this one just turned unfortunate after early losses on Hypnobeard's part, and the vast amount of White Russians ready for action.Historical Result posted:In a rain storm and across ravines, the baron's men attacked those "Communists". Although the village was taken, most of the Mongolians scattered over the hills. Some of the allied Mongolian chieftains were outraged at this worthless battle and pulled back their support from this new friend, the White Russian. Baron Ungern had list his biggest support - the local populace - and would have to attack the Reds, virtually alone.
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Oct 5, 2021 01:34
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FT-131: Costly Mistake - Part 1 Location: Ubitzik Pass, Siberia Date: 29 May 1921 Briefing: Baron Ungern was ready to start his campaign into Siberia. Avoiding any conflict for the first few days was deemed crucial. Prince Bayer Gun, commander of the Mongolian Charhar Inner Mongolian Cavalry Company, decided to attack on his own. Striking from Ubitzik, Prince Gun moved to control the Ubitzik Pass north of his town. Surely, the Red Army could be defeated as easily as the Chinese. Facing the prince were elements of the newly arrived 310th Regiment with a supporting section of the 35th Artillery Brigade. Victory Condition: The Mongolians win at the end of any Game Turn upon earning 30 or more VP without suffering 21 or more CVP losses (Mongolian Prisoners are worth double CVP during play). VP = CVP+Exit VP+LVP. Exit VP is halved for infantry (Cavalry are not Infantry  )LVP is gained by controlling buildings and/or Sangars/Trench  Mongolians Strategy I'm betting it all on massing my troops in one direction, getting the high ground in the center, and using that to push into the town and into the exit area. I need to use my mobility to gain as much ground as possible, but I'm also worried that my Cavalry will get chewed up immediately [I play this wrong and it costs me]. There's a lack of cover on the hills, but if I can exploit the movement costs to get up, getting down shouldn't be much of an issue...  Special Rules Weather: EC is Moderate, with no Wind at start. Orchards are out of season. Ammo Shortage: All Guns suffer from Ammo Shortages. CHARGE!: Any Red Russian with LOS to 3 Known, unbroken, Mongolian squad-equivalents must take a 2TC, failure of which causes the loss of concealment and TI status. A unit is only subject to this once. Turn 1 - Mongolians  Exclusively movement on my end, and a shot immediately breaks and CRs a squad. Cavalry are a pain to use, and something I am far from mastering. Turn 1 - Red Russians  The Melee counters are because I misread the entry for the Mongolians. I shouldn't have half the forces on the map currently, so they are there to stay for next turn. Ugh! There's only movement by the Russians. Turn 2 - Mongolians  State of the board - Advance Phase Cutting straight to the Advance Phase because of the counter density and Melee counters, and there's still a ton of movement. During the turn, I had a stack of 2 squads get shot at on the hill, one squad breaking while the 2nd going fanatic and generating a Hero (Cpl Gantulga). These forces would eventually make their way into CC with a Gun's crew and a hidden squad in Z5. An attempt is made to advance into W7, but this is blocked by the building's fortified status.   Both CCs go my way, thankfully. Turn 2 - Red Russians  While I don't want to let Hypnobeard get any free movement, the rubble, trees, and orchards are proving to be a nuisance, for and against me. The only notable result is a Berserk on my squad in W7.  State of the Board - End of Game Turn 2 Turn 3 - Mongolians   The berserks survive 5 separate shots, with even a 24FP shot being scoffed at by the men with bloodlust. On the opposite end, a half-squad with a DC breaks while moving in open ground. I should moved towards BB3 instead, but I doubt it would have really changed the results. I have virtually surrounded the W7 building, but Partisans truly suck against such locations, as we will see in the future. Everybody is breaking, pinning, or malfunctioning. I'm dumb here too, I could have advanced 1.5 squads and a 9-1 leader into W7 and somehow I completely whiffed on this. This likely cost me the scenario.   I could've gotten into that Fortified building!To Be Continued...
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Oct 5, 2021 03:48
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FT-131: Costly Mistake - Part 2 So, somehow, we played the rest of the game in reverse after we had to take a longer-than-intended break. The fact that we can't use "proper" national turn markers because they don't have appropriate options in VASL makes it a little more confusing than it needs to be. So... I have to mark this down as a forfeit on my part, as we started session two with the error. This was heartbreaking to learn of at the end of this session  Here was the view at game end. It's important to note that the fortified building is STILL occupied by Hypnobeard. A costly mistake, ha ha, with the error of not taking it when I could've, or even trigger Close Combat and stall it out for more troops. The real pain is that Mongolians can't form fire groups, making them immensely vulnerable, and I'm pretty sure I kept forgetting I had Assault Fire. Regardless, the lack of taking the building, and the powerful positions of the various artillery, made it impossible for me to gain significant ground where I needed it. Mounting losses really took a toll on my troops, and I was nowhere near getting the CVP or Exit VP I needed. Honestly, this one I just felt bad for Hypnobeard because I screwed up and this might've either turned out to be more fun than it was, or ended sooner than it did. Historical Result posted:Charging as Mongolians of old, the Reds were simply awe struck and forgot to fire. Commissars soon were screaming orders to engage the enemy and the carnage began. In less than two hours, the Mongolians had suffered over 100 casualties. The Reds had narrowly avoided disaster as most of the 3th Artillery's ammunition stores were still loaded on carts just north of the pass. Prince Gun paid for his mistake with his life. The Red Army was now aware the baron was on the move. Jobbo_Fett fucked around with this message at 06:03 on Oct 23, 2021 |
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Oct 10, 2021 21:16
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FT-132: Visions of Grandeur - Part 1 Location: Toreisky, Siberia Date: 21 June 1921 Briefing: Crossing back into Russia on Jun 19th, Baron Ungern wanted to drive northeast for Kyakhta and Verkhneudinsk. If Verkhneudinsk could be taken, eastern Siberia would be cut off. The 5th Red Army had set up a screening force southwest of Kyakhta in the village of Toreisky. Not one to always blindly march into battle, Baron Ungern sent most of his troops on a wide flanking maneuver during the night. Victory Condition: The Whites win at Game End if: They control 13 or more buildings; Earn at least 30 CVP and earn more CVP than the Red Russians; and must exit 10 or more Exit VP (Infantry are worth half).  Pins and lines delineate setup area for Red Russians Red Russians Strategy A large pair of maps, with high ground and varied terrain makes for an interesting proposal to defend against. Hypnobeard can enter on the map(s) from several directions, forcing the defender to spread out their forces. I opted to focus my troops in the left flank to take advantage of the lines of sight and open ground, while using defensive terrain to my advantage. My two available guns are poised to watch the passage/road into the town on the left flank, while the other watches the open ground and hill. Troops on the right flank exist to grab some buildings and prevent any extreme cheese. (In honesty, I'd not really checked on the exact places Hypnobeard's forces could enter, so this was a blessing in disguise. I only care about the CVP losses and the denial of Building control. Anything Hypnobeard exits before the end of the scenario will only weaken their force composition.  Special Rules Weather: EC is Dry, with a Mild Breeze from the West at start. Weather is Gusty. Fierce Fighting: Hand-To-Hand CC is in effect. Dusty Weather: Light Dust is in effect only if Heavy Winds/Gusts are in effect. Der Kommissar: White Russian leaders are Commissars. Winded: White Russians cannot use Double Time or Gallop until Turn 5 Turn 1 - White Russians  Thanks to LoS, there are no shots to take, and only movement accomplished by Hypnobeard's forces. Turn 1 - Red Russians  With not much in the way of changes to LoS, I have a few units move to better positions, but otherwise nothing else occurs. Turn 2 - White Russians  With the reinforcements now on-board, the real approach can begin. One squad is exposed while moving along the road and is promptly shot at by a Red Russian squad in the vicinity, but otherwise no combat occurs elsewhere.  After Advance Phase Turn 2 - Red Russians  Once more, my movement is limited to removing some squads from harm's way and making Hypnobeard wonder which concealed units are real and which aren't. Of note are the exposed Whites on the hill crest line. Turn 3 - White Russians  And now the fireworks begin. Hypnobeard's cavalry continues to infiltrate up the right flank, while some squads have dismounted to grab control of the buildings in the vicinity. On the left, several machine guns open up on concealed positions, but score no hits. Numerous squads are exposed, but the Red Russians refuse to waste their attacks when the results are not guaranteed. The only exception was a machine gun in the woods, but they had forgotten to calibrate their sights, with the shots going wide.  Post-Advance Phase Turn 3 - Red Russians  Unfortunately for the Reds, the Medium Machine Gun in the woods appears to have a defect and achieves no success, yet again. On the opposite end of the barrel, Hypnobeard's constant pressure against the front concealed unit eventually strips them of their concealed, and a follow-up shot by yet another MMG breaks them.  Some shifting of concealed units is done, as well as pulling the MMG back to get out of enemy fire, while the broken squad runs off to a Commissar for (relative) safety. Turn 4 - White Russians  Pressure is mounting, with cavalry grabbing every building they can. Both sides trade some squad breaks, mostly because of moving into more exposed locations, although the Red Squad in the grain fields was more unlucky then anything else.  The CC phase sees no kills, both fights devolving into Melees. To Be Continued...
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Oct 23, 2021 19:48
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FT-132: Visions of Grandeur - Part 2 Turn 4 - Red Russians  While the front line squads focus their attacks on vulnerable, the back line shifts around to help out the melee nearby, as well as prevent any incursions by Hypnobeard's cavalry force. While a squad of mine breaks through concentrated fire in the Defensive Fire Phase, I get a Casualty Reduction against a squad on the right flank. The MMG on the hill that malfunctioned was found to be unrepairable, much to the frustration of the crew.  End of Turn 4, with no melee's progressing further, save the one in 17T9 where I had reinforced it with a squad, and one of my units was eliminated. The squad on the right flank advance into the half-squad's Location because... well there's no way they would survive otherwise. Turn 5 - White Russians  Feeling the pressure of the time limit, and no longer being constrained by the lack of Double Time/Gallop, Hypno's troops really start to get a move on. A squad of mine breaks early on, allowing for a rather open view of my lower central section. Thankfully, the HIP units are doing their job in looking unassuming, which nets me a KIA from a reckless squad out in the open. I won't always be so lucky! In the defensive fire phase, another White Russian squad breaks to the LMG of my men in 17P9, but nothing else hits home.  Hand-to-Hand fighting tkaes place in 17Z7, massacring the poor conscripts in the building. A second squad is lost in T9 thanks largely to Hypnobeard's reinforcements, and some snake eyes change a casualty reduction for me into a new leader and a KIA against a White Russian squad instead. Such promotions really mess with a Melee! Turn 5 - Red Russians  More shooting and a pair of breaks against the White Russians. The 3-4-7 on the left also breaks, I forgot to note it on the screenshot. My left flank is looking to be quite vulnerable... thankfully the deception of all the concealment and HIP is working!  Melee continue on, advances re-shape my defensive line. Turn 6 - White Russians  The Commissar, lovingly dubbed Ivan the Mad, is shot at and threatened with the presence of numerous squads as they approach his position. A thrown DC breaks an adjacent squad. The Mongolian cavalry suffer a setback when some movement up top is cut short by the conscripts with a great shot. The melees that have survived this long are proving to be incredibly frustrating for Hypnobeard, and I can't blame them. There's at least 4 squads desperately fighting for their lives when they could be bolstering a push into the town.  Boxcars are rolled in the far bottom of the combat area allows my Squad to retreat and live to see another day. This is an incredible result for me, as I can essentially run them around in the back line and tie up more forces, hopefully with less of a threat of dying. The valiant conscripts up top are cut short, and the last melee continues for yet another turn... To Be Continued...
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Oct 24, 2021 04:04
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FT-132: Visions of Grandeur - Part 3 Turn 6 - Red Russians  The turn opens with several shots from established squads, by lackluster aim ensures the Whites are having an easy time of it. Ivan the Mad makes a tactical retreat and a squad moves south from the village to, essentially, act as bait to draw the conscripts away from the Hidden Gun right next to them. The White Russian sniper manages to zero in on a target, breaking a concealed squad I had in 17O9. I was hoping to keep those around as fakes and lure a few squads to an early grave . At the bottom of the battlefield, the surviving half-squad regains control of a building, solely to piss of Hypnobeard. The pin on my moving squad meant I could initiate another Close Combat elsewhere, so the current one in the south-east will have to suffice. Poor rolling by the both of us sees the fighting continue yet again! Turn 7 - White Russians  Shooting is particularly limited this turn for the Whites, the Fortified building in P9 proving its worth in gold. The Conscripts had a good chance of causing me grief in the woods, but the dice went my way. Speaking of, the annoying half-squad down south broke a full squad, much to Hypno's frustration. I was puzzled by the limited mobility this turn. Its lovely, but sometimes you have to sacrifice a few (half-)squads to reveal positions and make gains, and with time running out, it doesn't look like the victory conditions can be met.  As if just to dig the knife deeper, the melee in HOB2J8 continues... with one fewer White Russian squad. Provided I don't lose to a half-squad, I'm now in a prime position to reclaim at least four buildings. My half-squad meets its demise in the building on the hill . My gamble paid off in the center as well, with the Conscripts backing off.Turn 7 - Red Russians  Several squads "waste" their shots against a dummy counter in the foxhole, while exchanges are made elsewhere, to little or no effect, save one break against a Mongolian squad. The White Russian sniper continues their streak, eliminating some Dummy Counters. I thought I might've played it wrong, but the Hidden unit there can't be targeted by a Sniper. A large sigh of relief was exclaimed, and hopefully not audibly enough for Hypno to hear it. The last half-squad of the Whites still stuck in melee finally gets their call to depart this world, and the door is now wide open to be a nuisance. Turn 8 - White Russians  Penultimate Turn - End of Game And this is where it all ended. The turn opened with some shots being taken, the units at the hedges in the grain fields down south, the conscripts... A little bit of movement was made, and a Mongolian squad saddled up explicitly to run back down and do as much as possible to block my attempts at regaining control of buildings. For a victory, Hypnobeard needed: -13 Building Control Points (Had 10) -10 Exit Victory Points (Had 4) -30 CVP [Casualty Victory Points] (Had 18) While building control was theoretically doable, and Exit VP was practically a guarantee, the main issue was gaining another 12 CVP, the equivalent of losing 6 squads. Most of my squads were concealed, in good terrain, with few good possible avenues of attack. Not impregnable by any means, but assaulting my positions would've absolutely been bloody for one or both sides, and with my two guns being hidden, and several good squads (and at least one MMG) in hiding, I felt confident I could stall out almost any attack. Make no buts about it, this was a tough scenario with a rather restrictive rule on movement. Mobility woes aside, poor dice (such as losing an MMG very early), a lack of mobility, and some truly extensive Melees took a toll on the attacker and forced a lot of tough decisions that, overall, hindered and dulled any pressure Hypnobeard attempted to put. Still, hard fought and fun... for the most part  .Historical Result posted:The commander of the Red Russians had prepared for a frontal assault. Baron Ungern and his troops arrived shortly after day break, almost exhausted, but the battle was on. In temperatures of over 110 Fahrenheit, with a hot, sandy wind, the screening force was slaughtered and the battle won. However, the war was being lost. The baron's troops could not effect a quick breakthrough. Moreover, they could not replace their losses whereas the Red Army could easily replace theirs. Still, believe in his mission, the baron pressed on for Verkhneudinsk. The Red Army of the Siberian and Far East Asian Command would be waiting for the "criminal White Guardist", Baron Ungern.
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Oct 26, 2021 02:00
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A little peek behind the curtains; Hypnobeard and I are finally out of the LFT pack, enjoying some 1927(!!!) action between Chinese factions. (We're slowly approaching World War 2!) One of the upcoming scenarios is going to get a very brief update to it because I'm pretty sure we played the Line of Sight wrong on it, and I don't think either of us actually enjoyed the scenario .We're also coming up to the first "Campaign", based more on connected scenarios than a specific map over multiple days, or weeks. So I'll be throwing up a vote in the coming week, likely next few days, as to whether or not I should play as the Nationalist Chinese vs the Communist Chinese in Heat of Battle's The Long March pack.
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Oct 26, 2021 03:27
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 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY DO NOT DISSEMINATE TO THE ENEMY SPIES WILL BE SHOT  Jobbo_Fett fucked around with this message at 03:36 on Oct 26, 2021 |
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Oct 26, 2021 03:31
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Poll for the thread #6 - The Long March With Heat of Battle's THE LONG MARCH approaching, it is time to have you decide who shall be the Nationalists and who shall be the Communists. The Long March module features scenarios spanning 1931 to 1937, with 17 scenarios depicting the brutal civil war between the two sides. For the majority of the scenarios, the Red Chinese (Communists) are the attackers. The overall lack of vehicles and support options (such as OBA, Air support, etc) is noticeable, but we do have the inclusion of more Support Weapons. Do keep in mind that these scenarios will be mixed in with non-LM battles to keep with the approach of the LP. To that end: Who should play as the Red Chinese (Communists)? Jobbo Hypnobeard In the event of a large imbalance, should we: A - Swap roles B - Retain original sides Poll will close on Thursday, November 11th @12:00 EST
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Oct 30, 2021 17:13
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Hypnobeard Retain original sides. Switching sides (to me anyway) undermines the ability to learn from past mistakes and apply lessons to future games.
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Oct 30, 2021 18:44
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FT-133: The Baron's Luck - Part 1 Location: Novo-Dmitrievskoe, Siberia Date: 22 June 1921 Briefing: Baron Ungern's second military campaign into Siberia was having better success - militarily. However, the local Russian populace abandoned every town and village to escape the baron's men. After capturing Toreisky on the 21st, the 4th Regiment, supported by the 1st Artillery Battalion, moved to capture Novo-Dmitrievskoe. This village controlled the approaches to the railroad junction and bridges near Misovaya over the Selenga River. Elements of the 309th Regiment with the 7th Cheka Special (Commissar) Unit had set up camp nearly a week before and were waiting. Victory Condition: The White win either at the end of Game Turn 5 upon Controlling all buildings on/between hexrows R-AA, or from Game Turn 6 onwards, at the end of any Game Turn, if there are Good Order Red Russian MMC in less than 3 buildings/rubble/pillboxes.  White Russians Strategy I need to cross a deep stream as quickly as possible in order to push into the Red-controlled territory. This is a frustrating endeavor as the only quick route is across the bridge, which has the glaring issue of having no protection afforded to those attempting to cross it. That won't stop me from having a leader with a DC and a squad try their best, while hoping for some bad rolls on Hypnobeards side of things. Otherwise, the northern side of the battle has limited access to crossing, thanks to all the walls and high-movement point costing terrain. Technically, I limited myself to going through the X0 woods, but I could've gone through the buildings of W3 woods, but the cost of doing so isn't appetizing. In the south, I had a whole range of squads ready to move into the stream, absorb whatever shots the Reds have to give, and immediately enter the buildings. That foothold should prove more than enough to subsequently punch through and gain the hill. In the center, aside from the aforementioned bridge-crossers, I have my two Guns poised to strike at the large buildings used to house Hypnobeards own Guns. It IS a little bit of a race to see who flinches first, but if my Guns can't do it, the Artillery I can call in will be forced to take over, or supplement the firepower laid down. The hexes I need to capture are marked in Red, and it will take me a good two turns just to cross the stream in some places, so things can and will develop rather quickly.  Special Rules Weather: EC is Moist, with no Wind at start. The stream is deep. Fierce Fighting: Hand-To-Hand CC is in effect. Prepared Defenses: The Red Russians may buy a number of Fortifications, per an attached table. [Inc. Mines, Pillboxes, Fortified Buildings, etc.] Der Kommissar: White Russian leaders are Commissars. Turn 1 - White Russians  A somewhat stressful start, my Guns open up by fall short of claiming any victories. If that wasn't bad, their activities managed to trigger the Red Russian sniper... twice. Both times, the forces in T4 were targeted, killing a leader and pinning the squad. The squad is basically a sitting duck, and I tried to cover for them by having someone shoot at the MMG in X6 to break or pin them and preventing their loss. It wasn't successful. Elsewhere, movement went as planned but the defenders were downright ferocious in their attack against the men of W10. At least they are only broken Turn 1 - Red Russians  The claustrophobic nature of the map ensures that lots of people will get shot at and break or die. A series of shots by the Red Guns score a pin against my remaining functional INF Gun, while the crew managing the MMG next door is broken and forces to run. The large 76mm gun in Y4 blasts away at my large stack, which I was sorta hoping wouldn't be visible. The boxcars on a morale check for a squad stings! Elsewhere, a have another squad reduced to half their size from an adjacent Red squad in V7. The troops, stuck in a minefield, above them, are doing all they can to shoot at the same troops and hope for a breakthrough. Running through a minefield with an enemy next to you is the worst. Down south, the only ray of sunshine is breaking the squad in W9. That'll open the door to progress as I start moving up and planning the attack against the hill.  Start of Turn 2 The Artillery has arrived... To Be Continued...
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Oct 30, 2021 20:43
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