Played PBeM against this site's very own Jacques Cuneo!
[Nigel wrote the narrative, my comments are in brackets.]
PROLOGUE: We finished Liberation of Tulle in four turns thanks to my devastating dice rolling. Jacques asked me what I thought of his defence, and I gave my opinions. Jacques also demanded a rematch, and we agreed on RRG, with me as the defender this time. Could I follow my own advice?
[Nigel creamed me in LOT by averaging no less than 2 snakes per turn. Rule #1 in ASL: Dead guys dont rout.]
As I sweated over my setup, I quickly realised that LoT and RRG are so different that the same principles don't necessarily apply. LoT has Partisans against 2nd line and Conscripts, and everyone has ELR 2. 6FP is a massive attack! RRG has SS v Paratroopers. ELR 5 is standard, everyone has a higher ML broken than GO, each side has its own private arsenal of SW, and 6FP is a small attack. And the area to be defended is smaller, too; 2 fairly close one-hex buildings, not 6 multi-hex buildings across the map.
Given the variables of the American setup - he can set up in some buildings and/or enter on two well-separated hexes - I had to do a lot of "what if" thinking, set up, and see where my plan could fall apart. The other problem was that I had two AFV, but they had to set up in woods, which eliminated a number of choice positions, plus a 105 ART, which likewise must setup in woods.
Finally, I settled on the following major setup points. Most of these also got pre-game concealment:
Everyone else is spread through the gaps to form an approximate line. I also set up a little tricky, with squads on top of leaders possessing the MGs, who transferred them in the first RPh. I even considered having lone squads set up with unpossessed weapons, but didn't want to risk any 6 dr in the first RPh...
[I thought Nigel's setup was very solid, with one exception. He needed one more HS or so in the L4 building. The chances of me breaking his one squad there and making a devastating flanking attack were pretty good. You can bet I was going to take advantage of it.]
American Turn 1:
Most of the Amis set up in the southern buildings and charged across the road. I was pleased with my set up as it gave him no Prep fire opportunities. I made sure to fire the StuG at the earliest opportunity, hoping to draw his TD to an easy kill... him, that is }:-)>.... but no such luck. He snuck the TD on through I1, going to the first level of the hill at I3 and staying BU, denying me an 8FP+2. Meanwhile, at the corner of Spandau, Schmeisser and Mauser (better known as T3), three successive squads and a leader dashed across the road, over the wall and into T3 to be met by a withering hail of DFF, SFF, RFP and FPF from the ammo store in T4. Finally breaking after firing a total of 10 times, I realised I may have made a mistake doing this! One 747 and the 9-2 survived, as well as a freshly-created Hero from the 747, which meant my broken squad would be facing 8FP+0. OTOH, they now had a ML of 9, paradoxically increasing their survival margin... and they did survive to rout back and rally (on an 8, under DM!), so no harm done. If they had broken on their first FPF, though, the tale may have been different.
[My main objective was to put pressure on all flanks, making him defend as much ground as possible. I neede to tie up the middle, thought, so I sent my best two leaders and six squads straight up the gut into T3 and S3. Another set of squads set up in X3 and flanked around hill 522 to put pressure. The 9-1 and and 2 1/2 squads snuck on at I1, planning to break the lone 658 in L4. To confuse him about where the TD was, I entered a squad in on the Y1 road. This way, he wouldn't know exactly where the TD started.]
MORAL: never cross a wall into a building next to a Final Fired SS squad. You expend 3MF which gives them 3 FPF shots if they need them, and with a ML of 8, the odds are they won't break.
The Ami also ran some ? guys (and guns) the other side of the western hill, but none were game to come up and face the MMG they knew was there. But he did send 2 ? counters to the top of the hill in W5, maintaining ? due to HA and scuttling my plans to do the same thing... plus with his troops positioning, W8 was now prone to be encircled. Time for Plan B...
[the ?(2) on top of the hill was a 337/PF, ready to take out the ART if he was hanging around the hill area]
German Turn 1:
My broken 658 rallied, which was a good start. I now had 19FP at my 9-2's disposal, and plenty of targets. There was a 747/BAZ in R3, and a 747/MMG and 149 in S4. Then there was the 9-2 and 747 in T4, in LOS from the FlakPz. Okay, the StuG has a -1ACQ, I'll use that in R3... miss... CAMG... NE... uh-oh. I could see a +2 BAZ shot slamming into my precious StuG, but needed to take out the guys behind the hedge too... waitasec... (checks counters) ...Spray fire! That's 8FP+1 vs the guys in the building, and 8FP-1 vs the guys behind the hedge... rolls: 3! RS kills the 149 and breaks the 747/MMG, and the 747/BAZ fails his 2MC as well, and I still have ROF! Unfortunately, the Sniper broke the 348/PSK in retaliation (I'm just glad the StuG wasn't CE!), but after 3 more successive ROF's completely eliminated the 747/MMG, I had to accept that was a very small price to pay!
[I was hoping at least one guy lived to give him something to worry about--no such luck. His MMG(and the truckload of ammo with him) completely wiped me out.]
Next came the FlakPz. 20FP+3 vs the 9-2 and 747. Rolls: 10... the minimum No Effect. The dice giveth, and the dice taketh away. Hmmm, there's going to be a huge stack of broken guys in S3 (only 1 747 had rallied this turn, leaving 2 still broken with the 10-2).
The 228/MMG retreated, moving back to T8. He can see R4 from there (free LOS checks were in effect, BTW); I consider leaving him there, but later advance into S8. Everyone else skulks as much as they are able, minimising the FP that can be directed at them, except two units. I decided to get aggressive with these. The 348 in Q5, and a 658/LMG in R4 move, both concealed, into Q4. I have a unit with LOS to his broken stack in S4, but he holds fire; I don¼t want to DM the squads and have them rout away. I then advance adjacent, dropping concealment with my 348 to DM him.
I realise afterwards this was stupid, even before any dice are rolled. I should have fired and DMed them. If they had routed, and the 10-2 with them, then I would only have to face a 6FP+3 (since the 348 can stay concealed) with a 24FP+3 reply. This way, I have to face at least 12FP+1 with my HS, and 6FP+1 with the full squad. More if any of the broken guys rally, and they only need 7. I had delusions of wiping out a stack of broken units. It may still happen, but forcing them to rout back would have been just as effective in terms of delaying them. On the plus side, this has the psychological effect of forcing my opponent to defend himself, rather than attack me. And regardless of outcome, he is delayed a turn, although the other way involved less risk to myself, as I could have kept concealment for both my units. Too late now, though. But there is another possibility; if I survive Prep Fire, and if he moves his 9-2 and 747 from T4 into S5, I can encircle him from R3 (with just the HS) and T6, and then blast him point-blank with 24FP even! Well, in my dreams, I can...
I also realise another danger. He could drive his TD adjacent to one of the target buildings, like O10, this turn, and abandon it next turn and advance in to take Control. Hopefully his fear of my 105 will stop him, because it is facing the wrong way in woods and it is the only thing in his way except a single squad and a leader, now at ground level so a PF shot becomes possible. My StuG also has no infantry support now, another blunder. I could be in serious trouble here...
[Of course, I had no idea where the ART was. I didn't want to lost my TD so early on in the game on such an expensive gamble. Besides, if I had chosen to do this, I would have had to run a gauntlet of Nazis toting PFs. I had other plans for the TD...]
MORAL: Don't get greedy as the defender and gamble. Every unit is precious.
American Turn 2:
My 348/PSK routed to the 9-2 leader but failed to Rally; an 8-0 leader rallied himself even though DMed. Go figure! Only one of his DM 747 rallied, so I had to face 24FP+2, thanks to overstacking. Didn't help, both my guys broke.
As expected, he Assault Moved next to my strongpoint, but at point blank I managed to obliterate him. That leaves the path open for my guys to rout from R3, so I shouldn't be damaged long term by my greed.
He runs the units to the east across the road and up the other hill, then drives the TD to the top of the hill at K7, just making his ESB roll. My recently-rallied 8-0 at the base of the hill reaches into his back pocket and produces a PF, which misses by 1. The FlakPz swings two hexsides and fires at the CE crew, 20FP+6, for no effect. With that, I reveal my 105, which loses ? as well due to changing CA 2 hexspines. It fires AP at +12, but gets a -1ACQ which I can use in the Prep Fire phase. I didn't check its TK number as it had no hope of hitting, but I assumed it was good. I check anyway and with dismay I find it only has a TK# of 14, vs the TDs armor of 11H/8T! Better to fire HE, to take out the crew with the collateral at 20FP+2. The FlakPz gets the same, so I should be able to neutralise his TD. I hope!
[Being my first foray with OT AFVs, I had missed the little line about having to be CE to be able to fire my MA. Maybe K7 wasn't the greatest place after all. I needed better protection and decided a HD maneuver would suffice for now.]
After my guys in R3 rout, he advances into R3 and S3 again with single squads, and his 9-2 leader in S3 too boot.
German Turn 2:
The 9-2 is in charge of a full house. He rallies everyone except the 348/psk. Gives him 25FP total to work with. But first, the StuG opens fire at R3 and misses. I check the BAZ45 TH table... Intensive Fire! just misses. CAMG... misses! Biff the Wonder StuG comes through for me again.
[Biff the wonder Stug must have had a 5+2 Italian AL firing ;-)]
I have one more unit to fire before I try Spraying Fire again with the 9-2 stack. I don't like putting so much pressure on a single DR. It worked well last time, but a poor roll is a disaster. The 658 in T6 can see the 9-2 and 747 in S3, and with no TEM. DR: 3! A K/2! The 9-2 wounds, and then the 747 rolls boxcars. Because the 9-2 is wounded and is now effectively an 8-1, this caused ELR failure as well as Casualty Reduction, so it becomes a disrupted 337. It wouldn't have disrupted if the leader hadn't wounded, though.
[These low rolls were killing my frontal assault. Any more like this and this game would be over early.]
I decide to come back to the 9-2 later - I have plans for the HS, but only if I can take his TD out. I fire the 105 at the TD using HE. I hit, and the effects roll is 6. With a TK of 10 vs a Hull AF of 11, I wasn't expecting a kill, but the 20FP+2 collateral causes a 2MC, which he fails. The TD buttons up and loses its acquisition.
Now my 348 can move where I want him, so I fire everyone else at R3. 20FP+1, roll 4; a 4MC! But he rolls snakes, then Battle Hardens AND creates a hero! The HMG fires again - NE. Again - 1MC. The Hero passes - barely - then the fanatic squad breaks! Phew. Only 1FP to face now!
[I love heroes. Great for IFT attacks, and great mobility. Besides, would he waste a lot of FP trying to eliminate this guy? We'll see.]
I withdraw my lone squad to the east, and reposition my leader to Rally him if he breaks. The 348 in R5 I run back to P9, keeping out of range of the HS on the eastern hill until the last hex. I'm pretty sure no-one else can see him with the TD temporarily indisposed, plus the HS may have already fired at the closer 658/lmg I moved first. PBeM makes you plan for contingencies, which is a useful thing to practice! The concealed 228/mmg assault moves to the safety of T7, combining with the concealed 8-0 and 658/lmg already there, safe due to the "loss" of the TD.
Lastly, I button up the FlakPz and move it away. There is a concealed four-piece stack four hexes away, and a BAZ and 2 PF yet to be accounted for, so I'm not taking any chances (especially as they are behind me). I move as far as Q9, out of LOS from the TD and able to spin my turret to cover the O10 building, just in case!
[He was smart to do this. I was counting DRMs with my trusty BAZ.]
In the end, he fires at none of my moving units, and after an ineffective DFPh, I am able to advance them to their final locations. The cx348 in O10 even gains concealment. I leave the 228/mmg T7, out of LOS of his guys in the west (and out of the building, too; he has a BAZ and 2 PF somewhere in those concealed stacks!), but where it has a LOS to the level 2 hill in the east; he may run a squad over the hill back there, and might not realise I can fire at him, although if he's been keeping track, he knows exactly what's in that stack. The eastern squad advances to M7 to cover the area between the hill and the woods; I don't want him rushing O10 too easily!
[Good. I had him thinking I was moving toward O10 with a few strong feints in that direction. With his 658 in M7, it left an alley open for me to be able to circumvent the frontal assault and get close to Q7.]
American Turn 3:
He skips PFPh, and moves. First he runs a 337/PF at the concealed stack to the west, which the adjacent 658 pins with Subs First Fire before it can cause ? loss. Again I realise this may be a mistake, as he will now only be able to FPF if anyone attacks him, but it looks like the concealed stack are the target, possibly for CC, especially when he moves a ? unit adjacent. I hold fire this time.
To the east - my major concern - he runs a 337 at my lone squad. I hold fire; it is only a 2FP+2 attack, and I figure he's trying to tie me up so he can make an end run. He then starts the TD. I make my HEAT roll with the 105, and get a Possible Shock, which he passes. Then he goes CE - I wish I had held fire! I thought he was starting up to come down the hill. He changes VCA, and I Intensive Fire. I miss my HEAT roll this time, but at least didn't break the Gun, but get a HE hit which stuns him again. Crisis averted! To my surprise, he then runs a 747/mmg up to my eastern squad in the open. I don't want to repeat my mistake of relying on FPF and risking Casualty Reduction again, so I just fire the LMG, laying down a Fire Lane for good measure. I Pin him, which is good enough to save me from the spectre of CC. He then runs the 747/BAZ back towards mid-board and the StuG, crossing OG. I First Fire the squad at him and get a KIA. Random SW destruction malfunctions the BAZ, which eliminates it too. I'm puzzled by his move; perhaps I've bluffed him out to the east, and he has changed his mind about driving for O10 and is going to put everything into taking Q7. This may work. One good DR at my 9-2 and friends would certainly make this the target of choice! As though to confirm my thoughts, he runs his latest Hero around to P6. My defending squad ignores him for the time being, safe under ? from his 1FP. Safe from CC too!
[All these moves were designed to allow one guy to get through to O6 or P6, where they could be a threat. Unfortuately, a decent roll by Nigel cancelled that thought.]
He then moves his last two squads to the west, but my LMG and MMG in T7 set up Fire Lanes which break one and Pin the other. He then cleverly gets his 10-2 and three squads directly behind my StuG.
[I now had a bunch of firepower in P5 with the hero in P6. He only has I unit in Q7. It was a gamble, but with a decent roll I can beak him and this game is over.]
With my Final Fire, my group to the west breaks his last squad, which had assault moved adjacent. To the east, I reduce his pinned 747/MMG to a 337/MMG. The FlakPz doesn't harm the Hero, but it is at least facing the right way now. The threat to my flanks has diminished, but it has increased in the middle. I have to turn my StuG in the woods to fire on his killer stack. I pass the first Bog check, but fail the second, leaving me facing impotently south-east! There is a BAZ44, a PF, and a 10-2 leader at range 1. The situation looks grim....
[Well, not so grim. The PF needed a 3 TH, the BAZ a 4. Not great odds. If the Stug and the unit in Q7 lived, I was in deep trouble. I got plain lucky. A clutch 3 on the PF roll brewed up the Stug. The Stug's untimely demise was the cause of great hoopla, yelling, and cool explosion noises.]
The StuG quickly becomes a blazing wreck. Then a new danger surfaces. He fires on the ?658 in Q7; if it breaks, his 149 can advance in for the win! But it holds. In Defensive Fire, the FlakPz lines up on the 149,and this may have dissuaded him from advancing closer. I still need to reinforce this building though.
[Aaarrgghhh... I rolled enough for a NMC on the attack in Q7, but he passed with flying colors. I could see myself getting squeezed in very quickly now...]
German Turn 3:
This could be it! The threats to my flanks have diminished. It comes down to my 9-2 vs his 10-2, with help from their accompanying squads. The 9-2 deploys all the squads with him, then fires the HMG and LMG point-blank into the squad he advanced adjacent in Q6, breaking it. I also manage to wound the 149, but fail to eliminate it.
I should now be able to advance plenty of warm bodies into Q7. I consider the threat the BAZ45 presents, especially with WP. If it hits, then that will be a -2MC on my ML8 troops. The SMOKE will hinder me more than him, but I need the protection more! The main danger is rolling a colored "6" on the MC, as this becomes a CH and reverses the MC to a 2MC which would automatically break me (since the minimum DR is 7 if this die is 6)!
[WP was never an option. With the 9-2 leader, only boxcars would have done me any good. I would rather the 8FP+0 shot.]
I plan to send one HS around behind the 10-2 and his merry men to Encircle them. If not successful, at least I may draw fire away from the main target. This plan looks even better when a snakes roll on a Spraying fire attack to the east eliminates one HS and breaks the other, making that flank effectively secure! Except for the ever-present TD, of course... I have to make a tough decision; turn the 105 to protect Q7, or keep it trained on the TD?
[Good idea, but he never made this HS enough of a nuisance. With me holed up in P5, he probably could have moved adjacent and been ignored. I was completely focused on attacking Q7 with everything. He could have made a lot more trouble with this guy than he did. He could have made the difference but ended up a non-factor.]
I decide to go for the TD. I consider going for Deliberate Immobilisation as well, but do I want him to bail out and have another MMC on the board? I decide that it would be preferable, but fail my gut-check and go for the kill instead; on a Turret hit, the TK is the same as the Immobilisation TH, so this works out about even-odds to me. So I roll a 4 and get a Hull Hit - would've immobilized him! Then fail the TK. Even try Intensive Fire yet again to no effect.
[The TD has great armor. However, once CE, he's very vulnerable.]
I send a 348 to collect an abandoned American MMG and to take a disrupted HS prisoner - I don't want them coming back later! I also get 2 1/2 squads next to Q7, ready to advance in and reinforce the squad already there. I also get my 8-0 to run around in LOS of a broken squad in Q6 to force his surrender, but unfortunately he is KIA by the TD's BMG. The 10-2 and 2 squads then roll snakes to wipe out the squad already in Q7! His squad escapes to be rallied by the 10-2, but I have 2 1/2 squads facing him and the 9-2 and his HW squads (2 HS with a HMG and a LMG) adjacent in support. A 348 in O4 is ready to encircle him in P5 as well.
[Very nice snakes on another clutch roll. Unfortuately, I can't take advantage of it. And, as I expected, he moved everything he could get his hands on into Q7. A true slugfest is emerging.]
American Turn 4:
This plan falls apart when the 10-2 and friends break all three units in Q7! He then starts the TD, overruns a squad I had in N6 aiming to encircle P5 and ends up right in front of my 105. But I have to wait to see what happens in P5 before I fire; killing the TD is a waste of time if I allow his guys into Q7.
[Boy, the dice let him down. I gave him no better than a NMC and all three guys choked their rolls. Lady luck was rolling my way. Now I need to take advantage of these nice rolls and put the game away...]
Then I make what turns out to be a critical mistake. He runs a HS past my 348 in O4, and I vapor him. He then runs a 9-1 from L4 right past me. My first PBF shot has no effect other than to Final Fire me. He continues, bypassing adjacent to me, I can FPF with a -2 DRM.... but I hold off, underestimating the threat this SMC poses, thinking him just a decoy. He ends up in P6, helping the squad and the hero already there. I start to realise my mistake!
[At this point in the game, I could see I had probably one chance left to grab Q7 before I was obliterated. So everyone started running willy-nilly toward Q7. What seemed like reckless moves were calculated to draw fire and let other units past. Force conservation at this point was not an issue. This game was going to be over quickly, one way or the other.]
Concentrated fire finally pins the 9-1, eliminates the Hero, and breaks the squad in P6. Unfortunately, the pinned leader is enough to send the units in Q7 scampering across the road to safety. I also manage to force the TD to button up yet again. And, unfortunately, the Wreck Blaze refuses to spread. Ideally it would be tearing straight down the Q hexrow and into Q7... or at least to Q6 to deny that hex as an attack point. Perhaps that could be a German tactic; kindle Q6 and hope it spreads to Q7?
[Pinned!! So close! A little better on the dice and I would have won--again. Frustration starts to set in as I see him eek away another match point.]
Luckily, no-one can advance in to the vacated victory hex. At least not this turn...
German Turn 4:
I start off by failing to self-rally anyone. Then I roll boxcars with the ART which, thanks to a combination of acquisition, range, and target size, is still a hit! And after all that Intensive Fire, it breaks on an ordinary shot. Go figure!
The FlakPz is once again ineffective, but the Killer 9-2 HW Stack reduces a squad-and-a-half to a broken HS in two shots. With that threat eliminated, I get the last 8-0 around to the broken squads in P8 (where they are overstacked due to the presence of the ART in the same hex), and everyone else who can adjacent to Q7. There are 2 exceptions; the HS in O10, which I can't afford to leave empty and vulnerable to an end-run, and the 348 in O4, which moves to P4. Its final destination is P5, where it can Encircle P8. If he avoids this hex, he will have to go into the woods in Q6 and survive a 24 or 30FP-1 shot; if not, he will have to go CX to advance into Q7.
Q7 now has 3 HS and a 228 (with a complete SW inventory; a HMG, MMG, LMG, and a recovered PF counter!). The only downside is that I cxed a HS to recover the PF, which will give me a minus on the Ambush roll should it come to that. Depending on circumstances, I may be able to break and rout him to avoid this, if I am only facing 1 squad and my other broken guys rally and are available as reinforcements, for instance.
American Turn 5:
It's all over rather quickly. My two squads rally, and the one with the PSK despatches the TD in the MPh. He moves the 10-2 and three squads - one fanatic - into the woods in Q6. In my defensive fire phase I take a 30FP-1 shot against his 10-2 and last three Good Order MMC. My roll is ordinary - including losing ROF - and I only break one, and yet another goes Fanatic due to HOB. There is a moment of tension as the German SAN is rolled, with Q6 the most likely target if successful... but the Sniper remains unaware of his chance to turn the tide of history.
[Actually, my hope was for the TD to perform a VBM freeze in Q7, stopping any return fire. A well placed PSK shot stopped that cold. His roll on the 30-1 shot is downright bad, a 10. The 10-2 allows all but one 747 to live and I have a 16+0 shot to throw back at him before the huge all or nothing CC that is sure to follow.]
Between his AFPh (16FP+0!) which pinned the 9-2, and his CCPh where he ambushed the survivors, I am obliterated.
[I got an average roll on the 16+0, to which he pinned the leader, and broke 2 of the 4 HS. The subsequent CC saw a 2-1 with a -4 DRM. I put away the game with an roll good enough to wipe him out.]
Looking back, I may have been better off firing at his squads as they entered, without the 10-2 to help the squads with their MC, but a 30FP-1 is hard to pass up, guaranteeing a 1MC minimum, and an average roll is a K/4. And then there was a 50% chance of following up with a 12FP-1 as well. Right choice; wrong roll. But ain't that uncertainty what makes this game great?
[The 30-1 shot was definitely the right choice. His dice just let him down when it counted most. On the other hand, mine were average, but clutch on the big rolls. I rallied many squads from under DM, and got snakes on a 16+0 shot, and got the all-important PF roll to brew the Stug. All in all, an extremely tense game against a very tactically solid opponent. Another HS initially in the L4 building and I don't think I could have flanked around to P5 and eventually win. This, I thought, was his major mistake in the game.]
[Some thought from the American point of view: