As the previous scenario between me and Patch wound down, we had a chance to talk about what we wanted to do next. Patch mentioned that it had been a while since we'd seen the Italians (in fact, since our Primosole Bridge CG, where they didn't do so well thanks an ELR of 0). Having recently gotten Doomed Battalions, and busy obsessing over that, I immediately mentioned the old A72 Italian Brothers which featured two Italian units fighting on opposite sides of the Spanish Civil War using Italian and Allied Minor counters, and which was updated in the new edition of DB. And so here we are.
I can say that the scenario would be a lot easier to set up if it mentioned which side was the Nationalists, and which side was the Republicans somewhere other than the background text. (Okay, the side symbols also are a guide, but both of us missed that.)
As it is, I'm the Nationalist/Black Flame/Italian forces. Technically, I set up first, but all I have on board are three pitiful non-turreted L3/35 AFVs, with fixed positions and CA, and in Motion. The only real choice I see is whether I want to be BU/CE. (BU, thanks.) Patch is the Republican/Garibaldi/Allied Minors, who set up in two groups, one on board 17 near my L3s, and the other on board 6, set to advance on the manor house. If he can take it, he wins immediately. Otherwise one of us has to have 3 out of 4 other stone buildings, mostly concentrated in front of the manor house, at the end of 6 turns. Otherwise, may he with the most CVP win! (Nationalists win ties.)
Patch set up as expected, took a couple MG shots at the L3s, and started moving for victory buildings. (Two hits, but couldn't manage the 4 TK....) I fired as he moved out, but only managed to malfunction a BMG/MA for my trouble.
Originally, my plan as I entered with the bulk of my forces was to take 6N4 (of course), 17P2 (also of course), and dash across and advance in to 6K4. With only a single squad in position to take it, I should have a decent chance at it, especially as I had the troops holding N4 to back up my move. As I moved, however, I realized I could get into 6K8 without him being able to do anything about it, and I could make his move in much more difficult, so I went for that instead.
Situation, Turn 1, showing both side's movement.
Patch had to spend quite a while pondering what to do next after that, but he eventually shuffled a big stack into 6J9, obviously preparing to advance into the blind side of the building, J8. All I could do was pin a single squad. Without much going on in the west (top), I just had a single ineffective shot while assembling my MMGs.
He advanced into CC in 6M1, which pointed out just how vulnerable I am, since I am Lax and have lower FP. However, after successfully Ambushing me, he rolled a '12', and I thankfully withdrew back to N0.
Fight for 6N4, Republican turn 2.
Fight for 6K8, Republican turn 2.
Last edited by Rindis; 15 Mar 10 at 14:28.
![chris_olden is loved by small animals [200]](images/reputation/reputation_pos.png)
an excellent scenario!!!
I Triple-Dog-Dare You..
Ok, this scenario took quite the time to square away. Seriously, would it kill designers to maintain continuity between force names and the names in SSR and victory conditions? And as a note, does the phrase "stairwells exist normally" mean that every hex is a stairwell, as normal, or stairwells are the stairwells, as normal?
Republican Set-up
I so cannot see myself trying to maintain a defense around the foxholes. They can see no victory buildings, offer no support to any attacking force, and have no other intrinsic value. However, my leaders can't move in the first Movement Phase, so I'll use the leaders to try and nail a tank or two with the MGs, run the infantry towards 6J8, and Advance the leaders and MG crews. To keep a 2(+0) from nailing me, I do take cover in the foxholes, but they'll be quickly abandoned.
To the west, I plan to send a 10-0 and 5 squads towards K2 and K4, and the 9-1 will sprint with a platoon towards 6J8. I see this building as being the main battle location, and I wonder if the Commissar wouldn't be better off here, but I fear that the limited terrain to the west will limit rally opportunities if Rindis makes a push there, so I want to get troops back on the line quickly.
Republican Turn 1
I make the aforementioned push, but after moving I think that I should have sent the Commissar and two squads to J4, with an advance into K4/K5. That would give me a LOS down the 6K6/6O8 road, and divided the board in two. That would leave me lighter in taking the 6K1 building, but by blocking the road, I severely restrict Rindis' ability to assault the 6J8 building and effectively divide the board in half for the critical opening turns.
Italian Turn 1
Rindis moves a sizable force into 6N4, and pushes two units along the west board edge. The tanks fall back and move up to the 6J8 building, making any push into K8/K9 bothersome, and gets a platoon into 6K8. Pushing him out is gonna be tough.
Republican Turn 2
Gotta take 6J8 at some point, so here we go. I move everyone up to the south side of the building, with the goal of advancing adjacent. The MMG is advancing up a little to the south just by fate. Further west, I move into 6L1, as there's a lovely CX Italian sitting there, giving me a big Ambush bonus. I'm thinking that 6K4 is gonna be a little light, so I shift a squad back to 6H2 with the goal of shuffling in the back door. Sadly, though I Ambush Rindis, I roll a '12' and he chooses to flee. Around 6J8, I have several units now in 6H8, I8, J8, J9, and K9. If Rindis does open fire with 6K8, I'm hoping something will survive to break his units.
Overview
Very little fire of any significance occurred in the scenario opening. FP are too low, and terrain too beneficial, for us to hurt each other for now. The biggest event was the malfunction of an L3/35's BMG, but I'd rather see some broken Italians. Enemy Italians. I like my Italians unbroken.
Rally was decent. Not much going on, but I got my BMG back. My turn 2 prep did more to me than to Patch. I managed to pin a squad in 6M1, but his Sniper pinned a squad in O9, and I malfunctioned a BMG again (the same one in fact).
In movement I tried to pull out of N0, but he nailed both squads as they advanced out, one CRing to a broken HS, and the other suffering ELR failure. I then did a move that I'm still kicking myself over, as I'd been thinking about it for a week, and never thought about the problems with it. So I let him freely strip concealment, and get a couple non-AM shots at my second MMG squad, which promptly broke. I'd been so busy think about where I wanted them to go, I never even thought about how to get there. In K8, I merely skulked away from the main stack, though he still had a couple decent shots against me, which were thankfully ineffective.
Given the great concentration of force around 6K8, I was strongly tempted to give it up as a bad attempt, and retire to behind the walls and hedges and keep him busy near there while trying to get into one or both of the western victory buildings. In the end, however, I decided to stick it out a bit longer and see if I could do something about reducing the forces there.
Situation, Nationalist turn 2.
Italian Turn 2
Rindis gets his BMG back (dang!) in Rally.
Prep Fire was annoying, as Rindis Pins a squad in 6M1, but my Sniper activates and Pins a squad in 6O9 and Rindis malfunctions the just repaired BMG.
Rindis tries to sneak out of 6N0, but movement in the open of any sort just isn't advisable for units with a 6ML. Both ELR, and one CRs to a HS. Rindis also tries to get his MMG upstairs, but the non-AM movement is attractive and I open fire with a lot, breaking the MMG squad in 6M5h1. Rindis skulks out of 6K8, and there's lots of shuffling along the 6-17 border woods as Rindis reinforces the perimeter around 6J8. In Final Fire I try to take out a tank with an LMG, but fail. Further Final Fire vs the MMG nests produces no effect.
I was surprised at the skulking out of 6K8. That was a nice opportunity for Rindis to inflict some damage, and he gave it a pass. I'm estimating the 8-0, two squads, and an LMG in there, so 16(+3) isn't a bad Prep Fire for him. Looks like it will fall to my Prep to try and break that up when he comes back. I'm also hoping to do some damage to the troops moving up the centerline woods for a future move on the 17P2 building.
I rally, I recover the abandoned MMG in 6M5h1... and the BMG/MA gets a '6', recalling the L3. Patch preps at the brokies stuck in 6O2, and a 1MC reduces them from a squad and a half to a HS. The entire try to tie down his west flank has been a disaster, not least because I didn't properly consider just how bad CC is for me with Lax and lower firepower. With generally worse morale (and decidedly worse broken morale), my main advantages are range, the MMGs, and the three—now two—L3s. Thankfully, everything else goes poorly, including the two 16 +3 shots at my concealed stack in 6K8. Movement was mostly a cautious creep through the vineyard around the manor.
My defensive fire got a result on 6M2, but the Commissar passed as did the first squad; the second rolled a '12' to break to a HS. Even better, I got a PTC on J8 that pinned his 9-1 and a squad. I'd much rather have broken them, but keeping them out of the incipient CC in K8 was a big bonus. Sadly, his Sniper activated and broke the squad in O9 (who'd been pinned by him last turn). Another shot broke/reduced the squad in K9. Despite the damage, he goes into M8 with the remaining two squads.
Sadly, I'm still no match for him, and I quickly realize the drawbacks of my hasty plan to take K8. I have two squads and the 8-0 leader in there. I should have re-arranged things to have three squads and no leader. The 8-0 has no purpose in the building, and I need all the FP I can get, and the leader would have been best to catch any routing units. After a brief hope when Patch rolls a '6' for Ambush, I blow it with a Final '4' (5 +1 Lax, -2 Concealed). He goes for a 2-1 on a squad with the leader, and kills them. At least I get a squad in return on my attack.
Situation, Republican Turn 3.
Confronting the bulk of his strength like that was chancy, but it certainly slowed him down and made him think. The main problems are that I didn't develop a way to make J8 hot enough to begin with, and didn't put in enough to win, nor did I fold. And now I am down a leader I can't afford to lose.
Republican Turn 3
Just about halfway there! I have buildings (though 6K4 is rather fragile - I wish he were concealed), am poised to take 6J8 for a third, and I currently lead in CVP. Not a bad position. I wish I was better lined up to make a drive at 17P2. Rindis is very fragile there, with 6 ML units and no leader, but getting over there is going to be tricky. My first plan, though, has to be on 6J8. I need to secure this before I go gallivanting off on some other errand.
Rindis recovers the MMG in 6M5h1, but loses a valuable L3 when he blows the repair roll on a '6'. I'd love to try for a rear shot when it exits, but the FP I think is better directed against the L3s remaining.
I have an awesome amount of FP lined up against 6K8, but completely blow all of the Prep Fire rolls that matter. The only good point is my Prep at the broken units in 6O2, where I claim a squad equivalent. Defensive Fire is gonna hurt.
In Movement I skulk out of 6K2, move the squad I was sending towards the 6J8 area back over to 6I2 (I am no longer confident in the forces I left behind, and want an extra squad), and there's a little bit of shuffling around 6J8 as I get ready to move more units into 6K8 and beyond.
In Defensive Fire, Rindis doesn't fire 6K8. I think this was a mistake. Yeah, the concealed bonus in CC is nice, but so is 16(+3), and there's nothing saying you can't leave the leader concealed, fire everyone else, and still get the -2 bonus for Ambush. Rindis really needed to unload here, and he didn't. I lose a HS on a '12' result up in 6M2, but my Sniper is hot-hot-HOT and breaks a squad in 6O9. And there's no leader in sight. Sadly, my 9-1 and a squad in 6J8 Pin from the newly manned MMG in 6M5h1, leaving me with just two units who can advance into 6K8.
In Advance, I consider moving into 6J7 instead of closing for CC and causing more problems for him, but instead I take the chance and hop in for CC. I also swap places in 6J9/J10, moving the 9-1 and an LMG to 6J9, but moving a squad back into 6J10 to cover the open area to the east to keep Rindis from flanking me (getting flanked has been decisive in so many of our games it's a real worry here). No Ambush results, and I find my guess was right and I'm facing an 8-0 and two squads. Better still, they're two of his six 347 squads. I team up for a 2:1 against his leader and a squad and kill them both, but Rindis kills one of mine in return. I can't take one for one losses in this scenario, but Rindis is now down to two leaders, and none of them are in this area.
Reflections
Boy, this turn had a lot of tough decisions to make, and they all centered around the battle for the 6J8 building. If I can get this one, I can effectively isolate board 17 and interdict any assault on 6K4/6K2 from the upper levels. I need this building. Rindis had two opportunities to hit me with 16(+3) attacks, with a 58% chance of at least a NMC, and didn't take either of them. However, he only has a 28% chance of Ambushing me (and risks an 8% chance of me ambushing him, if I go in without a leader). Firing was his best bet here. (And I'm not trying to bang on Rindis here -- overall he's a tough opponent -- but his not firing greatly surprised me and I thought it merited discussion.)
However, all is not lost for Rindis. Turns 3 and 4 were rather exciting for all, and I'm looking forward to their posting here.
Last edited by Patch_Bunny; 01 Apr 10 at 02:32.
For my turn, I got a squad back in 6N5 and Patch got a HS back in K1. For prep, both of my MMGs fired, but couldn't get any result. With a Melee still going on in 6K8, I decided to feed more troops into the woodchipper and hope to get at least a temporary advantage while looking for an opportunity to cause problems for Patch's other troops in the area. First, I reoriented my main axis of pressure and moved the two non-Recalled L3s around the building to take up positions at the hedge on the west side of the building. With K9 empty, it was the only thing to do with them, and I had a number of (leaderless) troops still on that side to give him trouble. I had thought to send my 9-1 (who wasn't all that occupied off towards the eastern flank, but forgot about it before I got that far.
Patch didn't get anything better than a pin out of his DF, but during my AF his Sniper activated and broke the squad in 17O2, who had been covering the victory building I did have. I really wish I'd moved the 9-1 in that direction. I poured another two squads into the Melee with other troops lined up in support, and we exchanged squads. That left me the victor of the hex, but unconcealed and ADJACENT to his troops going into his turn....
This could get even more expensive.
Situation, Nationalist turn 3.
Nationalist Turn 3
Rindis rallies a squad in the chateau,and my commissar rallies a HS in 6K1. I'd forgotten how fragile HS can be around commissars, and I'm glad this one made it back.
Rindis opens up with both MMG, now secured in level 1 hexes in the chateau, but is not able to get a result. In movement, though, he makes things happen. Both L3s start up and move to 6K6/6L6, which makes me realize that my only AT weapons in this game are machineguns, and I have NONE with my forces in the 6K1/K4 buildings. Ooog. I see VBM freeze in my future. There's more shuffling in the chateau, and Rindis moves two squads up to the melee in 6K8. I had expected him to fall back from this building when I advanced into CC, so this is not going to go well for me. I had expected a leader to fall back from the chateau to the P9 area, but Rindis apparently forgot to do so and this area continues to remain leaderless. I plan to try and exploit that.
My Defensive Fire throws every MG I have available at the L3s, to no effect, and it's too far for my infantry to affect the MMG nests in the upper chateau levels. Advancing Fire activates my sniper, who is being very active this game, and breaks a unit in 17O2. If I clean up 6K8, that leaves just three squads between me and the 17P2 victory building.
CC is a dual exchange of squads in 6K8, which is about what I expected, but I am well poised to nail that hex in Prep Fire. I plan to assault down the center board woods next turn, but I'm not certain at all how to deal with the armor that's between me and 6K4. Best I can do at the moment, with upper level MMGs cutting off an assault through the vineyards, is to get my MGs in the upper levels of 6J8 and hope for rear shots if he turns.
Patch got a HS back in his rally, while I recovered the LMG that had been dropped in the CC in 6K8. Patch naturally preped with J7 and J8 at the now unconcealed squads in K8. The resulting 1MC caused ELR failure on both squads. This was a little worse than I expected, but as long as they successfully routed out with the LMG, about the end result I had figured on. Then he fired on the MMG in 6M5 and got a 2MC... I rolled a '2'. Sadly, these are Italians, and they ended up Disrupting (no one to surrender to). And then he Pinned the leader, and broke the squad manning the other MMG. The good news was that on two shots at the L3s, he hit but failed to penetrate.
There was only minimal maneuver with three of his leaders using AM during his movement. And then things finally went right for me. A shot at 6J7 Pinned the squad there, and a subsequent one broke his 9-1. He was also obviously starting to push his way toward the 17P2 victory building now that there was no leader in the way, and half my squads were broken. This is what I'd been shifting around to guard against, and fire from 6L8 broke, ELRed and wounded his other 9-1, and the squad ELRed, which broke him to a pair of HS. Fire from adjacent 17L0 eliminated one HS on a double-break, and the other... went berserk. (Patch thought it was a surrender at first, but he was using the Italian mods, because they are technically Italian, but there's no SSR saying that, so they really act like Allied Minors. Would have had a huge effect on the end of the game.)
With the ejection from 6K8, it was obvious I'd never take that building. With how shattered my forces were, it was obvious I'd have a very rough time taking two buildings to win that way. It'd be hard enough to take one to keep Patch from winning on that clause. But that was possible, and now I was only one CVP away from Patch's total. There was a very real chance.
Situation, Republican Turn 4.
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