Just played "Gift of Time" (A112, '97 Annual) last night. Whenever I have the chance I do like to study the scenario I will be playing, and Brian William's short AAR impelled me to pull out the counters and see what I could see.
Brain (err, Brian rather, and don't let that fuzzy face, those pink eyes, and that long tail fool you: he's not a laboratory rat) had played the American/British side and had lost rather quickly. From what I could tell from his AAR, he set up his halftracks and Valentines hull down and presumably had started blasting away, but he couldn't win the duel with the Pz IVs; the 57L was enveloped in SMOKE, and so he lost. He was rather unhappy with the scenario and with desert scenarios in general, I gathered.
I played the Germans/Italians, but much of my analysis was on the American/British. The A/B in this game have much to consider, and in many ways the G/I will be responding to the A/B.
The VC require that the G/I player accumulate a fairly large amount of CVP (normal and exit) to win. It is extremely unlikely that he can do so just by eliminating A/B units (although it is possible with some captured men/equipment). Thus the G/I will probably have to exit some units, and the A/B play will be trying to prevent this.
The fact that the G/I have a long way to go means that they have only limited time for fighting if the units need to exit. For example, the Italian tanks can only miss one MPh if they want to exit. Unfortunately for the Germans, those units toughest to kill--the Pz IVs--are also the most valuable fighters. With their MP allotment, the Pz IVs can only remain stopped for three.
City fighting is about LOS. Finding the right position with LOS to the places you need to hit (and preferably only those places), or finding a route past the defenders that minimizes exposure to enemy fire. And in general city fights don't have problems with range, except something like remaining out of PF range or trying to close from long range to normal range. Desert fighting is different. LOS is not generally a problem, and range becomes of considerably more concern. Play frequently centers on parts of the TH chart that you'll hardly ever use except in the desert.
For the A/B side, long range is a problem. The Americans are using Red TH numbers for their weapons, and the British 40Ls are not very effective at short range against the German tanks, and their effectiveness tails off considerably at longer ranges. The Germans, on the other hand, have "L" Guns that will penetrate easily any of the A/B AFVs. So the Germans would prefer a long range duel, and the A/B would prefer to avoid one.
The A/B problem is to defeat the German armor, and in particular the Pz IVs. If these are mostly or completely eliminated by the forces on board initially, the A/B have gone a long way toward winning the scenario.
To counter the range problem, I would recommend setting up the Valentines and the M3 GMCs IN the wadi. These should pop up probably on the A/B second turn. If the G/I are in Motion, this will be very effective; if not, I don't think it's any worse that sitting up from the first turn. For the G/I, I'd recommend firing only those units necessary to SMOKE the 57L and/or M3 GMCs, then moving all the rest. The Germans will stop at the end of the MPh if there are any A/B in LOS, but the G/I need to be moving as much as possible.
The German Infantry are going to ride into battle mostly on the tanks. Those ht's are deathtraps; I think the German Inf is more vulnerable in them, and I put my valuable leaders on tanks.
The G/I SMOKE capability is awesome, but it is effective only as long as it isn't raining. The Germans are elite, increasing the amount they can dish out. The Germans should also remember the APCR shot.
Because of the OBA and SMOKE, the A/B should spread out their units. This is also necessary because the G/I may be crossing at any point on the board. I like a Valentine on each wing with one in the center, and the two M3 GMCs located midway on each board. As much as possible the A/B are rear HD on the wadi. This allows them to drive forward into the wadi if they are smoked to reposition themselves. The wide placement of the Valentines means that as the G/I move forward, some of the Valentines can get side shots on the Pz IVs, and actually have a decent chance of killing one.
German air support is a wildcard in this scenario. Because the rain started so early in my playing, there was no Stuka. The priorities if you do get a Stuka might be M3 GMCs, Lees, Valentines and the 57L.
The A/B player should be alert to the possibility of underbelly hits as the G/I exit the wadis. You might not see such an opportunity in a given game, but it's worth keeping your eye open for one.
My opponent Intensive Fired for all he was worth as the A/B. I have to say I disagree with the promiscuous use of IF, but many times he was right to do so because he was under G/I Guns and so liable to immediate elimination. The A/B player can afford repair drs, but I don't think the G/I player can.
There are eight scrub hexes in the A/B setup area, but I consider that there are roughly four places to setup HIP, because adjacent Locations are roughly equivalent to each other. The German tanks can't be concerned too much with a HIP 57L. If it shows itself, the OBA and/or the tanks should SMOKE it if possible. As the A/B player I would HIP the 57L because otherwise it will be immediately SMOKED. If it is SMOKED, I am playing for a Wind Change DR, and that is too risky for me. Of course the 57L may find itself wreathed in SMOKE anyway from the OBA, but at least you've made it harder.
And of course what would an analysis be without a very exact calculation of totally useless information ;-)
Rain chart:
Chances for different rain levels during given player turns.
Rain level
No Light Heavy
Player 1 83.33% 16.67% 0.00%
Turn 2 72.22% 25.00% 2.78%
3 64.81% 28.70% 6.48%
4 59.88% 29.94% 10.19%
5 56.58% 29.94% 13.48%
6 54.39% 29.39% 16.22%
7 52.93% 28.66% 18.42%
8 51.95% 27.93% 20.12%
9 51.30% 27.28% 21.42%
10 50.87% 26.73% 22.40%
11 50.58% 26.30% 23.12%
12 50.39% 25.96% 23.65%
13 50.26% 25.71% 24.04%
14 50.17% 25.51% 24.31%
15 50.11% 25.37% 24.51%
16 50.08% 25.27% 24.66%
After four Game Turns (eight player turns) the odds are almost 50/50 that it is raining. Now you know.
Game result: The British set up in the British wadi hull down with the British Infantry running forward to man areas of the wadi which were out of their setup area. The British declined to set up the 57L HIP, setting it up in the open in a sangar instead. The Germans licked their chops when they saw this setup. The tanks set up parked in a gun line. A perfect German PFPh saw the 57L and one of the M3s SMOKED, and the second M3 destroyed on three shots. The OBA was in position to hit the 57L next turn.
The rest of the Germans drove forward. And then it started. British player turn one: rain! All the carefully laid SMOKE evaporated. The second M3 had very little effect on the game even with the SMOKE lifted, but the 57L was a killer. The Germans alternated bounding and overwatching, but had a hard time killing the HD A/B. This meant that the Germans were spending their available fighting time in front of the A/B wadi, and that they couldn't stop to fight when the Lees came on.
The British Infantry irritated the Germans as they crossed the A/B wadi, and even managed one Italian tank in CC.
The 57L survived repeated OBA shots, and then the German Artillery Officer was killed by a sniper. A Pz IV finally nailed the crew with HE, but by doing this, the Pz IV was unable to exit.
The A/B Lees waited until the last turn to enter. If they had entered one turn earlier I think the G/I would have lost. The first thing the Lees did was break a MA, but there were only four G/I tanks that could exit, and two needed to exit for the win.
German eighth turn: A German heroic, wounded leader captured the British 57L and shot it at one of the Lees, but to no effect. The German Pz IV that had eliminated the 57L backed from the A/B wadi into LOS of the Lees for BFF shots, but no results again. The G/I tanks had spread out, with three on board 30 and one Pz IVH on board 31. The Lees entered on board 31 so that they could have all the G/I tanks in CA.
The Pz IVH on board 31 was acquired by the Lee with the broken MA, but the Lee's VCA was such that the Pz IV's first MP would take it out of CA. This tank (which had a malf'd MA) moved first. The acquiring Lee declined the shot (it had targets downfield it didn't have to change VCA for), and the Pz IVH headed for the second Lee. At first I thought I'd just rush for the exit (after trying for and failing a sD attempt), but the second Lee was waiting for a side shot, so I headed for him. Two hull hits on the Pz IV from the 75 had no effect (thank goodness for that enhanced hull armor). My opponent was then Stunned (and stunned because he didn't realize it was allowed ;-) when I entered his hex for an OVR on the CE Lee. This left one 75 on the first Lee to stop the exit of three tanks. As it turned out I only needed to exit one for the win, so when the 75 lost ROF on its first shot (TH = 5, DR = 5: grr), the game was over. Still my heart didn't stop thumping for an hour.
Final comments: the A/B side is the tougher to play. If you have to play this scenario without time to study it, take the Germans. But the British are not out of the game, and if you have learned from the lessons above, you will probably find the game balanced overall. It is a wild melee that can swing one way and then back again with a single phase.
BTW, I promptly entered my playing into ASLAR. Have you entered your playings this weekend? ;-)
So long,
JR
Listvolk, fellow AAR fans: For the second time in a month, Bill "I wanna be an ASL bum!" Hayward came through town and stopped-in for a bit of ftf ASL. This time I picked a 4-boarder desert scenario, after perusing some of an ASLML *desert thread* that I'd saved. It was described as fairly compact with a lot of toys, and with the 7.5 game turns, it filled the night very nicely.
Weather: Overcast!
German/Italian OB: 468 x 9, 9-1, 8-0 x 2, 7-0, mmg, lmg, radio (OBA: 80mm battalion mortar), 8-1 Armor Leader, Pz IVH x 2, Pz IVF2 x 4, SPW 251/1 x 3, Kfz 1, SMV M41 75/18 x 4 (Italian AG enter on Turn 1). The German force is Elite, (increases Special Ammo by +1). A SR also grants the possibility of Stuka support, (200mm DB), despite the Overcast, as long as it's not raining, by rolling a 1 at the start of each Allied MPh!
British/American OB: 457 x 8, 228, 8-0, 7-0, mmg, lmg, 51 Lmtr, 57L AT, 1sFH x 3, Sangar x 2, Valentine V x 3, M3 GMC x 2 (American). Two American-manned Grant tanks also enter along the north edge on a Reinforcement dr less than the current turn number.
VC: The Axis win at game end if they have amassed >/= 60 Casualty DVP; in addition to amassing Casualty DVP normally, the Axis also receive Casualty DVP equal to double the Exit DVP for each unit (excluding prisoners) exited off the north edge of board(s) 30/31. The required VP total is increased by 6 for each turn after Turn 3 that the Allied reinforcememts do not arrive.
ROAR, I believe, records 5 Allied wins to 2 or 3 Axis wins for this scenario, but we rolled for sides, (high - Axis),and I won.
Allied setup: Bill didn't go for any forward stuff up on/by hexrow Q of 30/31. He placed both GMC's in the wadis, out of sight, along with a concealed HS. Two of the Vals went into Hull Down behind the western hillock, on which was the HIP 57L and a couple of MMC's, while the 3rd Val was Hull Down behind the eastern hillock along with the 51mm mtr and the the other MMC's in that general area, on or behind the hillock.
Axis setup: All of it setup in hexrow W or adjacent to said hexrow. On the east flank, (Axis right), were 3 tanks w/riders, all in motion, in front of the 3 HT/passengers also in motion. In the center were the other 3 tanks (including 8-1 Armor Leader), the Kuebelwagen, and the radio op (8-0), all stationary. The 4 Italian AG's were setup to come on from the center/south, and would move generally toward the Axis left/Allied right, in motion for quite some time.
German Turn 1:
In what seemed to me to be my typical OBA luck, I did not
get Battery Access, although it was nice of the radio to gain contact. :/
Not about to play around with SMOKE, (I never get to try long shots in PBEM), I opened up with my 3 tanks at center, but didn't get any hits on the VALs, due to Hull Down and/or the long range. In the meantime, the right moved forward at high speed, with the tanks stopping to add hindrances to the HT's remaining in motion behind them, as the Italians moved forward up Center, slowly veering left.
Bill's Val's opened up and missed, but the 57L AT revealed itself in a Sangar on the western hillock and managed to knock out one of my stationary tanks in the middle, killing the crew and the Armored Leader. :(
Then the Germans got very lucky and one of the (previously moving!) tanks on the east flank got a Crit on the 57L, wiping out both gun and crew. :)
Allied Turn 1:
We made a mistake, here, assuming that the dr for the air
support was the standard < than game turn #, whereas SR 5 had made it a dr1
for *each* Allied MPh (with no rain).
The Brit's 51mm mtr malf'd when firing again at my CE tankers/vulnerable riders on the east flank. Not much happened in terms of shots. The Val's backed away from German tank fire and resituated themselves behind the hillocks. Meanwhile, the German radio op got his Battery Access.
Axis Turn 2:
No rain yet, but no Stuka. Down rained 80mm MTR OBA on the
eastern hillock, getting a CH on one of the effects DR's, with a doubles on the
RSDR netting a total of 1.5 squad-equiv's KIA and one ELR substitution,
although a Val escaped any damage.
On the Axis right, the 3 tanks/3 HT's group made it over the first wadi, while on the left the slower Italian AG's were just reaching the same.
Allied Turn 2:
Bill pulled the GMC's out of the northern wadi and moved
them behind the eastern hillock, where one of them was knocked out by corrected
OBA. Gun duels continued to miss or lack effect.
Axis Turn 3:
This time I kept the right flank panzers stationary to Prep
Fire, which netted a Shocked Val behind the eastern hillock, but this left the
3 HT's to move forward alone for the moment. A couple of squads unloaded and
bailed out this turn, also.
The remainng American GMC got a turret hit on one of my right flank panzers, but it passed the Shock Check and Intensive Fire missed.
Allied Turn 3:
Stuka arrives! And knocks out a Val in HD behind the
west hillock. In the continuing GMC/Pz IV duel, the panzer malf'd his MA. The
Val on that side also got Shocked again.
Axis Turn 4:
It had been too many games since I had OBA working
effectively, but this boy seemed to be making up for lost time -- the GMC was
immobilized. It continued to fire, got a hit on a panzer, but no effect. The
(new) British mortar team broke all of a 7-0/mmg468, and ELR knocked the 7-0
down to a 6+1.
Allied Turn 4:
The shocked Val turned up a Confirmed Kill, so as if to
take vengeance, the immob'd GMC destroyed one of my right flank panzers, whick
KIA'd the 9-1 and a squad, (still riding), in the process. The GMC was then
stunned by OBA.
The American Grants, 2 of them, reinforced by coming up slightly east of center, to threaten the Italians while keeping a hillock between themselves and the panzers. The Italians fired a HEAT round and missed, whereas a second AG had no HEAT at all, but its AP shot CH'd the lead Grant into oblivion.
Axis Turn 5:
Rain began to fall, negating any possibility of Air Support
if it keeps up. OBA knocked out the immob'd/stunned HT, which was about all I
did for Prep. Most of the Axis force was reaching the second wadi by this
time.
The Tommies on the mtr struck again, knocking out a HT/crew/468 as it moved forward.
My efficient radio op was finally sniped dead this turn, also, (rolled a 6 on wound severity dr). He'll be buried with honors. The Kuebelwagen beside him ended up sitting there the entire game.
Allied Turn 5:
Rain intensity picked up, became heavy. This was making shots difficult and was giving Bill (and myself) memories of Khamsin. The remaining Grant turned up with a disabled MA (37mm)on a repair attempt and ended up backing up to behind the east end of the east hillock, to stay out of sight completely unless the Axis moved up into view, in which case the SA (75mm) would come into action. The remaining Val moved to a new location behind the western hillock.
Axis Turn 6:
Heavy rain continues. No Prep Fire. Remaining Axis forces
moved over the second wadi, (infantry still in it, at center), and the rain
helped wreck any attempts by either side to get hits. AG's and a panzer began
to get acquirements, with HE ammo, on infantry in the pass between the
hillocks.
Allied Turn 6:
On the east flank, the broken German 6+1 contineud to
fail self-rally, but the mmg squad finally got themselves back to GO status. A
panzer's malf'd MA stayed that way. At 5 hex range, a 468 was the first Axis
infantry to break somebody, (one of the surviving crews tried to move). Axis
armor also broked a 457, which sustained ELRS. Lots of other fire was n.e.,
and a routing 447 was casred'd to 237 by Interdiction.
Axis Turn 7:
Didn't have much room to move, now, but I didn't want to
send everybody between the Val on one side and the Grant on the other. So I
fired one panzer at the now HD Grant, and it missed with both normal and
Intensive shots.
Overruns! They werent' very effective on the center/left flank. One concealed unit turned out to be a British 8-0, (who was broke by one of the AG's), while another AG and a HT only managed to freeze a couple of units. On the right/east flank, a HT OVR bkDM'd a sqd, casred'd another sqd (rolled boxes), but then the HT was brewed-up by the Grant. I DT'd a 468 to CC with said Grant, which resulted in, uh, a 248 HS.
One of the AG's was wrecked/crew KIA by the last Val.
Allied Turn 7:
When the Val on the west flank Started, Axis guns missed
4 shots at it. Bill then moved the Val adjacent to one of the 3 surviving Pz
IV's and brewed it up. I was afraid he was going to pull the same stunt with
the Grant, but it was brewed-up by a panzer before it could move out of Start
mode, despite HD status. Other Axis shots were n.e.
Axis Turn 8:
Last turn! A bit of infantry Prep Fire was ineffective
trying to stun the CE Val crew (in heavy rainfall), and then I moved the 248 by
the brewed-up Grant adjacent to two broken units, while a 468 moved over the
eastern hillock to get into CC with I think a leader and a crew. I was then
thinking that *everything* was depending on my moving the AFVs off the north
board edge for the double Exit DVP's, and I fixated on that, unfortunately.
The AFV moves went as follows:
I was certain, at this point, that the Axis was far from winning the game. But when Bill computed the points, the final tally was 63 points for the Axis, and they needed 66! The delay of reinforcements, on Bill's part, moved the required DVP total up from 60 to 66, but days later I reread the Scenario Sheet and realized that witholding of the Grants is not player-optioned, but is die-dependent! (Bill was wisely holding them back from possible Stuka strikes).
Additionally, we failed to carry out the DFPh, AFPh, RtPh, and CCPh, all of which could have easily made a difference. (For instance I think two units would have been elim'd for failure to rout.) Well, it's an old story -- the fine writing on the Scenario Sheet, the SR's, throwing in the towel before finishing the game...all this stuff happens a lot. The bottom line is that we had a lot of fun, and as a desert scenario I think this one is certainly worth trying. Thanks again, Bill!
! --Paul "why can't I fly in the rain?" Venard