Hi all, my only opportunities for FTF play here in Panama are against my newbie, coworker and friend Brian. This past Friday night set up PBP19 House of Pain with him as the attacker. Up until this point he had played just the defender and was wanting to try the attacker. We were unable to finish the scenario, but it was obvious that Brian did not yet grasp the flow of the attack.
Saturday, we decided to play A93 Faugh A' Ballagh. I had played this scenario before as the brits and decided to take them again. Prior to set up I gave Brian a copy of Jeff Huntington's great papers "The Fine Points, and Setting Up the Defense." These proved to be of great value to Brian in planning his defense.
First off, we had a surprising large number (compared to my last playing) of rubble counters 16 in all; along with 3 road blocks @ v4/v5, x7/y8, aa6/bb6. Also, I always give Brian the balance to help off set my experience.
Brian started with a line defense straight across the U hex row w/ the JgPz IV staring down the U7/I7 road and as I soon found out the MMGw/9-1 in U1.
The churchills came on first CE and ready to sM/sD. Brian never gave the first one the chance. The MMGw/squad and ldr opened up and put a fire lane right down the board edge. Thank you very much Mr. Huntington. Relying on my Irishman's eight moral, and knowing from my last playing how short this scenario really is. I decided to brave the FL and get to my assembly areas in and around the P3 woods. Well, two sets of snake eyes later, their was a squad in the dead pile, and another broken along with the 8-0.
The only compensation for me was brian boxing his first TH with the JgPz, and 3 out of three smoke mortars putting down smoke. One on the Psk totting half squad that was hip in a rubble hex and missed a to easy shot on one of my churchills.
Brian reversed moved the TD back to AA6 to begin repairs, and skulked his troops every turn. But, with the TD gone, and the psk gagging on smoke, my armor got in close and was bringing the heat down. By turn three the U hex row was liberated, although at a cost of 3 squads and the 8-0.
Brian brought the JzPz back, and I maneuvered into the lightly defended U7 building in force on turn 4. Brian saw his left falling quickly, and wisely abandoned the W hex row before all hope of crossing the village square unmolested was gone. I caught his right pinning, then breaking the MMG FG as it tried to make its escape. I also trapped the Psk toting 1/2 squad in x2 between some well placed RFP, and a firelane. The 9-1 boxed out on the subsequent RPh.
The jerries were into bldg AA4 now, and I effortlessly pushed my right plt+ into the Z6 bldg. While the 9-2 organized his remaining squads in the W hex row. Brian's right was weak, but with the PzJg IV strongly positioned in the village square it was going to be difficult to get my armor forward to support the assault on the two remaining buildings.
My break came when the Psk 1/2 sqd bowed out when the 9-2 kill stack 12+1 snaked him (my only one of the night). A 1/2 turn earlier Brian tried to blow the 9-2 kill stack away with the TD but found the HE well empty. That left his VCA at X3/Y4, and his S/R vulnerable. Chruchill I swung around the TD right @ Y2. Brian missed the motion DR, and I missed the BFF shot. He then snapped the TD around and missed his DFF shot. Churchill two then came up the road to Y6, and a squad moved into tx2 to capture the Psk.
Brian IFd in his DFPH and smoked churchill, but the crew survived, and then a large volume of DF from the krauts. Churchill 2 BFd in the Afph, and rolled a 3. But, the dice gods were cruel today a 2/1 hull hit vs a HD target!
In his player turn Brian changed his CA during Mph to meet chuchill 2s threat. The newly recovered Psk missed, and churchill 2 boxed its DFF. Brian went with the APCR, and it two was empty. So good old AP was all he had a 1/2 turret hit spelled certain doom for churchill 2, but low and behold it was a dud.
Turn 5 did not look promising. 1 tank gone, and the other under the gun with no MA. The malfd gun was quickly repaired, and all units rallied so far so good. Both the psk and churchill missed in prep, so churchill 3 came around into Y2 once again sandwiching the TD. Brian made his motion roll this time and changed VCA to face this new threat. A 1/2 squad starts working up the right flank, and the still surviving crew begins to move down the left flank to pressure the MMG squad who was having trouble self ralling.
The TD was threatening to win the scenario for Brian. With it there, my armor could not support the final thrust with their smoke and MA, and it getting it out of their was looking like it was going to take all my armor. So I decided to assault move a single squad to x3 and CC the TD later in the turn. The jerries tried to get him but they hung tuff out their in the open street. Passing their PAATC they jump on the TD a low and behold a three to immobilize the TD, and luckily the sN isn't loaded. Brian is now beginning to sweat a little.
Immobilizing the TD gave it an easy shot at churchill 3 in Y2 and he scraped it. The Psk finally hits with my 2d three in a row and the feisty PzJg IV falls victim to captured weaponry.
Watching his TD explode took the fight out of Brian as he sees his situation as helpless and gives up. I plead him to fight it out as Im down to just one tank, and time is running out. Well the flanking moves are threatening to capture the EE5 building from behind a half squad an crew could be easily expelled and the final two buildings. As they so often say on ESPN "Thats why the play the game!"
For having less than 10 scenarios under his belt Brian played a great game. When I would explain his options to him he consistently made the best choice. His dice stayed hot through out the game, although they failed him at critical times. Mine on the other hand were avg until I needed a big roll.
This is a great scenario, one of my favorites. The random rubble definitely adds to its replayability, but in the end it's just great fun. I did have two questions however. 1. The churchills are great inf spt AFVs and the smoke is the best. But, why no special AP ammo. These things are just useless against this era of German armor? 2. Could I have rolled for gyro's even through their was no SSR saying y/n?
MAC