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[MarkDV]

AAR Flamin Frank Buckeye #4

I was the American versus the sons of Nippon. My plan was to establish a base of fire from the hill hexes on board 47 (of about 6 squads, 8-1, 9-1smcs, all mmgs, 60mmMTR)
My main maneuver element (6 squads) would move down the left side of the map as I faced it, sweeping thru the hill (hopefully) capturing the needed victory hexes ie the pill boxes along the way.
My remaining units would be moving along my right, hopefully securing the Hi5 overlay which I was sure would be a bunker location (it was).

Bad news for both Jeff and I pregame. Jeff had 3 units reduced per pre game roll/SSR. I in turn was able to search only 6 hexes (rolled a 4). I did find the 81mmMTR, and two bunkers, but it would have given me a better edge if I had been able to locate more troops/positions pre game.

In retrospect, my plan was a bad plan. Too heavy on the base of fire, and not enough maneuver element. I suppose that is one of those ‘you always know how to win the game Monday morning’ arguments….

General overview
Turn 1 One of the units I discovered pre game was the 81mmMTR. The crew to that MTR was already step reduced, and the MCs that I gave him helped finish the job. However, the rest of my Prep Fires were NOT as successful. In hindsight, I trace my loss in this scenario to this turn and two decisions that I made. 1-too large of a base of fire. I should have kept it to the 9-1, 3 squads, 3mmgs, 60mmMTRs. 2-NOT using ? to the maximum extent possible. I should have had more of my troops ? so that when I reached the edge of the treeline on board 38 prior to assaulting up the hill overlay, the Japs would have had a tougher time popping caps at me. I put this second mistake on my own lazy head….

Jeff and I at this point had some table talk in which we discussed the 2 general options for the Japanese. I am partial to reverse slope defenses especially when you have firepower poor troops such as the Japanese vs. the US. Further, it negates the US SSR that allows the pregame ‘searches’ of the Kunai covered hill hexes pre game—what US player would check behind the hill? Reverse slope defenses are a good way of denying an enemy the use of a terrain feature. Jeff, however, contends that the US has too MUCH fire power and that crummy morale of theirs just can’t go unpunished. He also couldn’t take the risk of some bad firepower rolls which in turn would lead to the unraveling of my dream reverse slope defense. Hence, Jeffs defense had all units on the level 2 or level 1 hexes facing the US setup area.

Jeffs end of turn 1 saw him firing the HMG—rolling a 12---and firing LMGs—rolling 11s. 3 SWs broken on the first player turn. OUCH. He did break up my base of fire with a MMG ie firing at the 9-1 and his two squads, he got ROF, broke the 9-1, BH one squad and created a hero, broke the second squad. So, he fires again causing MCs again.
9-1 passes, hero KIAs, BH squad ELR/breaks, broken squad reduces to a 346. OUCH…so they rout away…to come back again, but not soon enough IMHO….
Jeffs turn 1. HMG-repair roll 6. LMG—repair roll 6. OUCH.
Fires the MMG –rolls a 11. I then taunt Jeff telling him that his troops didn’t have enough room in their ruck sacks for cleaning lubricants for their weapons b/c they were too engrossed in their need for other lubricants…he glowers at me, having no response for a change (Jeffs usual response is that my troops are fighting for their NAMBLA materials didn’t occur tonight) He smokes my base of fire with those evil knee mortars….
HMG crew starts moving towards the abandoned 81mmMTR. Not much successful fires for either side.

US Player turn 2. I rally the 9-1, and BH the squad that had BHd, then ELRd. They are now a 667 (again). I note that this same squad rolled snakes a third time this scenario on a PTC. Anyways, I prep the MTRs at the board 38 hill (NE) and move the 8-1 off the hill to aid the assault. On my flank, the 4 squads and hero who were trying to take the Hi5 overlay (yes, there was a bunker on the hill—on the level 2 hex to be precise) well, they get eaten for lunch. The zippo breaks on the 2nd shot, and the troops just can’t seem to break these Japanese troops. I CC him with a 346 and the hero. I KIA the 347 but lose the hero in the process. Jeffs SAN kicks in too, KIAing my 8-0 SMC that was in the palm grove on board 38 supposedly helping the assault along…..
Jap player turn 2. He breaks the other broken LMG. That’s 3 broken SWs. The MMG that was broken he fixes. He remans the 81mmMTR.

US player turn 3. I pump LOTS of firepower onto the hill on board 38. To no avail…
My troops assaulting the Hi5 overlay are all broken, can’t rally, can’t get up the bleeding hill….His 81mm gets seven (7 !!!) ROFs in insuring that the assault on the Hi5 overlay won’t happen. Jeffs SWs this scenario were a famine or feast proposition. He carped after the 1st turn about his SWs crapping out on him. That said, he gets back some of that luck this turn. No CHs but lots of MC1s and 2s which kill my assault on the right.
His end of turn 3, has the 81mmMTR finish off more units (he called the one hex “The hex of death” and rightly so. It had a wounded and broken 8-0 in it by the end of the turn. It had had two GO 666s and a GO 8-0 before all that fire had come down the pike….OUCH……

US Player turn 4. My ONE successful SAN for the day KIAs the 9-0 that had been manning his MMG on my left flank. I have troops on the hill….but NO repeat NO GO squads left to assalt the Hi5 hill…..
At this point, I have only found 4 bunkers, am occupying none of same, and come to the conclusion that I can’t win this. Jeff graciously accepts my resignation, and lets me regain my ego in a cardgame of SETTLER OF CATAAN. I attribute my victory in this primarily to the fact that I did not have Darrel Anderson taunting me about my use of wood and sheep….but I digress.

Is the BUCKEYE pack worth the money? Jeff and I are slated to play in December the monster night scenario from this ie CUT SLASH MOW so I would prefer to defer judgement until then. If you’re going to press me for an answer well…..If you’re a PTO fan, then yes, get it. If you’re not, well, I can’t help you in your deviant lifestyle choices…..
Seriously, I think that this packet is a love/hate proposition dependent on your taste for PTO scenarios. I like it and it’s worth my money/time I can honestly say after one playing….

Mark De Vries

[pitman]

Mark, that was a very interesting AAR. It does sound like your firebase was too big. With 6-6-6s, the U.S. player will have his assaulting troops repeatedly break, so the more he can throw into the fray, the merrier. Even a smaller firebase is enough to cow the Japanese.

You were lucky to uncover the 81mm mortar, although it probably would not have remained hidden for too long! When I play this scenario, for the most part I do not try to find troops, but rather try to clear the crest lines to make it easier to get up the hill. It all depends.

I think for this scenario (unlike its prequel), a reverse slope defense (or nearly so) is a very viable Japanese option.