Classic Squad Leader Day 2: November

CPL ____, tasked as Unit Morale, Welfare & Recreation officer...

...comes through looking good - barely!

This month, we had four show, with three interested that didn't due to family priorities popping.  But, we were prepared for any number of players, with three sets of CSL available! We had one new player, Jeff B, and two returning players, Bill T and Walt.  Walt and Bill squared off with the original Germans v. Russkies scenario.

I took Jeff on with my variation of Training Scenario #1, Forced March [HERE] as the Germans trying to exit against Jeff's Yanks in what must surely be The Pocket at Falaise [CLICK].

Jeff and I worked on the scenarios core principles, maneuver speed and firepower. I snatched one quick win with the Germans - Jeff kept his squads out of my line of sight, including Road hex S3 [the Shellholes] - the only hex where I could use firepower to interdict his advance. The long-range rifle shots were only on the 2 or 4 table, but with the -2 for Moving in the open, were a real threat.  But by taking the slower, safer route, Jeff was unable to get his Yanks in place to stop my exiting the board with 8 squads.

We set up again at the same point, and this time my Germans missed both shots at the hex rolling a '9' and '11' and Jeff was able to race two squads with CPL Medrow towards Death Meadow for the final fight.  At this exciting point, Bill and Walt had played a few games so we switched seats immediately, and Walt took the role of CPL Uhl, pushing to get his men to safety from the American noose: "Mach Shnell, mach schnell! Die Amerikaner kommen!" He shouted from the road.

I've made some - partially informed - statements about Scenario #1, but am happy to be proven wrong or learn something new.  So I was eager for a challenging and informative Alpha-0 [no support weapons] game with Bill as the German player.  Will Bill pull some clever tactical ploys out of his coal-scuttle helmet? And perhaps some rules I have missed? Let's see!

I started with a likely successful opening gambit - running a stack of 3 Squads to G4, where they could evade severe consequences with a move to G3 next Turn.  Bill positioned a couple squads with a 9-1 just outside my Range, but within his. Fortunately for me, his long-range Advance Fire - then his Defensive Fire on my Player Turn - was weak and he rolled average, missing. This allowed me to get three squads to J0 Turn 2, with a mob of Russkies behind them, and the Germans not quite fast enough to stop us.  Russians won with 6 of 5 Squads needed to exit.

We had time to play the Alpha 1 version, which gives the Germans support weapons [with Penetrating Fire] and the Russkies 6 more Squads and a 9-1 Leader.

On Russkie PT2, I successfully established a fire base at The Manor.  In his defensive Fire, Bill KIA'd one stack.  I Advanced another stack into the same hex of The Manor as it would tangle with the German base of fire in the house at T3.  In his Prep Fire for PT2, Bill KIA'd that stack also!

Oh, the tragedy, our good comrades piled up under little prep fire explosions...

This did not set me up for success at the exit point, as Bill's base of fire was able to threaten and interdict the "line of death" along the 3-4 hex line with his HMG and MMG and a 9-2 Leader.  I arrived there too slow despite using J4 as a threat point against Bill's units in Death Meadow.  Bill then occupied J0 himself, which would require a lot of Russians to assault!

With my limited resources, I did put pressure on the German stack, including breaking most of it at one point.  But I didn't have anyone to really close assault it.


With all that was left, one squad, with one more supporting from the woods, Russian Player Turn 5 ended without them able to exit two more squads off the board.  Stymied, they were!

A few lucky die rolls can definitely change the course of a small fight like this one in any Squad Leader game.  Had Bill not wiped out 6 squads and a Leader [a 9-1 no less] I would have been able to at least negate his fire base, while fighting just one stack of Germans I would have outnumbered 2-1.

Overall, I still feel like I pursued the best COA, but it didn't work - this time.

Bill's observations on the scenario:

The scenario seems close but to me will come down to combat and morale die rolls. Particularly the last one with my die rolls out of the machine gun nest, but really good or really bad die rolls are maybe magnified by the necessary fast pace of the scenario. Each side has to be constantly on task. That being said, I got four plays in today at about an hour each, that is a fairly short game (in a little more time than a single play through of the guards counterattack), which maybe makes it a little easier for it to seem repetitive. 

Jeff, our new player, said:

Walt and I played once, but it was more a discussion of possibilities/alternate moves and actions each turn. The GIs (me) broke easily and recovered quickly and had some lucky DRs; I don't recall if the Germans got enough units off or not, Walt might remember. The discussions with you and with Walt were great and much appreciated!

Overall, I'd say this was another successful CSL event. 7-8 games were played, and we all definitely learned the rules a bit better.  Our ability to use small scenarios to welcome new or returning players will stand us in good stead in the future, I think.

Looking forward to the next CSL meetup!