Race for the Meuse RM4 The Final Stand

I read Stephen King's The Stand probably forty years ago.  I just remember it involved some kind of plague and ended with a bomb going off.  The Belgians probably would consider this a mercy from the way the Final Stand came out.

If you remember, in RM3, the Germans were taking Bodange by cheating and bringing in their armored cars early.  We pick up where we left off, with the Germans holding Bodange and moving west along the paved road out of town.  What remains of the Belgians must hold them.

The Belgian force is, roughly, the same for the first four scenarios.  Four squads, medium machine guns and a 9-1 leader.  In RM4, the Final Stand, the leader has been replaced by a more competent (if no more brave) 9-2.  If you remember, the 9-1 pissed himself and died of self inflicted wounds rather than face his men with the remains of a wheat beer all down his front.

The Belgians' only real advantage is time.  At 5 1/2 turns, it is a short scenario, so the idea is to delay the Germans for the first couple of turns in wires and mines, make them fight through a light mortar and MMG squad through open ground and then slog it out in the very end of the victory area.  Again, the paved road along the stream is the key.  The Belgians must have a good order unit on or adjacent to that road.

This is the essential victory condition for all four of the scenarios I've played in this pack.  Mostly this is because it is the nature of the fighting and the goal of the Belgian defense.  The Germans are 3-0 so far, so while it looks undo-able in the past, it is definitely do-able.  In fact, by the time we get to RM4, my thinking has completely turned around and I don't think the Belgians can possibly win.  The Germans have a 2:1 squad advantage, plus two AFV's.

The guys at the bottom are going to try to clear the wire.  The guys at the top are going to go straight for the ridge to take the high ground from the Belgian mortar.  The Belgian mortar kind of sucks because it has a minimum range of four hexes, which means that because of the angles, it has to set up very close to the wood line.  Also, it is the best Belgian weapon against the open-topped armored cars (which enter on turn one--I got it correct this time.)  One would think that it was an easy thing to drop a couple of mortar bombs on the armored cars.  But with half a platoon bearing down on you, that takes nerve.  And the Belgie mortar crew had cran in basketfuls.

German turn one ends.  (note the Germans at the bottom are not in play, just left there so they are not forgotten when they enter on a dr.  The MMG in the middle opens up, but malfunction their machine gun on the first shot.  Mostly, the Germans are just looking for position.  The wire-clearing guys are also in position, both managing to get under the wire.

In the Belgian half of the turn, things begin to turn the Belgians way, as they strike first blood in the lt. mortar battle.  The German light mortar is now broken, suffering from airbursts, acquired and in a 6 factor minefield.  But it doesn't have to rout.  Maybe best wait until the Lieutenant can take out that pesky mortar on top of the hill.  On the other hand, the German return fire melts the MMG in the center.  This time, it's the squads that soil their trousers and the figure they had best rout while they still can.

German turn 2 and bad luck, reinforcements arrive.  They drive in across the streams into the heart of the Belgian defense.  On top of the hill, the mortar crew forsakes its target and fires its pistolas at the oncoming two squads led by a kick ass 9-1.  This guy is no cake decorator in civilian life, let me tell you.  It is a five and a half turn scenario and these guys are badly out of position, so they have to move fast.  The armored cars safe from the mortar and the MMG on the hill, they decide to bum rush the Final Stand.  But, no problem, the 9-2 is there and he's a badass.  He shoots up the first armored car, keeps rate and then tries to knock it out.  But this is a tall order, even with his expert fire direction skills.  But a pin is a pretty good result against these open topped vehicles.

Belgian turn two and another Belgian squad goes down to a 2+1 shot.  He routs back to the rally point, but there is nowhere else to go.  The stand must be made NOW!

German turn three...defensive fire phase. the buttoned up armored car unbuttons, rolls past the 9-2, passes the 2mc to stay unbuttoned and listens to the ping ping ping of bullets rattling off the Krupps steel.  An opportunity presents itself, and the second AC sneaks in behind the 9-2 to dm the broken stack.  Too late, the 9-2 realizes the position of his troops and directs an attack at the open topped PSW221.  You can see the results above.  The shot is boxcars, the leader dies (wound dr 5) and the green squad is casualty reduced and will surrender.  The rest of the Belgians will be forced to rout off board.  The only squad left is under the bridge in L15 with a platoon of 548's bearing down on him--to say nothing of two armored cars.  The Belgian half of my brain fails its TC and I surrender.

A short little scenario that seemed a bit superfluous.  OK, I was rather quick in my set up for the Belgians and they did have a lot of atrocious luck, but there isn't really anything new in this scenario.  Of the pack, I would say it was my least favorite.

Just two things:  One, the light mortar with the reinforcement group is a bit bizarre.  If I played this scenario again, I wouldn't bring it on.  It's just heavy to carry.  This goes for a lot of the SW in this pack.  Again, if you are using the IIFT, it has a little bit more rationality to it.

Second, I noticed in the campaign SSR, there is a note that if massacre occurs, it is only in effect for the one CG scenario.  But...who can massacre?  I didn't think Belgians and/or Wehrmacht vs. Belgians could massacre.  So why the SSR?  Plus, why not make it in effect for the entire CG?  I mean, massacre is pretty bad.  Why not punish players for it.  But this is the only scenario in which there were no prisoners and it did get me thinking...

Some other guys playing around in Bondage as well.

So, another German victory and just one scenario to go...the whole enchilada.