Scenario Review: Wisembach Roadblock
As you may have gathered, I recently received my long awaited copy of Race to the Meuse. Overall, I am pretty pleased with the quality and whatever else you have to say about RttM, you will have to admit that it is a pretty unique situation in ASL for reconnaissance to meet with roadblocks and hasty defense.
Until I get my hands on a VASL map, it looks like I'm going to be playing these solo. So I start at the beginning with RM1 Wisembach Roadblock.
Some things to read up on: Fordable Rivers, barbed wire fences, motorcycle sidecars.
The Belgians need to exit (preferably with their two MMG) in order to win...I think. The VC say the Belgians win by exiting more VP than the Germans and that the MMG count as 2VP each. I'm assuming here that VP means EVP. Having said that, here's the Belgian setup:
Until I get my hands on a VASL map, it looks like I'm going to be playing these solo. So I start at the beginning with RM1 Wisembach Roadblock.
RM-1 Wisembach, Belgium: Driving along the main road, south of the river, and the railroad tracks on the north bank, elements of the 1.Kradschützen-Kompanie, pushed towards of Bodange. Southeast of Bodange, German motorcyclist turned at Wisembach to attempt an approach from the south. At Wisembach, Sergeant Renauld of the 1er Régiment de Chasseurs Ardennais, having watched the destruction of the bridge across the Sûre River earlier that morning, now waited for the approaching GermansA small 6-turn scenario with an estimated playing time of 2 hours & 32 minutes featuring: Germans: 6x Squads, 2x Leaders, on Motorcycles with Sidecars; Belgians: 4x Squads, Leader, 2x MMG, and some fortifications.
The Belgians need to exit (preferably with their two MMG) in order to win...I think. The VC say the Belgians win by exiting more VP than the Germans and that the MMG count as 2VP each. I'm assuming here that VP means EVP. Having said that, here's the Belgian setup:
Personally, I don't think there is any way the Germans can possibly win this one. I would certainly happily give up the balance of turning an 8-0 into an 8-1 to get the Belgians.
The German OB is kind of strange, as the SW consist of two Lt. Mortars and two ATR's. The motorcyclists are 548's and I suppose the playtesters are against using the IIFT. But the most strange inclusion is the motorcycle sidecars (full disclosure, I'm a BMW fanatic.)
The bridge is out, the river, while fordable, is not fordable by motorcyclists. There is a lot of barbed wire out there and one of the things I hate about ASL barbed wire is that there is no way to clear it. So your motorcyclists, unless they want to abandon their Ultimate Riding Machines, will have to clear out a roadway--almost impossible because the Belgies have three wires to place. With narrow lanes, it's way too easy to create roadblocks for motorcycles and almost impossible for the Germans to clear the wire in a six turn scenario.
Now, the village does have a steeple, but do the suds-sucking Belgians want to defend A Town Called Panic from up high? No, the point is to run away! However, judging from the OB, I can't imagine why the Belgians don't simply run one squad off and stand and fight the Germans off. The Germans only have one more more squad and the motorcycles don't count for VP. What are you afraid of? 50mm mortars?
Pretty intimidating look from the German entry position. The wire on the German right (along the tracks) looks inviting, but anything on that side of the river is going to have to abandon their motorbikes and the wire is covered by what is clearly the MMG stack.
The German plan is to make for the main part of the town using assault fire as much as possible. The main goal: TAKE PRISONERS. Most scenarios say that prisoners don't count double. This one does not say that. So every half squad is worth an extra two VP and in CC it should be possible to take some prisoners with the 8-1. And then we'll MAKE THEM TALK to sniff out the dummy stacks. With only a 3 EVP advantage at the start and plenty of open ground to cover that isn't very much of an advantage.
This scenario surprised. This may be because it was a solo, but it really turned out to be an exciting scenario that when down to the buzzer.
After German turn 1. The Germans catch some breaks with some ineffective defensive fire. They are on the cusp of the village and the flanking force to the (German) right of the village dodges the fire of the only Belgian troops to get pinned by the SSR 3 pin check.
A few words about SSR 3. I understand the point of this (though it didn't come into play in this playing) in that you don't want to let the Belgians simply run away. They have too big a head start. However, by forcing the Belgians to take the task check, you kind of give away the position of the real units. At the very least, it gives the Germans some valuable intelligence.
After German turn 2. The rive droit force blows through the dummies guarding the wire--there is no way the Belgians are going to sacrifice those VP. The rest of the Germans are now off their BMW's and running after the broken Belgian half squad in the middle of the town looking for prisoners. The Belgian center melts away.
The rive droit force stares down the enormous Belgian machine gun stack, sacrificing itself to make the Belgies prep fire. The broken squad has retreated back to the 9-1 (Belgium's only leader.) The Germans continue slogging through the walls and buildings of the town.
The Germans don't survive the wrath of the 9-1 with two MMG's, but simply retreat back out of LOS. They took the beating and did their job.
The Germans are aided by THREE snake eyes--none of which produce a sniper because they come in the rally phase. This creates a hero (which doesn't make any difference in terms of VP) and an 8-0, which does add a VP available to the Germans.
After German turn 4, the Belgians can't stop the flanking maneuver on the left. The Germans are in behind the main stack, which gallantly tried to hold off the advance in the center.
The 9-1 shoots up the German stacks moving up on him and then kills one half squad in CC. He's a bad ass, but doesn't he realize that his job is to protect those MMG?
He does not. The squad with him breaks on a 1MC by rolling boxcars and they have to leave one of the valuable MMG's for a weasely little German half-squad. Now, the trap has sprung and while one 457 has made his way off the board, everyone else will have to run a gauntlet of DF to get off in the last turn.
The dash for the finish as all the Belgians try to make it off on turn 5. It doesn't look good, but a 457 carrying a MMG makes it off, making it 6-0 Belgium before the last turn. What is more, the Germans will have to run through the point blank fire of the 248 in order to get off CC20.
The Germans have the stuff to do it, and race through the 2RF to exit 7 EVP. And they leave a half squad in CC20, making it impossible for the Belgians to exit anyone else. Game over.
End of game. Much closer than expected at the start and a real nail biter back and forth. The Germans running that 2RFP attack for four units (even if one was a 9-1 and one was fanatic) was pretty gut wrenching.
OK, it was a solo. I knew where the dummies were and was really aggressive with the German side. What's more, I stopped to look up and make sure that heroes don't count for EVP (they don't, except for seaborne evacuations.)
I like the setup where you make the Germans abandon the motorcycles on turn 1. As the attacker, they get some real advantages moving after the Belgians had fallen back. But the Belgians can't really afford to give up moving and take a stand, either.
Either side could have won this one and I think it makes an excellent tournament sized scenario. Of course, with motorcycles and fording it does touch on some rules that are not common.
I have a feeling that this is sort of a prelude to the way the entire scenario pack will play out and that will make it quite interesting. A fast, run and gun with hills and villages and rivers. Not quite like anything else we are used to playing.
I'll give it 8/10, just because there were a lot of SW included that made me go, "huh?"
The German OB is kind of strange, as the SW consist of two Lt. Mortars and two ATR's. The motorcyclists are 548's and I suppose the playtesters are against using the IIFT. But the most strange inclusion is the motorcycle sidecars (full disclosure, I'm a BMW fanatic.)
The bridge is out, the river, while fordable, is not fordable by motorcyclists. There is a lot of barbed wire out there and one of the things I hate about ASL barbed wire is that there is no way to clear it. So your motorcyclists, unless they want to abandon their Ultimate Riding Machines, will have to clear out a roadway--almost impossible because the Belgies have three wires to place. With narrow lanes, it's way too easy to create roadblocks for motorcycles and almost impossible for the Germans to clear the wire in a six turn scenario.
Now, the village does have a steeple, but do the suds-sucking Belgians want to defend A Town Called Panic from up high? No, the point is to run away! However, judging from the OB, I can't imagine why the Belgians don't simply run one squad off and stand and fight the Germans off. The Germans only have one more more squad and the motorcycles don't count for VP. What are you afraid of? 50mm mortars?
The German plan is to make for the main part of the town using assault fire as much as possible. The main goal: TAKE PRISONERS. Most scenarios say that prisoners don't count double. This one does not say that. So every half squad is worth an extra two VP and in CC it should be possible to take some prisoners with the 8-1. And then we'll MAKE THEM TALK to sniff out the dummy stacks. With only a 3 EVP advantage at the start and plenty of open ground to cover that isn't very much of an advantage.
This scenario surprised. This may be because it was a solo, but it really turned out to be an exciting scenario that when down to the buzzer.
A few words about SSR 3. I understand the point of this (though it didn't come into play in this playing) in that you don't want to let the Belgians simply run away. They have too big a head start. However, by forcing the Belgians to take the task check, you kind of give away the position of the real units. At the very least, it gives the Germans some valuable intelligence.
The rive droit force stares down the enormous Belgian machine gun stack, sacrificing itself to make the Belgies prep fire. The broken squad has retreated back to the 9-1 (Belgium's only leader.) The Germans continue slogging through the walls and buildings of the town.The Germans don't survive the wrath of the 9-1 with two MMG's, but simply retreat back out of LOS. They took the beating and did their job.
The 9-1 shoots up the German stacks moving up on him and then kills one half squad in CC. He's a bad ass, but doesn't he realize that his job is to protect those MMG?
OK, it was a solo. I knew where the dummies were and was really aggressive with the German side. What's more, I stopped to look up and make sure that heroes don't count for EVP (they don't, except for seaborne evacuations.)
I like the setup where you make the Germans abandon the motorcycles on turn 1. As the attacker, they get some real advantages moving after the Belgians had fallen back. But the Belgians can't really afford to give up moving and take a stand, either.
Either side could have won this one and I think it makes an excellent tournament sized scenario. Of course, with motorcycles and fording it does touch on some rules that are not common.
I have a feeling that this is sort of a prelude to the way the entire scenario pack will play out and that will make it quite interesting. A fast, run and gun with hills and villages and rivers. Not quite like anything else we are used to playing.
I'll give it 8/10, just because there were a lot of SW included that made me go, "huh?"
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