ASLOK XVIII 2003
ASLOK XVIII 2003
I travelled with Michael Hastrup-Leth from Copenhagen via Newark to Cleveland to meet up with Klas Malmström and Robert Maglicia at the hotel, the other half of the scandinavian room having arrived one hour earlier on the Saturday. Ah, the feeling of being back in Cleveland! Perkins and Damons and what else within arms reach.
Comment: it was diced for side to play in all my games. There seems to be a couple of different ways to do this, all equal of course but it is still interesting to compare:
a) Highest DR gets the side on the top of the scenario card. This is seemingly neutral and the way I am used to.
b) Lowest DR gets the attacker. Since lowest DR is usually good in ASL this would indicate that playing the attacker is "better". I wonder how different players feel about this!
c) Same as b) but using a single dr with 1-3 having the attacker assigned to the player named. This also seems to neutral.
So is being attacker better or easier to play? Anyway, on to the games!
Pairing up the players left me with Klas Malmström to play in Sims Ridge. We set up quickly and started to play with me as the US side in this PTO scenario were the IJA set up all forces HIP. The US player has the option to exchange an 8-1 leader in exchange for a recon to reveal all hips in a hex and all adjacent hexes. I don't do this... but it is a must. The US units never come far in in the IJA setup are and only reach one of the two objective hexes in the solid defence. 0-1
Being on a PTO trip the next game with Darryl Lundby (New Zealand) was to be this Night PTO game. Darryl's IJA force was required to control at least two level three hexes and to exit a certain amount of VP. Controlling additional locations gave a bonus against this VP exit number. The IJA went mostly through the jungle on my right side with some cloaking counters on the left side. On of these obviously were not prepared properly as it strayed for two or three turns in a row! They take great care to not be visible and I miss revealing a HIP HS to fire a starshell early, but otherwise nothing happened as they were creeping up to the second hill top leaving all on the No Move counters. Finally they are withing NVR as the jungle ends with only one hex at the board edge. I manage to get LOS to a Know Enemy Unit and two HIP'sters here are placed on board to put some pressure on the IJA's at the jungle end. A large part is still en route in the jungle. My spotting round comes down and drifts to very nice spot, still in LOS of the observer. The Japanese forces still tries to get around the second hill and the SR gets converted into a Harassing Fire which cowers the whole area in front of the second hill right out to the board edge. It is deadly in the jungle and my units hit by it were in foxholes. My units on the first hill has LOS to the units that tries to go around the OBA area and puts pressure on from behind. It is quickly over. I believe the IJA has to wait with revealing themselves until they are ready to do one or two banzai charges up the second hill. Placement of the us LtMtr should be thought about as well. 1-1
Next day I start playing with Mark Pitcavage (USA) of the cheat sheet fame (and also having a hope of recovering his lost harddisk data!). This looks like a really cool scenario, with me getting the Japanese this time. Funky low-tech AFV's on both side. There are Rice-Paddies – together with Panji's one of the most over-designed terrains in ASL (sigh) – but these are manageable by being dried out. There are three avenues of attack open to IJA. I ignore the left as it is mainly through Kunai and will take a long time to get to village. I send all my AFV's up on the right flank together with some infantry. In the middle comes my main infantry, with one "killer stack" with the 10-1 and two 448's carrying the FT and the DC. The right flank progresses nicely but the middle gets detoured and I split into two smaller forces unable to support each other. I think both the IJA LtMtr's should be here providing smoke cower. Oh well. Later the 10-1 stack gets shoot up badly as they run up into the LOS of Mark's HIP Art gun, the 10-1 dies outright and the 448's are reduced to halfsquads and breaks and are finally nothing, with two vital SW's littering the ground. The flank continues to pressure in, killing the PSW with the Armor leader, but are unable to relieve the pressure on the middle. I take some wild chances in the end, to no avail. A great game. 1-2
Next I sit down with Stan Jackson (USA) to play something from my playlist and select this heavy metal scenario. The victory condition gives points to the Germans for bridges controlled and to the Russian for bridges controlled and / or destroyed. I get the Germans and start out with three Panthers on the right flank. Normally three of these would feel like the Lion Kings in any scenario, but opposing them on the middle board are 5 or 6 IS-2m's so the are more in the kitten state! On his hill in the rear middle Stan put the 50 cal and the radio in the same hex. I put one with a LOS to one of the IS-2m's, the other two poised to run forward into a wood area out of LOS to all Russian heavies. One of the Panthers have a LOS to one of the five bridges in the VC. The infantry force on my left set up to advance towards the bridge on the middle board, giving up the rear ones as being unreachable before the Russians hit them. One of the T-34/85 is set up in a house cowering my approach on that table. I set up two Pumas to try to take this out. There are two of the IS-2m's set up near this area without an infantry screen so I send a leader + squad and a HS toward them to harass them with a threat of PF at least. I need to move them to allow my five (!) King Tigers to enter without opposition if possible. In the first turn my Panther misses his shot on the IS-2m and the two other race forward as planned. One of the Puma shots hits and eliminates the T-34/85. The infantry force moves forward. I land the SR next the radio / 50 cal hex. Stan in his turn kills my Panther with his first shot and moves two of the IS-2m's directly opposed to the other two Panthers. The first gets killed immediately and the other moves back over the bridge where it gets shot at and acquired by Panther two. Bounce of the thick armor. ROF and shot at again, and another bounce. But ROF again. Still another bounce and the IS-2m moves out of TCA to stop looking for a return shot. The Panther rotates and firing an IF shot which shocks the crew! The 50 cal shots back at my Radio leader / HS stack, breaking both. It gets rof and fires again, now the HS is CR'd and the leader wounds, but survives. ROF again and the third attacks results in a HOB for my leader and he bounces back after battle hardening! Wow. Next in my turn the OBA lands and eliminates everybody in that hex. My Panther two moves up the Shocked AFV, now under UK, and eliminates it with a point blank turret shot. Next my King Tiger roll on board, the DFF fire from the remaining two IS2-m's misses, and the first return shot in my Aph hits and kills one of the Russian heavies. Stan doesn't make his personal Task Check and throws in the towel. Great scenario that I would like to play again! 2-2
Returning back to the PTO vein I sit down with Darryl Lundby (New Zealand) again. We look at his playlist time and selects The Rock. This is a big PTO scenario with the Japanese attacking scattered US forces to exit VP behind a concrete trench fortress line. This is manned initially by 5 HS with two MMG's and three 50 cal MG's. At the same time the US must be prevented from exiting units off the IJA friendly board edge. The IJA have 200 mm OBA (offboard observer) and 80 mm with a radio and two AFV's entering as reinforcements. The US reinforcements consists of a 10-2, 8-0 leaders, another 50 cal HMG - most likely to enter dismantled - and five (?) squads. The reinforcement can either work its way back to bolster the defence in the exit area or try to make it for the US exit sudden death victory condition. I send them off to reinforce my defence, but Darryl gets a squad through to intercept them should they continue over the open area in the middle. I lose at least one turn and has to remain here as the nearby IJA forces zooms in on the small US force. With the back to the board edge the 10-2 gets ROF with the 50 cal and suddenly the area is cleared up! Just in time as the two Japanese AFV's zoom past and parks on my side of the bridge there. Some US infantry manage to hold on to their positions there and the 10-2 moves with the 50 cal to get a rear shot on one of the AFV's and eliminates it as it starts. The Japanese 200 mm OBA has just gotten hot and lands the first FFE next to the bridge in the concrete defence area, and unbelievably scores a CH against that particular hex! Now what does a 200 mm CH do to anything? Ugh. After some searching and advising we had only a Shellhole left here. The one AFV moves forward and will pass through that area when the FFE:2 is gone. Having no targets except to keep some loose IJA MMC's I ponder if I should move the 10-2 on his back to my concrete defence line, but don't in the end. Of course he gets promptly KIA'ed by the next IJA Sniper... In the meanwhile the Japanese infantry moving up on over the other flank is held up long enough for the US to consolidate the last defence there. A squad and leaders turned berserk but never reaches the US line of defence. The final force would have to fight off the balance of the MG's and returning help. A very intense and fun game! Lots of interesting events here. 3-2
Comes Wednesday and the a scheduled game of Bloody Red Beach doesn't happen so I start in the mini tournament "The Fighting Finns".
First game is with Dough Shephard (US). His was probably one of the most organised scenario collections at ASLOK! (Thanks for lending many of these of the next days, Dough!). The dice gave me the Russians. The Russians put up a strong defence on the right flank second row. Two different ?(1) dummy stacks and one ?(447) up front to keep him honest. The HIPs are a 447 at B3 and 447/LMG at B7. The idea is to have a good shot at any Finns trying to exit and / or to be able to top the Finnish exit(s) if any. Most road hexes in the front are cowered from rear positions. The Finns cross the roads and one or two HS are eliminated plus some squads breaking. The Russians manage to move back their defence a couple of hexes each turn, losing on the average one squad per turn. The 7-0 and 447/MMG stack is holding left flank but the right flank has crumbled, with 1.5 Finnish squads moving past the defenders in the graveyard. I leave two 447's in it to keep the main thrust away as the Commissar + final two or three squads move back to keep the Finns from passing them. The two front defender make a terrific stand! First by holding their line behind the wall breaking several enemy squads assault moving up on them. They AM back to make the next stand and hold up the Finns one more turn, one 447 using FPF twice! This was probably the deciding factor in the game. Once those are gone the Finns move to exit as much as possible. I need to decide if to to use the HIP forces to block the Finns from exit any points at all OR to exit them myself trusting the remaining Russians from exiting more than two squads. In the end I move both up; the 447/LMG to block the right board edge and the other to bolster the middle defence. Doug had forgotten about both of these and realise he has to run the gauntlet. He does this carefully and manages to get one HS off and cowers the exits for my units. Ah, the agony of doom - the game is in the Finnish hands. Well, the valiant Russian defender have two more candidates for exit. One is the now lonesome commissar and the other is the non-obvious -1 leader and a 447 whom can only each the boardedge by CX'ing. The Commissars heads for it and Doug holds his fire till he is PBF to the HS cowering leader / 447 route as well. The commissar survives but is Pinned and can not exit. However, he now stop the HS from shooting at the 9-1 and and HS as they exit. Very, very close game! 4-2
The Road to Gora (?)
The second round pair me up with Tom Cvetinovich (USA), a great player and extremely enjoyable to play. Unfortunately we had no PF in this game. :-) I got the Russians trying to stop units of one Finnish group to cross my area while being squeezed from three sides. Tom puts the pressure on and I have to fall back in my rear while keeping the boardedge closed where he want to pass by. My two HMG's are placed opposing the exit group and manage to keep large parts of his units DM. Some of my units heading for a LtMtr left behind by routing units gets shot up and only manage to aquire a turn later. There is a lot of swirling fighting going in the woods as the diminishing Russian units fights to keep the boardedge closed, and Tom finally manage to open it. Still the area to be crossed is open ground and under fire from my units. Melees ensues and many units goes to under here. As the final attempts to cross the area fails Tom is running out of time and has to concede the game. Great fun and looking forward to play Tom again. 5-2
The final round in this Mini is against Peter Rogneholt, another Swede turning up later. As the scenarios in the list are in the 12 to 14 turn calibre Mark Nixon allows us to play something else instead and we select this scenario from the new Schwerpunkt pack. Ah, more heavy metal as I get to play the Germans with no less than four JagdTigers. Wow. The US has to immobilise them or deny them a location where they could possibly claim HA against a theoretical attacker. I place all four in my left corner with three on the wooden hill. The infantry gets placed along the perimeter to keep the US AFV's honest. Peter starts his attack and loses one AFV after another: one CE recalled by a Sniper, the next CE by a HMG attack, two successful PF attacks, another killed by a limited counterattack in the form of two JagdTigers. By turn three Peter has had enough and concede. This looks like a very interesting scenario to try for the Americans. 6-2
Comes Wednesday and my favourite mini tournament: Night. I have made the final here twice on my previous three ASLOK appearances. First time I lost against Randy Rossi and the second time against Robert Feinstein. What would be the result this time?
Darrel Wright (USA) got the Italians in this one. I send all of my units up the right flank figuring I will keep most of the Italians on the No Move as long as possible. Darrel has a couple of squads and one of the Guns here. I make some progress and am hanged up on broken squads. I get control of the closest VC hex without revealing a KEU so that looks good. The Australians make good progress on the final VC hex. There the Italian 9-2 is with the MMG. They are rushed, but fends off the attackers. I advance back and manage to drive the 9-2 and broken crew off. On the last turn I have control of the hex again. The 9-2 rallies the Crew and a broken HS and fires back, together with all units with LOS there, breaking all my units except for a squad. This units has to stay alive during the CCPh to save the fame. Eventually it comes to the last CC DR where Darrel needs to roll a 7 or less to win, but misses! 7-2
Rob Seulowitz (Not Insane) had also advanced into the second round of the Night mini. We have only played once before, also the night mini. Selecting among the scenarios we land on this one. Rob suggests a house rule for the OBA; if two red chits are drawn at the start the second is thrown back, this to prevent that the scenario get played without OBA at all. I really do like approach! Especially since the scenarios has most likely have been playtested assuming the OBA is there. I get the IJA and have to divide the units into two forces to exit at least 20 VP. Weapons with ROF counts equal to the ROF of that weapon for exit purposes, captured weapons worth half of the ROF. There are basically three approaches, at the flanks and in the middle. I leave the later completely empty to use only the extreme flanks for the two pronged attack. The left flank is on board 25 and I underestimate the speed possible here. Rob's units seems to evenly set up across the boards. I get 4 or 5 hexes for my Recon dr and only waste one of them, finding additional SW and a HIP unit. Onward! The right flank units immediately runs into a line of wires. These are passed quickly by some cloaking counters and one of the wires is removed for being placed in the hut hex there. The defence here consists of a 666/MMG and a HS, and when they break the IJA units can advance 4-5 hexes unopposed, just to halt at the end of the hill where an US spotting round lay waiting for them. 1.5 IJA squads are en route to hill ridge where I suspect the Radio is located. If I assault it lots of US units will be able to remove the No Move counters, but taking out the radio to let my flanking force past it would be worth it. In the meanwhile a US leader has reached the hero with the 50 cal to free it as well. On the left flank my lead units quickly discover wires and trip flares, but manage to get through them. Rob starts to manhandle the gun from the other side of the hill back to the ridge where it can look down on the hexes I have to pass. It has canister. The leader and 666/MMG gets pushed back with the 666 breaking but rallies and comes back. On the other flank the SR has not been converted into a FFE so I AM into the hex next to the suspected radio operator, is step reduced but survives. The radio is indeed there and the leader later routs with a MMC there away from the impending HtH CC. The 50 cal has been moved to the almost walled hex poised to interfere with any advance I do along the flank so to distract it a Japanese leaders takes 3.5 squads with him in a Banzai with that hex as the goal. A squad gets stuck in the hex with a broken US HS, but one squad reaches the hex and the firelane is cancelled. My cloaked force runs on to be with 1 to 2 hexes away from the exit boardedge. I am a little blurry on the exact last events, but the US are unable to place any units to interfere and the cloaked units exist for 18 VP and other side Rob has been shooting at some dummy cloaking units and as cloaked stack with crew/HMG, crew/MMG, 2x squad/LtMtr is revealed in the LOS of the Gun and 666/MMG he concedes the game. There is little hope of the US side preventing all of the units here to exit. An exiting game with some large scale manoeuvring. Rob is blast to play and hoping for a return game next time! 8-2
Well, here again and playing Randy Rossi (USA) for the second time in a Night Final. The first we played Running the Gauntlet with me as the Canadians. He won of course! Randy is Night lover and bugged Mark Nixon all through the night to be allowed to play in this mini! I think the fez made it happen. Anyway, we dice for sides and I get the Germans. These guys really have to run in this scenario. First turn is really eventless, one advances up till the end of NVR with the tank coming last. That is all. No unfortunate strayings. Thereafter the game is controlled by Canadian LtMtr which places IR rounds where Randy wants them. I can only crawl for two turns before deciding to drop cloaking / concealment status to do some running. Still the LtMtr rules, killing two Squads in a woods hex with a key, and goes on to gain the Victoria Cross by killing two other squads that were ganging up on it in CC. It survived. I play another half turn or so, but there is no chance of getting of more CVP than the Canadians. Much less the required 20 more. Another one for Rossi! Love to play Randy and hope to be able to give more of a match next time. 8-3 and 2-0 for the main tournament!
Comes Friday and having two points in the main tournament I get to play Nelson Harris in this new Schwerpunkt scenario. It is different in having two flak towers for the Germans, each with 4 FP AA gun. It cannot shot at targets on the ground closer than 4 hexes. Two meagre forces defend one side each of a bridge which must be taken and controlled by the American paratroopers commanded by Nelson. These enter the game running over Grain fields and the distant flak tower fires rolling snakes, and the 9-2 is wounded fatally. Ouch. Other units are likewise broken, and when the German reinforcements enter only 2 squads are Good Order on the US side. These are being pressured from two sides now, the German units have a good position. The following US reinforcements also decide to run the gauntlet to get inside the min firing distance of the closest tower, and is shot up some in the process. In my following Prep Fire I manage to break more of these units and Nelson gives up. 3-0 (9-3)
This is a new scenario too, but I don't remember where it was from. I play Rich Jenulis from Cleveland. It is a PTO scenario where the Australians have get 35 CVP out of 43 or so, and two pillboxes being worth 3 pts each – all hiding on half a board. They are aided by 5 Matildas, two of being equipped with one hex flamethrowers. I get the Aussies and during setup it dawns upon me that I have no clue on how find, let alone eliminate so many of the defenders! The first turn is close to a catastrophe, my best stack gets hit by set DC and one of the Frogs (FT tank) is immobilised by me during an ESB attempt when the IJA AT gun is revealed. Panic sets and I continue to search for units wherever I go. This simply doesn't work. There has to be another way, and Pling! I realise I need to capture the IJA units!! Thereafter all my CC attacks are capture attempts. The first to go is the gun crew and the gun itself (8 pts ka-ching). Next time it is a squad and leader. Captured! Yeah. This alarms Rich who then looks up Hara-Kiri, one of those rules lurking on the G sides to be of use in a single scenario. I continue to press on and in the end have captured two leaders, a crew and two squads. Only one Hara-Kiri attempt worked, so the IJA was definitely not in this game. I discover the pillboxes gain some more CVP and before the final CC is over I have the points. Very exiting little scenario! I enjoyed playing Rich who was a good sport standing to the humiliation of having his NCO being captured. I wonder if the scenario was designed with this in the mind. 4-0 (10-3)
Next is Randy Yeates (USA) and we have some problems selecting a scenario to play, finally taking this one. Randy draw the defending British and turned out to be an absolute gentleman, making sure we were understanding all rules and situations in the same way as we were playing. The British have two 17 pdr AT guns, two Firefly's and a Sherman together with some PIAT equipped infantry. The Germans consists of five Panthers, 838's and 467's led by a 10-2. The first two turns are nor optimal. I attack right into an expected spot, losing all but one Panther in three turns. One finds a cellar, one is killed by an AT gun, the next by a Firefly. The next to last one goes down to a Piat from behind as Randy advances into my positions. The last Panther is bogged in a building looking down to a hulldown Firefly. Dire straits, as the VC demand me to have a mobile good order AFV with 4 hexes of a specific hex and remove British units so he has less than ten VP of units in building locations next to a road. The game is all but over when events go my way. The British send the second Firefly forward to take out the bogged Panther from behind. It swirls its turret, fires and misses but gets ROF. The Firefly misses, and the Panther eliminates it, and changes TCA back to the hulldown Firefly. The PIAT stack has been engaged in CC by two German halfsquads. One gets eliminated and the other takes out the (generated) 8-1 leader and squad. It can't recover the PIAT but has a PF which it uses on the Sherman successfully. The bogged Panther hits the hulldown Firefly and the Germans are back in the game. A Breeze starts and cower the central area. I manoeuvre carefully to hinder any of his Infantry from reaching and engaging the bogged Panther in CC. On the next to last turn it makes the bog removal DR. Still the British has enough CVP next to the road, a broken unit rolls snakes and generates another VP next to the road. In the last turn there are two locations I need to clear to be sure. The British 9-2 is broken by the Prep Fire and I get enough units in both to not being eliminated and eliminates enough to take the VP down for a German win. This was an unbelievably tense scenario! 5-0 (11-3)
As events would have there were now three players with 5-0: myself, Aaron Cleavin and Michael Hastrup-Leth. Michael had met Chad Cummings and JR on the way; Aarons opponents I am not sure of. So Michael was to play Steve Pleva as a spoiler and myself playing Aaron. If Steve won against Michael our game would be the final, and otherwise Michael would be playing Aaron for all the marbles. I get the Germans in this. It probably favours the Russians slightly but I'll play any side in this as it is a really great scenario. Aaron spends lots of thoughts on the setup and when done I see a large hedgehog blob in the middle of the hill. Both sides gets FT, OBA, Airsupport, AFV's so it is toys everywhere. I decide to place the two Panthers and the Elephant on my hill providing fire support as my guys attack on the left side and in the middle. I draw a red chit for the OBA, but my Elephant finds his Radio Leader in his LOS and aquires the hex. This is to dangerous for Aaron who withdraw him AND a HIP ART gun that was in the same location! I get shot up some in the wooden area, and continue to draw a second red chit for my OBA. Doh. Some units gets tangled up in the wire across the hill and 1.5 squads are doomed to stay there till the end of the game! A Panther rolls boxcars on the MA and is sent forward to do duty as a minefinder / MG platform. My halftracks help here by portaging infantry through the fire, who has run into some very nicely placed AP minefields. The whole attack stalls. To beef it up I send the other Panther forward, and also finally gets the Air support which arrives in the form of one Stuka in the forth turn. The two tanks combine to drive his forces back, only to have the second Panther getting a MA boxcars. The Russians are falling back some, manhandling guns back to the two hex hilltop. The Russian reinforcements arrive and roll up on the hill. I really need one working gun here and try to repair both Panther MA's and in poetic justice rolls one "6" and one "1"! The infantry is very slowly pushing its way up on the first hill top and has control of three of the four hexes required. The working Panther fires up its engine to become a Russian Nightmare. It moves forward at top speed, is attacked in CC but survives two attacks. Continues and kills one of the Russian KV's. Both its BMG and CMG are broken on boxcars followed by stupid random selection roll. The second goes around the Panther, which swirls the turret and kills it too! The Panther survives another round of CC attacks and scores a CH versus three infantry units at PBF. The elephant is moved to cower one of the two hexes and I plan to use the panther to clean up around the hex. The 10-2 also helps keeping the surroundings around the Panther clean whom repairs both MG's in the same Rph! The Russian Sturmoviks (2) arrive and remove the Stuka on the first attempt. Finally, when a Russian 447 mans the 76L ART and fires point blank into the side of the Panther, hitting and killing it the game is over at five o'clock in the morning! Argh... Congrats to Aaron for the first place! I spend a hour talking to Wild Bill and then goes to bed. 5-1 (11-4)
So come Sunday and at 11 I am up again to find I will play Michael. If he wins he will be placed third (having lost to Steve Pleva) and I win I will be second. The loser will be outside any place. Pomerainian Tigers is a brilliant one board heavy metal fighting withdrawal for the Russian. The Germans has to exit 40 VP's, of these 20 can be accounted for by eliminating Russian VP's at a rate of two to one. Michael rolls on and takes up an aggressive stance, I fall back without firing and he follows. In the next turn a 8-1 runs forward to clean up "?" finding a 628 in OG. The Germans engage it in CC with the 8-1, a 548 and a 238 HS. In the first round the 628 scores a K result against the 548 & 8-1 wounding the 8-1 fatally. In the next round it eliminates the 548. Upon this Michael fires a 75l HE round into the Melee scoring a CH which clears that excellently. I have withdrawn, but have a 628 in open to be shot on by a StuG and the another threatened by the second CE StuG. Making a hard decision I reveal the 57LL AT and shots the first StuG with APCR and the two 628 firegroup and breaks the CE StuG! I would rather have kept the AT gun to immobilise the King Tigers with, but two 628's was worth it. These are needed to keep the German infantry from swarming on the three IS-2m's once they have entered. Michael keeps the pressure up and I try to fall back at a minimal pace. The heavies come on board and takes up positions. His Tiger finds a nice LOS to one of my IS-2m, but fails to kills it. The return shot also fails, and the next shot from the King Tiger concludes that duel. The German infantry finishes off the Gun crew with a 36+1 shot. Not point blank fire, mind you and against a Stone Building using two heroes. Michael also had two Fanatic 548's. Continuing his push my right flank 628/LMG gets a chance at the second "stun":ed StuG when it bypasses its building and they roll 1,1 to take that on out. The StuH gets immobilised in a 2AT minefield. One King Tiger takes out the second IS-2m on a BFF shot. My 628 fight bravely and when the final turn comes Michael has no chance to exit infantry so he has to exit the two King Tigers and kill my remaining IS-2m. It has a 628 in the same location and a 8-1, 447/MMG next to it. They manage to keep all German infantry away from the AFV except for a CX 548. Then the tigers break free! The first rolls up at two hexes distance. The IS-2m rolls for Motion Attempt, needing a 1-3 but fails. Then it shots the MA, but no effect. The tiger shots! Misses. Starts to drive off and needs an ESB for 1MP to get off, rolls 6 and is off. Then the second tigers rolls close. Stop at the same two hex distance. The Russians can only look on... It fires. Misses! It spends 1 delay MP to Intensive Fire; rolls a 10 and malfunctions the MA!! Michael is lost as no other units can exit. Boy what a game! A fitting end to of an unbelievable week. 6-1 (12-4)
Many thanks to Mark Nixon for organising an outstanding tournament! The same for Bill Hayward and other frontdesk helpers! If you are going to only one tournament ever, ASLOK is the one. Not only for the playing, but to meet some real nice people. No money? Save for two years and aim to be there in 2005 which will be the 20th anniversary. You will not regret it.
edited 2003-01-31: corrected name spelling.