ASLOK XIV 1999
ASLOK XIV 1999
First thanks to Mark Nixon, Rick Troha and Bill Hayward for continuing doing this. If you only go to one tournament per year or lifetime this is the one. Thanks.
After travelling for 14 hrs I arrived with Klas on Sunday afternoon to find a handfull of other ASL'ers already there, deep into playing and counter clipping. We went to bed early to sync with the local time and monday the action started. Hightlights are listed as minus "-" and plus "+" points.
I talked Tom Cvetinovich into playing this one, a late war heavy metal scenario with Russian defending against an onslaught of King Tigers supported by assorted AFV's and some infantry. The defense consist of a 100L AT and an 85L AT until the reinforcement arrive on turn two. These consist of IS-IIm's, T-34/85's and some infantry. We rolled for sides, giving me the Russians. I first wanted to set up the AT guns slightly to the rear, but the one of the possible two VC's (secretly selected) allows a victory by running the gauntlet to exit, so I set up these in the front. The 100L went into the forest hext opposite of the road on my left and the 85L went into the two hex building on my right front. Tom had selected the getting most CVP VC. Highlights:
- I put some infantry in the same hex as the HIP 100L, almost causing it to be revealed as Tom tried to shot the infantry up.
+ When the 100L had been revealed and its' crew broken & routed to another hex, Tom runs a PzV past it. The 85L comes on board, rotates 180° in the building and rolls a 1,1 TH against the rear of the panther, and a sequential 1 for a real CH, scratch one panther. It then kills a JagdPz as well. Ahh!
+ 100L crew rallies and retrieve the 100L, killing a King Tiger and another AFV.
+ An IS-IIm is placed in the way of the german infantry advancing down my right side into the village. It defies the rain of PF that is let loose on it; out of 17 PF attacks (counting only PF TH DR's) one hits but doesn't penetrate! As the German AFV's continue to die Tom yields in the end. Had lots of fun with Tom in this game. (1-0)
Brian Martuzas wanted to play this one and rolling for side I got the defending Germans. A PzIVJ and PzV supported by 10 658's try to keep Russians from crossing a river and take the buildings there. Russians have three T-34/85's initially and a mix of 628's / 527's. The Russians may get help by Partisans popping up on SAN dr's of 3 & 4. Brian pushes hard with his infantry on both a flanks.
+ A T-34/85 in the Russian rear is unsupported by anyone so I send the PzV forward behind the russian lines, wrecks it and can move the Panther back to its original hex without any harm.
- I forget that the russian reinforcement (IS-IIm's and 628's) can enter on the sides as well so their appearance at on my left side catches my offguard. Luckily I have eneough squads in the area to slow them down as the PzV reverses over the bridge.
- After self breaking a squad and routing it back over the bridge and taking an interdiction by rolling 1,1 making it FANatic as well as generating a Hero I try the same with a aquad and leader but roll 6,6 on their interdiction MC....
+ The only Partisan unit to appear on my side of the river was a Hero, comming up point blank to my 9-1, 658/PSK, 658/MMG stack which promptly eliminated it. Brian runs out of time and has to rush things, but I manage to hold on to all the VC buildings. I learn that a broken MMC that HOB on a MC and generate a Hero do NOT rally. (2-0)
Pairing up with Ken "I'll play anything, any theathre" Daughety he doesn't mind showing me the way in a seabourne assault, a first for me. I wanted to drive the boats so I get the IJA. Ken spaces the defence along the beach with the .50 cal in the middle. Two boats head for the left flank and the rest for the extreme right. Ken has no effect on my boats at sea, and I manage to land all boats withing two turns and the IJA overwhelms the defence line, breaking the HMG squad and pursuing the others back. Ken gives up when the final defenders are rounded up in the building with ample time still left. (3-0)
Wednesday came and with it the PTO mini tourney. Sitting down with David Goldman and rolling for sides gave me the US in this. David VBM my defenders on the left flank and sent a stack all the way around my flank here. Ouch. However, the IJA failed to remove my forward guard, a HS, and had to detour into the woods. A Banzai on my right flank across the gully failed as the only unit making it across the gully into my houses was eliminated by DFF, SFF and FPF without breaking the target 666! The infantry in the woods takes lots of damage from the US killer stack (-1 leader, 667/MMG, 666). The middle defense is an amoeba like blob in the buildings that continue pounding the woods and leaves the IJA without manning for the bigger MG's and LtMtr. As my renforcing AFV's enter the attack has been blunted severly. I send two around him into his rear and the other two reinforce my right flank. The HS advance onboard concealed behind his units retaking a building. As I am able to counterattck now in the middle David concedes the game. + Baz takes out VBM tank burning it, and another after moving to new hex.
Forward to next round in the mini! (4-0)
Will Flemming had flown in from Japan for ASLOK, so I assumed he knew something about PTO! And he did. I had the defending IJA in this, and was supposed to prevent him from gaining enough buildings to win. Some stacks were set up cowqering the rice paddings on my right. One real stack set up on the right to make my trap there not to obvious. The trap consisted of a Bunker with an 228/MMG and a -1 leader and two hexes into the middle the second 228/MMG using HIP. These overlooked the open terrain the British attackers had to cross. It worked well enough even though he stumbled over the Bunker when avoiding the real stack, but hot dice still got two HS on separate KIA's. A 9-1 and squad was broken and routed separately into the hex Adjacent to my HIP 228/MMG and I got to excited and revaled, only to see the MMC continue routing away using his last two MF's. Doh. The bunker guys and fellow squad did a fallback (more like runback) defence and held up the brunt of the attack fine, but finally had to give in to the mass. I had set up the second bunker HIP in bamboo in front of the villages hoping that Will would bypass it, leaving my HS there to go through the Tunnel into one of the buildings. However he found it early, but the CC there did not yield any results so on my final turn it went into Tunnel to appear with one of his HS in the building. He had exactly the number of buildings he need so retaking this one would do it for me. But my concealed HS gacked his Ambush and got killed so this was Will's ticket into the final round. Fine and exciting play. (4-1)
Then long time VASL opponent Mark "Greenhell" Greenman and I sat down to play this one. Currently playing Valhalla Bound by VASL it seemed only proper. It is another 1945 heavy metal Russian attack keep German GO MMC out of the target buildings, though the Germans have 1 or 2 King Tigers instead of the Panthers in VB. The Russian gets SU-100's (or ISU-122), IS-2m's, and T-34/85's. Then there is a German JadgPz of the 88LL variety and a lone PzIV, feeling lost among all that metal. I got the Russians and quickly made my offboard setup; seven squads and seven AFV's spells Riders, right? Well, I did it that way, but afterwards we concluded it that sending all the infantry through the woods on the Russian left would be the Right Thing to do. Next time.
- One T-34/85 bogs / Mires / Immobilizes two hexes into the board (keep to the roads next time).
- One IS-IIm finds a King Tiger by getting itself shot up.
Another IS-IIm then revenges his Comrade by killing the King tiger. I push slowly forward as Mark is falling back. Realizing I have to hurry I rush things a little, overwhelming the right flank outpost MMC, breaking it. The Germans AFV's all die as they try to pull back. Still got some German infantry with PF and PSK to get around. + A brave IS-2m moved forward, halting Adjacent to the 658/PSK fellow in the way of my right side force. No defensive shot, so I go for BFF 122L HE ITT should and roll Snakes! Boom! House cleared out by the IFT 36-4 DR. Little later Mark concedes as he see no way to save this with his remaining 1 (2?) GO squads. Good game, and I enjoy these ones with Greenhell. (5-1)
Comes Tuesday and the Night Mini Tournament. I was paired of with Joe Sylvester and we went for this one. The IJA enters in three consequtive turns by using a Banzai each time. BTW, this takes place in ground snow and initial NVR of 5. The US forces has to keep the IJA from running over the board to collect the exit VP needed. Rolling for it gave me the IJA. Joe set up mainly on the hills, with a small force in the middle to meet the initial Banzai there. I enter as far to the right as I can, trying to keep as many of his guys on the No Move as possible. Next turn some damage is inflicted as the second wave select the lefthand hill board for its Banzai. Joe regroups in this direction, but has two squads broken by now. On turn three I split my force into two Banzais, the smaller entering on far left, either to run straight over or to bind some guys there. The rest follows the turn two wave. On countering my moves Joe regroups directly ahead of my first wave, who can break both his leaders and stacked squads making Joe losing his personal MC. Of to the second round. (6-1)
Paired of with the enigmatic Dr. Martin Snow we selected this one, and the dice gave me the defending Russians. The Russians gets to defend a building against a horde of Italians that start it of with a Human Wave. The Italians have two small AT's for direct fire support. The Building is also on Fire so everyone can see it nicely. Coincidently I also played this one last year in the Night mini, as the Russians that time to, against J.R. Tracy. This time I set up the HMG in the building itself, with two 628's, a LMG and the best leader. The other LMG went into the building nearest the key building on the right. On he comes, but the starshells fail me utterly and I don't get a single shot of in his MPh as I don't see anyone at all. Ouch. However, the Italians are in a hurry and head for target building in wave after wave, only to be broken on the doorsteps. As the turns proceed the amount of broken Italians pile up, and I start to pull some squads back. Then the starshells fail me again and he is upon me, initiating two different CC's, one in the key building. Ugh. Things are exiting for two turns, till I manage to kill of the invaders forcing Martin to surrender. I like this scenario (how can I not?), and hope to play Martin next time as well. Off to the final. (7-1)
ASL H Escape from Velikuye Luki
I went on play Robert Feinstein in the final. After rolling for sides I got the Germans trying to escape over three boards to exit at least 8 VP off the other edge over the venerable boards 3, 2 and 4. The leader are 10-2, 9-1 and 8-1 so they would be worth 7 alone if they make it. After a 3 hour setup we were ready to roll at around 1100 in the evening.
Robert setup most of his stacks on the entry board, and are basically three approaches, left, right and middle. There were four phases to this game:
1) Entry. I entered all of my guys on the right flank. After running a few cloacking counters onto the board Robert popped a HIP leader, squad / MMG combo adjacent to the board edge making it clear that I had hit his major concentration of forces; had I entered on the other flank that HIP stack would never had any impact on the game... ouch. Anyway, he rolls a natural boxcar on laying that FL and the rest of my stacks move up PB to the MMG nest. As the 9-1, 467/LMG stack runs around his stack another hip 447/LMG pops up and forcing a MC on the 9-1 which HOBs into a 9-2. The rest of the entry turn is uneventfull, the 10-2 & Co. chases the MMG guys away.
2) Confusion. Next two - three turns are spent maneouvering as I try to find a nice gap in his lines to run through, but I am to imtimidated by even single squads so I only get till middle of the first board. An alarm bell starts off somewhere down in the grey matter: run , run it says. NVR continues to increase the whole game till maximum is reached and stays there.
3) Run like hell. The 10-2 is grouped with the 8-1 and two squads (e.g. read = 9 exit VP) breaks out on the right and reaches the second board edge. The now 9-2 and squad runs the gauntlet toward the middle board around the Q row but breaks and routs. Robert sends 4 - 5 squads after the 10-2 stack and harass it with a myriad of pot shots. A german squad breaks. 10-2 et al continue. The 9-2 self rallied, but doesn't get the squad up. He survives the def, but still doesn't get the squad up so runs over the hill on board two. A mad chase continues, the 9-2 makes onto the last board, being harassed by the Russian -1 leader and a LMG reaching out to touch him, but no effect. The 10-2 deploys the last squad as I need to halt the lynching mob somehow, there are two squads at point blanck range now, with three more at one and two hexes away. Exiting just the leaders will do the trick now. It is around 4:40 in the morning and I simply forget to do prep fire with my newly deployed HS's.... One of Roberts starshells blinds two of his squads so the 10-2 / 8-1 stack only needs to take one 8-1 shot, manages and continues, leaving the HS to cower their mad rush. They get untill the middle of the last board....
4) The exit. ... where a starshell force them to detour an open area, stopping four hexes from the exit edge. The 9-2 is two hexes away from exit exge. Amazingly there are three turns still to go. Robert ignores the 9-2 and converges on the 10-2 / 8-1 duo. No effect. All shots are at 4+1, 4+2 etc. Robert is desperately shooting at all broken guys to generate a SAN for him. Nothing. My turn. The 9-2 exits. Roberts front squads managed to get a starshell placed right on top of the 10-2 / 8-1. They take off and being in cower of the hedges there are maximum two shots they need to survive; the first is 4-1, which results in a NMC. The 10-2 rolls 5,6.... the 8-1 rolls 5,4... agony.... three hexes from their own lines. No more moves for me. I rout one hex toward the edge.
His turn. The 10-2 self rallies! Then Mr. 10-2 rallies the 8-1 too!! Wow. Adrenaline is now spouting out of their ears and it is a game again. Robert closes in, but the nearest guy is three hexes away. All potshots misses. My next to last turn. No starshells. The runners follows the road and takes three shots, 4-1, 4 even and 8+1. 4-1 both are not affected.... 4 even both are not affected... and 8+1 (1MC), the 10-2 passes with no problem, the final DR now, the 8-1 rolls 3,6 and pins... The 10-2 has no option but to stay. Nothing further happens. Roberts last turn. The 8-1 rallies. He closes in for CC, I try to withdraw, which almost succeds due his rolling 5,6... both leaders go down. I think this was my tragic loss ever. But a good win by Robert who showed that you should *never* give up.... BTW, Randy Rossi (who took me out in the Night Mini Final last year) our only spectator at 5:30 in the morning, tipped me off to attack with 8-1, modified by the 10-2. It would have me an additional chance for a 1,1 to withdraw before his attack. Or even to kill enemy. Oh well. (7-2 now with 2 grofaz points).
After a couple of hours sleep I am paired of with Mike Ziemitz (sp?) and we selected this new release from Schwerpunkt. I get the attacking Russians, but play unconcentrated, forgetting that I put a squad in certain place to prevent an ISU crew from gaining setup "?", then I forget to move 1.5 squads in my MPh. I don't spend enough effort to keep the Russians out of the vital Stone building, though the wooden "optional" one is taken by a leader, two squads and the Whirlwind. The only hightlight is that the Russian 57LL AT gun is captured by a 658 that knocks out a Sherman with it. In the end there is no chance of cleaning up the stone building. (7-3, 2-1)
Saturday morning and Mark pairs me with John McDiarmid who was 4-1 at this point. We go for another heavy metal scenario with me getting the defending Germans. I setup the Panther on the elevated road to intimidate anyone comming up that way, and the 37L halftrack with a loaded HS in case that half of board remains empty. It does. John assaults all of forces on the halfboards across the village and in my turn the halftrack starts up and moves forward! There is a multi location building far down on the Russian right which counts for VC. John has to detour an ISU and a Sherman and some infantry to take care of that. He storms into the village and on my turn I move two stacked squads (yes, I know, I wanted them to look like a leader and squad) missing a LOS he had. Both break and another squad has to come up with a leader to help them out. In his turn both fail to rally, and he can continue unopposed for another turn. In my turn they still fail to rally... the Tigers come onboard, one takes out a Sherman and the other halts the flame throwing afv from advancing. The forward HS reach the stone building and the 37L halftrack moves into the middle to obstruct the Russian AFV's. John sends his two AFV's face to face with the 37L wanting to take it out. The 37L rolls a TH versus the ISU front for whatever remote chance of doing something, and rolls snakes! The final TK is a four which it misses - to bad, that would really had been something. In the village my leader and three squads stay put, fending off his flood. One tiger gets three consequtive hits on the second ISU, all resulting in possible Shocks, which the crew shrugs off. The second return shot from the ISU kills the Tiger. Enter the Russian air support, bombs the Panther, but only gets a near hit and does nothing. However, the MG's are hot and kills it. Ouch. Thereafter my defences falls down like a brick house and John gets another one. (7-4, 2-2).
Mark Greenman is looking for a game again and we decide to try a new BR:T scenario. We roll for sides giving me the USMC with lots of toys. About the BR:T module: the map is brilliant, and really is has a nice feel to it. The new rules are few and easy to get into. New counters have been kept to aminimum, but the 360° bunkers are deadly!! No blind angles here. I like the direct fire NOBA. Mark sets up a nasty defence, with lots of guns in the rear. And off we go. Initially Mark dice the hell out of me, killing both Shermans with a ROF of 5 or so. I manage to get forward by some hexes, but no contact with his forward fortifications. Then the dice change; in total I get FOUR heroes in addition to the two that are OB given!! Only two at time though as they all volunteer to lead the attack with DC and FT's. NOBA lands and CH's one bunker with a Gun into oblivion. Then I get a WP FFE and can get moving. I clean out two bunkers, and continue from there. Mark malfunctions three guns (I think one IF only) and on the last turn I have a bunker and a house left to clear. One 10-2 stack and one 9-2 stack with a FT and some loose squads and it is looking good. Mark dashes a crew/MMG toward my rear beaches! Luckily I have a leader and a squad left for interdiction duty back there. My turn. Prep fire. His sniper activates & breaks my interdiction leader, MMC breaks also. Ugh. I have to rush two MMC back into his way and hope for the best. Leaving the remaining IJA Conscript halfsquad for the 9-2 stack, Mr. 10-2 & stack moves up to take out the IJA 10-1, 228/HMG hiding in the final bunker, using Smoke grenades to smoke the Adjacent hex. Mark decides to take the shot to avoid having the USMC on top of the Bunker and out of LOS. Cute, Mark rolls his first snakes in the game on a 16-1! Needles to say no one survives that. The 9-2 goes of, but is felled to by the IJA Conscript halfsquad from hell which in two consequtive shots roll 2,1 and 1,2 and singlehandly eliminates that stack. Bloody indeed. I have a couple of MMC that take out the conscript guy and occupies his house. They are PBF at the 10-1 bunker (which has a Passage = 1 hex Tunnel into that house). Some feeble hopes remain. Mark pops a final HIP squad which I have bypassed earlier in the same area as the 228 going for thebeaches, but I manage to stop them with pinnings. Finally Mark sends 3 MMC toward the beach and I have to fire on them, taking them out, but it leaves me with no firepower to affect the 10-1 guys that sit it out in the Bunker. Wow. Mark wins this one. This map is a beaut to play on. (7-5)
And it is six o'clock in the morning again. We find Wild Bill still up and have a nice chat about early ASL and hiking till the other players start to appear around eight o'clock Sunday morning.
After looking around a little I catch Shelly Crawford in the Smoking room and after a nice chat on Russia today we decide to play something from A Bridge to Far. I head off for breakfast and Shelly picks #7 and rolling dice to give me the defending Germans. MMP has managed to print and give out to really good looking HASL's this time! There are much less hexes cowering the River and more of the city is included. Again very few special rules to learn. And of course all the black counters, which you might like or not. Hopefully these maps will be available soon for those of us doing CG's via VASL only. Anyway, the Brittish attack with a 10-2, 8 morale squads, PIAT's and captured PF's. The Germans initially have a handfull of squads and some average leaders and MG's. Shelly push quickly over the initial hindrance, an open road. I pull back carefully, and he continues to press. The 658's hold on, and his 10-2 goes into a hex with a lax (or CX?) german, but misses the Ambush, so they are locked in normal Melee (HtH is allowed for both sides). I reinforce with a squad, declare HtH and goes after the MMC defending with the 10-2 and eliminates them. Shelly only get a CR in return so this is really going my way. The reinforcments arrive, a King Tiger and two PzIV's. They stay at two hexes distance to avoid any of the Streetwise CC stuff, and gradually push the Britisch back. Shelly gets to set two DC in two different hexes, but only gets a MC and a 1MC on the rolls. Shelly concedes then. (8-5)
Getting pretty tired now I sit down with Paul Haseler of Paddington Bear fame. Selecting from many scenarios we stop at this one. I get the US defenders. It is rather tricky with a nasty timing. Paul warns me, but I still make a less than optimal setup with one squad far away from the action. Paul swarms aboard and takes some buildings real fast, pushing me faster than I want. When my reinforcements arrive I send some around the village on my left, but misscalculates and have to offload away from the wood hexes I wanted. I get a Baz team in LOS of a StuG from the rear, but the two / three hex shot misses. The GMC goes after the Whirlwind and goes down. Another TD gets a Minor Stun and is taken out after that I miss entering an Automatic going into Motion attempt. And I give in, being finished with ASLOK for this time. (8-6)
And another week gone. ASLOK is a truly unique event and the worst of it is that it passes so fast.