[ASLML] AARs and WCM

[Dave Haasl]

Hola Listers

First, anyone going to West Coast Melee who is looking for a roommate, 
contact me offline

Last night I got to play 2 scenarios with my regular opponent Gene 
Riemenschneider - always a good time when you get two playings in a single 
evening.

We started with A Few Rounds from OVHS (we're working through that 
Historical Study just as we did Op. Watchtower last year).
I have the Canadians.  Gene the Death Dealin' ueber tanks. I set up most of 
my squads in the Bd. 43 farm complex with the MMG and the 9-1 leader up on 
the first level. The 17pdr sets up in the brush across the street from the 
complex, next to the hedge. A position that allows it LOS to either side of 
Bd 43 to cover both approaches. My strategy - to have the 17pder take out 
the enemy sturmtigers before his infantry overrun his position. Gene splits 
this attack into 3 groups coming on BD 19 (whatever the number of it was) 
on my left, center, and right. A Sturmtiger with each group. Turn 1 sees 1 
frisky sturmtiger come around onto Bd 43 in view the complex and, 
unfortunately in view of my 17pdr. 17pdr fires, hits, destroys AFV.  Second 
turn sees his infantry trying to push through the woods in the center of 
the board. He destroys one my outlying squads in CC, but loses a 2nd 
Sturmtiger to the 17pdr - on the third shot - when he misses an LOS (he was 
trying for defilade behind the X13 overlay. Last sturmtiger actually finds 
cover from the ATG and first shot at MMG nest. Rolls an 8 and misses. Turn 
3 sees his squads chewed up my First Fire, SFF, FPF and resid as they 
desperately push into the brush. Gene resigns. Admittedly I had REALLY hot 
dice, but I can't help but thinking a less desperate push by his infantry 
combined with not missing that LOS could have served him much better.

So an hour into our evening, we've finished the scenario. Gene asks if 
there are any short scenarios that I want to play. I pick up J5. We pick 
Escape to Wiltz. This is a quirky little gem where the Americans, entering 
in 2 goups, have to run obliquely across Bd 17 to exit off the map. The 
Germans enter FIRST, in 2 groups as well. Group 1 chases the Americans, 
Group 2 (a small one) moves to block the exit.  Gene takes the Germans.

This one plays very fast with a lot of maneuvering. Gene enters on Turn 1 
with a some of his guys moving to interdict my entry and the other group 
sprinting down the Bd 39 road to try and block me. My plan is for my 10-2 
leader and 2 MMG equipped squads to form a rear guard while everyone else 
runs for the exit. Plan works at first. Gene is reluctant to expose too 
many of his guys to my kill stack. He still loses a squad, but gains a 
hero. My Stuart with squad rider makes onto Bd 39, but Gene rolls snakes on 
a long range shot, kills rider and stuns Stuart. Hurm.

His group 2 moves in to the woods around the exit area and stays concealed. 
My group two has problems with his interdicting guys. I get a squad and a 
half pinned down, and while they aren't destroyed, they never play a part 
in winning the game. His Group 1 guys have almost no other luck from then 
on. They get chewed up repeatedly by my rear guards as I continuously fall 
back towards my exit area.
It is about this time that due to the "Escape" part of the title that I 
start referring to my 10-2 leader as Snake Bliskin.


With 3 turns left I mass for a rush on the exit woods area. He moves a 
concealed stack into my LOS 2 hexes from my Stuart. We fire everybody we 
can, and for once my hot dice desert me. No effect. He reveals a "schreck. 
Fires. Just manages to hit my Stuart. Flamer. Damn. there goes 6 potential 
VP.  He then skulks back out of site. But all is not lost. Snake Bliskin's 
kill stack, just arrived from rearguard duty, duals his MMG stack in hex 
39GG7. I roll snakes - appropriate, no?. There is dancing in the streets. 
Parades. My 3-4-6 decoy half squad survives point plank fire from his other 
concealed stack  (that can cover the exit area) - advances into CC. I miff 
my roll Gene rolls snakes and generates an 8-1 leader. He withdraws to join 
the schreck squad. His last turn. His last stack AMs next one of my stacks 
and survives DF. He advances into close combat with all but one squad (with 
schrek). He has a 4-4-7 and 2 leaders. I have 2 6-6-7s and a 9-1 lder. No 
ambush. He kills 1 of my squads. I slaughter him all. So He has one squad 
left that can only apply limited interdiction to my exit. BUT I do a quick 
count of my available exit VPs. If he doesn't fire at me at all. I can only 
get 27 off the board. one shy of victory. Note to self keep stuart at least 
3 hexes away from all patches of woods. A GREAT game!

Dave "Snake Bliskin? I thought you were dead!" Haasl



David Haasl
Museum Scientist
Museum of Paleontology
1101 VLSB
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-4780
(510)643-3254