This scenario was played as a team event by my gaming group. I act as moderator and facilitator for each game, and I do not participate directly as a player. My listing of “winning” is based on the PG HQ site cannot support a neutral role in AARs.

Time to catch up on some back traffic from my gaming group. Counterattack at Cheaux is a short scenario pitting an outnumbered German force attacking a well-entrenched British force, with the intent of taking three towns hexes or inflicting ten steps without receiving seven steps in return. The Germans have a strong armor component against a primarily infantry and gun British force with a small amount of armor. Mud reduces movement, favoring the Brits, but the southern British unit has already suffered seven steps placing their morale in danger.

The German players takes the bold decision to charge the north central British line with their four Panther units, and hit an indentation on the line placing them at risk from multiple British ATG units, trying to hit them before they can dig in. The mixed force to the south cannot support the Panthers, and the entire south end of the British line has little to do but harass the advancing German left.

The Panthers do manage to penetrate the British line, and cause havoc with British on board mortar units, which helps protect the southern advance. But the cost is wicked. The British reposition their ATGs to provide crossfire, and what Panthers don’t die from ATG fire quickly become mired in assault hexes. Six of eight Panther steps die, along with two steps inflicted against the southern German force, that still has yet to hit the British line. The British lose one step in the German penetration. After four turns the Germans are pulverized while the British have barely broke a sweat. We call the game and pull out a light game to finish the night.

The German players chose a risky and none to brilliant strategy, but was trying to smack the Brits before they could dig in. The lack of support for the Panthers, along with the decision to hit an indentation of the line vice the one point the Brits were actually jutting out, spelled disaster. German rolling was also abysmal, while Brit rolling was very good. But the Germans also couldn’t advance against the British right, as every unit that stuck its head up was on the receiving end of massive arty, mortar, and direct fire. The Germans should have hit the southern end of the line with everything hoping for the weakened unit guarding the flank to begin collapsing. But even with the Panthers supporting the southern push, the British could roll units from the north to help, while the mortars would have created more problems since they were not flushed out.

I rated this scenario a 2. The German force is too small, not enough infantry, the Brits are too strong and well positioned, and have easier victory conditions. A push against the British right may give the Germans the ten steps they need, but they’ll still be hard pressed to avoid seven steps themselves. Forget the town based VCs, that’s completely unlikely as that is at the northern terminus of the Brit line, and the Germans would take the entire scenario just trying to move the forces there, while the Brits would overload the defense. Can the Germans win? Sure, but the likelihood is small. It just felt too unbalanced by the entire group.