Author	Daedalus
Method	Solo
Victor	United States
Play Date	2022-05-06
Language	English
Scenario	AirR002

The setup for this scenario went very well for the US as both strongpoints ended up being unoccupied. The US was able to secure both objectives and await the arrival of the Germans. As the Germans advanced between the two objectives the US advanced out in front to put some space between their forces and the two key locations. This resulted in a series of assaults that could very well have gone either way. The US got the upper hand in these assaults pretty quickly and destroyed the first force of Germans that approached from the North. By finishing off the Northern German thrust early the US was able to redeploy to take on the eastern force. The eastern German force was unable to make any progress at all and the game ended with the US in firm control of both objectives. The key to success was moving out from the objective hexes and taking the Germans on several hexes out in front. This tactic allowed the US space to retreat if needed due to unfortunate results in the early assaults. This was unnecessary as the early assaults all went in the US's favor.

So a company of paratroopers attacks some fixed defenses and then gets attacked in turn by a host of German reinforcements. Yes, this was a low odds attack but the ability of the Americans to actually hold off the counterattack is even more difficult than the achievement of the first objective.

The Americans enter the board very near one of the two objective hexes and immediately had some good luck when the strongpoint located there turns out to be unoccupied. The original troops and the arriving reinforcements take off for the second location and manage to take it just before the reinforcements arrive. The Germans realize that they only need to retake the first objective and send two platoons to retake it. The Americans push back the heavy weapons and take off to defend it.

Turn after turn of ineffectual assaults ensue during which the Americans lose two steps and the Germans lose 7 steps. The final turn ends with the key hex contested, the second objective hex retaken by the Germans but the entire force tied up by the single American company and substantially reduced

A draw seems the most likely result but it is a close play between a draw and a German victory. An American victory with neither objective being contested but held by the Americans seems very difficult to achieve.

This scenario is very similar to the same named scenario from Airborne-IE. There have been some minor changes in morale levels and the reinforcement arrivals have been made variable but otherwise it is identical. The play will end up with ongoing assaults with neither side having sufficient force to move the defenders out of the objective hexes.

Why a "3"? This is a fair and reasonable representation of the inability of an infantry force without substantial heavy weaponry and/or a morale advantage to root defending infantry out of an urban/village location. I liked the interplay of the assaults and the ebb and flow of the attack v defense as morale levels fall and rise. This is an easy solo study but not an engrossing situation.