This little scenario gives the Germans 7 infantry, 2 HMG and 2 Mortar platoons with 3 leaders to attack across a swamp against 7 steps of Paratroopers with an HMG, dug in on the edge of the swamp holding a bridge. The US may get OBA of 18 with the roll of a 5 or 6 at the start of each turn. Although the firepower is pretty low, the swamp gives an up 1 column shift to the firer, so even a down 1 for range gets balanced out in the right circumstances. The up 1 for dug in gets countered by the swamp, so shots at the US troops are generally at a 0 change. Shots by the US are generally up 1. The US may ask for German surrender at the beginning of a turn, and this is decided by rolling 2 dice, adding the number of demoralized units (not steps) and leaders to the roll, and comparing it to the highest leader morale. In this scenario, I pulled 3 Germans leaders, all with a 9 morale. The Germans initially fired the HMGs and mortars at the US from across the swamp, getting a disruption on the key US stack holding the bridge, where I had placed a US 10-2-1 Captain, the HMG and a single step Para, but no other damage. The US swapped out the disrupted single Para step for a good order Para in the Colonel's hex just to the north, probably a mistake on my part as the Captain immediately rolled and got the HMG back but the Colonel failed to regroup the Para infantry through the end of the game. The next turn, combination of Mortar and direct fire struck the Para HMG and reduced it, but the high US morale kept the single step going, and with the Germans in the middle of the swamp and having built up their stacks to 3 units to try for an assault, the US return fire coupled with a successful OBA shot left a bunch of demoralized German troops in the swamp. Lower German morale meant most of those troops were going to be heading back towards the dry land behind them. The Germans bogged down badly, with only the German Major on the north flank firing at the US center while the German Captain and LT both tried to regroup their stacks. The Captain failed and 2 of 3 platoons fled with him staying with them hoping to stop the panic and return this force to the fight. On turn 7, it looked like a good time to try to get the Germans to surrender, but a roll of 2, even with several units demoralized, meant the Germans would keep up the fight, and the US held on one more turn, thinking of stepping back into the bocage on the next turn if the Germans managed any advances, but another request for surrender at the start of turn 8 resulted in a collapse of the German force, as they came out of the swamp, hands up, weapons being dropped in the mud behind them. I had planned on the game being a good start to a slow day at work, and now I have time to set up and play a second one. Great little game for one of those days when you don't have much time but want to get in a good little fight.

This scenario is identical to Airborne IE #9.

The scenario calls for the Americans to protect a bridge from a large force of Germans. They need to hold the Germans away from the bridge for three hours. The Germans have enough forces to swarm the Americans and get to the bridge but if they take enough losses along the way they are liable to surrender. The Germans also have another liability in that they only have three leaders to proceed forward, losses of these leaders can have a huge effect as assault is critical to their success.

In this playing the Germans had lost one unit and one leader but had a great leader with a "10" morale which made the surrender roll hard to come by. The first roll ended up increasing the German initiative but then they took enough losses to lose that advantage and the second roll was a "9" leading to their surrender.

This was a very tense and intricate scenario from a micromanagement standpoint. Every single unit needs to be used carefully. Every advantage of terrain, and fire modifier needs to be counted. Leaders are critical. But the small force and the tactical advantage of the German force lend the scenario to a draw result in most cases. I give it a "3".