Author	Tankodactyl (United States)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	treadasaurusrex
Play Date	2024-01-14
Language	English
Scenario	AAAD013

This was a big maneuver, fun scenario that was great practice for me as the American player. My relentless, but helpful opponent, Treadasaurus, was surprisingly attacking from the very beginning, instead of defending his ridges and hills like I expected. I hate Tiger I heavy tanks! The only good thing about them, is that they are darn slow. The combo of that miserable Tiger platoon and fast moving German infantry was just too much for my relatively green, US defenders. When night time came, I was not expecting illumination, and did not move my AFVs properly for safer and better defensive positions. The German side came on with great gusto and forced my hand over and over, especially on my right (southern) flank. We played with the awful FOW rule (after turn 6), which helped the supposedly-defendinmg Germans, and also used the smoke/illum, tank riders, consolidation, excess initiative, strategic movement and extended assault rules. We both drew decent sets of leaders. Thing is, I lost way more of mine in combat and by enemy capture, or desertion!

Other writers have described the action in their AARs, so i will skip the grisly details. I lost US units like they were on sale after Christmas! Very bloody game play, with my side losing more than twice as many steps as the Germans. The result in the end was sorta close, with the Third Reich boys holding just enough turf on the scenario map to win it all.

I give this pretty fun to play battle a 4, but I think that I mostly was dogged by bad luck against a stronger, more opportunistic opponent with a better game plan. I lost the momentum early and the initive belonged to the Germans for darn near the entire scenario. Seems like most people who play this one win as the American side. Sometimes it just doesn't go your way and the other side gets the majority of the breaks and way fewer combat 7-die rolls when they count!