This is a PBEM I played against Genesteeler. Its the first time either one of us played a Cassino scenario and the first time for Randy to play by email. This is going to fun.

Turns: 12 (starting at 2000hr)

Victory Conditions: American - Kill Germans, Get across the Rapido in good order, Control Road hex's west of the Rapido. Germans - Kill Americans, Maintain control of Road hex's, Keep Americans East of the Rapido.

Set-up: Dice roll gives me the Germans, so I set up first. I disperse my 40 minefield markers along the Gustav Line, double-stack in most hex's and setting up the strongpoints and most of my troops within 2 hex's of the Rapido to give covering fire and to take advantage of the +2 sighting range in the Special Rules. I leave 2xINF along with a Leader and the 75mm back aways for a reserve. Randy sets up in a two-pronged attack, intent on hitting the Gustav Line at the far North and the far South, removing his allotted 4 minefield markers, thinking that I slipped up since these two locations will give him safe crossing of the Gustav. I don't think he realizes that it will be a bottle-neck for him in both cases, with nowhere to run with the Rapido at his back, (even though I did misunderstand the river rules and set up a little further away than I normally would have, 3 hexes away from the Gustav Line, which nullified my ability to see him crossing the river at those particular locations).

Turns 1-6: Since I am unable to move until I site one of his units, Randy has free activations. FOW is not in effect yet since he can chain activate and move all of his units in 3 activations. He proceeds to move his forces up to the Rapido and begins his crossings unimpeded due to my earlier screw-up.

Turn 7: One of Randy's INF units and a Captain passes by a strongpoint, which is occupied and op-fires, obtaining a demoralization on the Captain. Allied OBA gains two disruptions on my reserve force rushing to help defend the southern approaches while I'm able to gain a step-loss on the allies from op-fire.

Turn 8: Things are getting more intense. Randy's assault goes badly, disrupting his own Leader and demoralizing one of his INF while only getting a demoralization on one of my Grenadiers. I'm able to seal off the Northern bottleneck and gain a step-loss plus a disruption on one of his HMG's, but only after 3 full strength combat units and 3 Leaders are able to get by. I only have 4 more turns to at least demoralize them to aide in VC's. I send my Captain with +1 modifiers in Combat and Morale to help out in the assault to the South along with the 75mm. His OBA destroys the loaded 75mm and the Captain along with it, but also gives him a step loss and disruption in the assault hex due to friendly fire. My Grenadiers in the assault hex are able to recover to good order and disrupted.

Turn 9: Randy is able to get his FLM unit across and I make a huge blunder in response. I take 4 Op-fire chances (2 at the FLM and 2 at the INF he moved into the FLM previous hex), gaining nothing. I was planning on assaulting the hex with 2xGREN and a HMG and Leader to close-up the hole entirely. I would have been assaulting on the 30+ column, which pretty much guarantees an X result. Randy adds insult to my blunder with a huge assault in the South, gaining an X2 and Demoralizing the other GREN. My OBA is able to disrupt his ENG to the North, so no more troops will be crossing there on this or next turn. Randy moves an INF and HMG unit within range of a Strongpoint, which op-fires and gains a step-loss and Demoralization on the INF. Allied OBA retaliates, obtaining a Disruption on the strongpoint, but takes FF which destroys the remaining 1/2 step of INF. My Demoralized GREN attempt recovery, fail and flee the assault hex towards the dug-in units in the adjacent hex.....but they never make it. Randy's free shot gains an X1 and they suffer a compound morale failure on the resulting M2 check, eliminating the remaining step. The pendulum swings back the other way when Randy proceeds to move an INF in front of my Dug-in troops, resulting in an X2 from Op-Fire.

Turn 10: Randy tries to get his Disrupted ENG to recover but fails, and sends one of his INF out of the hex to relieve me of my +1 bonus for 3 combat units in a hex. I assault his hex with the FLM and 1/2 step HMG, obtaining a step loss to the FLM, and demoralizing both, but in return getting a step loss on one of my GREN and 2 Demoralizations. Randy moves his disrupted assault force away from my dug-in units and I recover my Strongpoint to good order. A Lone Leader tries to make a dash for safety past my dug-in HMG only to get disrupted and then moved out of the hex when my Leader and GREN move out of their dug-in positions to keep tabs on his disrupted units. The turn ends exactly after 3 activations with a FOW roll.

Turn 11: I get two activations for the first time. I bring OBA down on his disrupted units to the South, which gains me another step loss on his demoralized 1/2 strength INF. I then assault the same hex, after narrowly passing Friendly fire, destroying the other 1/2 step of INF. The Lt. fails his Lone Leader check and is captured while the Disrupted Captain retreats in the adjacent hex containing an HMG. Randy fails to recover his ENG and my Strongpoint fails to do damage to the HMG. He does manage to get another INF unit across the Rapido to the South. Unfortunately, FOW makes its roll after exactly 3 activations again.

Turn 12: I get 3 activations! I have to go for broke in order to pull any kind of win out of this. I need to obtain several demoralizations. Mortar fire is ineffective. I make a mad dash with my remaining Leader in the south along with his GREN to the adjacent hex containing 3 Allied combat units, coming thru their Op-fire unscathed and ordering the last of my OBA down on them. Two Disruptions is all I get. With that, I have no chance of winning. GAME OVER, MAN! GAME OVER! We proceed to finish out the turn, and I am able to finish off the last step in my assault against the Northern crossings.

Allied Major Victory with 32 VP vs. 12 VP.

Conclusions: This scenario took a little time to get started due to the special instructions of the German units not being able to move until they see something, but got very bloody and brutal after that. If I hadn't screwed up on my deployment of the Northern and Southern units, this would have been a very different outcome. The map is fantastic and special thanks to Dave Murray for some rules clarifications. I thoroughly enjoyed playing against Randy and look forward to many more scenarios against him. I would rate this scenario 4 out of 5.