Author	treadasaurusrex (United States)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	United States
Participants	Isra3lite (AAR)
Play Date	2025-08-05
Language	English
Scenario	ElsR012

This was a fun-filled, but VERY gamey, 5-session play through with the intrepid yet careful, Isra3lite leading attacking elements of the German 12th SS Panzer & 12th Volksgrenadier Divisions in a 16-turn battle. I had a mixed bag of slightly reinforced, defending elements of the American 99th and 2nd Infantry Divisions, with an initial visibility level of 4 hexes. Better than average leaders were drawn by each side. Both sides also setup aggressively in and around the two villages.

We used FOW, smoke/illum, excess initiative, tank riders, strategic movement and extended assault optional rules, as well as these two house rules: 1) Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units - All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 of a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, and 2) Standardized Movement for Mechanized Units — All mechanized units may move through clear hexes at a movement cost of only 1 movement point (MP) per hex, instead of 1 1/2. Add one to this cost if moving up, across, or down slopes hexes.

Our hard-fought, first session (game turn 1) featured multiple, adjacent-hex firefights. Fierce fighting was initiated by the Germans against the two GI garrisons in each village. The Germans began in only 1 of 6 hexes in the northern village but occupied 3 of the 4 urban hexes in the southern counterpart. Step losses were 2 for the GIs and a single step for the German side by the end of this session.

The action-packed, second session (game turns 2-3) featured some exceptional combat die rolling luck for both sides. The updated step loss tally was now: 8 for the Germans and 7 for the American defenders. The first armor loss occurred in a close assault in the northern village, where a Nazi Pz-IVH platoon was halved, increasing the existing wreck marker by another point. Heavy casualties on the eastern hill mass saw both sides dropping a level of initiative this session.

Our early morning, third session (game turns 4-5) featured rapidly improving visibility and 4 additional German steps losses, plus a leader, caused a decrease in initiative level. Repeated OBA strikes by both sides had wildly variable results. Multiple SS morale recoveries, the collapse of the German offensive on the 20-meter hill, and a bold left flank armored thrust were all highlights this session. The defending GIs now led in victory points by a score of 20-15, with a pair of town hexes still hotly contested.

The exciting, fourth session (game turns 6-7) featured heavy fighting that resulted in an additional 6 German step losses – plus a leader – while the embattled American side lost 4 more steps. The Third Reich’s left flank armored move was successful in reaching the vicinity of the besieged Germans in the northmost hex of the northern town and also paid a dividend with the elimination of a platoon of American M-18 Hellcats. Ferocious close assault fighting in both assault hexes was relatively productive for the GIs, particularly in the 3-hex southern town, where reinforcements arrived in the 7th game turn, liberating the northern margin of the settlement. Several OBA strikes reduced the size of the German infantry force atop the wooded hill mass, allowing a redeployment of US armor, and the temporary relief of the besieged US garrison in the 3-hex town.

Our fifth session (game turns 8-9) ended when the German side conceded at the start of the ninth game turn. The GIs had just secured the last contested hex in the northern town. The final score was 31 for the American side and 11 for the Germans. An unexpected, major American victory was the result. There were 5 FOW-shortened game turns of the 9 played.

This is a gamey scenario on a single map board that marginally favors the charging Germans. The more experienced player should lead the defending American side. I give this difficult-to-set-up scenario a solid 4 in SHARED online play. While fun to play with an opportunistic & challenging opponent – as published – it is probably better suited for face-to-face play, rather than online SHARED or SOLO play. It certainly highlights the criticality of proper attack sequencing, careful movement & effective placement of supporting weapons. IMHO, the victory conditions need a rewrite requiring that both towns be held by the winning side at the end of play.