Cassino 44' Original Scenario 1 - Bloody Rapido

Turns: 28 (starting at 2000hr)

Victory Conditions: Allies gain VP's for: Build footbridge = 4VP 1-2 hexes from River - 1VP 3-4 hexes from River - 2VP 5-6 hexes from River - 3VP 7+ hexes from River - 4VP

On Turn 16: Both sides get reinforcements (the Germans even get a STUG!).

(Check these Turns and VP's against what you have in your scenario book, you'll be amazed at the difference. Minefield rules are substantially streamlined, nullifying any thoughts to where to put those 3 factor mines and decoys at)

Setup: Germans get to set up first. Strongpoints and HMG nest's are spread out along the Rapido, keeping a watchful eye on entire Gustav Line. A Captain with a battle hardened Sgt (9-2-1) and 4x GREN's make up a quick response team that can be at either end of the battleline within 2 turns. Just to add some additional solo excitement, after pulling the required Strongpoints, I mixed them up and placed them without looking at their attack factors. The Americans are set up in a two-pronged attack formation, with the majority of the force on the extreme southern end of the Rapido, using the road to get to the Gustav Line. A smaller force will hit dead center after the opening attack with the intentions of hitting hard and fast in the hopes of getting most of its forces across quickly and in good order (Like that's really going to happen). ENG units are not necessary to assist other units across the Rapido in this scenario, instead, boat points are to be used, which 4 are available until Allied units take damage on the East side of the Rapido, where 1 step loss or demoralization removes 1 boat point.

2000: Allied units move up to the Gustav Line. A Lt. and 2xINF avoid Op-fire while moving into the Strongpoints line of site. A German Lt. moves closer for a look-see and calls in OBA, gaining a step loss on the INF. -1 boat point.

2015: The American Lt. orders his good order INF and an INF and FLM unit in the adjacent hex into the boats and cross the Rapido, withstanding Op-fire from the Strongpoint but not the German OBA that rains down on them, demoralizing both INF units. Since they are already across the Rapido, no boat points are lost. German Lt. calls for help and the Capt. with his Sgt. and 4xGREN's move towards the crossing. American troops striking further North move into the Gustav Line, taking Op-fire from another Strongpoint and receiving a demoralization, -1 more boat point. Now down to two.

2030: American Lt. and FLM unit fire up the Strongpoint, shrugging off the first fire and disrupting both the Strongpoint and German Lt. Another American Lt. is able to paddle across the Rapido with 2xINF further up the river. Sgt. splits from his Captain, taking 2xGREN to assist in stopping the crossing further north, coming into sight of the American Lt., who calls in OBA, disrupting both of the Sgt's GREN's.

2045: FLM unit gives the strongpoint another dose of liquid fire (with a +1 assault bonus), burning out the remaining troops and the German Lt. Up the Rapido, the Lt. and his INF units assault the Sgt. and his disrupted GREN's, gaining an X1, demoralizing the rest and receiving a +1 tactical bonus for their next assault. Two more INF units get across the Rapido. German Captain leads an assault on the FLM unit, disrupting it. Allied HMG suffers a demoralization from a DF attack from across the river and then losses a step from a mortar attack, effectively losing the last two boat points. ENG to the south begins work on a foot bridge.

2100: American Lt. reassaults the Sgt and his troops, gaining a 2x, while the southern assault nets a 1x to both sides and killing the American Lt. Another German Lt. leads an assault to relieve a strongpoint, obtaining a 3x, killing the American Lt., but suffering a step loss and demoralizing himself and his remaining GREN's in the process. Allies fail their first crossing roll to get another unit across. ENG's building the footbridge become demoralized from an OBA strike but recover to disrupted. Step loss total is now 6 to 6. Initiative for the Allies is reduced for every two steps lost and for every Leader lost.

2115: German Captain brings in HMG to finish off the FLM and INF. ENG recovers to good order, but Major on the scene doesn't like it and orders his Lt. and 3xINF to the North. Step losses now at 8 to 6.

2130: German Captain whittles down the American troops, gaining another step loss while the Major attempts to lead an INF across to aide them but fails. ENG to the North begin making another footbridge. FOW rolled. Step losses at 9 to 6.

2145: German Captain finally assaults the remaining demoralized troops, gaining an X3 and shutting down the southern crossing. American assault to the north kills off the last GREN but misses the Sgt. Allied OBA and a DF attack demoralizes German Captains troops. FOW rolled. Step losses at 13 to 7.

2200: American Lts. DF attack in the North followed by an OBA gains an X1 and a Leader death. Germans return in kind, disrupting or demoralizing half of the Allied troops in the North. Step losses at 13 to 8.

2215: Both German and American OBA gain 2 step losses. Step losses at 15 to 10. FOW rolled.

2230: Northern footbridge completed. American Lt and 2xINF traverse the footbridge to get into the fighting.

2245: More American troops cross the footbridge. Southern footbridge is competed. FOW rolled.

2300: German OBA destroys a step of ENG's to the South while American OBA gains a step loss against an HMG unit. Step losses at 16 to 11.

2315: American Lt. brings in fresh troops to eliminate the German Sgt's HMG, which he is successful. Northern crossing area is free of German troops except for a Mortar unit. Step losses at 16 to 13.

2330: Allied OBA scores a direct hit on the German Mortar unit. American troops begin recovery operations.

2345: Reinforcements arrive for both sides. Disrupted and Demoralized Allied units continue to rally. German reinforcements move towards the Northern crossing, but the Stug wallows in the mud, only moving one hex.

2400: Germans close in on forward Allied positions, receiving a disruption from an Op-fire. Allied reinforcement begin crossing the Rapido.

0015: Allied troops open fire with DF and bombardment attacks, gaining a step loss and 3 demoralizations and a disruption. Step losses at 16 to 15.

0030: Sgt., GREN and Stug assault, gaining a step loss while two hex's away American Lt. assaults, gaining and losing a step. German Captain brings in an HMG to aide in his assault, gaining another step loss. Step losses at 19 to 16.

0045: German Captain continues his assault after most of the demoralized Americans flee the assault hex failing recovery, destroying the remaining step and Lt. German Lt. and GREN join the Sgt's assault, destroying the last two American steps in the assault hex and capturing their Lt. German OBA goes horribly wrong, falling on their own troops instead, suffering a step loss. FOW rolled. Step losses at 22 to 17.

0100: Remaining American assault fails to eliminate the last step of GRENs and the German advance is stalled due to Allied OBA and failed morale recoveries.

0115: American Captain combines for a DF attack, gaining a X2 and eliminating the German Uber Captain while the American assault removes its last step of GREN's. Step losses at 22 to 20.

0130: American Captain combines fire again, eliminating the step of German HMG. German OBA gains a disruption but suffers a demoralization from friendly fire. Step losses at 22 to 21.

0145: German Sgt switches to the American Captain tactics, combining fire and gaining a step loss. Allied OBA responds, destroying a step of German HMG. Step losses at 23 to 22.

0200: German Sgt. now leads an assault with his GREN and Stug, eliminating the American ENG's. German OBA is once again effective, gaining a step loss by compound morale failure. German Captain in the south assaults the unguarded footbridge, destroying it. Step losses at 25 to 22.

0215: German Sgt. again shows what he is made of, striking right in the heart of the Allied defensive line where he can do the most damage since all the American troops in the assault hex are already demoralized. An X2 is gained, but the last demoralized American troops just pass their morale check and hang on for another round. Americans reassault, gaining a demoralization only. FOW rolled. Step losses at 27 to 22.

0230: American troops are able to finish off the HMG and the German Lt. German Sgt. returns the favor by gaining an X3. American Captains troops are proud of the headway they made and still in good order. Until German OBA falls and demoralizes every last one of them. Step losses at 29 to 23.

0245: Most troops, German and American, are out of site of each other except for one step of American INF that got separated, which is eliminated by a combined DF of 2 single step GREN's. American Captains troops make a valiant effort to recover to disrupted, but German OBA again comes in re-demoralizing the INF.

Victory Points:

Footbridge x 1 = 4 VP's Units 3-4 hexes away from Rapido x 3 = 6 VP's

Americans just barely hang on for a Minor Victory.

Conclusion: WOW! This scenario plays much better using the Original Rules. A 5+ out of 5. As I mentioned before, the Cassino rules that come in the game box are quite generic compared to the Original Rules submission, and after playing Scenario 1 of Cassino 44 again, I consider those in box rules to be Sub-par. The boat points were a special rule to this particular scenario only. Compared to the boxed rules, which needs ENG's to help cross along with crossing numbers, you would think this is a giveaway and that the Allies would be swarming across. Not true. Losing a boat point for every step loss and/or demoralization that happens on the east side of the Rapido (meaning in the Gustav Line) ensures you need to plan carefully. I saw a better way to use them after I started losing them. I got really pissed when the Germans hit my American HMG unit twice on the same turn destroying my last two boats. But of course on the very next activation as the German, I was saying "Ja! Ja! What you going to do now American Boy with no more boats"? Use of the Boat points just added a sense of urgency to the scenario, unlike the standard ENG and crossing numbers for individual units. Then there is the footbridge that your ENG's can build in this scenario to assist units across. Another urgent matter that needs your attention, especially if you lose all your boat points and your stuck with only one unit getting a chance to cross per turn. All of these simple things added to this scenario exponentially. The Minefield and Mud rules are drastically different. For minefields, its a straight 2 factor for personnel and 1 factor for vehicles. No screwing around with where to put your decoys and 3 factor markers on the Gustav. Instead of adding MP cost to vehicles traveling through mud, you roll a d6 and subtract from that vehicles MP's. Something else that just adds more realism and chance in the game. A FtF opponent will already know how far you can move your tanks using the boxed rules. Now you don't even know. Brilliant! Waterlogged and Flooded areas are a whole different problem. No more just checking silly morale checks moving into these, you may very well lose a step with wallowing around in those type of hex's. Looking forward to replaying Scenarios 3 and 4 where this will become an issue. If you take notice of the Graveyard picture you'll see an odd FLM unit. This what was originally intended for these units. An ENG unit with Flame ability. This unit can still clear minefields and assist other units across the river. They have the same DF attack as their fellow ENG's, but in assault, can then use their Flame ability. Once reduced however, no more flame ability. This works much better in my opinion. I'm not sure why AvP stripped all of this out and replaced these. Maybe to conform better with the 3rd Ed. ruleset better. I believe this was a huge disservice though. Not only to Mr. Dave Murray, but to all PG fans. Cassino '44 really shines that much brighter when used with Dave Murray's original submitted rules, and I would humbly submit that it gives the player a better understanding of the actual battle rather than just another PG scenario. The only optional rule I didn't use in the replay of this scenario was the Force Cohesion. I wanted to make sure I had all of these new rules firmly in my mind (replacing the substandard AvP rules). They easily fit in place as play progressed. Force Cohesion will be used in Scenario 2 and all the remaining scenarios. I'll be putting that scenario book that came in the box on a dark shelf somewhere and will continue to use these amazing originals that Dave Murray provided. I would impress upon all who play Cassino '44 to do the same. You won't be disappointed.