Played: solo Time: ~90 minutes

My previous AirI scenario ended rather abruptly, after 5 minutes to be exact. This one, much to my surprise, turned out quite different!

Introduction

A scenario with the title "Low Odds Attack" is never going to inspire confidence in the attackers (America), but you do what you gotta do, right?

The Americans are tasked with taking and holding two town objectives, which are initially only manned by strongpoints. The American paratrooper detachment is barely sufficient for the task, but the Germans will get two sets of reinforcements - either of which are more than a match for the PARAs.

The Germans have their choice of 2 goals - either control the east town (an objective shared with the Americans) or inflict 3 steplosses.

The Americans enter near the east town, and have the unhappy task of securing the west town as soon as possible and then returning to the east town to hold out against those "low odds."

Opening Moves

Because the paratroopers come onto the board in two small groups (turns 1 & 3), and because they start under cover of darkness, I had my first group of PARAs scoot past the east objective and rush the western one. Unfortunately, the strongpoint turned out to be a 5-3, 2-3 beast. While PARA Team 1 was busy with that mess, PARA Team 2 carefully approached the east objective only to find that that strongpoint was unoccupied - huzzah! They waltzed into the town and set up camp. PARA Team 1, after a brief assault, managed to eliminate the first strongpoint and at the close of turn 4 the Americans control both objectives. Only 32 turns to go! (ha)

From turn 4 the first batch of real Germans begin working their way south through the hedges from the northern edge of the board. The Americans had to figure out how to defend both objectives and figure it out quickly.

Current American Positions:

• west objective - CAPT, LT, PARA, reduced PARA
• east objective - LT, PARA, reduced PARA

I decided to send the full-strength PARA from the west objective and the 1-9-1 1st LT to the east objective (remember, shared by the Germans) to bolster the defense. From the east objective I dispatched the reduced PARA back to the west to recombine with the other reduced PARA and thereby gain 1 factor of direct fire (2 x 2-3 -> 5-3)

Idiot Artillery

The Americans successfully completed their rearrangement before the Germans arrived at the town. Herr Shad sent the 81mm platoon into the swamps to fire upon the town while the GRENs and HMG took up positions to prepare for an assault.

Once adjacent to the town, the 81mm began mercilessly bombarding his fellow Germans, and the assault was delayed turn after turn as the GRENs and HMG were repeatedly forced to rally after disruptions from friendly bombardments.

(This was actually pretty hilarious to play out. The 81mm never once hit the Americans in the town, but repeatedly rolled 1s to drop shells on the 2 hexes the infantry were staging in, then rolling 5s or 6s to give them nice hard whacks on the bombardment chart...)

Finally, on turn 21 the Germans were all clear and made their assault...

1. Because the Germans are coming through the hedges, the Americans have first fire... DR 1, no result!
2. The Germans are far more efficient, DR 6, steploss!
3. M2 checks for all US forces = 2 x DIS LT, DEM PARA, DIS reduced PARA
4. Fortunately, brave rallies all around prevent the initial assault from becoming a rout...

On turn 22 the remaining American PARA platoon and CAPT enter the town, having abandoned the west objective to support their buddies getting hammered in the east.

On turn 23 Germany assaults again, and this time both sides take a steploss each. After a particularly brutal round of fighting, of the 9 leaders and platoons in the town 5 are demoralized and 1 is disrupted. The US is now one steploss away from defeat.

Holding on for Dear Life

And yet, the Americans never broke. For the next 10 turns they suffered relentless assaults from the desperate Germans - oftentimes being disrupted or demoralized but always seeming to find just a little bit extra to rally themselves back into fighting form.

They should have been killed to the last man long ago, but turn after turn they stood their ground. My men were so heroic that I was becoming truly attached to my cardboard pieces, so emotionally invested was I in their struggle against all odds.

And then it happened. On turn 34, two turns from the end, the Germans finally got it together and hit hard. Two steplosses for the Americans meant four for the battle - the Germans had won. The CAPT and one LT fell dead in the onslaught. When the smoke and dust cleared only an American LT and PARA remained to turn back the horde.

Conclusion

The Germans never were able to capture their objective, but they killed enough Americans to win the day.

While the Americans lost according to the victory conditions as written, in my heart they had won the greater victory. They had captured both objectives and stubbornly held out against relentless assaults by vastly superior forces for hour after hour.

Shad's Thoughts

What a tough scenario to rate! I had a great time playing it, but I thought going in that the Americans had an impossible task and I still feel that way. Luck had a heavy hand in the longevity of the American's defense in my play, which makes me confident that replays wouldn't be nearly so engaging. Even so, I really enjoyed it - so I have to give this a 4/5 ... best Airborne scenario so far, without question.