[SotM] 2012 August - Prepare for Battle!

[Shad]

Scenario of the Month 2012 August - Scenario Selection is Complete!

Elsenborn Ridge was again the most commonly owned game, but was not eligible because we used it in July.

That left a four-way ownership tie between Desert Rats, Afrika Korps, Eastern Front Deluxe, and Battle of the Bulge.

Both AK and EFDx have been played to completion, leaving us DR and BB.

I felt it would be good to get away from the forest and explore some new nationalities, so to the desert we go!

The Panzer Grenadier Headquarters Official Scenario of the Month for August 2012 is Desert Rats #38 - Alem Hamza : Right Flank, one of the smaller unplayed DR battles.

Participation is open to everyone! If you record a play and write an AAR for this scenario in the month of August you will receive the Scenario of the Month award.

A special set of play and AAR bounties will also be awarded for this session, so look out!

[Poor Yorek]

Am looking at the set-up for this scenario. Rather than spreading out E-W over the "40-m" ridge-line (or "second-level" hills as they are referred to) I am considering consolidating the Italian defenders using the (Eastern) board edge as an anchor and making a kind of "box". Whilst this allows the Commonwealth forces also to consolidate their attack, the Italians can make maximal use of their few leaders with a morale bonus and perhaps deliver more concentrated firepower onto the Indian infantry upon their approach.

Given the 36-turn scenario length, I am not certain that the spreading out approach would be viable, but perhaps that is something that we shall learn over the course of August?

[waynebaumber]

Have just had a look at this one and rolled the leaders. PY is spot on with the Italian set up , a box defense will protect the AT guns a little and using the board edge as an anchor may be "gamey" but will at least protect one flank.

This one looks tough for the Commonwealth forces.

Italian advantages are terrain, numbers and the ATG will force the Valentine tanks to be wary

Commonwealth advantage is time and being the attacker can choose the point of attack. Normally leaders would be an advantage but with my usual skill in picking Allied leaders I have got 3 X 7-0-0 leaders in the Commonwealth mix. Will start this one later today.

[campsawyer]

I have got 3 X 7-0-0 leaders in the Commonwealth mix.

Ouch. These guys won't be lasting very long.

[Poor Yorek]

using the board edge as an anchor may be "gamey" but will at least protect one flank.

Commonwealth advantage is time and being the attacker can choose the point of attack.

I hear you re: meta-gaming. I try to console myself by thinking of the board edge as a sheer escarpment or very deep wadi/chasm.

Commonwealth also have the advantage of morale (8/7 vs. 7/7). The VC's force the Italians to fight (to inflict the six step losses) unless the Italian player aims for a draw.

[vince hughes]

Wayne does not like Axis box defences. :-)

But this is exactly what needs to be done. We don't want '7' moraled Italians strung out across the board trying to defend against an '8' moraled attacker for 36 turns.

[waynebaumber]

Wayne does not like Axis box defences. :-)

But this is exactly what needs to be done. We don't want '7' moraled Italians strung out across the board trying to defend against an '8' moraled attacker for 36 turns.

I certainly don't like trying to attack them, but you are right this is the only way to defend in this scenario and of course that's how it was done in the Western Desert. PG does seem to simulate desert warfare very well without little effort, A tribute to the system

[campsawyer]

Has anyone started playing this scenario? If so, how did you deal with the issue of 5 Italian HMG's but the scenario calls for 6.

Next question is, should we just grab one from AK and play with stated or adjust for the scenario errata?

[vince hughes]

SB,

Tony emailed me about this.

It has to be errata.

He only owns the DR set, or keeps them seperate from AK whereas I put the troops (not leaders) together. I would not have noticed this, but, if there are only 5 in the set, then its impossible to use a 6th.

The same happened to Wayne in that 199 turn AK scenario where it lists 4 x 25pdrs when there are only 3 in the box. Wayne had to lose one as per the errata. So unfortunately, it looks as if an Italian HMG has to go :-(

[Michael Murphy]

I set this one up recently and ran into the same issue. I decided to use a BERS HMG unit with the standard HMG values. I figured that the first HMG unit lost would replace the BERS unit, and the problem was solved.

For the record, I didn't play the game out.