My first scenario in Winter Soldiers, I needed a short one as I am very busy right now. This one fit the bill. Two American airborne companies attacking a SS advanced company spearheading the Bugle attack. The Americans have a slight edge in number of troops and morale. They also have a small amount of OBA. The Germans have the terrain and slightly better quality direct fire. As for the leader selection, this was about equal.

The victory conditions as slightly in the favor of the American as there will not be any contested hexes. The Americans need to capture all the towns on board 22 and the Germans must stop them.

The Germans setup around the towns on board 22, with the SPW251/21 and a GREN and leader in the fields to try slow down the American advance. The Americans setup right next to east west road. The Americans begin with a LT and PARA move on to spot the forward SS units. German OP fire missed and the Americans call in OBA, but miss. Other American units move on board, but the tension is with the captured German SPW251/22. Although reduced the SPW251/22 has a AT punch better than the German SPW251/21. The "22" moves onboard just out of range of the "21". This forces the "21" to reevaluate its position and it moves back into the field.

Continuing the American advance the Americans take OP fire from the remaining GREN in the field, disrupting the American Captain and PARA unit. American OBA is called in hitting the target and kill half the German GREN. The remaining reduced GREN is disrupted. American units move up the road, Germans OP fire at long range without effect. The real drama is the dance with the "22" and "23" trying to force each other into a bad position. The "22" has range and AT punch, but the "21" has the limiting terrain and position. The "22", remaining out of range maneuvers south of the center towns, forcing the "21" to counter by moving back to cover the other towns. But due to other events the "21" is forced back to the main American attack to cover for casualties. This gives the edge to the "22" an it captures the eastern town hexes unmolested.

Back at the main attack down the road the Germans are successful with OP fire attacks, disrupting and demoralizing the paratroopers. American DF is weak, but the paratroopers are able to work there way in between the SS troops. American mortar and DF disrupt the SS defenders long enough for the paratroopers to dash past the SS GRENs. The GREN's OP fire is weak and the American are able to capture one of the center town hexes. This puts the German defense in peril so the "21" is brought back to provide support to hold the last town hex. Eventually, the Americans assault the last town hex and keep units in the town to hold the control. This gives them the win.

Another good scenario from the mind of Mike Perryman, Thanks.

Great little scenario, another 10-turn game and one that kept me guessing right to the end. Germans are holding all town hexes on board 22 and all must be taken by the US player, OR must be contested by the end of the game. After US troops managed to destroy the German AA halftrack in 2 turns of fire from the captured AT halftrack, the US stacks managed to get inside of assault range on all towns, finally kicking out all the SS troops from the largest, 2-hex town on turn 9 but keeping all the rest contested right to the end. 2 US platoons were demoralized and fled from assaults but enough remained to keep up the fight. These shorter scenarios are good for the times I have just a few hours available and no place to leave a game set up for longer games, and this scenario was my first shot at the Winter Soldiers scenarios. Really enjoyed another solo game and hope to break in some new players with this and other scenarios.

The Axis set up in the foward village with 2 Gren platoons and a 10-1-1 Capt. Also there was one Gren in each of the other two villages. The Axis made the mistake of setting their halftrack up in the foward village. This was a big mistake. On the first activation that the Allies had they knocked out the Axis strongest direct fire unit. This unit should have been set back out of range of the Allied captured halftrack. This would still have allowed the Axis to have used it's superior range in support. But it really did not matter.

When the Axis half track was knocked out that was the last positive thing that happened to the Allies. When the Allies got up adjecent to the foward village they were at full strengh and had taken no losses. But then the initial assault went bad when the defending Gren platoon easily passed the morale check and the Assaulting Allies platoons did not. In fact. One leader and two of the three platoons ended up demoralized. Right next door the lone Gren platoon commaded by the 10-1-1 Capt firing on a base 7 col. up two columns for being adjecent and up another col for having three units in the target hex. Now on the 22 col. The Axis rolled a 4 one step loss. Then on the following M2 roll the Allied leader and two more of the platoons became demoralized.

On the next turn the Axis got the iniative and the Gren with the Capt. fired again rolling a three this time. Another step loss with another M2 morale check which the Allies promptly failed. One of the platoons by 4. Another step loss. The others routed away leaving just one Allied Inf platoon adjecent to the Axis village hex. Meanwhile in the assault hex the Allies tried to rally and was partially successful. Another turn passed and the Allies reenforced the assault and got the worst of it again. The Gren platoon easily passed it's M check and the Allies failed their's again causing the platoons to spill out of the hex in the following turn when they failed their recovery activation. By now the Allies were in disarray with almost all their units in some sort of distress and a Lt. lost. And the Axis only loss was still their halftrack.

The Allies were never able to get another good attack going. Allied OBA was ineffective all game long. The two left column shift always protectected the Axis. In the end the Allies just ran out of time and steps. It is hard to judge this scenario because the die rolls were so slanted to the Axis to give a good judgement. But I'll call it a 3. This was a remake of Elsenborn Ridge #20 Night of the long knives which in my opinion is a much better scenario.

As one can read below, I messed up the play the first time around. I tried it again, save for keeping the result of the SPW internecine fighting (by turn seven, the reduced SS SPW-251/21 was in the easternmost town hex along with a Gren). Basically, the US moved pairs of units (three of INF and one of HMG) along with a leader to within three hexes of its "target" town hex. Various long range and US BF was essentially ineffective. On turn seven, the US (which continued to win initiative by large margins through game end) "moved in" vs. a series of effectively 22-col OF on the DF table. German firing was effective: one HMG reduced, but good order; one HMG demoralized; one INF reduced and disrupted; one INF reduced and good order; four INF remained full strength and good order. On turns 8 & 9 each side exchanged adjacent direct fire and/or US attempted morale recoveries. On turn 8, one US attack killed a step of Gren in one hex, so on turn 9, that US pairing assaulted.

The last turn was dramatic. The US had survived assaulting into two towns and made the effort with one surviving INF vs the town hex holding the SSGren+SPW-unit+ldr ... on the 18 col the Germans roll a 6! for a 2X result destroying the assaulting INF and chasing the US LT out of the hex. The last hex was likewise wild: an M2 result against the US assaulting (entering) unit demoralized it, but the SS counter assault could not obtain a compound demoralization. Thus, at game end:

US contested two town hexes with good order units; "contested" one town hex with a demoralized unit & disrupted leader; and did not contest the forth town hex. Thus, a German victory as the US had to contest all four town hexes on the board (22).

Curiosity: the VCs state only that an American unit must be in the hex; the usual caveat of "good order" does not appear. In any case, this was much "closer" than the erroneous play I detailed below. Certainly the survival of the reduced SPW-251/21 made a significant difference as a '2' result would not have been possible on the last turn without that unit in the hex along with the Gren.

BELOW IS THE ERRONEOUS PLAY REPORT:

Play Errata: it would seem that in being hasty, I didn't quite catch (until after the fact, that is) the scenario rules that stated that contested hexes were considered American controlled. Thus, I didn't move US forces in such a way as to get into contested assaults in all four villages. Oops, my bad.

My second short/small scenario from WS today. I'll try to explain the strange AAR title below.

Germans set up with a Grenadier in each of the four town hexes and the SPW 251/21 in hill/LTwoods hex 0413. In other words, sitting there in limiting terrain at a higher elevation just like he's "sitting there just daring him to try an pick 'em off."

US manages to get three paras into the first occupied town hex, but then proceeds to have a "let's not roll above a 3 for the next four rounds" with an assault col of 9 or 13 even with the col shift for attacking vs. defenders in a town. The 2x18 factors only resulted in 16-col BF attacks which, even with an M1 or M2 check, the Germans either made or recovered. Unfortunately, the US HMGs fared less well vs OF with a step loss and a demoralization.

As for the SPW battle. The captured (i.e. US), reduced 251/22 moved up within spotting range; survived the first 251/21 attacks; fired & missed; again survived counter fire; fired next turn & hit for one-step kill on Meatloaf on the Hill (partially picked off); the SS 251/21 however, made its morale check of '5', fired back and hit with a '10' roll, killing the single step of the 251/22.

The infantry assaults continued their slow pace. By end of play, the US had captured only one of the four town hexes. They themselves hadn't many casualties once past the OF; they simply couldn't muster enough firepower in the assaults nor did the Germans get demoralized - thus, with the town bonus for recovery, mostly made their recoveries. Having the HMGs fail morale (and get a step loss) likewise cost the US needed firepower to push the assaults forward in the ten turn restricted scenario.

Whew. Finished one scenario between 0800-1000 that had been started the day before; a ten turn one before lunch at 1230; and this one in an hour-and-a-half or so in the afternoonas (that took another hour and a half as I botched the first play). Time for a break before shifting gears and dealing with the Ariete on the Trigh Capuzzo.

The Germans gave only a sufficient defense to delay the Americans for a couple of turns. After that the Germans holed up in the two town hexes near the center of the map and used their AC to circle around and pick at the Americans. It's ALL about the towns, isn't it?