Slitherine

Game AAR2: GL88 as Germans (see Enric's report on AAR2 for the Allied moves)

Folks, Enric & I have made a gentlemens' agreement to spend max 400 on King Tigers, Panthers and Tigers during force selection. We're going to play it out in an after action report (AAR) style so our (my ) shame and embarrassment will be horribly public. It will make it easy to see whether capping the Germans to two heavy tanks evens up the odds and makes 2.0.4 more fun again...

The map is Meeting Engagement.

1. FORCE SELECTION FOR GERMANS

Meeting Engagement is a biiiiiig map, where the trick is being first to figure out where your enemy is hiding. Like my choices for the Allies, max out on scouts and other infantry (which have long range vision). Once you've found the enemy, bombardment units are useful from range, so take the Wespes and some mortars/AT guns. I can only take 3 transports so take 'em. We've agreed to limit ourselves to only 400 spend on German heavies so I'm taking two Panthers (very fast, powerful but not as well armoured as a Tiger/King). That leaves change for five (yes five) StuG IIIGs (as powerful as PzIV, with great defensive sloped front armour, and cheap too at 105). 13 infantry (unlucky for some?) will be the eyes and ears, excluding the mortars... Wish us luck!

1ST TURN (25 remaining)

The German start is pretty much like the Allied one, with everything bunched up, StuGs with StuGs, Waffen SS with Waffen SS, at the edges of the map... early moves are just shifting things around, while gradually bringing them towards the fighting areas, the town and the closer woods.
Bring the Wespe mobile artillery forwards so that more of the central map is in range. The risk to many of these early moves is that they're predictable, so an experienced opponent might set a fighter-bomber to where I'm probably going to be, or guess 2-3 moves ahead and order up an artillery bombardment.
Start to bring infantry into the forests, where they can act as spotters for the armour. Remembering where we just put the US scout (in the AAR1 game), take a suppression shot with the closest Panther (Enric's probably not there, but it's worth a go; NB. taking a suppression shot will reveal the Panther's position to Enric, even if he hasn't got any units nearby, so I've absolutely got to remember to move it next turn, or it's inviting a bomber). Bringing both Panthers this way should keep his scout and any rangers (if he chose them) on the right side of the woods, preventing them from spotting behind me for now.

2ND TURN (24 remaining)

This is my version of the situation where I (as the Allies) could see Enric's German scout in the AAR1 game. Here's what I couldn't see as the US though. There could also be two Panthers and two further infantry as out of sight back up. So what looked like a dream opportunity could be risky. Am glad I left him (had to leave him) alone in AAR1. As the Germans in AAR2, I'll push the Panthers forwards to keep his scout on the far side of the trees (assuming he's there at all) and suppress the tree line (revealing my position so I'll have to move again next turn to avoid being bombed).
Other infantrymen continue to move into more central positions. Check their line of sight, where they're exposed, to make sure the enemy can't see me. In this case, even if he's in the trees, I'm out of sight (but this early in the game, it's unlikely he'd have made it that far).
Move the SdfKz251 transport next to the mortar and load up. Bring everything towards the town. Push 3 StuGs southwards (thinking US starts south, Germans north) and send the 2 other StuGs west (to the right) to support the 2 Panthers.

3RD TURN (23 remaining)

Push the two fast Panthers forwards to see if I'm lucky and might catch some of Enric's rangers or infantrymen in the open. Nobody there (he's smart and I'm not lucky today).
He's obviously used his US scout to take the flag in the central woods, so use the two Wespe to bombard his most likely hiding places. Sometimes if you hit, you'll hear loud complaining from his soldiers (so keep the sound on! ). No complaints heard so I don't know if I hit or missed him (probably he's in some other squares).
Move another scout into the woods in the southeast (imagining that the Germans start in the north, US in the south). Move to the edge, and, AHA, there's an M18 sneaking out of view... Darn it! Why did I waste my Wespe bombardments on guessing where his scout was, when I could have saved them for knowing where this juicy M18 is... ok, set a 262 fighter-bomber for a run next turn... keep the scout in the trees to watch.

4TH TURN (22 remaining)

Enric's seen my scout in the southeast woods, watching his M18. He kills me and his M18s (there are two of them now) reverse up a little. My 262 bomb run misses the intended target (the M18 that's reversed) but damages a US engineer (down to 1/5) that took my scout's hiding place. I bombard one of the M18s with both of my Wespe but this one's got a tough old shell (for a defence of 20). He survives two bombardments with a non-suppressed morale of 55.
Finding both M18s tells me two things:
(i) Enric's bringing his fast M18s up the eastern side (towards my StuGs), so
(ii) his heavier Shermans are probably coming up the other, western side (towards the Panthers)

I move my StuGs forward, using the isolated house for cover (M18s have a longer fire range of 8 versus StuGs at only 7). I position a mortar just behind the house in case he gives me a chance for a pop shot (bombard range of 9). I need to bring forward some infantry to be my eyes and ears (StuGs can only see 4 squares away but open-topped M18s see 6). Losing that particular scout was painful.
At the other (northwestern) end of the map, Enric's put a bombardment onto my infantry in the forest. The scout's morale slips to 72. Phew for forest cover. Without that, he'd likely be pushing up daisies. He lives to fight (and watch) another day. To use a bombardment onto a forest where he thinks my scout's waiting suggests he really wants to bring his own scout/rangers behind me.

Meanwhile, one of my Panthers stumbles onto an M10 five spaces directly in front (M10s only have 24 move points so Enric got that here fast). They slug it out, two shots from the Panther, two reaction shots from the M10 - result: Morale 69 for the Panther, 50 for the M10. Given the stats differential between the two (see photo), 8 times out of 10 I'd have expected to kill the M10, but there you go. I bring up the second Panther so that they can support each other. I wonder how far away his Shermans are?

5TH TURN (21 remaining)

For the Brits in the audience, this was a classic Paul Daniels moment... you're gonna like this... not a lot... Enric pulled a really neat magic trick, making two big cats disappear... and, I confess, I liked it not at all.

The two Panthers I'd brought up to support each other last turn, were facing the enemy, ready to take out the 50 morale M10 I'd discovered.
Wisely, Enric sends in a fighter-bomber. Pain! And his M10 is supported by a couple of Shermans. As is common in cases of suppressed trauma, I don't remember well what happened next, but I assume there must have been SOME exchange of reaction fire from the Panthers, one of which was perfectly healthy, the other newly suppressed from the previous turn's M10 exchange and the effects of the bomber, but somehow Enric suppressed both and brought in his M10... several spaces directly from the front... taking out both Panthers... you'll notice the blank space in the picture below which used to be occupied by two lovely Panthers 30 seconds ago...
[Note to Iain: I take it back. For Panthers at least, they're totally NOT invincible. Enric's proved that you can destroy two Panthers, partnered together, front on, and bag both, with zero casualties... politely translated from the German side as wdf OUCH!! ]

Losing both of my two heavy tanks that our gentlemens' agreement has restricted me to, is a major problem. Screaming loudly. AAAAAARGH!! Some major force reorganisation required elsewhere...

Heh - nice AARs. Maybe we can collect them all together for people to take a look at how experts play the game...

Cheers

Pip

Hehe, thanks Pip... not so "Quick Reply" from me... we've had some telephone/internet outages due to a lift/elevator installer deciding that he needed to rip out all of the cables in a 200 year old building... I confess the AARs are fun, but I'm taking a pasting here... No so expert from my side, lol, but heck I'm learning a lot from Enric... I wish I knew what he was up to, but whatever it is, he's doing it well, darn it... Would love to see both halves integrated into a single story when we're done (ie. when this pain is finally over )... Let battle recommence...

6TH TURN (20 remaining)

After a few days enforced absence, am trying to recall what has happened so far, where all of my units are (and why on earth I put them there???)... But more importantly, am stretching my wee brain cells to figure out where Enric is hiding... To all those asking for a "replay" button to review past turns again... COUNT ME IN!!

In the northwest corner woods close to the town, Enric may (fingers crossed) be walking (rolling ) into a carefully laid trap... His Sherman 76s are edging into range of my two 75mm AT guns, hidden in the woods... His M5 moves into range of my nearest StuG, so I can take a shot without moving (StuG has a fire range advantage of 7 spaces over the M5's 5)... Reduces his morale to 63. Not even suppressed darn it... Not gonna be my day, lol!
I use a mortar to bombard the US engineer discovered in the southeast woods, the StuGs hit him too, reducing him to 3/5 and morale -14.
The engineer retreats out of sight so I bring over infantry from the nearby woods to take the surrender. Aha! There's another US engineer here too. Next turn...

7TH TURN (19 remaining)

Wahoo! Redemption. Lots of targets moving into hidden traps (phew, at last).

Scout v scout in the northwest corner woods. Enric brings up a US scout and he's caught in the open versus my German scout in the woods. I shoot twice with my scout, reducing the US scout's morale to 26 then 9. I have to bring up support infantry from three spaces away. Got him!
An M3 halftrack has stopped right next to my infantry in the woods. Charge attack reduces morale to 40, second charge attack brings morale down to 15... ok, I'm going to have to bombard this thing... two down.
Back to the woods, southeast of the town, a StuG has a 39% chance on an M18. Take the chance. Three down (smouldering ruin by the trees )... I bombard his other M18 in the open with another mortar. Morale down to 85. A StuG can take a shot in hunt mode. The M18 is suppressed but retreats out of sight unfortunately... these M18s are tough to kill!

There's a wave of soft targets here. I bring up the third StuG which takes two shots on another M3 halftrack, reducing its morale to 50.
I'm prepared but it's going to be messy...

8TH TURN (18 remaining)

It's not going well on the eastern side of the town. Enric's infantry is easily finding my infantry and mortars... sadly it's a surrenderfest, with US infantry nimbly aided and abetted by the M5s and transports that I couldn't manage to kill the last two turns.

The three StuGs operating this side can move in closer but they're blind without the lost spotters (StuGs only see 4 spaces, versus most other armour 5 and infantry 6 or 7 depending). I've got to take down his halftracks because he's moving his infantry around too quickly and it's creating havoc for me. I target the M3 I softened to 50 last turn, hit it twice with a StuG, reducing morale from 50 to zero. It's a tough ol' bird.
My prepared ambush to the northwest of the town is faring better. Somehow Enric's discovered and destroyed the first of my two hidden 75mm AT guns. [QUESTION FOR PIP & IAIN: Do AT guns have reaction fire during an opponent's turn? They seem to sit, suck it up and die, without firing back. Another one's just suffered the same fate in Winter Village.]

But a StuG can take out a Sherman 76 and does (fiery ruin above the text box below ). There's a 14% aimed shot on an M10 for its second shot but this time the StuG's not as lucky. The M10's morale softens slightly to 89 so I have a crack with the second hidden 75mm AT gun too. Minimal effect. Too bad, the M10 lives to fight another day.

I've exposed the location of my 75mm but it should protect itself in reaction, the 75mm's Armour Piercing stats of 64 should give it an advantage over the M10's High Explosive stats of 38.
I want the (now, well earned elite) StuG to keep its protective forward sloped armour facing the attacking enemy tanks but it's leaving its butt dangerously exposed if Enric's got any infantry in the houses behind. So I pull up an SdfKz transport to keep the spaces around the StuG fully covered against any brazen infantry charges.
The northwestern ambush is holding up nicely but the StuGs on the eastern side are looking vulnerable with no eyes and ears any more.

9TH TURN (17 remaining)

A two-way war of attrition going on...

After going to all that effort to cover the northwest StuG's ass, using a transport to protect from infantry, Enric pulls back his Sherman in the town (you can see its butt sticking out from behind a house in photo 8c, and I really shouldn't have forgotten about it) takes a pop shot and the StuG is toast. Worse, somehow he sees and kills my second hidden 75mm AT gun with the M10 I've been trying to bag for awhile (Grr!! How is he doing this? There's certainly no infantry in LOS so I'm getting faaaaaar too predictable, sob, lol).

Back on the eastern side, Enric has cajones that's for sure. He exchanges fire from his M18 onto the StuG. The StuG replies. Normally, I'd expect this to at least suppress the M18. Both have similar Armour Piercing stats (M18 with 71, StuG with 69) but the StuG enjoys much stronger sloped defensive armour versus the American open top (M18 with 20 defence, StuG with 53). As luck would have it, things don't work out that way this time. And that was just the apperitif. Suppressing me with the M18, Enric rolls up his wee M5, full frontal until it's right next to my StuG. Come on StuG, reaction fire darn it... please?? Nope, he's feeling lazy. The M5 takes a shot. Goodnight second StuG. [NOTE TO SELF: ASK ENRIC TO EXPLAIN REACTION FIRE WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER. SOMETIMES I CAN BRING A SHERMAN ONTO A KING TIGER AND THE KT MIGHT RESPOND THREE TIMES OR MORE. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. DEAD SHERMAN(S). SOMETIMES A STUG OR AN AT GUN WILL REACT ONLY ONCE, OR EVEN NOT AT ALL. I NEED TO LEARN THE REACTION FIRE MECHANICS TO FIGURE OUT WHEN IT'S SAFE TO HAVE A GO. ENRIC HAS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THIS. HE'S GOOD DARN IT!]

That done, he pulls another fast M5 up the eastern side to take out some of my infantry that had thought they were safely hiding behind those northern houses. Foolish lads!
Mmmm, how to respond? First, bombard the Sherman and the M10 coming for me in the northwest. Need to buy time to reorganise. I'm going to miss those two AT guns (let alone the two Panthers lost at the beginning). A Wespe on each suppresses the Sherman from 57 to 27, and the M10 from 55 to 10. No kills this time.

With two of Enric's three most threatening tanks softened, I can bring back the remaining StuG to take its revenge on the M5 that ate my infantry. Hunt move to keep the higher accuracy. Got him!
On the eastern side, a StuG waiting to the east of the houses and can hunt up close enough to fire on the M5 that exposed itself by running right up to (and killing) my StuG in photo 9a. Unsurprisingly the M5's morale is a cocky 125 after taking me down so easily. Two shots but the StuG wins its meal.

Neat trick for Newbies: Another StuG has a 14% chance on Enric's M18 that withdrew into the protection of the houses. Unfortunately, the StuG is suppressed, morale 38. What to do? Don't just sit there soldier! Promote it. I promote my StuG, getting the silver stripes, but more importantly, getting a +25 morale boost. The previously suppressed StuG can now fire.

I need to hunt in closer to improve my odds of a kill and take a shot. I have to fire twice but the M18 bites the dust. Mission accomplished armour versus armour, but unfortunately, response fire from the M18 and a Calliope that emerged as I moved closer re-suppresses me, causing me to retreat dangerously back on to some houses. Fingers crossed Enric's got no infantry in there!
Net-net we're down about the same number of units, and similar mix of armour and infantry. I can accept that, after losing both Panther's so cheaply between turn 4 & 5, but it doesn't bode well for the conclusion given US numerical superiority... Much remains to fight for!

TURNS 10 & 11

Turn 10 (16 remaining): A fighter-bomber exchange as both Enric and I bomb and lose units. Unfortunately, one of my Wespes is sitting at the edge of an artillery barrage and bites the dust. A pity. Those things are darned useful.

Turn 11 (15 remaining): Force concentration. Use two transports to bring infantry from the northwest woods closer to the town. Pull the remaining StuGs together to support each other. Bombard with the Wespe to try to remove Enric's visible M3 transport next to the church. Phew. Success!

TURN 12 (14 remaining)

Tank v tank in the southeast woods but we're both pretty weary by now... my StuG is a dire -76 morale versus Enric's Sherman 76 at 47 morale. The 76 will recover, and be able to fire, next turn, if I don't hit it somehow. I bombard with the distant Priest, reducing the 76's morale to, ahem, 38 lol... Still I can safely scamper away the StuG.
I continue concentrating the remainder of my forces to prepare a final ambush.

TURN 13 (13 remaining)

ARRRRRRGH!! The 76 that I just resuppressed has followed me and zapped my StuG darn it... I guess Enric's just used the "promote to unsuppress" strategy that I've used on him a couple of times so fair's fair... But ungf...
My infantry discovers a US scout in the nearby house. Time to terminate those deadly eyes and ears! Unfortunately the attack combination of my second StuG and two transports in hunt mode, merely reduce the scout's morale to 9 (lesson to remember is that houses provide very nice cover thank you very much .

I bombard the Sherman to keep it at bay.

TURN 14 (12 remaining)

Enric bombards like crazy... must have some mortars nearby, maybe even a Priest too... Most of my supposedly ambushing units flip into "white flag" suppression (and start to do foolish things like retreat and point their weakly armoured behinds at approaching Shermans, lol). Enric's suppressed scout escapes into the ether.
I still have a few infantrymen scattered about near to flags and my Wespe, but its bombardments haven't done a whole lot for me this game, so it feels like this one's over... This game was much more fun tho... unit killswise, the score isn't too far apart... However, being absolutely honest with myself, I was probably doomed from the moment that I lost the two Panthers so easily to the frontal charge by Enric's cheeky M10 back in turn 4-5... Enric's remaining units right now must best me by about 2-to-1, and my key units nearest the action are staying suppressed... So it's congrats Enric x2. Two-nil... Well done mate.

CONCLUSIONS

1. Restricting the Germans to only two heavy tanks in force selection is a significant weakness if the Allies enjoy superior numbers (however, the Germans won't do themselves any favours if they lose those two heavy tanks really easily to a frontal charge by an M10, lol... my bad! .
2. New players (ie. me) need to learn how reaction fire rules work because it feels like Enric "knew" exactly when he was safe to charge and exactly when it would be dangerous... when he charged there was no reaction fire from me... When I charged I was blasted. MUST LEARN THIS before playing my next game.
3. The BA game engine works well. Force selection is lots of fun. Happy gaming folks!