Stop Patton! A CD IV AAR

Hello Gamers!

Last weekend I played in another one of Vic's Command Decision games. I forget the actual scenario name but it involves a large hodge podge of Germans attempting to blunt the tip of Patton's famous advance so the Germans can gain time to recover. There was a colossal amount of units on the table:

Despite the fact that the Germans were rolling in with around four companies of Panthers and Stugs their troop quality was pretty bad. Most of these guys had never seen combat, and this was only their third or fourth time actually driving their tanks. As such, all German movement was halved. The Americans were pretty standard, and had a buttload of Shermans and Stuarts as well at Hellcats.

Anyway, the Germans were tasked with taking 3 of the towns scattered across the board. This would prove nigh' impossible, but hey, we tried :D

Shots of the Table:

The German plan was to take the towns to the Left and Right and converge on the Center town. A fairly straightforward and easy to follow plan, and quite honestly, the only plan available (I'll get to that later)

We were moving using blinds/concealment markers with a visibility of four inches (200 yards to you non CD players) and we made it through the first turn with 0 contact. The Americans laid out dummy blinds hoping we'd try to trek it through the open ground rather than using the roads, but their bluff failed.

This is where the entire plan fell apart. Our right flank came to a screeching halt due to a single platoon of Shermans, who opened fire on the encroaching Panthers. Predictably, the first Panther Platoon crapped their pants and threw it in Reverse. This would become the trend for the entire rest of the game.

As Turn 3 began the Germans moved their two pincers into contact with their respective towns. Immediately, it became painfully clear the day was lost. We were too slow, and the Americans made it to every town before we did, meaning it'd be nearly impossible to dig them out. On the right, four companies of Panthers were held down by a single company of Shermans. The Germans killed a single platoon, while in turn losing two platoons of their own.

This is as far as the Panthers would get as even more Shermans rolled into town and the Panther's morale was already shaky.

On the left, the Germans fared little better. My Infantry Company made it all the way to the town, which had been occupied the previous turn by US blinds. Lo and Flippin Behold, it was two companies of Stuarts
who immediately destroyed 1/3rd of my men. The following turn I had nothing to do but close assault, and my entire force was slain by canister rounds.

The game was beyond over at this point. With a single Engineer Company left in the center, advancing towards a town filled with machine guns and Hellcats, we just gave up. All in all, I understand that this was a historical refight and war isn't always fair, and I enjoyed hanging out and seeing people while pushing some plastic.

However, the game was so unbelievably one sided it was impossible to be upset at our loss. The Germans have absolutely ZERO chance of getting to the towns before the US does. It is simply impossible to take any more than one town. If we had sent the Panthers left and all the infantry up the middle as a flank guard we would have taken one town. However, by then the center town would be bristling with death, and we would be back to square one anyway.

The Troop Quality of the Germans combined with their reduced movement rate makes for an impossible challenge. The Table was beautiful, the figures were outstanding, and Vic was once again a passionate and awesome GM. Even though I lost I had fun, as I always do when playing any of Vic's games. Here's some more shots of some of the Figures involved:

Thanks for reading and stay tuned! Over the weekend I'm going to post a tutorial for Fences and Roads!

Happy Gaming!

Ambush! A DH Point Blank AAR

Hey gamers! Last weekend I had a great game of Disposable Heroes Point Blank with my gaming buddy Vic. The scenario was played outon a 3x3.5 table. The objective was for the Germans to get as many figures off table as possible, while the US objective was to eliminate as many Germans as possible.

Table Pic:

 The US Forces consisted of a full Rifle Squad with a Bazooka in support. They were rated Normal(Regular) with a +0 for Trained

 The Germans also had a full Rifle Squad, rated Veteran with a +1 and a 222 + HMG in support

Playing the Americans, Vic opted to spread his troops out across the whole table in an L shape, which had it's own pros and cons. Many of his troops fell out of command radius, and were difficult to activate, but on the other hand it would be hard for the Germans to move with so much opportunity (Snap Fire) coming their way.

Turn 1 sees the US with initiative and the US Sergeant promptly guns down two Germans caught on the open road, triggering the ambush. I should mention it is hard to outright kill in Point Blank because the game is focused on suppression and maneuver, but Vic made his daily sacrifice to the Dice Gods and they smiled favorably on him.

 Now that the Sergeant has died, his responsibilities pass to the Corporal, who does his best to keep his men moving. My Corporal was located with my LMG section, which proved invaluable to me because I was using the LMG as the nucleus of my remaining men, passing out suppression so they could move down the road. DHPB uses a genius Command and Control system which gives a player tokens to spend on activation. The farther away a unit is from his leader, the more points he costs to activate. Anyway, the remainder of turn 1 saw the Germans make about 1/3 of road before becoming heavily suppressed by the US troops all around them. In an effort to alleviate the problem, I sent my Recon Car down the road a bit and fired off some rounds, suppressing the US and giving me a chance to rally.

 Unfortunately, though I bought my men some time, the sneaky US Bazooka Team gave my 222 a whacking with that stove pipe and destroyed it.

Things do look up for the Germans though. My HMG team finally gets in on the action and mows down the US Sergeant, which moves command over to the US Corporal, who happens to be on the other end of the board! 

The units previously suppressing the Germans now cost more to activate, so they put out much less fire. We chalked this up to the men not knowing what to do in absence of their leader. The Germans end the turn around 1/2 down the road. 

 The US forces, under Vic's leadership, wisely tighten the noose around the desperate German patrol. US Riflemen form a half circle around the remaining Germans, and their fire is effective. We spent this whole turn trading shots back and forth, but there was little German movement. In the picture below you can see all the pins on the Germans, huddling around the rocks and trying not to die.

 Turn 4 sees the last bit of German luck come and go. One lucky firing puts out massive hurt on the US, killing their Corporal and momentarily silencing their BAR team.

 Seizing the opportunity, a brave Grenadier rushes forward and kills two of the three Americans guarding the road edge with a very lucky grenade roll. With victory in my grasp I start hustling my men forward as I attempt to lay down suppressing fire with my HMG.

 Unfortunately for the Germans, the US manage to shake their pins and lay down the hurt as the Germans enter the final open stretch. Two more Germans fall, and the HMG is so pinned it simply surrenders (We decided to call it a surrender, it had  5 pins and it couldn't fall back in any direction to shake those pins)

Four Germans remain but the BAR team is still passing out pins. One German charges them in an attempt to buy his friends time to escape. He kills one before being killed in hand to hand combat.

The last three Germans manage to slip off the board.

 All in all the game ended with a victory for the Americans. Although three Germans escaped, they were thoroughly defeated. We counted up the Victory Points to see what the rules said for victory, and the US did indeed win. The Germans got 3 points for the 3 escapees and 5 points for killing 5 US Soldiers. The US killed 9 German soldiers and got 9 points. We couldn't decide if the Recon Car was worth 1 or 2 points but either way it wouldn't have changed the outcome.

All in all it was a spectacular game, we had a blast. We went 4 turns and managed to play it in under 2 hours. I cannot speak highly enough of the rules, both Platoon Level and Squad Level Disposable Heroes. They are my favorite rules for a reason. If you have questions about the scenario or the rules feel free to ask either here or on TMP. Thanks for tuning in and happy Gaming!

Oh, also, I will be posting several terrain tutorials over the next few weeks as I build up for a huge Company Level Disposable Heroes game so stay tuned!

Command Decision IV Game: "When Olympus Trembled"

AAR by Ethan Tichenor
Game by Victor Gregoire

Hello gamers, I had the opportunity to go to Vic's house today and play a CD IV game based on part of the Invasion of Greece. The game was awesome, with a stunning Greek Victory. Here's the turn by turn:

Objectives: Germany must capture the road leading to Athens, the level 2 hill, and the town of Akiras.
The Greeks must hold Akiras OR the level 2 hill.

The Germans

The Greeks

The Table

Turn 1.

Deployment:

The Greeks started with one rifle company in the town of Akiras. They also started with two stands of pathetic Railroad Security Personnel stationed anywhere along the railroad, up to 6" away at any point. Being the Greek Commander, I opted to deploy the railroad security troops 6" from the midway point, to guard the bridge leading to the level 2 hill. I left the rifle company in Akiras as per scenario deployment conditions.

The Germans started one company off in trucks, and deployed on the Road to Athens. The other German company stayed off board, awaiting support on turn 2 before driving on Akiras.

The first turn of movement went to the Germans, and the company on the road shot off in their trucks and turned toward the bridge housing my reluctant railroad security speedbumps. Against all preconceptions, they destroyed both platoons of trucks and HALF of the German company in Op Fire.

Much cheering ensued from the Greek side. In General Fire, the Germans failed to hit the boasting railroad security troops, and in the morale phase, the remainder of the German company fled, forced back and demoralized.

Turn 2

The Artillery Phase begins! German and Greek artillery do nothing, since both of them are drunk and their phones are dead.

German Reinforcements arrive on both flanks. A company of Panzer 2s and 3s drive into Akiras and begin laying fire on the dug in Greek Company.

Their fire has no effect, and the trucks containing the German rifle company and 20mm aa gun have no room to enter the board. Having no chance of damaging the tanks, the Greeks dig deeper holes and begin praying.

 Over on the other flank, another German Rifle Company enters the board and drives towards Athens. They are stopped by a cleverly placed Greek roadblock, and their movement ends. They deploy two field guns and some infantry, as well as a forward observer along the road and among the trees.

Now the Greeks have their turn. Heroic Greek soldiers race onto the board towards the Germans and set up a defensive line near the roadblock stretching from a river embankment to an orchard across the vital road. The Greeks open fire on the lead halftrack and the exposed engineers clearing the roadblock, destroying both of them.

Things begin to look grim for the Germans on the road. Just as all begins to settle down the Heroes of Greece (The railroad employees) charge forth and close assault the German Forward Oberservers, killing them. Even more cheering and laughter ensues on the Greek side.

Turn 3.

Back at Akiras the Greeks take their first casualties, mounting fire from the Panzers wipes out half of the Greek company entrenched there. The survivors break and flee deeper into the town. The Germans move their tanks towards the level 2 hill, and the infantry dismount to cleanse the heroic Greeks from the town

Back on the Road to Athens the Germans move up their final company and deploy them behind the trucks. The Greek move sees the last of the Greek reinforcements arrive, and they concentrate on the level 2 hill facing Akiras. With this, the German Panzer company stands no chance of taking the hill. On the road to Athens, the Greeks are emboldened by their wild success thus far, and begin charging the Germans, sweeping up their entire line.

 The game is basically decided at this point, but we go one more turn anyway. Not much happens. The Greeks finish off the remainder of the Germans on the road to Athens, and the Germans fully clear Akiras.
The Panzers make no move on the hill, knowing it would be suicide. In the end, the Greeks lost only 3 stands, and no vehicles. The Germans lost almost every single transport on the road to Athens and 10 infantry stands, not including the 4 stands who surrendered or fled off the board.

All in all it was an extremely fun game. After some discussion, it was decided it was an equal game in terms of chance of success, and the German loss was attributed to the Panzers not moving on the hill on Turn 2 (before the Greeks dug in on it) and some pretty bad dice rolls. The game was ruled a Greek Victory. The highlights including the tanks shelling my poor Greeks to death, a crazy double eliminated artillery shot, the unpredictably invincible railroad employees, and the German Battalion Commander driving off the map rather than dying.

As always Vic was an excellent host and the game was awesome. He will be running this game at HAVOC on Friday night, if you're around jump in, he's a hell of a GM and his games are always fun. 

Stay tuned Gamers!

-Ethan