ASL: StLouis ASL Tourney AAR Pt1 (long) ASL: StLouis ASL Tourney AAR Pt1 (long) To: "ASLML" Subject: ASL: StLouis ASL Tourney AAR Pt1 (long) From: "Joe Wilson" Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 13:23:05 -0500 Reply to Posting Individual Only Reply to List Only Reply to Both Hello Listers, Just came back from a weekend of ASL fun and excitement in ole St Louie. Jim Burris Jr. once again ran a fun tournament, better than last years. The scenario list offered some unusual selections, yet all the scenarios played seemed fairly balanced, and were a fresh change change from the standard tournament scenarios. On Friday night the action began. I faced off against "Speed Buggy" Steve Brasseurs (sp?). He picked PBP 19 "House of Pain" from my 3 preferred scenarios (there were 6 choices per round). Steve had won this tourney the previous year. My Germans had to defend 2 of 3 victory buildings at the rear of board 21, while his Brits entered bd 20 (the numbered halves of the bds were in play). Set in July 43, the infantry forces were fairly balanced, he had 2 M4s vs my Tiger. His reinforcement was a possible FB w no bombs on tn 4 or later. I tried to maintain concealment and slowly fall back. The Tiger was concealed in some woods in the center, while a large dummy was in a rubble on my right flank. He moved up my left and did everything by the book. Although his 51 Mrt lost smoke on its 1st shot, his Shermans provided covering smoke most of the way. No big stacks and some half squads to scout ahead, he was moving ahead on schedule. When I broke out the Tiger for its first shot, its MA malfed! Steve smiled and said, "I LOVE ASL!" From there on, he forged ahead, using the Shermans to move behind my infantry and cutoff routs or any skulking. The added insult was to malf my HMG on its 2nd shot, never to return. My 8-0 with ATR tried repeatedly to move in and get a good shot at one of the Shermans, but that was a more of a joke than a tactic. The FB came in on turn 4, making it even more difficult to move my remaining infantry around. It was over by Turn 5 (of 7). A British victory, my loss. 0-1 so far. Steve was a very good player. I thought I played a good game, but had some crucially bad luck, and could have perhaps setup the Tiger in a better position. Although I never tried to repair the MA, as Steve pointed out later, risking recall was really the only option after losing its MA. Saturday would offer 3 rounds and a new chance for victory. Jim Burris Jr (his Dad was also playing) agreed to play me for the next round, although he won the first round. He let me have my choice of scenario, so eager to get in the Jungle, I chose "Suicide Creek" from CH. Rolling for sides, I got the honorable Nipponese. This 6 turner on half of bd 34, lets the Japanese setup totally HIP, while 12 6-6-8 Marine sqds with 2 MMGs and 4 ldrs enter bd. A cluttered stream blocks the USMC from them reaching the victory hexes, where they need to get 5 sqd equivalents to at game end. The Japanese have 8 1st line sqds, 4 lmgs, MMG + HMG w crws, 3 leaders and a 1-3-5 Pillbox. By SSR the stream has no ford, is difficult terrain, shallow, costs 4 MF to enter, and Asslt Mv into it is NA. I setup to stop him at the stream, stronger on my center and left where his movement costs to reach the stream are the least. On turn two he is starting to cross the stream, led by a few halfsquads. He is coming right into my strongpoints, and at first, he isn't searching. Although his prepfire eliminated a sqd that covered the center path as it entered the stream (it elr'd twice in one fire phase), and he entered that jungle/path hex, he was still in for a surprise. Feeling safe he moves Capt Burris (10-2 BH from OB given 9-2), 2 sqds and both MMGs into the adjacent stream. Inside the hex, which he thought was clear, was my PB with MMG. He was kind enough to enter my boresighted hex at PB range, using FFMO and FFNAM. At 8fp, -4 drm, I roll a 4, 3 KIA !!! On my left he stumbles into my HMG which stops him in the stream there too. Passing his personal MC, we play on, but it only gets better for the Japanese. Two of his other leaders are already wounded, one by sniper, and reinforcements from my right are nearing the fighting. I capture with a h/s his wounded ldr in the stream, after the other Marines routed away. I am already bragging about his impending beheading (massacre). He shoots and kills him in the next turn. He has one other sqd across the stream in the center. I bring out another HIPster to complete encircling fire, breaking the Marines, and capturing them. To complete my boast, the leader guard massacres them in LOS of his fellow gyrenes. A single SMC executes 12 Marines with pistol and/or samarai sword! The USMC elr raises to 'SIX' ! In the end I push the Marines back across the stream as they fail their MCs like little babies. A small banzai charge crosses the stream on my left to wipe out the Marines there. As a retired Marine, it somewhat upset me to see my cardboard bretheren so humiliated, but it is only ASL ! 8-)) Jim has less than 5 sqd equivalents and resigns around turn 4. Now I'm 1-1. The next round has me against Greg Schmittgens. We agree to TAC 72 "Combat for a Tower", rolling for sides I get the German police unit (12 447s MGs and a former FR. armored HT). My HT is represented by a SPW250/1 but has red 10 MP, normal size, and FR esb modifiers. No PFs for the Germans. He has the Partisans that must keep a G.O. mmc in or adjacent to the AA7 tower (SSR: 2 level, 1 sqd equiv per level stacking) on the Bd 41, to win. Played on half the board, the Germans must first cross the bridge to get to the Partisans, as by SSR the stream is a uncrossable water obstacle. The Partisans start with a small 5 sqd force that gets 4 more sqds by tn 2. He eventually gets 4 Brit Lmgs and a low ammo Baz44 for SWs. The Partisans have 3 concealed stacks covering the bridge, but I know some must be dummies. Throughout the game, Greg made sure residual was left in my path. On the first turn I would have to brave two 4fp resids to cross the bridge, after the first h/s drew fire and broke. Forget it, so my HT w h/s and 8-0 passengers BU and cross the bridge. They VBM sleeze the nearest group. My fire from the hill across the stream wears eventually breaks these bridge guards down and I get most of my men across the bridge by turn 3. Now the French Partisans are ready in the buildings around AA7. I had captured a sqd and half of prisoners and with a h/s guard they advance down my right hoping to draw fire. Nothing like using human shields! But this ruse fails and are ignored by the the partisans. The h/s ldr and inherent PSK unload from the HT. The HT creeps up the hill in bypass to sleeze partisans as the infantry scurries forward. Time is running out. A Ger h/s w LMG managed to get passed the center sunken road and setup outside partisan range to cover his rear. He would make a crucial DFF shot that breaks a ldr and sqd on the back side of his hill, ending one chance for Partisan victory. I'm able to get in CC in 3 locations on the French hill by turn 5. These melees allow more Germans to get up the hill by the last turn (6). Greg gets a bit tempted to win one of these CCs adj to AA7 and advanced out of AA7 into a melee on his last turn. Bad move and he later knew it.On the last player turn, Ger 6th, I surround the melee adj to AA7, take AA7, leaving the rest of the Partisans either broke or in melee. He needs to win the melee adj to AA7 to win. His attack is 1:4, he fails. Game over. German win. This was my closest match in the tourney, a real nail biter. Lots of excitement and plenty of close calls. This was also the first round of ASL bingo. I won the bingo round! The bingo card is an excellent idea for any tournament, as it keeps players interested in their game even if losing. So ends part one of my AAR. Joe _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com/ Prev by Date: Fwd: ASL: Rules Questions Next by Date: Re: ASL: WBC 2001 AAR Part 1 (long) Prev by thread: ASL: RE: Oktoberfest Next by thread: ASL: Blow Up maps Index(es): Date Thread