Might As Well Jump.

Brushing up on the chapter E Airdrop rules for DB077 Speed, Shock & Surprise, has brought to light a few things I either forgot or never knew in the first place.

First off, until they land, parachute sticks are Aerial targets. (Not Ariel targets. Relax. No one is shooting at The Little Mermaid.) Range is always doubled for Aerial targets, and PBF/TPBF do not apply. Though the partisans will still get some -2 shots, this will help the Germans considerably in DB077, as the partisans have a pretty limited range to begin with. That one's easy.

Hurting the Germans a bit, is the fact that Aerial parachute sticks always check morale as a 7 morale unit, regardless of the morale of the elite SS Fallschirmjagers they represent.

Ground units always have LOS to an Aerial stick unless they are in a blind hex formed by an Adjacent obstacle.

The only possible LOS hindrance affecting fire at an Aerial target is SMOKE. (LV Hindrances may still apply) However, level 2 Smoke (the kind we will have from the Blazing Rubble in DB077), only affects the shot if ground level firer is IN the hex with the Smoke. Even if the parachute ITSELF is in the Smoke hex, fire is unaffected if the firer is not IN Smoke.

In the example, (after all drift has been resolved and during Defensive First Fire) the 337 w/LMG in J6 can fire on stick A with 2FP -2. The Aerial range is six hexes, making it long range for both the inherit firepower and the LMG. (E.5) There is a -2 mod for Hazardous Movement. The level 2 Smoke does not affect the shot, because it is not In the same hex as the ground level unit.(E.6)

In addition, if the squad was concealed, they would remain so after firing, because the stick is treated as "Broken" for LOS purposes. (9.6) Even if the LMG should get ROF, it could not fire again at this time, because "No Aerial target can be attacked twice in the same hex by the same firer." (9.3)

The 337 in J8 can not fire on stick A because the Aerial range is 10 (5x2). It does have a LOS to stick A. The obstacle in K7 creates only one Blind Hex (7.25). This squad can fire on stick 'B' with 1FP (3 / 2 for long range) -2.

The 337 in G8 can fire on stick 'B' with 3FP -2.  TPBF/PBF is NA vs Aerial targets (.5). After Defensive First Fire, stick 'B' will take a NMC as it's landing DR, because it has landed in a building hex. The squad then MUST fire TPBF at the stick (9.43). Assuming the squad is already marked First Fire, this attack is 4FP +2. If the squad is already marked Final Fire due to Cowering in First Fire, this would be a Final Protective Fire shot.

At the end of First Fire all German parachutes land in their current hex. Non-German paratroops would would be able to move one hex just prior to landing. (9.4). All must take a landing DR. If landing in a building or woods hex (plus many other terrain types listed in E9.42), this is a NMC, still using the 7 morale printed on the parachute counter. Otherwise, it a NTC, failure of which results in any squad deploying, and one HS drifting one hex downwind. (9.42) During a Mild Breeze, as we have in this scenario, these become 1TC and 1MC. Could be ugly.

Hello UPS!

The map pack arrived today.

Haven't looked too closely yet, but the maps look pretty good! They have a slightly different feel then the 20-30 year old originals, but "different" is not a bad thing. In addition, the consistent colors, and -MOST OF ALL FOR GOD'S SAKE- the fact that the hexes where the boards meet actually meet up correctly make this a huge win.

At the risk of acting like a four year old who likes playing with the box better than playing with the present, the box looks very useful for storage and travel.

It's the first time I've had something to put maps in that they actually fit in! The pack comes with boards 1-52 plus seven letter-id starter kit boards, with room for plenty more. I'm going to reinforce the corners and keep everything in there. Boxes are exciting and awesome!! (Easy, easy now, I'm going to be okay.)

I just hope they don't start to dissolve or rebel when I mix in my HOB and Bounding Fire boards.

It Never Snows In May Either.

Getting back into the ASL swing this weekend. Jim and I are taking on Speed, Shock & Surprise from Dispatches from the Bunker (DB077).

The scenario represents the airborne portion of attempt by the Germans to eliminate Tito and his partisan headquarters near Drvar Yugoslavia.

I've only played an airdrop scenario once before (as part of the Primosole Bridge campaign game). The airdrop is very dicey, especially when there is a breeze of undetermined direction (the wind direction in this scenario is determined just prior to beginning play). You assign your sticks, pick your drop points and hope for the best. Bad luck on turn one might put you hopelessly behind.

My Germans have 25(!) SS Fallschirmjager squads. The German leadership is an embarrassment of riches, with 10 leaders including three -2s and 4 -1s. Some of these units will likely be lost in the airdrop when they are very vulnerable to enemy fire (hazardous movement). Others will drift way off target or be broken by terrain, and be quite delayed entering the fight. Whatever force gets down will have 7 turns to capture all of the stone building locations.

The partisan onboard force is comparatively weak, though in a good defensive position. By set-up instructions they can not concentrate. *But* they are stealthy, concealed, and allowed to use H-T-H. They also get four L3 Italian light tanks on turn three, and a turn five infantry reinforcement that is no joke.

A pregame quasi-bombardment is conducted in which some buildings are rubbled (and possibly set ablaze), and some road hexes get hit with shell holes. Having completed the pre game rolls, here is the terrain we will be dropping into:

Tito: We are coming for you.

Happy Everything.

In the spirit of the season, here's my buddy Paul being silly with Aimee Mann.

AAR BFP60 Thrilla in Manila

My opponent and I played "Thrilla in Manila" from BFP's Blood & Jungle pack. This one features the high powered American forces trying to root out every Japanese soldier holed up in the Agricultural building in 1945. The Americans have a big hammer, but the Japanese are hard to kill.

Jim set up on a broad front. He had two kill stacks of .50 cal /MMG on the first level of buildings near the center. He would send a few squads up the middle while the larger attack would come from the flanks.

My defense featured the a pillbox /HMG covering the row I road, and the other with a MMG cover hexrow F. I fortified four ground level hexes of the victory building, and the two northernmost 1st levels. I swapped the remaining two fortified locations for tunnels; one from E5 to G4, the other K4 to H3. Both pillboxes also get tunnels, which lead into the victory building.

My AA guns were covering the back of the building from the brush patch. The INF gun was in G4. I considered putting the gun on a fortified upper building level, bu decided I didn't want to expose it the big American guns so early.

Each of the northernmost hexes of the victory building have 6FP AP mines. To try to keep the fire spewing sherman at bay, I put all 4 AT mine factors in F5, and a set DC in I7 to be detonated by a HIP T-H hero in J5.

Jim's first WP shot was effective on G5, stripping concealment of all the units and revealing a HIP rooftop squad. So much for that surprise. That was the only WP round the Americans brought with them, however. The didn't bring any regular smoke either.

The early battle had the American guns and kill stacks pounding the front of the building as the Japanese skulked and tried to hold off two bazooka squads creeping up through the debris. The squads were turned back, but the Japanese 10-1 leader died early, failing a MC and the ensuing wound severity dr.

One of the M18s came rolling down the main street hoping to clear some wire (which it did), but ran into the set A-T DC as well. Leaving a burning wreck.

There was a fairly intense fight for the buildings on the Japanese right. The Americans took some beating in there. I had hoped to get most of my troops back to the building through the E5 tunnel, but the flametank parked in F6 made the tunnel hex one of the more dangerous on the map. In the end, only 2 half squads were able to get back.

The American of the Japanese left moved without much opposition. A HIP Japanese half squad did manage to scare a big American stack moving in the open, but gacked the roll. 2.5 of the 3.5 squads I had on that side were able to get across the street with out much trouble. The HMG crew in the pillbox got back as well, although they had to cross open ground to do it (can't carry the HMG through a tunnel.) By turn 5 the main battle was on.

The Americans initially gained a toehold in the building on the north side. The troops on the flanks were beaten back by point blank fire a few times.

As the Americans moved in, there was no longer any place to hide in that building.

 The Japanese continued to attrit under the massive firepower pounding away at them. Insult to injury came when the last full strength elite Japanese squad went berserk, charging out of the victory building to their death.

The flame tank finally tried to move in closer and hit the AT mines. Burn. The next turn we got wind, and the smoke drifted into the building.

The Japanese on the south end finally gave way to fire from a sherman with armor leader, and now Americans were getting in from both ends.

As turn 7 started, the issue was still very much in doubt. The known Japanese consisted of only only a wounded 9-1 leader, one half squad, one full squad, and 3 reduced strength gun crews. There was still a HIP half squad at large somewhere. An American squad would bump into it, hiding in the cellar.

The drifting smoke made the American's job harder, as it made the FP less effective. The Japanese full squad won a CC killing an American squad, and a Japanese gun crew was hanging on in melee against the odds. Still on the edge.

Turn 8 saw Jim's shermans going CE and driving into bypass of the two remaining Japanese MMCs, freezing them. A squad and leader executed an infantry overrun on the wounded leader who was trying to bottle up the stairwell, and pushed him into the location of the Japanese squad.

CC came and the Americans, with advantages in both, prevailed.

Jim's attacking strategy was sound. I think my defensive set-up was as well. One thing I did not do well during play, was take full advantage of the O6 cellar locations. I was only able to generate one T-H hero during the game, who was cut down by the MG's of the sherman he was desperately charging.

This is a very intense scenario. Both of us were pretty well drained at the end. I was feeling pretty good about my position in the odd numbered turns, and certain all was lost on the evens. That's the kind of roller coaster that defines an exciting scenario. More like this, please.

I would highly recommend downloading the enlarged map section from Bounding Fire . Otherwise, the map becomes cluttered and tedious late in the game.

New Business

Jim and I will later be taking on Thrilla in Manila , from BFP's Blood and Jungle pack.

As the title indicates, this one has the Japanese and American troops in a city battle as the U.S. fights to retake the Phillipines in 1945. The American are tasked with taking a five hex three story building, which has RB-style cellars to boot.

"Slugfest" doesn't quite do this one justice. The two sides set up right on top of each other and start hammering away. The US has a flame tank, two 155 arty pieces being used as direct fire, flamethrowers, dcs, the whole kit.

The Japanese counter with two AA guns, an INF gun, a few pillboxes, and multiple fortified building locations. In addition, they have all the usual Japanese defensive tricks.

This will likley be a bloodbath.

Old Business

It's been a few weeks since the Despbry Defiant playing. I didn't have my camera and all I got were a few iPhone shots that aren't very good.

Suffice to say that Desobry was not defiant. In fact, he was downrigtht compliant.

I set up the .50 cal, & -2 leader in the steeple location. Even thought ahead enough to have a spare half-squad on level one to man the MG if needed. In the opening prep phase, with German infantry in the open (except for the mist), the .50 cal whiffed. No effect. No Rate. in the ensuing DF phase, Jim needed a three to hit the steeple with his halftrack mounted 75*. Rolled a three. Broken squad, wounded leader.

So we rout the squuad out of there, and let the spare squad advance up and take over. Jim rolls a two on his next shot. Critical. The .50 would end the day having taken only one shot. It was that kind of day.

Jim moved his armor up and the roads to avoid bogging in the mud. The infantry mostly moved up the middle between the roads. I gave Jim a few anxious moments with my artillery, but his casualties remained light. When at last he had significant infantry near my pre-registered hex, I pulled a red card.

I was careless with my armor reinforcements, using them to engage a panther tank that would have been a very difficult kill. I should have held them back behind the village in a reverse slop defense. Jim obliged my carelessness by blowing the reinforcements away.

Soon, he was killing the HIP tank on my left flank and mopp-ing up the infantry in that area.

The German path almost entirley clear, we called this in turn 6.

A combination of bad dice and careless play made this a reasonably easy German victory. Jim's slow and steady approach capitalized on my errors.

It's an interesting enough scenario, and certainly should have been closer. Jim and I both gave it the "slight recommend" rating on ROAR. We agreed that it is not as fun and interesting as it's AP6 sister scenario, Nishe Nyet.