Paul’s Canadians beat Mike’s Germans by Casualty Cap in MLR 11 Only The Beginning.
The Canadians have to hold a small village against Fanatic German SS. The Germans have 10 squads, adequate leadership, a PZ IIIL and 2 PSW 232 ACs. The Canadians have 7 squads, HMG, MMG, 2 PIATS, and a 6 pdr AT gun.
The Germans need to cross the width of a board before they can get into the village. This is the German infantry’s most vulnerable time, as grain doesn’t help a whole lot against the upper building level positions the Canadians can defend from. The scenario is 6 turns long.
Mike set up a pincer movement with about 25% on my right, 25% overwatch, and 50% assaulting on my left. Some casualties were received moving up – 8 down 3 is a heck of a shot – but not too bad.
When he started closing with the village (beginning of turn four) I had about 12 CVP, four of them from two of his leaders, two of them from Mike rolling 12s on Rally attempts or Morale checks, and the rest from KIAs and K results. One thing I found out about these SS. If they break, it’s not for long. Their broken side morale for a full squad is 10! (SS + Fanatic). That turn saw both of Mike’s ACs bite the dust, the first from the AT gun that popped up and fired, and missed, and intensive fired, and flamed, and the second from a two hex PIAT shot. Those 10 points pushed him over the casualty limit, and instantly ended the game.
I think clarification needs to be made about the stupid Embankment RR that runs through the map. The Hillock LOS rules are one giant load of poppycock, so how about this: The EmRR is treated as a wall for LOS purposes, but a Hillock for Movement and TEM. (Mike, we played the Movement wrong – INF should have just been COT, vehicles should be 1 + COT.) For TEM details, see attached picture.
Mike thinks the Germans should be SS and Fanatic, which they kind of already are, but if they were designated SS, their Morale would be underlined, and they would ELR into two broken HS instead of to a 447 SS. Alternatively, make explicit that the 548 SS ELR to 447 SS.
I whined a lot about Mike not rolling my SAN of 4. Mike had one great turn where he pinned my sniper with a ‘2’ result, then proceeded to roll my SAN FOUR TIMES that turn. Pinned sniper, sorry! AAAARRRRGGGH!
Overall a quick scenario, quite fun, options for both sides.