Went home for the holidays last week and had a chance to get in a game against my old FtF buddy Hugh Harvey. We chose the Rout Report scenario Z24 "Men Of Stone" - a Japanese counter attack against American first line troops on Okinawa. The scenario uses three half-boards: 18, 13 and 15 (from North to South - I think). The Americans setup on board 18; the Japanese on board 15 - attacking across board 13. The Japanese must be the only side with GO MMC on hill 18J2 at the end of any Game Turn to win. Light Rain and Mud are in effect.
We dice for sides and I get the Americans. This is from memory, so I won't be quoting any hex coordinates.
American Setup:
I setup forward in three groups. From (the American) left to right:
Group 1: On the left-most hill mass. Consisting of (again from left to right) the Sherman, one of the 60mm MTR's and a squad. I like this spot for the Sherman as it can see most of the area the Japanese must advance over, avoiding the clump of Orchards in the middle of board 13.
Group 2: In the center woods mass. Consisting of the 8-1, HMG/666; 8-0, MMG/666 and two 666's.
Group 3: On the right-most hill mass. The other 60mm MTR and a 666.
Japanese Setup:
Hugh sets up his guys pretty much in a line across board 15, at the edge of his setup area. The 70mm Gun is on a level 3 hill on his left (the American right) - ready to rain Indirect Fire into the central woods mass on board 18, I reckon. In case you're not familiar, the Japanese get a dozen 448's w/a couple of DC's and 5(!) Leaders, including a 10-2 and a 10-1! Can you say "Banzai!"?
The Attack:
The first turn sees Hugh's guys charging headlong (very Japanese) toward the American lines. I shoot alot and do exactly diddly-squat. On the Japanese half of turn one, his 70mm Gun opens up on the tree line, breaking the MMG squad and eliminating a stack of Dummies before Hugh does me the courtesy of malfing the thing.
Turn two see the Sons Of The Rising Sun charging forward again. The rain level increases. I finally start to start flipping and CR-ing some squads. His turn two Defensive and Prep Fire are ineffective. He shifts the focus of his attack to the American center. Hugh does me another favor and breaks his 70mm Gun.
Turn three sees more Japs running forward, more shooting, Japanese casualties are mounting. I do something unusual for me - I pull the HMG back in time before it gets over-run. The squad on the American right (from Group 3) breaks. Group 1 is holding firm as his attack shifted to the center. I move the Sherman off the hill, toward the center - it bogs after about three hexes, but in a good position to cover the American retreat from the center woods mass to the J2 hill mass. The 666 from Group 1 also moves toward the J2 hill mass. The Japanese setup for a Banzai Charge.
Turn four and the Japanese unleash their Banzai Charge, led by the 10-2 (I think the 10-1 was in there as well). Directly in the path of the BC the Americans have: the 8-1, HMG666, 666; 666 - as well as supporting units on the flanks of the BC; the bogged Sherman on the left, with LOS to the Japanese and the hexes they must cross; and the MMG546 (Rallied) on the right) - the BC is moving from the center woods mass, across the road toward the 18J2 hill mass.
This was my first experience of a Banzai Charge, from either perspective, and I must say, it was pretty cool! The Japanese BC consisted of probably around 4 - 5 squad-equivalents and 1 or 2 leaders. The first Impulse sees much shooting: the MMG lays a firelane across the path of the BC (it's a couple hexes deep in a couple of spots); one unfortunate Japanese 348 is adjacent to the 8-1, HMG666, 666 stack and suffers a 36 -3(!) shot {shudder} - Japanese casualties mount; the 10-2 is Wounded. Impulse two, and a Japanese MMC gets into the same Location as an American 666 (18J1?) - this 666 survives FPF; more Japanese casualties; the 10-2 is Wounded again, and dies. Impulse three - another MMC into 18J1(?) and the 666 survives another FPF shot! End of BC and the Japanese has two HS (I think) in the hex with the 666 and a 10-1 with a MMC (348?) adjacent to the hill, still under a Banzai counter. An AFPh shot Pins the 666 in 18J1(?). In the CCPh, we both need 7's for the kill (I think the Japs only had one MMC in there at this point (a 238), the other died during the MPh: he's at 1:2 with -1 DRM and I'm at 1:1) I whack him, he gacks hit DR, and the 666 pulls through!
In the American half of the turn, the 666 in 18J1(?) Advances into CC with the Banzai-ing 10-1, 348. On the American left, the remaining 346 (that was manning the MTR) Advances into CC with an adjacent DC/238. The Japanese finally kill the heroic 666 in the center (but the Japs are no longer Banzai), while I whack the 238 on the left.
Turn five and the Japanese are getting desperate. They are getting close to the CVP cap (22 CVP). I recover the Japanese DC during the RPh. Japanese fire is ineffective in the center while moving up his remaining Infantry for the final, desperate attempt to push the Americans off the hill. He moves another HS up to the (j)DC/346. The 346 tosses the DC on it's former owner - and KIA's the Japs, while breaking himself.
On turn 6 the final push begins. The end comes when a Jap MMC is gunned down while rushing the hill (KIA) - pushing the Japanese over the CVP cap (23 CVP total, out of 38 or so in the Jap OB).
Aftermath:
After my initial cold dice on turn one, I could seem to do no wrong. While I did get my share of crappy rolls, I always seemed to get the good rolls when I needed them - and Hugh couldn't buy a MC after turn one! I thing we both agreed that, given average dice on both sides, this would be a close contest. As it was, Hugh considered conceding on turn 4.
Comments appreciated.
Burnie
It's Friday night and the TV programs stink so I will share with you the helping of humble pie I had this afternoon. The current Laddermeister and ex-patriate, Burnie Fox, returned to Indy for the holiday weekend and we got together for a game of ASL this afternoon. I had picked out half a dozen of the short (>8 turn) scenarios from the Will Scarvie's ASL Record "Most Balanced" list and Burnie picked Z24 "Men of Stone" from Kurt Martin's Rout Report Web Page. We diced for sides and I got the Japanese--I was happy with this because the Japanese have twelve elite squads with good SWs and five(!) leaders to attack seven 666s, two leaders, and an M4A1.
Burnie set up the US as follows:
18B1 M4A1 CA:1
18C2 foxhole, 346w/mtr
18D2 666
18G1 9-1, 666w/hmg
18G3 foxhole
18H0 666
18H1 foxhole
18H2 foxhole
18H3 foxhole
18H4 foxhole (not positive about that location, but close)
18J0 ?+3 (Dummy stack)
18J1 foxhole 18K1 666
18K2 foxhole
18L0 8-0, 666w/mmg
18O2 666
18P1 foxhole, 346w/mtr
Burnie had all his units concealed which in my holiday shopping induced brain funk I allowed to go unchallenged. The units in 18C2, D2, O2, and P1 weren't in concealment terrain and I believe shouldn't have been concealed per A12.12. Mea Culpa. I don't think it had much, if any, impact since they all dropped concealment on turn 1 to fire.
The other possible "mistake" I discovered was actually in Kurt Martin's scenario notes (also available on the Rout Report Web Page). Kurt mentioned how much smoke from the Japanes mortars can hurt the defenders/help the attackers. However, the EC are Mud and Overcast so smoke isn't an option per A24.6. [ I kind of hope there was an omitted SSR that allowed smoke because the smoke would indeed be a big help. I wonder if it was playtested with smoke. Kurt?]. In our game, the rain started on the US turn 1 so smoke was definitely never part of the equation.
I set up my Japanese for a full throttle assault with a crew/mmg and HS w/mortar on each flank and ten squads stacked up in pairs with a HIP leader each across the north edge of board 15 to maximize movement. The infantry gun went up on 15S5 where it could hit the board 18 hills and about half of the wood hexes on the board 13/18 border. The assault plan was to charge forward in two groups of 4-5 squads around either side of the causeway/marsh hexes mid board and head for the treeline on the board 13/18 border. From there, they were to launch a banzai charge on the 18I3 hill mass, sweep all before them, hear the lamentations of their women, etc, etc. Two squads with DCs and a leader were to move up the board 13 valley (aka "deep, dry pond") to launch T-H heroes at the M4. Meanwhile the infantry gun, mmgs, and mortars would try to inflict as much damage as possible. That was the plan--here is how it went.
Turn 1
The Japanese infantry gun claimed opportunity fire sine all the target were concealed and the Japanese squads started doouble timing forward. The squads generally made it into or adjacent to the board 13 stream and around rows 6 or 7 of board 13 after the APh. Two squads and the 10-1 leader felt ballsy, ran across the elevated road, and made it unscathed to Y5/Y6 in the APh. The US defensive fire was pathetic, I don't remeber a DR less than 8 or 9! In the AFPh, the infantry gun hit 18L0 using indirect fire for airbursts :-), broke the leader, ELRed the squad, and kept ROF. The next shot at the dummy stack in 18J0 hit with ROF and removed them. The next shot at 18D2 resulted in boxcars, ugh! Burnie rolls rain on the WC DR and the US squads took a few shots at some Japanese squads. The M4 reduced a squad with a DC headed its way. His mortars still couldn't hit a damn thing or keep ROF. A few US squads skulked behind the hills or woods and advanced back into defensive fire positions.
Turn 2
I rolled heavy rain on the next WC DR. I figured this was great--with the LV and heavy rain who needed smoke! The Japanese continued forward as fast as possible (pretty damn slow coming out of a muddy stream!) and the anti-tank squads headed into the dry valley towards the M4. The US units started rolling better dice and a few squads got reduced, the M4 hit a leader and DC carrying squad with a CH and mgs which left a wounded, ELRed leader and a broken HS. The worst thing was it dawned on me (finally) that the rain DRM were hurting me as bad as the US--if not worse due to my generally lower firepower. In the APh, any squads still stacked spread out--the bullets were starting to get thick. My AFPh and DFPh were worthless. All the shots I could generate had better chances of activting the US sniper than getting a NMC. The only bright spot was the broken 8-0 rolling boxcars on his rally attempt and wounding himself. The US started falling back with a couple of his squads towards the foxholes on the 18I3 hillmass while the squads on the flanks and a couple (including the 9-1, 666/hmg) stayed in the treeline or on the hills to punish the Japanese some more as they continued to close.
Turn 3
The infantry gun gacked (dr=6) it's repair attempt and the broken, wounded US 8-0 rolled another boxcars to kill himself. The Japanese continued to surge forward. The Japanese made the treeline, but the US defensive fire started getting hot and and the Japanese MC DRs went due south. Several of the reduced Japanese squads became HSs and a 448w/lmg died on a 1KIA caused by a 1 residual firepower attack that also wounded the accompanying 10-0. The M4 A1 continued to punish the hell out of the two DC totting units--they didn't even get close to within 8 MFs of the tank. The Japanese supporting arms (mmgs and mortars) couldn't hit crap through the rain, LOS hindrances, and TEM. Not to mention the negative effect of mud on the mortars' HE rounds if they had managed to hit anyway (the US squads were pretty much out of the woods hexes by this point too, no airbursts :-(). The US units fell back into the foxholes behind the treeline and on the 18I3 hill. The Japanese made the treeline with only 5.5 squads and two unwounded leaders. It was looking bad for the Japanese, but I was determined to launch a banzai charge after all this effort. The M4 went mobile and entered 18E2 before it bogged, but it is well placed to counter the coming banzai charge. In the US player turn, the M4 broke its cmg, but the hmg kept ROF for a painful 7+ shots further adding to the carnage.
Turn 4
The banzai charge went down with the 10-2 and 10-0 leading about 4 squad equivalents forward. They had to move two hexes to enter the US lines and were facing six squads, the mmg, the hmg, the 9-1 leader and the M4A1. Half of the US squads were in foxholes and/or on the hill. The 9-1, 666/hmg, 666 kill stack was in 18G2. The mmg and two squads were in 18N2 and the mmg placed a firelane across the banzai path, oh joy!. The hmg kept ROF again for several shots. The Japanese units melted despite their 9ML and -1 or -2 LDRMs. Still, a few Japanese HSs managed to enter 18J2 and 18G2 causing FPF attacks. Of course, the US rolled low enough to break or outright remove the offending Japanese units and avoid breaking themselves, aaargh!. The Japanese turn ended with the US squad in 18J2 killing the surving HS in HTH CC. The Japanese banzai force was down to about 1.5 squads and one unwounded leader. The Japanese mmg crews and mortar HSs abandoned their worthless mobility inhibitors and marched toward the pile of dead Japanese. They were afraid of being accused of cowardice if they returned to their caves alive.
The US hadn't so much as failed a MC in three turns and the only casualty was the 8-0 who killed himself two turns earlier. In the US turn, the M4 unbogged for 5 MPs and trundled into 18G3 after passing an ESB DR for 2 MPs with no sweat. The mortar HS in 18C2 advanced onto a CX HS carrying the DC in 18C1(about all that was left of the anti-tank guys), killed him in CC, and recovered the DC charge in the following RPh, ack!. A US squad advanced on the (now!) wounded 10-1 and 448 aquad in 18I2 and got killed when I threw a snakes, hurray!. Since they were Japanese, there was no leader creation dr, groan. I should have called it here, but I can be a stubborn bastard sometimes and at this point the wife brought in some freshly baked cookies to consume so I figured "what the heck--my luck has got to change right?"--uh, wrong.
Turn 5
The few remaining Japanese half squads and crews sloshed towards the scene of the failed banzai. Some pinned, some broke, the M4 reduced and broke the last full squad. The US HS with the DC threw it on an adjacent HS, killed the Japanese HS and broke on the self-inflicted 1MC (basically killing itself for failure to rout later). The Japanese managed to break two US units trying to get from 19N2 to 18L3 and bring the total of good order US squads on the objective to about five, but finally the US racked up 23 CVPs and sealed the game.
The Japanese managed to get two squad equivalents into 18J2 on turn 4 and that was a close as they got to fulfilling their victory conditions. Overall, a solid, butt cheek-stinging, wooden spoon breaking ass paddling. I must not be living right.
It was a very frustrating game from my side of the table, but I think Burnie had fun. Burnie played a very solid defense and put up with my pegged "whine-o-meter" for 2+ hours. Despite my thrashing, I actually liked the scenario and would recommend it. If the two FPF shots the US took as a result of the banzai charge had been 7 or higher, I think the Japanese would have had a decent chance. Also, if I had gotten a few more shots out the infantry gun and the rain hadn't set in so quickly/thickly it might have helped too. [Actually, we rolled a total of four rain results on WC DRs even though only the first two had any effect--it had to be a monsoon!] The Japanese were fun to play and have a powerful assault force. However, in our game the title "Men of Stone" definitely referred to the US squads.