Award-Winning Afterthoughts
By S. Craig Taylor, Jr.
August 14, 2003
And the winners are…
Others voted and determined the three finalists. I took a detailed look at all of the finalists plus the other articles in the After Action Reports section of the Lost Battalion Forum. I most say that some of the others are quite interesting and informative and the three finalists are uniformly good. In case you haven’t examined this section of the Forum before, the winning entry is reprinted in its entirety, as an example, at the end of these ramblings.
Two of the three finalists were by Walt Mulder and this fact may have confused me and split my vote (what with the hanging chads and all that), and thrown the result to the ultimate winner. As it is, I’m sorry Walt, but you’ll have to settle for winning the swimsuit competition and “Miss Congeniality.”
Walt Mulder’s “Drive on Piattisbiansk” demonstrates a very clever use of the Commit order. The comments after each Turn and the overall after action report are very good. A rules gripe is that he awards himself 3 victory points for one of his own battlefield cards still on the table when the rules are clear that these are awarded only for eliminated enemy battlefield cards. He also used the article to lobby for giving the attacker victory points for holding his own base, a rule change with which I totally disagree. Indeed! Otherwise, allowing for my biases, this is a very good article.
Walt Mulder’s “Mission Report 319” is interesting and presents a different format with more narrative and a somewhat less precise account of the card play than either of the other finalists, making it an easier read, if possibly a bit less informative regarding details that might be instructive to a newer player.
Matt Gardner’s “Drive on Stalingrad Part One: Battle at Karpovskaya” is the winner. I felt that this was the clearest and easiest article to follow (to see if you agree or disagree with this assessment, read the actual article below). It helps that it describes an exciting game that featured back-and-forth action. If I have a caveat, it is that he doesn’t revel in using “tricks” in a fun way as was demonstrated by Mr. Mulder in his two finalist articles but I’m just being picky. Kudos!
THE
WINNING ENTRY:
Drive on
Stalingrad Part One: Battle at Karpovskaya
Notes: Numbers in parenthesis are card numbers, i.e.
I/110th
TB(03)
is card 0001-18TC-003 from the Soviet unit deck.
First fire results are given as cover modifiers
+ chance number, e.g. FF: 0+4(38) vs 3+5(11). The attacker is always listed
first.
Combat results are given as attacker combat
modifier + combat check vs defense + terrain bonuses followed by result,
e.g. 4+2(39) vs 7+0, no effect.
Axis Forces:
9th
Panzer Division
(AXIS BASE) Hill 619 [15VP]
(AXIS CENTER) Kalatch-Piattisbiansk Road
Soviet Forces:
18th Tank
Corps
(SOVIET LEFT) State Farm 172
(SOVIET RIGHT) The Church [5VP]
(SOVIET OBJECTIVE) Karpovskya [36VP][1CC]
Soviet picks 4, discards 1:
(OBJ)I/110th
TB(03)
(OBJ)II/110th
MRB(04)
(OBJ)110th
Tank Brigade(02)
Discard:
292 Mortar
Reg(17)
Axis picks 4, discards 1:
(CENTER)I/33rd
Pz Battl(03)
(CENTER)II/33rd
Pz Battl(04)
(CENTER)I/102nd
Arty(12)
Discard:
33rd
Panzer Regiment(02)
Axis hand:
50th
Panzerjager Battalion(16)
9th
Reconnaissance Battalion(17)
Spear
Point!(41)
Sniper
Team(53)
Liberating Supplies(54)
Soviet hand:
V/18th
Artillery Battalion(16)
Major
General I.D. Cheryakhovskiy(23)
Entrenchments(31)
Interceptors(52)
AXIS TURN 1: 2 orders(40)
[1] Play
Spear
Point!(41)
Draw
(47)(32)
for 4 more orders.
[2] Activate
I/33rd(03).
Advance stack to The Church, capture it.
[3] Activate
II/33rd(04).
Advance stack to Karpovskya.
Combat vs
I/110th(03):
FF: 0+4(38)
vs 3+5(11),
Soviet attacks first.
Soviet attack: 4+2(39)
vs 7+0, no effect.
Axis attack: 5+3(30)
vs 6+3, no effect.
[4] Activate
I/102nd
Arty(12).
Barrage cover < 5 vs
I/110th(03):
6+1(37)
vs 6+3, no effect.
Barrage In Contact vs
I/110th(03):
6+5(18)
vs 6+3
1R: 1H, hold on 2,6(19).
CC:4(49),
I/110th(03)
withdrawn with 1H.
[5] Place
50th
Pzjager Btn(16)
and
9th Rec
Btn(17)
onto Hill 619.
[6] Activate
9th Rec
Btn(17).
March to KP Road, The Church. Advance to Karpovskya.
Combat: Soviet unit has no anti-tank capability
and may not counterattack.
Axis attack: 3+1(08)
vs 4+3, no effect.
Axis draws 3 cards:
(35)(21)(22)
Axis hand:
9th
Panzer Supply Column(21)
Lieutenant General Frankewitz(22)
Ju-88
Medium Bombers(35)
Sniper
Team(53)
Liberating Supplies(54)
AXIS NOTES: Losing the regimental HQ
during setup is upsetting, but having those extra orders on the first turn
puts the Axis in position to immediately contest the enemy objective and
threaten a first turn victory. However, with only one of four attacks having
any effect, the Axis will have to be content with the withdrawal of the
I/110th
Tank Battalion(03).
Note that flanking attacks were not attempted, because it would only provide
one additional point of cover and the attacker would rather not waste chance
check cards on such inconsequential maneuvers.
SOVIET TURN 1: 2 orders(55)
[1] Attach
Major
General(23)
to
II/110th MRB(04).
[2] Activate
II/110th
MRB(04).
Text on leader: initiative CC passes with 4(29).
Draw
(12)(34)
for 3 more orders.
Forage, draw
Enfilade(46)
and
Colonel
181st Tank Brigade(26),
discard
Colonel
181st(26).
Plan 3, reorder top cards
(18)(21)(37).
[3] Draw
736th
Antitank Regiment(18).
[4] Draw
18th
Sappers Battalion(21).
[5] Place
18th
Sappers Btn(21)
and
736th
AT(18)
onto Karpovskya.
Soviet draws 1 card:
(37)
Soviet hand:
V/18th
Artillery Battalion(16)
Entrenchments(31)
Hasty
Attack(37)
Interceptors(52)
SOVIET NOTES: With only three formations
to defend two approaches and the objective, it would seem pointless to
attempt a forward defense of the Soviet position for this mission. Placing
all the defenders in the objective for a scenario this small gives the best
chance for first turn survival. Indeed, after witnessing the first Axis
turn, it would appear that any other configuration would likely have
resulted in swift defeat! What a stroke of luck to have
Major
General I.D. Cheryakhovskiy(23)
available on the first turn. With this leader, the Soviet side is able to
quickly reinforce the objective into a well-defended strongpoint. The only
thing missing is artillery to harass the attackers!
Axis stack in base:
50th
Pzjager Btn(16)
Axis stack in objective location:
I/33rd(03)
II/33rd(04)
9th Rec
Btn(17)
I/102nd
Art(12)
Soviet stack in objective location:
736th
Antitank Regiment(18)
18th
Sappers Battalion(21)
II/110th
MRB(04)
+
Maj Gen(23)
110th Tank
Brigade(02)
AXIS TURN 2: 2 orders(45)
[1] Attach
Lt
Gen(22)
to
I/102nd
Art(12).
[2] Activate
I/102nd
Art(12).
Text on leader: Plan 2, reorder top cards
(11)(49).
Text on formation: Barrage In Contact vs
736th(18):
6+8(11)
vs 5+3.
1R: 1H, hold on 2,4,7(13).
CC:4(42),
holds with 1H.
Axis draws 1 card:
(49)
Axis hand:
9th
Panzer Supply Column(21)
Ju-88
Medium Bombers(35)
Confused
Orders(49)
Sniper
Team(53)
Liberating Supplies(54)
AXIS NOTES: Any hopes of a swift victory
are now all but extinguished. Even the power of the mighty
I/102nd
Artillery(12)
is reduced, because the additional cover gained by the
736th AT
Regiment(18)
precludes the use of the “Barrage: target in cover < 5” action. At this
point the plan is to pound away at the defenders and hope that they are not
able to bring many more troops into play.
SOVIET TURN 2: 2 orders(44)
[1] Play
Entrenchments(31)
on Karpovskya.
[2] Play
Hasty
Attack(37).
Draw
(15)
for 1 more order.
[3] Activate
II/110th
MRB(04).
Text on leader: initiative CC fails with 6(24).
Forage, draw
Sturmoviks(35)
and
Hidden
Ford(47),
discard
V/18th Art
Btn(16).
Soviet draws 1 card:
(08)
Soviet hand:
181st Tank
Brigade(08)
Sturmoviks(35)
Hidden
Ford(47)
Interceptors(52)
SOVIET NOTES: Playing the
Entrenchments(31)
on the objective raises the cover to 5, forever eliminating the risk of one
of the barrages from the enemy artillery. Although the
Hasty
Attack(37)
did not result in any additional orders, it is rarely a bad idea to cycle
through cards as quickly as possible as the defender.
Axis stack in base:
50th
Pzjager Btn(16)
Axis stack in objective location:
I/33rd(03)
II/33rd(04)
9th Rec
Btn(17)
I/102nd
Art(12)
+
Lt Gen(22)
Soviet stack in objective location:
Entrenchments(31)
736th
Antitank Regiment(18)
+ 1H, hold on 2,4,7(13)
18th
Sappers Battalion(21)
II/110th
MRB(04)
+
Maj Gen(23)
110th Tank
Brigade(02)
AXIS TURN 3: 1 order
(11)
[1] Activate
I/102nd
Art(12).
Text on leader: Plan 2, reorder top cards
(23)(34).
Text on formation: Barrage In Contact vs
736th(18):
6+6(23)
vs 5+4.
1R: 0H, hold on 1,7(54).
CC:4(51),
withdrawn with 1H.
Axis hand:
9th
Panzer Supply Column(21)
Ju-88
Medium Bombers(35)
Confused
Orders(49)
Sniper
Team(53)
Liberating Supplies(54)
AXIS NOTES: Not much can be done with a
single order, maybe next turn will provide more opportunities.
SOVIET TURN 3: 1 order
(07)
[1] Play
Sturmoviks(35)
against
I/102nd
Art(12).
Strike: -(33),
no effect.
Soviet draws 1 card:
(09)
Soviet hand:
181st Tank
Brigade(08)
I/181st
Tank Battalion(09)
Hidden
Ford(47)
Interceptors(52)
SOVIET NOTES: Air strikes from the
18th Tank
Corps
are rarely effective (they fail 70% of the time), but success here would
have been quite punishing to the Axis side. NOTE: A recent rules
clarification indicates that only the topmost formation in a stack may be
targetted by air strikes, so the aircraft would have to target
I/33rd(03)
instead.
Axis stack in base:
50th
Pzjager Btn(16)
Axis stack in objective location:
I/33rd(03)
II/33rd(04)
9th Rec
Btn(17)
I/102nd
Art(12)
+
Lt Gen(22)
Soviet stack in objective location:
Entrenchments(31)
18th
Sappers Battalion(21)
II/110th
MRB(04)
+
Maj Gen(23)
110th Tank
Brigade(02)
AXIS TURN 4: 1 order
(15)
[1] Activate
I/102nd
Art(12).
Text on leader: Plan 2, reorder top cards
(24)(51).
Text on formation: Barrage In Contact vs
18th
Sappers(21):6+8(24)
vs 4+4.
1R: 0H, hold on 1,7(32).
CC:4(43),
withdrawn.
AXIS NOTES: Again, only one order.
However, the effective artillery continues to blast away the defenders!
Axis hand:
9th
Panzer Supply Column(21)
Ju-88
Medium Bombers(35)
Confused
Orders(49)
Sniper
Team(53)
Liberating Supplies(54)
SOVIET TURN 4: 4 orders
(28)
Axis immediately plays
Confused
Orders(49),
resetting Soviet orders to 1.
[1] Activate
II/110th
MRB(04).
Text on leader: initiative CC passes with 4(40)
Draw
(25)(6)
for 4 more orders.
Forage, draw
180th Tank
Brigade(05)
and
246th
Mortar Battalion(20),
discard
Hidden
Ford(47).
Text on formation: Advance stack to The Church,
capturing it.
[2] Place
181st Tank
Brigade(08)
and
I/181st
Tank Battalion(09)
onto Karpovskya.
[3] Activate
I/181st
Tank Btn(09).
March stack into State Farm 172 and advance stack into KP road, capturing
it.
[4] Place
180th Tank
Brigade(05)
and
246th
Mtr(20)
onto Karpovskya.
[5] Activate
180th Tank
Brigade(05).
Commit
I/180th
Tank Btn(06)
from discard pile.
Soviet draws 3 cards:
(50)(14)(41)
Soviet hand:
III/18th
Motorized Rifle Battalion(14)
Scouts(41)
Ambush!(50)
Interceptors(52)
SOVIET NOTES: Despite the Axis use of a
Confused
Orders(49)
card, the Soviets still get five actions this turn! And what a turn it is.
Not only is the Church location, worth 5 VP, captured, but 5 formations are
fielded on the table and a counterattack is underway to threaten the enemy
base! To top it all off, mortars are now positioned to help defend the
objective.
Axis stack in base:
50th
Pzjager Btn(16)
Soviet stack in KP Road:
I/181st
Tank Battalion(09)
181st Tank
Brigade(08)
Soviet stack in The Church:
II/110th
MRB(04)
+
Maj Gen(23)
110th Tank
Brigade(02)
Axis stack in objective location:
I/33rd(03)
II/33rd(04)
9th Rec
Btn(17)
I/102nd
Art(12)
+
Lt Gen(22)
Soviet stack in objective location:
Entrenchments(31)
I/180th
Tank Battalion(06)
246th
Mortar Battalion(20)
180th Tank
Brigade(05)
AXIS TURN 5: 2 orders
(51)
[1] Activate
I/102nd
Art(12).
Text on leader: Plan 2, reorder top cards
(33)(20).
Text on formation: Barrage cover <5 vs
II/110th
MRB(04):
6+3(33)
vs 4+5.
1R: 1H, hold on 5(22).
CC:4(30),
withdrawn with 1H.
Barrage In Contact vs
I/180th Tk
Btn(06),
6+7(20)
vs 6+4.
1R: 1H, hold on 1,4,6(53).
CC:4(36),
holds.
[2] Activate
I/33rd(03).
Combat vs
I/180th Tk
Btn(06):
FF: 0+6(06)
vs 5+4(48),
Soviet attacks first.
Soviet attack: 4+3(45)
vs 7+0, 1R: 0H, hold on 2,4(36).
CC:5(14),
withdrawn with 0H.
Axis draws 1 card
(43)
Axis hand:
9th
Panzer Supply Column(21)
Ju-88
Medium Bombers(35)
Out
Flanked!(43)
Sniper
Team(53)
Liberating Supplies(54)
AXIS NOTES: Five new formations entering
play on the Soviet side! Unfortunately there is not much that can be done to
bolster the defense of the Axis base without giving up the offensive on the
Soviet objective. Leaving the
50th
Panzerjager Btn(16)
behind on the first turn just might have prevented the embarrasement of
losing the base to the defender. All that can be hoped for now is the Soviet
deck to be depleted while the Axis forces eliminate a few more Soviet
units…
SOVIET TURN 5: 3 orders
(27)
[1] Activate
180th Tank
Brigade(05).
Commit
II/180th
MRB(07)
from discard pile.
[2] Activate
246th Mtr
Btn(20).
Barrage In Contact vs
II/33rd(04):
8+6(10)
vs 7+0.
2R: 2H, hold on 2,4,7(27)
and 0H, hold on 4(31).
CC:4(50),
holds.
[3] Activate
181st Tank
Brigade(08).
Commit
II/181st
MRB(10)
from discard pile.
Soviet hand:
III/18th
Motorized Rifle Battalion(14)
Scouts(41)
Ambush!(50)
Interceptors(52)
SOVIET NOTES: So close to the enemy
base, but that Axis
50th
Panzerjager Battalion(16)
provides quite a formidable defense against the threatening armored units.
The
II/180th
MRB(07)
is put into play, but it looks like the mission will end before a chance to
use it surfaces.
Axis stack in base:
50th
Pzjager Btn(16)
Soviet stack in KP Road:
I/181st
Tank Battalion(09)
II/181st
MRB(10)
181st Tank
Brigade(08)
Soviet stack in The Church:
110th Tank
Brigade(02)
Axis stack in objective location:
II/33rd(04):
2H, hold on 2,4,7(27)
9th Rec
Btn(17)
I/102nd
Art(12)
+
Lt Gen(22)
Soviet stack in objective location:
Entrenchments(31)
I/180th
Tank Battalion(06):
1H, hold on 1,4,6(53)
II/180th
MRB(07)
246th
Mortar Battalion(20)
180th Tank
Brigade(05)
AXIS TURN 6: 4 orders
(01)
[1] Activate
I/102nd
Art(12).
Text on leader: Plan 2, reorder top cards
(44)(48).
Text on formation: Barrage cover <5 vs
110th Tk
Brgde(02):
6+4(44)
vs 5+5.
1R: 2H, hold on 2,4(1).
Target destroyed.
Barrage In Contact vs
I/180th Tk
Btn(6),
6+5(48)
vs 6+4.
1R: 2H, hold on 2,4,7(38).
Target destroyed, last card drawn by Soviets.
AXIS NOTES: The end of the Soviet deck
is not the best time to draw four orders. On the plus side, the
I/102nd
Artillery(12)
again proves its worth by eliminating two Soviet formations from the game.
These bonus victory points may mark the difference between victory and
defeat in this operation.
AXIS WITHDRAWN:
(02):0H
(04)+(27):2H
AXIS VICTORY PILE:
(02):14VP
(06):12VP
Base [15VP]
SOVIET WITHDRAWN:
(03)+(19):1H
(04)+(23)+(22):1H
(18)+(13):1H
(21):0H
SOVIET VICTORY PILE:
The Church [5VP]
Objective [36VP]
FINAL SCORE:
Axis
26[41],
Soviet 41
CLOSING COMMENTS: Using the proposed new
rule that the attacker scores points for the base if the objective is not
taken, the mission would end as a tie. Without this rule change, the scores
would be a bit more lopsided in favor of the defender. The Soviets were only
in danger of losing their objective on the very first turn, after which the
Soviet side had ample orders and formations to build an impregnable wall and
even threaten a counter attack. In retrospect, the Axis player might have
fared better had they deployed the
9th
Panzer Supply Column(21)
to cycle through cards more quickly. Although never at a loss for
formations, drawing a HQ or initiative card might have dramatically changed
the outcome of the mission.
The Axis side enters the next mission down 2
cards while the Soviet side is down 9 cards.
-Matt
