Jamie and I played a draft version of Cassinograd – A Crossfire Scenario based on Crossfiregrad. We played two games in a couple of hours. Jamie was the attacking Kiwis and I was the Fallshirmjaeger. This is the second game.
Summary: Great game. My larger regular force was much more resilient than the small veteran force I used in Game 2. Jamie captured the objective (the Post Office), but he literally did it as his clock counted down to zero. Very tense and exciting game.
The draft scenario
I published the scenario – Cassinograd – A Crossfire Scenario based on Crossfiregrad – after this game, and the draft scenario differed in a couple of ways.
There is the map for the game we played. It has fewer buildings on the German table edge, which meant the Germans had to risk Kiwi fire to move laterally.
I wanted to try out a couple of variants for the defender’s order of battle. In both cases the German defender has a Fallschirmjaeger company. But there are Regular and Veteran options. In this game I took the Regular order of battle, simulating the defenders immediately after the aerial bombardment, when they were suffering from shock and forced to form ad hoc units. It has more HMGs and one extra Rifle Squad, but is a lower morale.
Defender Order of Battle – Regular
- 1 x CC (+1)
- 3 x Rifle Platoons: PC (+1); 3 x Rifle Squads; 1 x HMG
- 1 x FO for off-table 8cm Mortar (6 x HE Barrage FM; 3 x Smoke FM)
- Morale: Regular
- Command & Control: Good i.e. German
- Total fighting stands: 13
This is what the forces looked like before the game:
Deployment
I deployed with a platoon on the left, in the Post Office.
And another in the centre inside the Municipal Buildings.
My third platoon was north of the Botanical Gardens, on the right flank.
My reserve was in the Hotel, my company commander and a rifle squad from 3rd Platoon.
Jamie spread his force across the table. But they did seem to be massed opposite the Post Office on the left.
But Kiwis were also facing the Botanical Gardens and Municipal Buildings.
The battle
Jamie kicked off by doing a straight forward push on the Post Office, using smoke to cover his advance.
With more troops to play with I advanced on my right. I wanted some troops to be able to fire across the front of the Municipal Buildings and Post Office. All good.
Then the pain started. The Kiwis opened fire with artillery first.
Then small arms.
And again with small arms.
And again. Ouch. That was four stands killed in quick succession.
Then more Kiwi smoke to shield Jamie’s advance on the Post Office. By this stage it was really, really obvious what Jamie’s objective was.
However, it wasn’t all one sided. I pushed my reserve on the left flank into the Forest of Chimneys. From their the covered the front of the Post office. Bang! A dead Kiwi squad.
Next up I used smoke to allow covered access to the Post Office and redeployed my 2nd Platoon to hold the objective.
Once again I was looking alright.
The Kiwi fire was less impressive this time. No KILLS. Just SUPPRESSES.
German mortars took their toll of the Kiwis in front of the Post Office.
Them a bit of rallying allowed my Fallschirmjaeger to fire on the Kiwis in front of them.
On the other (right) flank Jamie cleared the building I’d so proudly advanced into.
Jamie pushed on into the building near the Botanic Gardens.
And with the Municipal Buildings empty, that gave Jamie access to the Post Office.
Jamie got in just as the clock hit zero.
Conclusions and observations
A great game and a solid scenario.
This game took 44 minutes: 30 minutes by Jamie and 14 by me. Really good satisfying gaming action.
My regulars behaved better than the veterans of the earlier game (Game 2). The regulars had more firepower and more ability to absorb kills. I found the veterans too brittle in this scenario because it is a stand up fight and numbers count. So I’ve dropped the veteran option from the scenario.