Crossfire Scenarios – Steven's Balagan

Balagan Version of Dung Farm – A HTD Crossfire Scenario

24 Jul 2021 by Steven Thomas

Table - Crossfire - Dung Farm - Balagan Version - Banner

“Dung Farm” is one of the scenarios from Hit the Dirt (HTD, p. 15-16). It is Italy, 4 February 1944, and the Germans are attacking into the Anzio beachhead at the northern end of ‘The Thumb’. The “Dung Farm” of the title is the British nickname for the Italian Pig Farm that featured in the battle.

The Dung Farm scenario is interesting for a few reasons. It introduces some unique terrain features, has masses of thorns and/or barbed wire, is fought in mud, and has visible troops on both sides. It also doesn’t quite work as a four player game. So I’m going to make a couple of tweaks to the scenario before the guys turn up to play it, including changing the map.

Battle Stations BS7810 US Infantry Action – A Crossfire Scenario

23 May 20218 May 2021 by Steven Thomas

Through the late 1970s and 80s, Gene McCoy wrote a series of articles called “Battle Stations: Small Unit Actions” for his magazine the “Wargamer’s Digest”. The Battle Stations posed tactical problems and then offered solutions. The idea was that wargamers could compare their solution to McCoy’s. The Battle Stations are good candidates for conversion to Crossfire scenarios.

Here is the first conversion based on “US Infantry Action”, originally published as a Battle Station in October 1978 (hence BS7810). A US Motorised Company is tasked with opening the supply route for the neighbouring division. To do this they must destroy the armoured German blocking force.

Download Crossfire Freebie 1: Mini-Scenarios

23 May 20211 May 2021 by Steven Thomas

Download Crossfire Freebie 1: Mini-Scenarios. Introductory scenarios for Arty Conliffe’s Crossfire by Steven Thomas and Dick Bryant. Assisted by Arty Conliffe.

Snakes and Ladders Campaign for Crossfire

25 Feb 202120 Feb 2021 by Steven Thomas

Crossfire - WW2 - Snakes And Ladders Campaign

Following my Snakes and Ladders Campaign for Tilly’s Very Bad Day I thought I’d do one for Crossfire. This uses the children’s board game Snakes and Ladders as the basis for a wargaming Campaign. The snakes become tribulations and the ladders are campaign successes. So I have made up a board a Snakes and Ladders board but with a more World War 2 flavour.

There is no skill in playing this campaign system as, like the children’s board game, random dice rolls lead to success. If you are lucky, you will win. For me this makes a Snakes and Ladders Campaign most suited to solo play where the goal is to provide narrative for the game.

Lockdown Crossfire – Kiwis in Italy – A Crossfire Scenario

17 Mar 202123 May 2020 by Steven Thomas

Crossfire Lockdown - Scenario deployment areas

Bruce Stewart, like many of us, has been trying to figure out how to wargame during the Covid-19 lockdown. Bruce’s idea involves video conferencing, a situation from the Band of Brothers, and New Zealand accents. You might recall that last year Bruce sent through a couple of battle reports for Kiwis in the Italian Campaign using Crossfire. Well, there is more of the same here.

Stalingrad Day 2 – Finchley Wargaming Club – Steve Phenow’s Briefing

23 Mar 2019 by Steven Thomas

Day 2 of the 2019 World Wide Stalingrad Campaign for Crossfire is upon us. This is, more or less, the Crossfire material that Stephen Phenow sent the Finchley Wargaming Club. I have changed the format and put it into my normal template. And I’ve added a few bits that seemed missing. Where possible I’ve used Steve P’s words.

The Germans have replaced their depleted battalion with a fresh one and given them more combat engineers and more heavy artillery. The Moving Clock (Timeslip) is now under German control. The Soviets had their infantry refresh but lost support elements e.g. Tanks and generally have less troops than on Day 1. T34s now also have a chance to breakdown if they try to move.

Stalingrad Day 1 – Finchley Wargaming Club – Steve Phenow’s Briefing

17 Mar 20199 Mar 2019 by Steven Thomas

This is, more or less, the Crossfire material that Stephen Phenow sent the Finchley Wargaming Club for Day 1 of the 2019 World Wide Stalingrad Campaign for Crossfire. I have changed the format and put it into my normal template. And I’ve added a few bits that seemed missing. Where possible I’ve used Steve P’s words.

Stoney Creek – A Crossfire Scenario and Battle Report in the Pacific

10 Nov 2018 by Steven Thomas

Brett Simpson sent through another combined scenario and battle report from the Pacific. For Crossfire of course. Australians versus Japanese at Stoney Creek. Except where noted all words are Brett’s.

African Ambush – A Crossfire and Fogo Cruzado Scenario

4 Nov 201820 Oct 2018 by Steven Thomas

PCWA05 Portuguese patrol entering village

An armed patrol walks into an ambush somewhere in Portuguese Africa. The action starts seconds before the bullets fly. Will the unsuspecting targets spot the danger before it is too late? This is a Crossfire/Fogo Cruzado scenario for the Portuguese Colonial War. The scenario uses a cinematic premise, i.e. start the action when there is action.

Mac’s Missions v3 – Revised Pick Up Games for Crossfire

5 Dec 20199 Jun 2018 by Steven Thomas

A frequent suggestion for Macs Missions v2 is to give the attackers more troops. In v2 both sides get the same order of battle. Attackers have to capture enemy territory and are likely to take losses in the attempt. In compensation they get bonus victory points for achieving their more challenging mission. In the new version of Mac Missions (v3) both sides get the option of reinforcements but taking reinforcements makes victory harder. Or, put another way, taking more troops offsets any victory point bonus.

Dig in and Wait! A Crossfire Scenario in the Pacific

18 Sep 20189 Sep 2017 by Steven Thomas

IJA 1st Company - 1st Platoon - 1st Section

Brett Simpson sent through this Crossfire scenario pitting the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) against the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Like all Brett’s scenarios it is small – a company level game that fits on Brett’s kitchen table, which is roughly 3′ x 5′, using 20mm figures.

This is the small version of Scenario 2: Threat to the Flanks from “Scenarios for all Ages” (Grant & Asquith, 1996) converted to Crossfire. It follows guidelines for Crossfire Scenarios for all Ages. It is a “small” game because there is only a company defending.