“This is a cracking scenario”. Mark Bretherton played my SU-152s Up Close and Personal scenario for Crossfire. The words below are Mark’s unless indicated otherwise. Aside from the after action report itself, Mark explains the house rules he used for this scenario and muses on potential house rules for attacking buildings and bunkers.
Crossfire AAR
After Action Reports (AAR) or Battle Reports for Crossfire
Papa Eicke – A Crossfire Battle Report
Chris Harrod and I played my Papa Eicke Scenario for Crossfire.
Summary: Chris, playing Kampfgruppe Masarie, recreated history and secured the body of Papa Eicke and his insignia and consequently won the game. However, he did this at the cost of a half his armoured fighting vehicles. The scenario had the right elements but could do with some tweaking.
How to Edit/Annotate Images for Crossfire Battle Reports
I was already intending to write a post on how to edit/annotate images for Crossfire Battle Reports anyway, but the discussion following my last Crossfire Battle Report for Push to the City suggested the time was right. I’ll outline how I edit/annotate images at the moment but only because I’m looking for a replacement tool.
Push to the City – A Crossfire Battle Report
Chris Harrod and I played my Push to the City – A Crossfire Scenario in Tarnopol. Although we played it as a stand alone game it is also part of my from my Tarnopol 3 Round Campaign.
Summary: Good game. I won as the Russian attacker.
SU-76i in 1902nd SAP – A Crossfire Battle Report 2
I love the tension that comes with a good game of Crossfire. Chris Harrod and I had loads of tension in our game of SU-76i in 1902nd SAP. As a result of this game, and the earlier play test by Dick Bryant, I’m now convinced the secret to a good Breakthrough scenario is defence in depth. The game was knife edge but my Germans managed to hold Chris’s Soviet steam roller.
Russian Scouts – A Crossfire Battle Report 2
Chris Harrod and I played my Russian Scouts Crossfire Scenario. Despite the fact I’ve played this scenario before I really botched my job as a Russian scout. Sigh. Penal battalion for me I suspect. None-the-less there were some insights into reconnaissance scenarios and how, specifically, to improve this one.
SU-76i in 1902nd SAP – A Crossfire Battle Report
Dick Bryant has been play testing my SU-76i in 1902nd SAP – A Crossfire Scenario. In his first go he found the same flaw I had previously, i.e. the attacker just makes a hole and pours through. I Mused about how to solve that and suggested he try attacking from the short edge. Dick tried this with much better results.
Russian Scouts – A Crossfire Battle Report
Mark Bretherton has a go at my Russian Scouts Crossfire Scenario. Mark’s experience echoed earlier play tests of this and other “reconnaissance” scenarios. Basically the attacker can go all out to kill the opposition rather than scout. I’ve made a few tweaks to the scenario to address this.
SU-76 “Colombina” in Action – A Crossfire Battle Report
One Thursday night Chris Harrod and I played my SU-76 “Colombina” in Action Scenario. I picked this scenario because we have at most four hours to play in an evening, including set up. Being on the 4’x4′ table with a small company defending I figured this would be quick enough to fit.
Summary: Chris as the Russians won. Good game with some interesting choices for both sides. But the scenario does need some tweaking to make it even better.
Village P – A Crossfire Battle Report
Grant Floyd flew in from New Zealand to have a wargame, so Chris Harrod and I obliged with a game of my Crossfire at Position Four: The Village P Scenario. I picked this scenario because, after a prompt by Vaggelis, I recently drew the map and updated the victory conditions.
Summary: Great game that poses interesting choices for both sides. And despite being very, very unbalanced in force composition – the Germans are attacking into twice their numbers – the scenario seems balanced.
“Operation Crossfire” – The Wrap Up
Nikolas Lloyd, genius architect of Operation Crossfire, has published a wrap up video.
Dee Sector in “Operation Crossfire” – The Allied Battle Report
Ross Kearns submitted a battle report for the Allied Dee Sector. All words are Ross’s.
Seestrasse Sector in “Operation Crossfire” – A Battle Report
Chris Harrod, Joe Harrison and I played the Seestrasse Sector part of Operation Crossfire. Chris was ISIS SUNRAY, commander of the attacking Allies/Soviets and host for the day. Joe was our guest from Peterborough and took the role of SONNE GUNTHER, commander of the Axis/German defenders. I was the UMPIRE and provided the kit. Steve Spence was OFFA and Michael Stringer was NORN, the Commander-in-Chiefs of the Allies and Axis respectively – of course they were only involved in our game via an erratic radio (email) link.
The event was fantastic. An exciting battle fought as part of an inspired one day campaign. Full marks to the Nikolas Lloyd (BIG CHEESE), who was the inspired genius behind the event and the Commander-in-Chief of the umpires on the day.
92nd Naval in Stalingrad – A Crossfire Battle Report 2
Chris Harrod (Germans) and Nuno Pereira (Soviets) played my Crossfire scenario 92nd Naval in Stalingrad. For Chris it was his second go – he’d played the German commander in a previous game.
Mekensievy-Gory – Crossfire Participation Game at Salute 2012
Martin Groat and group chose my Mekensievy-Gory Scenario to use as a Crossfire participation game at Salute 2012.