Hit the Dirt – Scenarios for Crossfire

Hit the Dirt is the only supplement to Arty Conliffe’s Crossfire rules. It contains 20 or so WW2 scenarios. I’ve played a few and like them all so far. Even if you never play any of the games the book is useful for the examples of how to make scenarios. And the optional rules at the start and specific scenario rules are good for ideas as well.

Rutherford, B, & Lewis, J. (n.d.) Hit the Dirt: WWII Scenarios for Crossfire.


Eastern Front

It is easier for me to play the Eastern Front scenarios because I have the kit.

Green Hell – 29 June 1941 (p. 1-2)

I used this as an intro for a couple of people until I made my own Scenario for Novices

Breakout at the Hinge – 25 July 1941 (p. 3-4)

Played once. I updated the map to use my Crossfire Terrain Templates and then played once. A good game.

Assault on Tula – 29 October 1941 (p. 5-6)

Not played

Battle for the Highway – 9 April 1942 (p. 7-8)

Played once. you need a lot of very very very small features for this one. It must represent very very very dense forest. I should update the map to use my Crossfire Terrain Templates.

The Island – 15 August 1942 (p. 9-10)

Played once. Six T-34s … tank bonanza in Crossfire terms. The defending Germans have to ensure the entire table edge is covered otherwise the Russians will breakthrough. This was quite hard to do.

Battle for Ponyri – 6 July 1943 (p. 11-12)

Played it four times so far I think. Maybe more. I have a few photos of the first game of Ponyri Station.

My favourite of the scenarios. Very bloody. You need a fair few houses for this one. It was this scenario that got me making building sectors en masse. And a railway embankment of course. It is good for four players because the embankment neatly divides the table in two.

I liked it so much I made a bigger version for a 15’x5′ table (Ponyri Station and Hill 253.5). So you can imagine how many buildings I’ve got now. 🙂

Breakout from Mogilev – 27 June 1944 (p. 21-22)

Not played.

Race for the Reichstag – 30 April 1945 (p. 41-42)

Not played.


Italy

Using my Germans and John/Rich’s British. That’s the secret of play more of the scenarios you see, find somebody else who’s got the right figures …

Roadblock on Highway 120 – 20 July 1943 (p. 13-14)

Not played.

Dung Farm (p. 15-16)

Not played.

Cassino Massif – 4 February 1944 (p. 17-18)

Not played.

Reconnaissance Before Pontecorvo – 19 May 1944 (p. 19-20)

I’ve played a couple of times, and got one Battle Report from it. I used this as a basis for a few Russian scout scenarios of my own, e.g. Tarnopol: Russian Recce and Russian Scouts. This all inspired my Musing on Reconnaissance Scenarios for Crossfire.

Scottish Corridor – 28 June 1944 (p. 23-24)

Played once. Unfortunately we forgot Scenario Special Rule e … “The pasture fences on the game board are Barbed Wire”. So our Scots got steam rollered. Must try it again with the rule in place.

Monte Altuzzo – 14 September 1944 (p. 27-28)

I know I’ve played it but I can’t for the life of me remember whose Americans we used!


NW Europe

France, Belgium and western Germany.

Bocage – 11 July 1944 (p. 25-26)

Not played.

Deadman’s Moor – 22 September 1944 (p. 29-30)

Not played.

Hotel Brittania – 3 November 1944 (p. 31-32)

Played once. Another one with a bunch of buildings. You need one big building for this = the hotel. Six sectors worth. And a quad flak.

Germans in the Woods! – 17 December 1944 (p. 33-34)

Not played.

Sadzot – 28 December 1944 (p. 35-36)

Not played.

Battle for Hardt – 28 February 1945 (p. 37-38)

Not played.

Debacle at Hitdorf – 6 April 1945 (p. 39-40)

Not played.


Other places to look

I recommend you have a look at the Hit the Dirt: Scenario specific errata and clarifications published on Nikolas Lloyd’s site. I’ve scribbled them into my copy of Hit the Dirt.

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