Band of Heroes AAR

[JudgeDredd]

I did have high hopes for the US here. Unfortunately it's gone south really fast. Melee didn't go their way. 4 squads (I think) eliminated. 3 Squads shaken. Lack of leaders for rallying!

The climb for a win just got considerably steeper!

[Barthheart]

Yep... It's tough for the US.....

You missed the +2 for adjacent fire a couple of times. And some of your attack rolls seem to missing FP's.

Other then that you're playing well.... Just tough rolls for the US.

[JudgeDredd]

I actually didn't know/remember the adjacent fire rule.

Also - could you point out where I may have missed FP (I presume you mean Inherent Fire Power?). It's possible - but may be how I've written it at times. I thought I had "standard" combat nailed  :(

These rules do take some getting used to - but this is definitely helping - though I am worried about picking up armour, weapon teams and ordinance!

Also, thanks for pointing out where I've gone wrong - it's the eagle eye of the reader that helps me pick up some things I miss.

Poor US is going to get stuffed I think. I'll definitely be playing this one again though...it's a fantastic wee scenario.

[Arctic Blast]

I actually didn't know/remember the adjacent fire rule.

Also - could you point out where I may have missed FP (I presume you mean Inherent Fire Power?). It's possible - but may be how I've written it at times. I thought I had "standard" combat nailed  :(

These rules do take some getting used to - but this is definitely helping - though I am worried about picking up armour, weapon teams and ordinance!

Also, thanks for pointing out where I've gone wrong - it's the eagle eye of the reader that helps me pick up some things I miss.

Poor US is going to get stuffed I think. I'll definitely be playing this one again though...it's a fantastic wee scenario.

Machine gun weapon teams won't be an issue...they essentially work like squads like a perma-ready MG support weapon.

Mortars are a bit different, since now you're in to spotting and determining where the rounds hit and all of that. However, once you run through that once or twice, you'll have it down. And offboard arty tends to work the same way.

I definitely recommend downloading and printing off a sheet with all the ordnance tables on it before you get in to those. That way, you have all the numbers for AT weapons and tanks without needing to flip the counters at all. This is a good one : http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/63294/boh-west-front-ordnance

Note that that sheet includes some vehicles and gear from expansions you don't have, but that doesn't really matter. It also includes a nice step by step for doing mortar and offboard arty, infantry combat, small arms vs. vehicles and ordnance/armor.

[JudgeDredd]

As always...thanks.

[Arctic Blast]

As always...thanks.

You're welcome. I probably have a dozen extra reference sheets printed off and stuffed in to the BoH box, so I know they can be helpful if you're learning or a little rusty on how something works.

[JudgeDredd]

I've read the bit on Fire combat again and again and can't see a thing about adjacency  ???

[Ubercat]

Check the two sided, folding, player aid card that came with the game. I think all those modifiers are on there.

[Arctic Blast]

Yep, there definitely is a +2 for adjacency. It's in there somewhere.

[JudgeDredd]

^ Well bugger me!

Whenever and wherever the manual said "apply Leadership Modifiers" I believed it was talking about THEIR leadership modifier - not another set of potential modifiers.

oops!

I can see a couple of scenarios in my AAR where the US would've come off worse...so it's just as well I didn't know about that Leadership Modifier value!

[Barthheart]

...
Also - could you point out where I may have missed FP (I presume you mean Inherent Fire Power?). It's possible - but may be how I've written it at times. I thought I had "standard" combat nailed  :(
...

Sorry I was trying to give you feedback and I was rushed.

For example in Impulse 7:
The 2nd shot from L6 at F8
You have a 1-2-4 + MG42, but you wrote:
"Attack roll = 1 +1(moving) = 2" Should have been:
Attack roll = 1 + 3(MG) +1(moving) = 5.

Another thing I just noticed is in the 1st shot of that same impulse the snipers fires and causes a Damage Check. Your squad rolled a 1 on the die. That causes a hero check you did not make.
Just another note, the 1-2-4 Germans are half squads same as the US 1-4-4, you keep refering them as squads. Semantics I know but for others reading all this.
When a hlaf squad uses a support weapon it loses it's inferent FP. You have been doing this correctly I believe.

[JudgeDredd]

Thanks Barthheart.

About the half squad losing it's IFP - I think that's only been happening by default (US units being out or range). I seem to have done it correctly for Impulse 13 for the US unit attacking I3 - but I think that was luck...because a) I wasn't (as you pointed out) totally aware (or forgot) that the units with 1 character were half squads and 2) I don't remember thinking "I must drop the IFP of the 1-4-4 US unit because I can't use the IFP and SW"

So thanks for pointing those out.

[JudgeDredd]

Turn 5 heading up soon.

I'm not doing any pictures for this one - seeing how long it takes me to do. I'll post a pic of the final situation though

[JudgeDredd]

Turn 5 Start
Initiative
AXIS roll = 1
US roll = 4
The US have the initiative

Rally Phase
The US have units to rally, but no leaders in position!
I also notice bad placement of th 1-4-4 half squad in F2 - it can only attack J1 from there...so it needs to move into a better position so will NOT deploy it's M1919A4!
So no weapon deployments/swaps/pack ups
The AXIS have no units to rally
The AXIS 3-3-4 Squad in I2 picks up the US BAR SW - this weapon (as it's an enemy weapon) can be fired at 1/2 it's FP (fractions rounded up)
The AXIS have no weapons to deploy/pack up/swap

Operations Phase
Impulse 1 - US
1xM1919A4+1-4-4 Squad (F2) moves to F3 for 2MPs

Impulse 2 - AXIS
1x3-3-4 (J1) moves to J2 and I2 for 3MPs - I believe this now makes that hex SPOTTED?

Impulse 3 - US
2x *-*-2 Squads (H6) move to cover of G6 for 2MPs

Impulse 4 - AXIS
PASS

Impulse 5 - US
1x*-*-2 (G7) moves to cover in G6 for 2MPs

Impulse 6 - AXIS
PASS

Impulse 7 - US
Hero Ash (F7) moves to G6 for 2MPs

Impulse 8 - AXIS
1x2-3-4 Squad (L5) moves to K5 for 1MP (it's going to pick up the MG34 in I6)
US OP FIRE
1xM1919A4 opens up on K5
Attack roll=3+2(IFP)+1(movement)-1(degrading I5) = 5
Defense roll=3
Attack succeeds with difference of 2
Damage Check roll=6+2=8
AXIS unit is shaken and halts

Impulse 9 - US
Lt Michael+1x2-5-4 (G2) attacks I2
Attack roll=1+1(leader)+2(IFP)=4
Defence roll=3+4(TEM)=7
Attack fails

Impulse 10 - AXIS
1x3-3-4+1xBAR (I2) attacks G2
Attack roll=2+3(IFP)+1(BAR - enemy weapon =1(IFP)/2 rounded up)=6
Defence roll=4+4(TEM)=7
Attack fails

Impulse 11 - US
PASS

Impulse 12 - AXIS
Lt Frietag moves to K7 for 2MPs (he's heading to K5 to rally the troops)
US OP FIRE
1x2-5-4 (F7) attacks Lt Frietag in K7
Attack roll=5+2(IFP)+1(movement)=8
Defence roll=2+4(TEM)=6
Attack succeeds with a difference of 2
Damage Check = 1+2=3 Attack fails
Lt Frietag continues to move to K6 and K5 for 2MPs (4MPs total)

Impulse 13 - US
PASS

Impulse 14 - AXIS
Cpt Weiss+MG42(operated by 3-3-4) (I3) attacks E4
Attack roll=3+3(MG)+1(leader)=7
Defence roll=4+1(TEM)=5
Attack succeeds with difference of 2
Damage Check roll=1+2=3 Attack fails


Impulse 15 - US
PASS

Impulse 16 - AXIS
1x2-3-4 and Sniper attacks G6 (sniper has to make seperate attack)
2-3-4 Attack roll=2+2(IFP)=4
Defence roll=1+3(TEM)=4
Attack fails
Sniper Attack roll=3
Defence roll=6+3(TEM)=9
Attack fails

Impulse 17 - US
PASS

Impulse 18 - AXIS
1xMG42 (fired by 1-2-4 Half Squad) (L6) attacks F3
Attack roll=3+3(IFP)=6
Defence roll=5+4(TEM)=9
Attack fails

Impulse 19 - US
PASS

Impulse 20 - AXIS
PASS

Impulse 21 - US
PASS

This is the situation before the Administration Phase


Administration Phase
All counters are removed


This is the situation at the end of Turn 4


I'm pretty sure all is lost here for the US...bearing in mind in order to control a building (victory location) they have to pas through all parts of said building

Turn 5 End

[JudgeDredd]

Any feelings on NOT having pics for each impulse? The turn definitely went faster...but if AARs require them and make them more readable then I'm fine spending the extra time putting them in.

I think the US are buggered here...in fact I thought they were buggered at the end of Turn 4 tbh.

There's too much terrain to cover with too many powerful weapons facing them.

So what did I do wrong?

I don't think I "cheated" as such. I had to play each side to it's strengths...that meant the AXIS waiting for the optimal point to open fire - so essentially waiting for the US to cross that open terrain they were going to have to.

However I do think I did some things wrong...and pointed them out...from the US pov. For example...moving more than one squad across open ground without knowing about enemy locations (I know I did - but I was playing like I didn't - because the US wouldn't). I should've sent the odd unit out here and there to attract fire and then closed in.

Clearly I would be a terrible commander. I felt bad sending a cardboard chit out into the open knowing it would attract fire - how the hell could I do that to real humans!?

Another thing I did wrong was use my commanders badly. I shouldn't have put them in harms way. They are needed to keep troops rallied...and it's for the troops to move to the commander and NOT the commander to move to the troops. In truth I did this on purpose (as I did in that last turn for the AXIS with Lt Frietag) in order to NOT waste a turn moving the commander to a hex, moving the unit to that hex and having to wait for a rally!

I've also got the occasional rule wrong - though I think for the most part the error wouldn't have affected the outcome by much if at all.

Anyway...I've really enjoyed this and look forward to playing it again (without an AAR).

I'll continue to Turn 8 (and with pics if requested)...but I think you'd be amazed if anything other than an AXIS victory is the result...as would I!