G'day lads!!
While I could go on hours about the hype this game has raised among non-GW fans the world over (some excellent reviews to be found here), I'll just say I'd not had a chance to pass comment until yesterday as never having played any Ambush Alley games I didn't really have much to go on.
The rules seemed to appeal to "my" kind of gamer, the reviews spoke highly of them, one of world's largest and most authoritative historical reference publishers (Osprey) chose them among many, many others (the Commander series, Disposable Heroes, FUBAR, 5150, Rules of Engagement to mention only those I actually own or have played myself - and I doubt any of these didn't their hand at bagging a big name like Osprey themselves...and if they didn't that makes me wonder, as well!) to enter the world of miniature wargaming in a strong way. Not bad credentials thus far, but how does the game actually play?
Fog of War cards - what and why?
Does it handle command?
ANOTHER IGOUGO game?
Excellent Disposable Heroes morale mechanic and reduced firepower, how we going to top that then?
Do choices make a difference, how are reactions handled, do I feel like my men have been in a battle or is it another bucketful of dice slugfest?
Well, after yesterday's game, I know I've found my rules of choice for platoon-size sci-fi engagements.
THE SCENARIO
Tom was kind enough to host the game and provide all the miniatures, and upon my arrival we discoursed about how to go about turning a table with ample terrain (he included all the main types in a lovely setup - open, light, medium, buildings of all grades, LOS hindrances, woods etc...) and it was suggested to match two forces in a secret mission scenario. The attacking force would be a Veteran Tech Level 2 Confident set composed of
1x Command squad (4 men with a +1 platoon leader and AT man-portable weapon and a human medic)
1x Infantry squad in light APC (10 body armored men with +1 leader and AT man-portable weapon)
1x Infantry squad on foot (10 body armored men with leader and AT man-portable weapon)
1x Infantry squad on foot (10 body armored men with leader and AT man-portable weapon)
1x Sniper with heavy Sniper Rifle
1x Command squad (4 men with a +1 platoon leader and AT man-portable weapon)
3x Infantry squad (10 unarmored men with leader and AT man-portable weapon)
3x Medium Mortars with crew
We were also lucky enough to have Tom's friend Owen pop in and guide us through the first few turns as he'd clearly played before, and that was an invaluable aid - as the game slowed right down when he left and we started having to flip through the VERY badly arranged book for bits and bobs of rules
To keep it interesting we randomly determined who would play each side and wrote the three possible objectives on cards drawn randomly
The objectives included
A. rescue an attacking force's personality held by the defender\
B. destroy the mortars which were assumed to be firing on rear transport troops and therefore required silencing
C. Clear both ends of the road of enemy troops (thus opening the road to reinforcements off-table)
As it turns out we also opted to draw a FoW card each at the start of the game - following deployment - and began to play.
To those who haven't played this is how the game proceeds:
both players at the start of the game roll a number of dice (d10 for the attacker, d8 for the defender in this case) equal to half the number of infantry units on the table plus one for each vehicle. The greatest number of successes has the initiative to the turn.
The player nominates one unit to move, in Tom's case his APC, and moves it. I can opt to react but didn't as all my troops were in cover in buildings and I planned on letting him close in before I opened up. Thus as I turn down the opportunity to react he moves to the next unit, his tank, declares its action and if I don't interrupt carries it out. So on and so forth though his next two infantry units, command squad and sniper.
NOW I got to move any units that didn't react, which in turn one meant everyone, thus I moved a unit without ever crossing his line of sight from one building to one closer to his advancing line.
End of turn, we roll the next initiative with various modifiers, either he or I (I think he, though) rolls a 1 - draw a Fog of War card!
Here the game got REALLY interesting!
Out of 72 possible cards Tom drew one that read that one of his units had run into a booby trap prepared by the opponent's forces. Thus far, no worries - 8 units, I suggest we roll 1d8 and randomly determine who gets hit - it turns out his APC cops it.
Roll for the hits, the dice gods smile and I score two hits. Here, too, no worries. Roll for the damage - an 11 and a 12!
One APC and one squad vaporized (mighty big booby trap if you ask me!) and Tom now has a center and a right flank, his left flank a smouldering wreck....
I'd gauged by his deployment that opening the road was probably his objective, thus as it was a practice game we proceeded despite his losing two units to some incredible dice rolling on my part (and a great Fog of War result!)
He maintained the initiative every turn despite his loss and my lads kept quiet until turn 3 when a unit fired on the tank before retreating as the tank responded, my mortars firing ever so wildly and missing everything turn after turn (eventually one hit began to decimate a unit) and another squad held its fire until the tank was upon them.
With another bellow of smoke its turret went up and the rest of my force drew from their cover and opened up, mortars firing, infantry firing, the medic on hand it was, to say the least, a real disaster for the attackers and our practice game went to me.
With another bellow of smoke its turret went up and the rest of my force drew from their cover and opened up, mortars firing, infantry firing, the medic on hand it was, to say the least, a real disaster for the attackers and our practice game went to me.
CONCLUSION
I stand by my estimation the scenario was balanced. A ratio of at least 2:1 if not more is required for any assault on a defended position thus Veteran units with armor SHOULD have had a relatively good shot at taking on a Regular force with mortars. Of course that didn't turn out to be the case as, as the saying goes "no plan survives contact with the enemy!"
Losing the APC to a booby trap left Tom in a precarious situation and, had I been him, I'd have pulled my tank BACK and set it on overwatch with the sniper, not forward, advanced with the infantry to make my own units reveal themselves, then aimed at breaking me that way by levelling the terrain with the infantry in it.
He opted to lead with the chin and got his tank shot up for it, and at that point by sheer attrition my infantry and mortars just devastated the rest of his force into oblivion.
THE RULES
Initiative rolls keep it interesting as there's lots to consider. The opposed roll for firing mechanic means both players are constantly involved, the Fog of War cards REALLY have you on your toes. Being able to react over and over means no unit is "static", making it impossible to write a unit off as "it's already had its turn" and in all this is a game I want more of, more often, and hope other Leaguers will make time to come by and try out the game soon.
10/10!
