Posts Tagged Festung Budapest

18 results.
May17

FB16 Crossing the Bloody Meadow

by Rindis on May 17, 2021 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: ASL

Patch and I returned to Budapest for our latest ASL game. We’re approaching the end of the set, and dealing with the final desperate days for the Axis defenders. In fact, this one is something of a direct sequel to FB15, with the final Soviet attempt to take the Central Rail Station. This time, the German defenders are completely cut off, and all the way down to ammo shortage level 5. However, there’s a relieving force on the way, that needs to cross a large, open, park to get there.

This is one of the more prominent features of the FB map, and we’re just now getting to see it used. The Germans (SS) in the Rail Station set up first (five squads, three guns, a single wounded leader, and wire, mines, fortified Locations), with the Russians setting up in two groups around it. Five squads set up in the area directly east of it (with eight “?” as well, which made it look a lot tougher to me), and another ten squads (with all the heavy weapons, including a FT and two T-34/85s) set up to the west. The Axis gets to set up the rest of their forces after them, with three SS squads (each with a MG) setting up SE of the action, and other ten squads (some German, some Hungarian, and including three Hungarian assault engineer squads) get a more extensive set up area that includes the area east of the Field of Blood. These guys are only at ammo shortage level 3. And on turn 1 a Hungarian StuG enters. The Russians need to take all but one Location in the Station in six turns, but the Axis can trump that by getting one or more of the squads from the Station out and off the east edge of the map by the end of the game.

I had a hard time figuring out a defense… or what Patch’s offense was going to look like, so I completely muffed my initial set up. I was more worried about the guys in back than the ones with the heavy weapons, and all my guns were pointed the wrong way. The wire was set to slow down an attack up the rail line, which Patch promptly didn’t do (to be fair, I think that was generally a good idea, as letting him get close under the cover of rail cars would be nasty. The fortified Locations were on the north and south ends of the building, and probably should have been grouped (possibly 3 in one corner and then the fourth separated just to force a split of attention). Most of the mines were visible in SS16/TT15, and it wasn’t until we started that placing them in the exterior building hexes occurred to me. As it was, it helped channel things, but mining the front side of the building would have been a lot smarter.

Patch set up a platoon under the turntable in NN14 (just barely in his area, and I didn’t think of that either). And a special assault force in UU16 with the FT, a DC, and a T-34 to cross the visible mines. All the last set of Germans went in close contact with the eastern Russian force to try and stop them and advance on the Station, while the Hungarians all set up to cross the Vermezo with cover from shellholes, gliders (from a resupply effort), and smoke grenades.

Patch’s first shot was a 8FP ‘2’ to reveal a dummy and ELR/reduce a 658 when they rolled 12. The FT also did well to reveal and break the other 658. Then the T-34 rolled across the mines and broke through the fortified Location and bogged in the hex now that its job was done. The rest of movement was him creeping forward, and I didn’t bother to respond to  most of it, but a squad moved into the open street, and I revealed a 20mm AA to break them.

To my surprise, most of the big stack under the turntable stayed in place, but Patch wanted to know more before committing them. Final Fire did nothing other than put my AA under a Low Ammo counter. Advancing Fire didn’t do anything, but he revealed PP14 as fortified in advance, and got into CC with the AA crew, killing them easily.


Situation, Russian Turn 1, showing the full board, and hidden elements.
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Mar29

FB15 The Taking of Object 59

by Rindis on March 29, 2020 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: ASL

Patch and I finally got back to Budapest recently, starting last December, and finally finishing up at the end of February. Speaking of, the date is 7 February 1945, so the Germans are suffering from food shortage (no double-timing, broken ML is down one), gas shortage (vehicles are immobilized on a 11+ DR when they try to Start), and Ammunition Shortage level 4 (3 for vehicles).

I got the attacking Russians, who are trying to take Object 59—the Southern Rail Station (since re-built). A secondary goal is to instead take three nearby prominent buildings in 6.5 turns. They get eighteen squads (from Assault Engineers, and elites, to 527s), three BVR squads, plenty of leaders, a .50-cal, a MMG, a FT, three DCs (one must go to the BVR), two 122mm ART, three T-34/85s, and one old T-34 M43. They also get 80mm OBA with a HIP observer. The guns come with trucks to haul them around with, and I tried, but as you’ll see, it came to nothing….

The Germans get ten squads (a mix of SS from 658 to 468s), and the Hungarians have six squads (Elite and 1st Line), with a PSK and DC, a 75mm INF, a FlaK 38 (20mm), two each roadblocks and trenches, three wire, and four vehicles: Pz IVH, Hetzer, Zrinyi II, and a Nimrod. They get eighteen mine factors, four fortified building Locations, and one HIP squad.

There’s eight buildings with random rubble checks, and Patch’s rolls knocked down a good part of the city, producing ten rubble counters (at least one of which was falling rubble), and ten debris markers. Patch’s defense largely used this rubble to great effect. There were almost no clear roads through the debris and rubble, and he put his roadblocks on the main two left: narrow streets NN18/OO19 and PP19/QQ20. Way off in the south part of the board were some buildings untouched by the demolitions that could be bypassed for a way for vehicles to get through without Bog (but not for Guns being towed, which I didn’t realize for a bit). He set up almost entirely behind the Kékgolyo utca, giving up a lot of space, but very secure in an extensively built up area. I had to complement him on such a fine cork in the bottle.

With not much visible from my starting line, one ART set up to force him away from PP19. I’d bring up men, tanks, and try to clear the roadblock, getting down the Greguss utca, putting pressure directly on the Rail Station. Five squads would head to the TT19 building to flush him out of there, while the rest would proceed along the south end of the map, though thinly-held territory to BBB15 (one of the secondary objectives) and then continue on to the other two. The primary goal was to take the three secondaries; there was still significant force there, but I could get there with enough time to defeat them. If too much pulled on to defend that section, re-orienting to the Rail Station was still possible.

I failed to contact my OBA on the first turn, and the only Prep was the ART missing ATT on PP19. Patch only had two shots during my MPh, but each one broke a 527; though after one shot, he was disconcerted to see a FT settle in across the street. Most of my advancing fire did little more than put down acquisition markers, but the FT got a result to break a Hungarian squad and the concealed leader with him.


Situation, Russian Turn 1, showing the full board. North is to the left.
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Nov12

FB13 Don’t Economize

by Rindis on November 12, 2018 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: ASL

It was finally time to return to Festung Budapest for me and Patch (I had figured our previous game would be FB, but ended up in an early-war adventure instead) a couple months ago. It is now February 7th, and the food shortage rules have taken effect for the Axis, as well as Ammo Shortage 4. The food shorage means the Axis troops cannot use double-time (oh dear, we forgot that towards the end), and lowers broken morale by one (that one we got). There is still ground snow, and the outlying areas of the map tend to be a level higher, meaning the extra MF does come up at odd times.

The Germans are defending a couple of large blocks in the southern section of the FB maps against a Russian push, with Hungarians holding part of the line nearby, and more in the Postal Palace. The Germans get nine SS squads of varying quality (which boosts broken morale against the lowering of the food shortage…), 18 factors of mines, three hexes of wire, two roadblocks, a DC and a PSK, while the Hungarians have another five squads, and 3 1/2 squads inside the Postal Palace. The Russians enter on turn 1 with fourteen squads, good leadership, a FT, a couple DCs, three T-34/85s, and can set up up to six squads on board; up to three in the Postal Palace, and three more in a nearby building. On Turn 3, 3 squads of BVR enter from the west. Both sides get reinforcements on turns 2 through 4 by means of purchase points, and a fairly diverse schedule of things to spend them on. Both sides get 4 VP for control of the Postal Palace, 1 for each building controlled in the victory block, and 1 for each unbroken squad-equivalent in the victory block at the end of seven turns.

I had the defending Germans, and the pre-game rubble check was interesting. Three hexes of the building the Russians can start in rubbled, and four of the gigantic rowhouse/block the Germans can set up in outside the victory area rubbled, leaving debris all along the street between them, and three hexes of debris between the setup building and the victory block on the end that the Russians will approach from. Also, two of three hexes of a building on the west side rubbled, knocking down a hex of an adjacent building, putting rubble in the street, scattering debris around, and leaving the BVR entry area a bit exposed.

I put the three wire on the rubbled hexes of the setup area facing where the Russians could set up, and put two six-factor mine hexes at the north end of that block. The last mines went in CC17, since it seemed an exposed location that Patch may want to advance into. One roadblock sealed off one of the main streets into the victory area, while the other was clogged by debris, and the second roadblock sealed off the opposite end of the block from any daring T-34 flanking moves. I had dummies on one of the mines, and my HIP PSK squad adjacent in the debris, hoping to get a shot off before having to leave.

Patch set up with a strong MG platoon in Y15, and the allowed three squads plus all his Dummies on the ground floor of the Postal Palace (I knew some had to be Dummies… but which stack?). Meanwhile, more set up off board to get into the Postal Palace, and some from the NW, but the main thrust was towards my outer defenses, and on the flank of his on-board setup.

Patch admitted to some mistakes with the first turn; he forgot some prep fire (I assume from Y15), and headed an entering armored assault stack in the wrong direction, which I assume left them a bit behind schedule. Overall, his advance was cautious, and I had no fire. Y15 did fire in APh, but got no result on Y17. The T-34s got acquisition on a couple of my forward positions… and U14 in the Postal Palace, which surprised me, but the top of the building (where I was…) was visible from behind a rowhouse. That last did set off my Sniper who ended up reducing Patch’s Sniper to a ‘2’.


Situation, Russian Turn 1, showing the entire board. North is to the left, blue hexes are the Axis entry area, red hexes the Russian entry area, and yellow is the BVR entry area. The German crosses are the limit of the setup area, while the blue dashed line is the victory area.
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Sep01

FB12 The Black Ravens Are Flying

by Rindis on September 1, 2017 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: ASL

Patch and I finally got back to Festung Budapest for our latest ASL game. FB has a lot of unusual scenarios, and that’s definitely true here, as there’s a four-hexrow overlap in the opposing setup areas, and anyone who sets up in the same Location starts in Melee (setup is simultaneous and secret). This is probably easier in VASL than FtF. Right after that is worked out, a die is rolled to see who goes first, and is effectively on the attack, as they will have to Control five out of nine ground-level victory Locations at the end of five turns, and both sides have a limit of 35 CVP.

Pre-game rubble checks knocked down most of building YY30, but did nothing to four other buildings. I had the Russians, who start with nine squads (three each 628, 458, 527), a MMG, DC, a 75mm INF, and three T-34/85s. There’s also six OB-given “?”. I mostly used those to conceal the bulk of my forces, but also put a Dummy in EEE27. My main concentrations went on the VC Locations of ZZ27 and CCC28, but the MMG went further out in XX26, where it could cover most of the north side. I put two squads across the main north-south road, with a 628 on the VC Location in ZZ25, and a 527 + 7-0 next to a VC Location in EEE25. Most of my concentration was in the south, and I hoped to take and keep DDD25. The INF was in AAA29, where it was out of the Axis setup area, and could cover most of the area being fought over, especially to the south.

The Axis has three SS squads (two normal 658s and a 468), three regular elite squads (a 548 and pair of 468s), and three Hungarian 526 squads. They’re at Ammo Shortage 4, and only have two LMGs, but also have a DC, 75L AT, Pz IV H, StuG III G(L), and a SdKfz 251/9 (with a short 75mm gun), as well as six OB-given “?” and initial Control of all victory Locations. On the west-side of the main street, he had what turned out to be a dummy in YY27, and two Hungarian squads in building CCC28, one of which was instantly in Melee with my main stack with a 9-1 and 628 (the remaining Hungarians were in BBB26, with the leader in BBB24), while the ATG was in ZZ24. The rest of his squads were in a line along the east side of the street, with two of them in cellars. In one case, this meant we were in the same hex, but not in Melee, but my force in EEE25 did end up in Melee with a 468. His Pz IV was in bypass of FFF24, adjacent to the Melee, though actually out of my setup area, the StuG was in CCC24 looking down the street, while the SdKfz 251/9 was in ZZ23, where it could cover the central building.

The scenario also has purchasable reinforcements, where each side gets three points every turn, and there’s a schedule of what you can buy, from leaders and squads, a few tanks, or even eliminate the next player turn. (You just go through your turn and then do your next turn right after, costs 8 points.) The start went to the Axis, and Patch skipped buying anything, and went straight to Prep. He only fired his group in YY25 at my guys next door in ZZ25, getting a MC that I passed. Movement consisted of skulking in the center and preparing to rush into EEE25.

I didn’t want to reveal too many “?” for fear of making them vulnerable, but I did reveal the INF, which missed a shot at DDD25, but behind-the-lines fire at DDD28 broke that squad. Patch had forgotten his squad in ZZ25/c, and I pounded it, eventually breaking it with a shot from a T-34. Patch declined to advance into CC in ZZ25, though he would have had an edge in leadership and FP (he’d still be attacking at 1:1 -1, unless he could get the Ambush; too chancy). But CC went poorly for me, with the Hungarians wiping out a 628, 9-1 and DC in CCC28 while taking no losses, and he CRed my 527 in EEE25 for no losses.


Situation, German Turn 1 showing the full playing area. The red hexes are the Russian entry area, and the blue hexes are the Axis entry area. North is to the left. German setup was xx28 and above, Russian setup xx25 and below, but not in/adjacent to building BBB26.
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Aug06

FB11 Boy Soldier

by Rindis on August 6, 2016 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: ASL

Patch and I recently wrapped up our latest foray into Festung Budapest: FB11 “Boy Soldier”. Since I’d had the defenders last time, Patch took the Hungarians this time. The Hungarians are defending around the Postal Palace (last seen back in FB7) with nine squads, two 105mm ART, another four squads specifically in the Postal Palace and adjacent building, and the eponymous Hero. He gets HIP and a MMG that goes away as soon as it loses Rate, whereupon he goes berserk. While under Ammo Shortage level 3, they also get 80+mm OBA with three automatic black card draws and a field phone. The Russians have nineteen squads of varying types (including six BVR squads split between 1st line and conscripts), including two assault engineers, a FT and four T-34/85s, at least one of which must survive the scenario. The Russians are trying to take 10 ground level Locations in a line of rowhouses or in the Postal Palace and it’s adjacent building (17 possible Locations overall) in 6.5 turns.

The pre-game rubble knocked down most of the line of buildings in front of the victory areas, and four hexes of the victory rowhouses. Patch placed some extra debris to provide cover for lateral movement from the north to the rowhouses to the center of the map. He devoutly hoped that I wouldn’t do what he expected he couldn’t stop: set up to advance along the north side, which is largely what I did. The rowhouses are 10 hexes all by themselves, but they point directly away from the Russian entry area. The Postal Palace area doesn’t have enough to win with, so I decided my main thrust would start by advancing on the near end of the rowhouses, and my south flank would challenge other area directly, with hopes of getting a couple Locations in there as extra insurance.

Patch’s first shot was a ‘2’, which thankfully Cowered and left no resid, but it still killed my HS. The second shot was ’11’ for Ammo Shortage. The third shot was ‘3’ to kill a full squad. After that the dice settled down a bit, and the most that happened was a pinned squad in O19. Patch called an AR on P17, but a six-hex error put it slightly behind his lines in J14. The bad news was that the second ART turned out to be in P11, and it hit P17 for a 3MC vs my best leader and 4MC vs my FT squad. The squad broke, but the leader HoBed into a 10-2 Hero. I managed to Encircle and Pin the forward HS in N19h1, and after that eliminated his only forward outpost in CC with no trouble.

FB11-1R
Situation, Russian Turn 1 showing the full playing area. The red hexes are the Russian entry area, and the blue lines are the limit of the Hungarian setup area. North is to the left.
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Oct17

FB10 Return of the Black Company

by Rindis on October 17, 2015 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: ASL

After going up the hill in Tunsia, Patch and I decided to go back to Budapest for our next round of ASL in Europe with FB10 “Return of the Black Company”. Patch didn’t want to have to deal with Ammo Shortage again, so I got the defending Germans.

It’s now Feb 3, and things are getting desperate for the Axis forces. The special rules for lack of food and fuel kick in a day or two after this scenario, but Axis forces are still at Ammo Shortage level 4. Both sides have largely variable forces as they struggle over an area near the Kiralyhgo ter on the SW board (which is an area we haven’t seen before, though it’s not too far from a couple of the ‘big hill’ scenarios). Oddly, both sides have a 5 SAN, but a ‘1’ SAN roll is either treated as a ‘2’ (pin/wound), or it can be used to battle harden your own troops.

The Germans get six SS squads (split between 658 and 468), MGs, a DC, and a few concealment markers. They get a leadership choice between a 9-2 and two 7-0 with a FT and a more mixed set with a HMG and PSK. For me, choice A2 was obvious, since even with the shortage, an HMG would be a big help, and I didn’t want most of my leadership as 7-0s. They have a supplemental infantry choice of 3.5 447 SS squads with a leader and LMG, or 5 Hungarian 347s with two leaders and two MGs. This was a tough choice, and even though I felt short of bodies, I went with B1 as I felt I needed a flexible defense, and I didn’t want to have to worry about keeping the Hungarian units together. There’s a Gun/Vehicle choice, and I went with C2 for an extra M15/42(i), as they are part of the victory conditions and the 105 gun on the Zrinyi II, though a 75mm AT as part of the final defense may have been a better idea. For the fortification choice, I went with D2 for two fortified building Locations and mines instead of wire, even though the fanatic unit that comes with the latter was tempting.

The Russians enter along the west or most of the north side on turn 1, and have a (pre-game) choice between three victory conditions. They can go for 18 CVP, or for a pair of buildings, or for a pair of hexes (and all the hexes adjacent to them). In all cases, the Russians only win if the Axis do not control XX29, and have a functioning M15/42(i) in the hex at the end of the Game Turn. With 5.5 turns, I felt I had to try and slow the Russians down for a couple turns before going to the final defenses, and with such a large entry area, I was worried he’d just find a way around one flank and make good progress on the first turn. I especially gave some thought to entry at the NE extreme and going downhill around the bulk of the level 1 playing area, and straight at one of the option 2 victory buildings from behind.

Pre-game rubble checks did very little (three hexes, one of which fell into the street, but that was well out of the likely area of action), and I ended up positioning my mines for a west entry as there were a couple hexes that seemed inevitable if the Russians were in the area at all. I put my roadblock in YY33/YY34 to block access to the heart of the VC area and provide cover for the AA gun, which went behind it. One fortified building Location went in YY30, next to the German victory hex, and the other in CCC32, one of the hexes the Russians needed for their third option. My Zrinyi II went in AAA32, where it was very hard to get at, but could protect CCC32. The HMG went in YY28h1, where it had some decent LOS down the main north-side street, and could protect against an east-side thrust.

Patch ended up going for a NW corner setup. A lot entered along the west side, but three large stacks were at the west side of the north edge. He had contemplated the main north-south road in the middle of the north edge, but decided it was too vulnerable. He chose A2 (fewer leaders, but with a hero), B2 (more men, no Assault Engineers, and only one FT), and C2 (two T-34/85s instead of four vulnerable SU-76s). His first unit found the mines in ZZ38, but were unharmed by them. Despite some fire from BBB36h1, his entire west force entered without incident.

His first two units from the north edge Searched near my “?” but while the first found a HS+DC, the second rolled poorly and failed to search anything, preserving my Dummies. TT35 threw his DC in DFPh at TT36, breaking one squad and ELRing another while staying unharmed. AFPh broke my squad in BBB36 and revealed the Dummy in VV36 on a PTC. Beyond that, his two T-34/85s got acquisition on the buildings flanking my roadblock, which I considered the anchor of my defense in that direction.

He advanced into the street on the south side, and got his squad out of the mines without incident. There was only one squad left adjacent to TT35, but he was concealed and killed the HS in a successful Ambush.

FB10-1R
Situation, Russian Turn 1, showing the full playing area, and the hidden parts of my setup. North is to the left; yellow ‘V’s are the second option victory buildings, and the yellow circles are the third option victory areas.
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Apr27

FB9 The Shooting Gallery

by Rindis on April 27, 2015 at 10:41 pm
Posted In: ASL

After freezing in the great white north, it was time for Patch and I to return to Budpest for FB9 “The Shooting Gallery”, where it’s early February and there’s also still snow on the ground. I don’t recall how we decided, but I ended up with the Russians who are attacking into the Ganz Works that was on the periphery of the action in “Red Banner Days“.

The Germans get a fairly nice defending force, with 8 1/2 squads, including a pair of 838 Assault Engineers and otherwise split between 468/467s, all from Pz Div 13, with the usual support weapons, with some concealment/Dummies, Wire, mines, a Hungarian Bofors AA, an 88… and a Panther. However, the Panther is Out of Gas, and therefore Immobile, and the Axis troops are at Ammo Shortage Level 4, the worst we’ve seen, and the second-worst possible in FB.

The Russians enter with 11 squads and 4 T-34/85s, plus three squads (and 8-0 leader) of the Buda Volunteer Regiment. These are Hungarians who have joined up with the Russians, and use the standard Hungarian/Axis Minor stats, except with counters bordered with Russian brown instead of German blue. The primary goal is to take ten stone buildings in the central area of the map in seven turns, but both sides have a CVP cap of 35.

The Russians enter in the west, but can also enter along most of the north edge if they wait until turn 2. Both sides get six ‘purchase points’ of reinforcements for each of the first three turns, with the Russians entering in the north and west and the Axis entering in the east and some of the south. Oh, and the Axis gets a couple squads of conscript Hungarians and a 7-0 when/if the Panther dies.

My general plan was to enter everything immediately, and try to drive for the far end of the victory area, where there’s more, smaller buildings. I would buy all the BVR troops available on the second turn, and enter them in the rear of the German lines; if they got lucky, they might get into the area. If not, they would keep Patch’s attention divided, and the BVR units do not count against my CVP cap, so a lone platoon getting cut off and killed was not a real worry, so long as it kept Germans busy. Since all the BVR troops together cost seven points, I needed to save one from the first turn, and I decided to go for the 100+mm OBA module… partly to get the 8-0 leader with it. This meant my other goal was to find an observation post for him as soon as possible. My setup was a little hurried, which lead to two of the T-34s being a hex further out than needed (J18 & K19 instead of I18 & J18), but they didn’t have far to go the first turn anyway.

The bulk of Patch’s setup was within the victory area, but the first thing I had to deal with was a pair of “?” in H13h2, but Patch didn’t force me to strip concealment on anyone approaching him. Until the last move, when he opened fire from F11h1, who had also been quiescent until that point. The resulting 8 -4 shot broke my squad, but it also malfunctioned Patch’s HMG.

FB9-1R
Situation, Russian Turn 1, showing full playing area; north is to the left. Red hexes are the Russian entry area, blue hexes are the German entry area, the blue dashed lines define the victory area. Patch’s hidden mines and pair of HS are also shown.
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Sep20

FB8 For Want of Either Crust or Crumb

by Rindis on September 20, 2014 at 9:14 am
Posted In: ASL

Patch and I returned to ASL and Budapest recently with the eighth (our tenth, after playing FB18 and 19) Festung Budapest scenario, “For Want of Crust or Crumb”.

It’s an odd one. The Germans are trying to resupply the city by air, resulting in a fight over parachuted canisters of supplies. At the beginning of the game, the Axis performs rubble checks, and then scatter checks on nine canisters (4PP objects that can only be picked up during MPh). Then both sides take turns placing one squad at a time (plus SW/leaders, and dummies are possible), with the randomly-determined player who placed first going last. Victory goes to the side possessing the most canisters at the end, with ties going to the side with the higher CVP total. In addition, the first three turns (of six) have a +1/6 hexes LV and the Axis forces are at Ammo Shortage Level 3.

I took the Axis forces and ended up placing second once the initial setup chores were done. There were five canisters in open ground near the center, and two each on rooftops in the north and south. We both started in the center, with Patch going to the east, and me to the west, near the open ground that dominates that edge and the canisters scattered around. Patch put a unit to the north of that block, and I then put two units nearby, planning on covering the northernmost canister. I concentrated the Hungarian part of my forces in the rail station, where they could back up the center. We also ended up with a jumble in the center south, but my guys were all Dummies.

For my first turn I largely skulked, but managed to pick up the canister in the street at HH17 where no Russians could see me. I also advanced on the one at DD15r, and planned to hold the center building while I grabbed some out of the field. But first, I swarmed the Russian stack in GG16, which turned out to be a Dummy.

FB8 1A
Situation, Axis Turn 1, showing the entire board. Supply canisters are represented by parachute counters. North is to the left.
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Jun05

FB7 The Terror of the Castle

by Rindis on June 5, 2014 at 12:00 pm
Posted In: ASL

Patch and I headed back to Budapest after our second desert adventure, reaching the end of January 1945 with FB7 “The Terror of the Castle”. Having been the defense the last two games, I took the attacking Soviets, and while the ROAR/Archive record is a little thin, it is showing a pro-Russian tilt, so I gave Patch the Hungarian balance (an at-start Hero).

Even for Festung Budapest, this is an unusual scenario. The Hungarians are defending against a Russian assault that will take them to the base of Castle Hill and have three different setup zones (four squads + MMG & HMG in the Postal Palace, two squads in the victory buildings, and six squads in most of the rest of the available map). The Russians have twelve squads (three of which are 628 assault engineers) a MMG, two FTs and two T-34/85s, entering from offboard. But, up to six squads (three each, in two buildings) can set up on-board, within the Hungarian setup area. The scenario is nine turns long, with control of the Z12/BB11 building Locations evaluated every three turns to grant one VP. Best two out of three wins.

A large part of the strangeness is the fact that the side that claims a VP goes last for the next three turns, meaning that the turn order will flip somewhere along the way (probably turn 7, as the Russians start out going first, and are unlikely to get the first VP). Finally, both sides get to purchase reinforcements (which appears in several FB scenarios, but this is the first we’ve gotten to that does it), with the Hungarians getting theirs on turn 4 and the Russians getting theirs on turn 7. Oh, and on turn 7 the Hungarians get a flamethrower in the possession of any unit they wish. The Hungarians are up to Ammo Shortage level 3, and as ever, there is ground snow.

Looking at some on-line discussions of the scenario revealed that one of the Russian set-up buildings, CC15, was essential for the Russians to use to suppress likely Hungarian defenses. Naturally, the pre-game rubble checks knocked down eight of the thirteen hexes of this block, including the entire useful SE end (mostly thanks to falling rubble taking out further hexes). I didn’t quite like the direct, close, route to the victory buildings, with a large number of Hungarian ‘?’ lined up along the Bela-Kiraly ut, and ended up entering my forces on the north end, with the MMG, a FT and best leader in the CC15 block, ready to advance into the intact Y14 area, and the FT and DC in the Postal Palace, out of immediate LOS and ADJACENCY to the Hungarian defenders in the upper floors.

Despite my best efforts, Patch could see most of my movement, and I lost a Dummy stack in W17. A pot-shot pinned a squad in R14 as they tried to reinforce the Postal Palace. My main stack entered along the Vermezo ut in Armored Assault, but HMG fire from the Postal Palace broke both the 458 and 628, even after the 8-1 passed. Further fire also broke the leader who was going to guide the backup troops through the high MF cost rubble, but the squads were okay. The HMG got several ROF shots, pinning the 8-1 and CRing the 458 on its last shot. The 8-1 self-broke to stay with his men, while my 8-0 was wounded trying to find safety in R6.

FB7 1R
Situation, Russian Turn 1. Colored hexes are off-board entry areas (red=Russian, blue=Hungarian; yellow and green only have one legal entry hex). North is to the left.)
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Feb06

FB6 Came Tumbling After

by Rindis on February 6, 2014 at 10:00 pm
Posted In: ASL

After the desert adventure, Patch and I decided it was time to get back to Festung Budapest. The sixth scenario features a Hungarian countertack up the hill on the SW map. Since I attacked up the hill last time, I took the defending Russians and set up what I called the ‘wet paper bag defense’.

The Russians get 9.5 squads plus a 57mm AT Gun to defend a fairly long front line, with a couple machine guns, a light MTR and a DC thrown in. The Hungarians get 6 first line squads, with another 12 conscript squads entering the first turn with three German JagdPanzer IVs in support, with a goal of getting two GO squads to level 5 hexes in 6.5 turns. Coming up with a Russian defense that had decent coverage was a challenge, but the Axis have bigger problems. Not only do their reinforcements have further to go at a lower speed (thanks to the reduced movement of inexperienced personnel), but the leadership situation is bad (one 7-0 leader for the entire set of twelve squads, and two more for the starting six), and the AFVs are automatically recalled at the start of turn 5. There is ground snow to slow down the advance up the hill, and Axis forces are at Ammunition Shortage level 4 (by far the worst we’ve seen).

Patch noted that the record, while a bit thin, was heavily in the Russian’s favor, so I gave him the Axis balance, which lets one of the AFVs set up with the initial force, instead of entering on turn 1. The main force set up on columns HH and LL, with two squads and the JgPz in between, and the reinforcements scattered from EE to MM with the two remaining AFVs entering on the main roads.

Patch, not liking the options for crossing the street, opened up with a 8 +1 attack from the LL23 stack, and my 458+DC squad barely passed the resulting 1MC. The on-board PzIV moved into II25, locking down my main defensive stack in the area after the squad failed a PAATC to try to Street Fight it (given that it has sN9, that may have been a good thing…).

Rather than stick around for a CC with a couple squads and a leader, or just the sN, my 458 self-broke and routed away, carrying the 8-1 with them.

FB6 1A
Full map, Axis Turn 1. North is to the left.
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