Patch came over yesterday for the first FtF gaming I’ve had in months. Naturally, we played ASL. However, Patch wanted to finally give a product he’s had for ages a try: Heat of Battle’s High Ground. I remember reading about it ages ago, and thought that a pair of boards that can be put together for one big hill, while still being geomorphic on three sides was a neat idea. Going through the scenarios a bit, we figured the fourth one was one we could easily do in a day.
It’s November ’40 and the Greeks are in the middle of counterattacking the invading Italians and driving them back into Albania. The Italians start with six 3-4-7 squads, some MGs and ATRs, and two 75mm ART on board, near the board 8 river. The first turn, six elite 4-4-7 squads enter on the edge of board I (that’s a Roman numeral 1), and then the Greeks enter with sixteen squads (split between elite 4-5-8s and 1st Line 4-5-7s) and some MGs and ATRs. The Italians have eight turns to get 18 VP worth of troops across the river (where board II is waiting), with any CVP they pick up adding to the total. The at-start force is guarding the bridge, and cannot start across until one of the entering Italians either gets across the river, or sets foot on the bridge. Oh, and there’s ground snow, so getting off the hill will take some extra effort.
Looking at it a little, I started coming up with a defense for the Italians, and so took the defenders. Sadly, a few things took a bunch of time, and I didn’t come up with a plan for the entering Italians ahead of time. I mostly anchored my defense on the area around the bridge, and a built-up area near the foot of the hillside. I probably should have kept the entering Italians in a tight little bunch, but I let them get scattered as I looked for easy/covered routes down the hill.
My initial setup, with boresighting. North is to the left.
↓ Read the rest of this entry…