Ed Beekman
Germans: Ralph
Partisans: Sean
Russians: Ed
The Dogs of War is a 3 player scenario in May '45 Prague. The Czech Partisans are defending the Victory Building (VB) against attacks by 2nd SS Das Reich units and Russian Liberation Army (ROA) units which are Russian POWs rearmed by the Germans to liberate Russia. Ralph wanted the SS and Sean took the Partisans leaving me with the traitorous Russians. Sean set up first in the VB, where his units are Fanatic, on the hex row A half of board 21, and would receive a couple of reinforcing squads with an obsolete French tank on Turn 3. He would also roll to randomly generate infiltrating squads during each of the Partisan Player Turn Rally Phases. Ralph set up second on the graveyard side of the VB. His force included a couple of JgPz and an obsolete, although not nearly as obsolete as the Partisan's, Skoda tank. I set up last on the other side of the VB. My force included a pair of captured T34s, a pair of halftracks, a Hetzer and a Flamm halftrack. The ELR situation is also interesting. The Partisans naturally have a 5 ELR, the Russians have a 1 ELR. The SS take it on the chin with a 0 ELR, which means squads that fail a MC break into HS and HS Disrupt but there will be no surrendering because all sides have invoked NO QUARTER. And EVERYONE has Panzerfausts! Alright, the Partisans' are captured so their PF checks and TH rolls have a +2 modifier.
The sequence of play starts with the SS and in the DFPh the Partisans goes first followed by the ROA. The second phasing player is the ROA with the SS followed by the Partisans in DFPh. Finally the Partisans go with the ROA followed by the SS in DF. You need to consider unit positions at the end of your movement carefully, they can potentially be shot at in 4 fire phases before they can move again. With some low ELRs this can be really bad.
There are 5 ways to win the game. In descending order: be the only player with Good Order (GO) MMC in the VB; have 2 more GO Squad Equivalents within 2 hexes of the SW corner of the VB than the next one player; have 3 GO Partisan squads in the VB (applicable only to Partisan player); have more GO HS equivalents within 2 hexes of the SW corner of the VB than the next one player; the Partisan wins. Our game was decided by the 4th VC.
Ralph started the game trying to strip concealment from Partisans in the VB and cautiously advancing through the graveyard. He also took a shot at my concealed kill stack forcing it to relocate during my turn. The Partisans began repulsing the SS with a 10-2 led HMG which broke up an SS squad. My DF was ineffective in stripping partisan concealment.
In my first turn I moved towards the VB, getting the FlammHT in position to "zip-po" in for Bounding Fire on later turns then return to hiding while the T34's moved to firing positions on the VB with the Hetzer covering them from hostile armor. Ralph broke the Sean's HMG stack in DF. One of my T34s malf'd its B11 MA on the first shot.
Sean generated several Partisan infiltrators around the periphery and one in the VB. He remanned the HMG while DF seemed to redirect against infiltrators to get them off the Rout paths.
Ralph's turn saw him get into the VB with a pair of squads while his JgPz moved against my armor. Many infiltrators were neutralized while I was hit with the first of 3 sniper attacks in the game. Both opponents put their snipers on my side of the board and each attack hit a stack of units and I would each time obligingly roll a Yatzee, resulting in all my leaders wounding and stunning a HT. The only other sniper activity was mine, which eliminated an infiltrating Partisan leader late in the game.
I didn't like Ralph interfering with Russian interests, so I engaged his PzJgs. I lost my 'lame' T34 to one but the Flamm HT burnt it up before going back into hiding. When I assaulted the second PzJg, it came down to a Gun Duel. We both had +5 Firer Based DRMs so the lower roll would go first. I rolled a 5 which meant my round would go up the enemy's rear since all other TH DRM for me were 0. Ralph rolled a 3, winning the duel and destroying my other T34. The Hetzer then attacked, Ralph spinning for a desperation IF shot that missed. The Hetzer moved to the side and reduced it to burning wreckage. I thought it a good trade, 2 T34s for 2 JgPz. I also loaded a couple squads into my HTs and moved to isolate infiltrating partisans and keep some SS units DM.
Sean generated a few more infiltrators and played it safe but had some units broken in the VB by DF.
Ralph moved on the Partisans on the VB ground floor, eliminating 2 squads in CC and capturing one of the two stairwells. He also pushed along the southern flank to attack the Hetzer and my LMG team on that flank. His squad passed its PAATC but failed to kill the Hetzer (in motion) in CC.
On my turn I shot up and flamed Partisans and SS on the north and south flanks. The Hetzer safely drove out of CC (Ralph needed 3's to hit w/PF as I drove through the burning PzJg wreck) and threatened the Skoda behind the graveyard wall. Ralph fired the Skoda at the Hetzer and missed. As I moved to a more optimal firing position, Ralph took the Intensive Fire shot. Snake eyes, Critical Hit. He rolled a 7 TK, I passed my possible Shock TC for No Effect. 9 penetration +1 for range, double less 14 armor = 6 final TK #. The Hetzer moved behind the Skoda for a better position and gained acquisition. I was able to sneak a squad into the building but it would not be able to stay.
On Sean's turn he moved to counterattack Ralph in the VB while bringing his reinforcements along a safe approach to the VB along the northern flank, catching a few SS between me and him. In DF, I got lucky with an armored HT fire group against the SS squad on my side of the VB. This left NO Good Order enemies on my side of the building. Ralph lost a squad for FTR because the Hetzer cut its rout path (Hetzer = Troublemaker).
Ralph cleared the southern approaches to the VB while making a deal with Sean not to attack each other there. He came after my Hetzer with a squad and 9-1 leader. I failed my Motion roll along with my DF. One Panzerfaust later the Hetzer was a burning wreck. Ralph was then able to rout a couple squads worth of broken HS to the 9-1 for future rallys.
My turn was a game changer. I took a halftrack and raced it into bypass of Ralph's stack guarding the road I had to cross into the VB. It survived PSK, PF, and Reaction Fire suffering only Immobilization. Yeah, it died in CC but it had done its job better then I could have hoped. I would have been just as happy with a burning wreck between Ralph and me. This freed me to rush 5 squads, a wounded leader, MMG and my remaining vehicles into position in and around the VB. My AF eliminated all but 1 of Seans remaining partisan squads in the VB. I set up a defensive perimeter around the staircase I controlled and waited for the counterattack.
At this point it was the world against Ed, I had Victory Condition 2 in the bag. Ralph was vowing that he may not win but he was going to make sure I didn't win either. Sean was figuring if he played us against each other, maybe, just maybe he could sneak away with the win.
Sean moved his units into position to make the final charge into the VB with his reinforcement and infiltration squads while using his HMG to break one of my squads.
FINAL TURN.
Ralph had rallied his broken units with the 9-1 leader and was able to run them into the VB via the graveyard while moving the Skoda next to the SW corner of the VB to count towards victory and threaten my Flamm HT. Some units on the south tried to also get into the VB but were repulsed by me.
Ralph also jumped one of my squads in CC which turned into a Melee. Ralph now had 3 GO squads and a vehicle in position to count towards victory plus another HS tied up in melee with one of my squads.
In my turn, I played it safe. I moved units upstairs where they could fire at Sean's units that will be trying to enter the VB. I also self rallied a HS with a LMG which I moved into position to lay a Fire Lane across the southern approach to the VB. Ralph DF'd into our melee, breaking my squad who obligingly died trying to escape the melee. I had 3 MMC and 2 vehicles in position to count towards victory, but Ralph had picked up another GO HS from the melee meaning I was a HS short of VC 2.
Sean's turn had one objective for him - have 3 GO squads in the VB. One was already present so he only needed 2 more with 5 squads available to get there. His first squad ran across the road, survived the DF and got in the building. The second squad crossed the road but broke to Final Fire adjacent to the VB. Next he tried the southern flank. The first squad ran through the LMG fire lane but Pinned outside the building. The last squads had to go through the residual fire or get within HT flamethrower range. They did not make it. Lastly he moved his tank into position to count towards victory.
In the final tally, all three of us had GO squads in the building - Sean with 2, Ralph with 3.5 and I had 3. Nobody had VC #1.
VC #2: Sean had 4 squad equivalents, Ralph had 5.5, and I had 7. Missed by a HS. Nobody had VC#2
VC#3: Sean only had 2 squads in the VB. He did not have VC#3.
VC#4: I had the most squad equivalents as totalled in VC#2 above for the win.
It was a very good game with a completely different feel. The fire sequences are different which makes your moves, advances and rally points very important. Next time you have an odd number of players, you should try a 3 player game like this. The journal published a couple of them recently.
Ed
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