Alan Snider - Nov 12, 2005 10:10 am (#11150 Total: 11166) n the Playtest Table: Khyber Pass Games' "The Battle of the Little Bighorn"; and announcing the "Northern Knights Wargaming Group" in Vancouver, Canada with a retail store of it's own at http://www.stalag17wargames.com/ GAMEDAY, Nov 7: Rick White and I decide to give a full playthrough to MMP's Target: Arnhem. On the dieroll (4-6, you get the Brits), I get the Germans, while Rick gets the challenge of directing the combined U.S./British assualt on the six bridges. We again used the historical airborne supply drop locations, and then the British paradrops were done afterward. The Brits foughty hard on the ground to open up the roadway toward Eindhoven, but simply took 2 good bites out of the German defences which held. The next attacks at Best, then Son were effective, as the German positions there are totally eliminated. This also reduces the German prsence in the area to a borderline nuisance force (if not for the armoured units that remained). Once the British advance began to develop near Eindhoven, German defence plans largely began to hinge on delaying in the most effecient way possible until the turn 4 reinforcements would arrive. On turn 3, the SS units now battered, retreat into Eindhoven. A supply line trail of infantry units led away toward area A (out of reach of Allied units). As I realized that defence of the area was hopeless, I was determined to save a few units who could return with the coming reinforcements slated for turn 4. The Germans slowly disengaged from contact with the Brits, saving all but the armour; who remained behind to give the Brits a task and to occupy a well protected victory objective hex (red road). The British chose to sit tight at Arnhem, as the German both occupied the city hex and a wood hex, blocking all but one hex access to attack Arnhem itself. At Nijmegan there is a bit of a stalemate, as neither side can effects any lasting damage on its' opponent as it can be healed up as long as they remain in supply. By turn 4, the German position at Veghel is eliminated, and Grave looks to be in jeapardy. However, at the same time as the Germans are giveing ground they are moving reinforcemnts from area A to area B; to joing the oncoming reinforcements there. The plan being, to attempt to cut off British supply for troops in Veghel and retake either bridge hex. Well, with the single hex entry requirement, any German move onto solid ground can be quiickly cut off. I must say, though, this got me thinking of the possibility of a co-ordinated attack from both sides of the board. This game does make you focus on the decisions and not the rules. A most interesting part of the game then broke out. As the bridges at both Arnhem and Nijmegan both deteriorated into a purely defensive affair, a bit of cat n' mouse a la Caesar at Alesia erupted. The German player can use the off map areas to spread out to prompt the British player to occupy the entire red road; using up valuable troops. I was drawn several times to look at area E, but it would take too long to bring troops through this passage "to action". As I expected this is exactly what the British did. Turns 5, 6, and 7 involved some attempts by the Germans to retake a highway (red road) hex back from the British. This would have the British using up valuable supply points to heal units, as well as holding back some reserve force that may have been better used in taking Nijmegan. At Arnhem, the Germans continued to receive reinforcements from area L, and shuttling them through arnhem to Elden and the position opposite to Nijmegan bridge. There is little the Allies can do to prevent this, and it makes the German defence in the area particularly strong. On turn 8, the Allies had managed to cover all attempts to disrupt their supply running directly on the road from hex 0103. This did , however, result in more judicious attacks on the Germans at Nijmegan, although the city did finally fall. The logjam created by the SS units in the woods and the German troops in Arnhem, if made a priority by the German player, can be a key to success. This action blocks any approach to Elden other than from across the bridge at Nijmegan, as one cannot cross the river other than at a bridge. A quicky look at the Germans supply capacity (ie. reinforcements or healing to units in place and in supply), we were able to determine it was not possible for the British in the area to take the Arnhem/Elden area as access was blocked on either end. At Arnhem, SS units in the woods funneled the attack vs. Arnhem through a single hex(limiting its' strength). At Elden, no other approach was an option except from across the Nijmegan bridge; again, at 1/2 strength from a single hex. It does not look promising for the Allies, at least with the historical supply drop markers.... I don't think I'm finished with Target: Arnhem quite yet. I'd like to try those free placement supply airdrop markers and see how much effect they might have. I should think this may be the key to busting up the German stranglehold at Arnhem-Elden. I'd be just as interested in trying to stop a British player who had the full slate of options regarding the supply airdrops.