David R. Moody  - Aug 3, 2007 6:07 pm (#19637 Total: 19643)  
R.I.P. Bill Walsh, 1931-2007 	 

Last night, after a day of painting, went to my friend Gabi's house for
a playing of the Patrol scenario from Up Front, my Amis vs. his Jerries.
Didn't start out too well for me, as Gabi got good fire cards and was
able to pin down my men rather well--at one point I think I had at least
one man pinned in each of my three groups, including my BAR gunner (and
my SL, for a time)! 

But then I managed to get one of my maneuver groups (my lefthand one, my
ASL and two men) out of the stream they were stuck in and into a gully;
though the ASL was pinned at first. My right hand group, with my three
suckiest soldiers, after taking one of them KIAed, got into another
gully. To try and rain fire down on them, Gabi tried to get his firebase
onto a hill. This was the opening I had been waiting for--I had Fire
cards, but thanks to my pinned BAR gunner (PFC Fox) I was one FP short
of using them. When he moved, I now had enough fire, and I raked him on
successive turns, even after his pinned men tried to get onto the hill.
I killed one man (PVT Beck) and routed the other three, including the
LMG gunner. Gabi's center group was gone, and he was two losses away
from his squad breaking. The worm had turned! 

The Germans fought back, though, raking my center group and routing PFC
Fox out of the combat (DOH!); in my return fire, PVT Frattali broke his
Garand, and was unable to fix it. On the flanks, my pinned men rallied
and and moved up through the gullies, the ASL and two men getting into
some buildings (five had been discarded already) and the two remaining
men in the right hand group getting into some woods, opposite Germans in
more buildings at RR5. More firing ensued, with the group with my ASL
forcing another German, in the group opposite (they got into another
gully at RR 5, I got them as they moved), to Rout out of the fight. 

Other than that, firing was largely ineffective, so Gabi tried to
infiltrate with his left hand group (which had his SL) into my weak
righthand group, since those two men were now at Range Chit 4 and thus
halfway to victory. His SL was successful in infiltrating, and he
doubled his firepower, Pinning both men. I had Rally cards, though, so
that didn't last long; I also tried to snipe at that group, but the
Germans got him, and tried creeping up my firebase, the only group I had
with freedom of movement. 

So Gabi tried again, Infiltrating all three soldiers in that group, then
trying for close combat. The SL failed his morale check, but waved on
the other two men (I vill cover you!), who entered CC one on one,
interestingly. Thanks to a concealment card, one of his men killed one
of my men (and kept Infiltration status), but my other man killed his
other man, breaking his squad and giving me the win. 

Another AWESOME game. Every time I play Up Front, I love it more. And
now the British and Japanese are on the way, thanks to Jason. Need to
work out what to trade him for Banzai.