Why I love ASL Campaign Games

If there’s one reason I like Campaign Games more than any other aspect of ASL it's those dramatic “Is this cool or what?”

As many of you know, our Thursday night group is currently playing VoTG CG IV. Brandon and I (playing the Germans) are facing off against Eric Morton and Fred Timm (playing the Russians).

At the end of the September 17 date, the Germans were in control of all of the ferry landings, and had pushed the Russians into two pockets. The first, commanded by Fred, consisted of an area along the north board edge and included 9th of January Square, Pavlov’s House and the factories just to the east of it, and up to the riverbank, just north of the northern-most ferry landing.

The southern pocket, commanded by Eric, ran along the south board edge from the river bank just south of the southern-most ferry landing, and included a portion of the very dense block of stone building in the southeast corner. In all, these two pockets contained less than 70 stone hexes.

The CG VC state that the Germans win if at the end of any CG Day they control all the ferry landings and the Russians control less than 70 stone building/rubble locations. It’s a German win, right? No, it isn’t, because the CG Day isn’t over; the Russians can launch a night counter-attack, which they promptly did.

The first two turns of the September 17th Night scenario were pretty typical, with the Russians trying to expand their pockets to include more stone buildings before the bulk of the German infantry come off of No Move.

It is now the start of turn 3. The Russians have lined up 18 assault boats along the central portion of the river, no doubt containing two full Guards Rifle Companies. They will be facing a screen of German units (still concealed and on No Move) positioned at level zero between the ferry landings and the start of level one. Behind them, ensconced in every second level building location with a view of the river are German HMG’s, MMG’s and Morters.

What could be more dramatic than Russian elite troops under heavy fire storming ferry landings from assault boats, at night. The Russians must seize at least one ferry landing by the end of the CG date or the Germans will win the CG. Is that cool or what?