Historical Modules III

Scenarios involving Italians are still too rare in ASL, though 2007-2008 did see the release of several Italian-themed products as well as a number of scenario packs containing scenarios featuring Italians.  As a result, the theme of this small historical module, featuring Italian troops in the Soviet Union, contains some novelty value. 

The Novo Orlovka map, still sporting its "Advanced Tobruk Sstem" logo, depicts a very small playing area (only 11 hexes by 12 hexes) that almost seems like a spattering of random terrain:  two small hills, clumps of woods, a gull, clumps of brush, and 6 scattered buildings.  The map uses very large hexes, which actually become a liablity, as they make the folded map taller than the scenario cards that provide the only protection for the components of this module (contained in a baggie).  Because of this, the top of the Novo Orlovka map can be easily damaged by handling the Red Christmas product.  Owners may want to insert their own piece of cardboard backing into the baggie to provide protection and to avoid damage.  Two scenarios use this map.

The Orlovo Ivanovka map (twice the number of hexes as the Novo Orlovka map) depicts a more interesting terrain situation.  The map is dominated by a Level 3 hill, with a stream flanking it on one side and a small village with wooden buildings on the other.  Four scenarios use this map.

Most of the counters provided are Italian infantry counters, and most of these duplicate existing counters.  However, there is a new elite squad type provided, a 4-4-8 elite squad designed to represent Alpini infantry, Italy's excellent mountain troops.  While the 8 morale given to the Alpini on these counters is definitely more historically accurate than the 7 morale of "official" elite Italian squads, their inclusion in this product is a bit peculiar in that no Alpini fought in any of the actions depicted here (the Alpini Corps would not arrive on the Eastern Front until 1942), so essentially these counters too are unnecessary.  Other counters include a smattering of German, Soviet and Italian guns and AFVs appearing in the scenarios, as well as several "historical" aircraft counters.  There is also a counter for a Field Kitchen, and a couple of rows of random leader counters that seem to be left-over "vanity" counters printed by CH.

The quality of Critical Hit counters of this era is still a matter of debate, as they have both strengths and weaknesses.  The main strength is basically more use of color on the SMC/MMC counter artwork.  The artwork of the figures on the infantry counters, however, often still features awkward poses and is often inferior to that of most "official" artwork, despite the better use of color.  The values on the infantry counters are still too small and too close together; the counters could make better use of the available space.  But it is the gun (and some SW) and vehicle counters that are still the most problematic, as Critical Hit, despite many complaints, has persisted in using a confusing and non-intuitive counter layout which renders them more or less useless without a play aid to act as a Rosetta Stone for players.  It is far past the time they started to use alternative artwork in the spirit of Heat of Battle, which manages to avoid duplicating the "look and feel" of official ASL counters without making things more difficult for players.

The six scenarios of Red Christmas (irritatingly split up randomly among 4 scenario cards) are fairly rules intensive, all having 5-7 SSR, some of them complicated.  Two scenarios are Night scenarios, three scenarios feature OBA (including one with THREE Soviet modules and one Italian module), and two scenarios have Air Support.  Half of the scenarios are largish, while the other half are small or medium-sized.  The scenario with the most interesting tactical situation appears to be RC5 (Avanti Savoia!).

Essentially, this is a module for experienced ASLers.  The complicated SSR, combined with the frequency with which complex rules such as night, OBA and Air Support appear, make them less suitable or attractive to novice players.  Even some of those players may be a bit turned off by a couple of the scenarios that force players to take certain actions with their units.  On the other hand, only this module and its predecessor treat this battle at all in ASL terms.  Certainly the module is something that people with an interest in Italian-themed subjects should take a look at.

The large map is well done and features an imposing bald hill surrounded by woods-covered lower terrain.  The area has more vegetation than many other areas fought over during the Chinese counter-offensive.  Except for a few scattered buildings and one road, it is wilderness terrain.  Only one new terrain type, Pine Scrub, a Brush variant, appears.  As is typical for ASL historical modules, only a portion of the map is used for most scenarios (though some do use a large portion).  Only one scenario utilizes the entire map.

The module comes with a large number of counters (duplicate sets, as is now customary with Critical Hit), only some of which are actually needed.  About half of the counters are USMC counters already in the system, although the module does add a new 4-5-8 USMC squad with Assault and Spraying Fire capabilities.  In this module, USMC do not have underlined morale and undergo ELR unit replacement with weaker USMC squad types.  Toktong also introduces the Sikorsky HO3S-1 helicopter to ASL, used as a combat rescue aircraft.  The helicopter rules are pretty straightforward, aided by the fact that the Sikorsky has no combat capabilities.  The rules, however, do not seem to discuss the possibility of unloading in enemy occupied hexes.

Most of the remaining counters are for the Chinese, referred to in the module merely as "Chinese Communist Forces" (CCF).  They are represented by red on brown two-toned counters and generally treated as Russians are.  The CCF have five different squad types, which may be a tad too generous.  These squad types include 4-2-6 conscript squads, 4-3-7 and 5-2-7 first line squads, 4-4-8 elite squads, and a special new squad type, the 6-[1]-8 grenade squad, a useful addition that represents groups of men armed primarily with grenades rather than firearms (because of shortages).  The CCF are also given a unique SMC, the Bugler, which can either aid rallying or help initiate a Human Wave attack.  The Bugler is a dubious piece of pure chrome that probably would have been better left out of the system.

In the copy of Toktong used to write this overview, the die cutting was significantly off and the counters "lopsided" to the top as a result.

Other rules for Toktong cover subjects ranging from supply counters to Extreme Winter and Frostbite.  The Frostbite rules interestingly will degrade each side's OB (through Unit Replacement) before setup.  It is a clever rule.

The module also comes with a reprint of an after-the-battle analysis written by S.L.A. Marshall in the 1950s which provides interesting historical details.  As it is not copyrighted, Critical Hit just reproduced the original document.

No campaign games are provided, but the module does come with 10 scenarios, the majority of them large in size (though CCF forces tend to be considerably larger than USMC forces in most of these).  The scenarios typically do not have numerous or complicated SSRs, but 2 scenarios use Night Rules, 5 scenarios use OBA, and 3 scenarios use Air Support.  The Chinese are the attackers in 6 of the 10 scenarios.  The meatiest scenario, TP1 (Here They Come!), featuring an attack by 50 Chinese  squads on 15 USMC defending squads, is a Night scenario and as a result will probably not be played very often. 

The second meatiest, and more likely to be played is a USMC attack, TP10 (Ridge Runners Mop Up), using half the map.  It sets 20 USMC squads (plus OBA and Air Support) against 22 defending CCF squads (who get some OBA of their own).   TP2 (Can...Hold...If...Supplied...) is also pretty meaty, using most of the map to recreate an attack by 36 CCF squads (plus OBA) against 15 USMC squads (with lots of Air Support).   A smaller, more playable scenario without complicated rules or SSRs is TP8 (Attack on Turkey Hill), featuring 12 USMC squads attacking 13 CCF squads in a "king of the hill" situation.

Overall, the module looks pretty decent.  It probably isn't for people who have to have a minimum daily recommended dosage of Panzers, but for other ASLers it is a chance to do some tough fighting in extreme conditions on interesting terrain.

The two (non-contiguous) maps feature areas alongside the Volkhov River.  The smaller "Volkhov" mapsheet features a hill along a bend in the river.  The larger and far more interesting "Russa/Sitno" map, 36" long, depicts a long stretch of the Volkhov River featuring towns on each end separated by a region dominated by gullies, woods, and a few small hills.  Both of the maps are attractive.  Four scenarios are set on each map.  Oddly, no scenarios use the entire Volkhov map, but three scenarios  use the entire larger Russa/Sitno map.

The module also includes 160 counters consisting of 2 sets of 80 (each set in 2 small sheets for 4 total).  Although the marketing material on the back of Spanish Fury claims twice that there are 192 counters (in two sets of 96) and once that there are 224 counters, in actual fact, only 160 counters come with the game.  These are all Spanish infantry counters (squads, half squads, leaders, and heroes), which are depicted in a two-tone (grey on blue) fashion.  It is not clear why this is the case, as the units are identical to (and treated the same as) German units, and there are no scenarios featuring non-Blau units.  It would seem that none of the counters are necessary to play any of the scenarios (the marketing material seems to suggest that Boat and Wagon counters are also included, but none were included in the copy used for this overview).

Half of the scenarios are large in size, with the other half small or medium-sized.  Overall, there is a good mix.  Typically, the scenarios have few SSRs and are pretty straightforward, although a couple of scenarios limit the ability of Soviet units to move and fight.  Three scenarios have OBA, one uses Night Rules, and two scenarios use Boats.  The scenarios that will probably seem most interesting to many ASLers are the ones that use the entire Russa/Sitno map, as they can create some interesting tactical situations.  SF6 (Fire on the Volkhov), for example, forces the Spanish player to control buildings in each of the two widely separated villages, creating two separate battles on the same map.  SF7 (Liquidate the Bridgehead?) allows the Soviet player to choose one of three victory conditions, each of which will determine where on the map his main emphasis will be. 

Overall, Spanish Fury seems to be an attractive product with some potentially interesting scenarios.

Both feature smallish historical maps; the Manor map in particular depicts a small playing area (only 11 hexes by 15 hexes), using a large hex size.  Both maps are very green, featuring mostly open terrain and woods or brush (with hedgerows for the Manor), with nothing remarkable or unusual about them.  The terrain in both could have been approximated pretty well with geomorphic maps.

The Strass mini-module comes with 4 scenarios; the Manor mini-module adds 2 more.  Presumably to make more use of the Manor map, Critical Hit threw in two somewhat dubious "bonus" scenarios, which were previously published scenarios [BM3 (Normandy Nights) is derived from CH24 (Those Normandy Nights) from Critical Hit magazine; it is not clear what BM4 (Advance on  Beach Exit 2) is derived from].  Obviously, for these scenarios, the map is not "historical." 

The included counters are not required for play and consist of 1 small countersheet of American infantry and 1 small countersheet of vehicles and guns, some of which appear in some of the scenarios and some of which seem random.  Two copies of each countersheet are provided.  Because Critical Hit provided no play aid explaining their alternative, non-intuitive counter artwork (which is especially inscrutable for vehicles), players who do not have such a play aid from some other Critical Hit product will find the counters relatively worthless.

The scenarios are generally small (sometimes very small).  The largest is HS2 (Returning the Favor), which pits 16 German squads and one AFV against 12 American squads and one AFV.  Two scenarios have OBA, one is essentially all armor (plus a half squad), and one is a night Air Drop scenario.

Overall, this is not a very exciting product.  Perhaps fanatic Band of Brothers fans may wish to get it in order to be able to replicate via ASL the famous "attack on the guns" depicted in the mini-series, but otherwise its allure is limited. 

The module was designed by long-time Critical Hit stalwarts Kurt Martin, Pedro Ramis, and Ray Tapio.

Many rules represent the terrain at Omaha.  There are rules for "Buildings with Roads" (in which roads are not along a hexside, as per Village Terrain), for on-map trenches and perimeter wire, for a water line that shifts as the tide rises, and for various beach obstacles and pillbox/casemate types.  There are also rules for items such as Bangalore Torpedoes and TNT charges (including Bangalore and Tetryl Heroes!).  Other rules govern "On Board Naval Direct Fire" from nearby destroyers (!), as well as rules for the destroyers themselves.  Another new feature are on board rockets, such as Nebelwerfers. 

FWaO also (unfortunately) introduces two new squad types:  6-6-8 U.S. Army Ranger squads and 5-5-7 U.S. Army Engineer squads.  It would have been nice if the existing American OB could have been used for these units.  One interesting unit, however, is the General Cota leader counter, representing Brigadier General Norman "Dutch" Cota, immortalized in the movie "The Longest Day" by actor Robert Mitchum.  Cota was the assistant division commander of the 29th Infantry Division, one of the highest ranking American officers to land in the initial attack, and was essential in salvaging the near-debacle at Omaha.  He is represented in FWaO as a heroic 10-3 leader who acts as a kindly Commissar (i.e., failure to rally does not result in replacement).  Moreover, his presence increases the morale level of all friendly Infantry units in the same AND adjacent hexes by +2. 

What is most noteworthy about the rules is their relative brevity.  The rulebook itself is only 12 pages long, but this includes one page of charts and two pages of climbing rules that are not actually used in the module, but rather are used in the related Pointe du Hoc 2nd Edition module. 

The maps themselves are detailed and well-done, depicting not just the beaches themselves, but inland up to a kilometer or so, including a couple of villages and the beginnings of the dread hedgerows.  The palette used is rather dark, so good lighting is needed to be able to distinguish some of the features on the map.  Two terrain levels in particular use an almost identical color.   The beach is well done. 

The countersheets that come with the module include not only the new squad types and other new units required to play, but a full array of German and American squads, leaders, and SW.  These are superfluous, but it is probably just as well, as using them (as opposed to the normal ASL unit countermix) would eliminate the potential problem of distinguishing between MMP counters and Critical Hit counters in a stack.  The graphics on the counters are fine, but the depiction of information on them is severely flawed, especially for guns and vehicles.  To avoid copyright issues, Critical Hit adopted a "variant" method of presenting information on counters which is not only different from the standard and accepted way of presenting information, but is also counter-intuitive.  Other third party producers have come up with ways to produce much better looking ASL compatible counters that do not duplicate the "look and feel" of official counters; it is long overdue for Critical Hit to abandon their awful variant counter layouts and come up with a similar solution.

Although no campaign game for the Omaha landings is provided, much the same effect is created by a massive 39-turn invasion scenario, FWaO-16 (Black Day for the 116), which depicts the entire assault landing of the 116th Regimental Combat Team.  Most of the play aids are designed for use with this scenario.  It would be well suited for team play. 

Somewhat strangely, the other 15 scenarios are heavily weighted towards the small in size.  Only 4 are large, and 3 medium, while 8 are small in size.  A couple are simply too small in size to be worth playing.  FWaO-5 (Texas Tea), for example, features 2 American half-squads, 1 crew, Cota, three other leaders, and two modules of NOBA.  The Germans have 3 squads, a crew, and two leaders.  It is just not worth the effort to play such a tiny scenario.  One would think that if any topic would attract those players interested in meaty scenarios, it would be the Omaha landings, but there is a shortage of such scenarios in the module.  This is a bit disappointing.

Three of the 16 scenarios include OBA/NOBA, while five have seaborne assaults.  This latter figure means that there is plenty to do in this module even for those players who don't wish to have to deal with landing craft and the other complexities of amphibious landings. 

With the exception of the scenario size mix, which seems too unbalanced in favor of small scenarios, this is a pretty impressive looking product.   It is easy to imagine an Omaha module jammed to the rafters with special rules and complexity, but this is not it.  This module is actually playable without a tremendous amount of rules-cramming.  It also offers quite a bit of variety in its different scenario selections, from seaborne assaults to inland fighting.  And the massive landing scenario should make all Amphibious ASLers salivate.  This is one of Critical Hit's more impressive releases of the past couple of years.