Alan Snider  - Nov 5, 2005 7:37 pm (#11096 Total: 11139)  
On 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 5/2005: Mark MacDonnell and I sit down for a session of
MMP's latest freebie "Target: Arnhem". On a die roll.."4-6 , you get the
Brits!", I end up with the British/American Forces, and Mark takes the
German side. 

I have been sitting staring at this one for about a week, and have had
it set up in start position for about 4 days...but with a live opponent
this was an easy one to get into. 

A couple things have really stood out right away: ZoC to ZoC movement,
adjacent units MAY attack...and the victory conditions made for a tough
road ahead. We decided to use the historical paratroop airsupply marker
locations, and all battle groups except the US 101st (who paradrop into
0503), drop into location occupied by its' supply markers. Again, a few
more challenges for the Allied side. 

On the first turn used my extra 2 units impulse to fan out near
Eindhoven retaking both the supply hex and the city itself. I had a
moderately successful second impulse, breaking through the initial
German fortified position on the map edge, sending the SS units
scrambling in retreat toward area P. 

Attacks were launched into Nijmegen and Best, but they had as much
damage to the German side as to the Allied side. On the following Grman
turn they managed to consolidate into Arnhem, Nijmegen, and position
themselves for day 2 as the alarm has been sounded... 

The German then launched a counterattack at Son (supply marker), and
made the position tough to hold. Using armoured units they manage to cut
off British units from supply by the end of the 2nd day. This throws the
British into desperation mode, and they needed to disengage from combat
support around Son to backtrack in an effort to re-open their supply
line. Turn 2 reinforcements from area B were enough to force the Allies
commit wholly to either. This left the Brits fighting for their lives. 

By the end of turn 3, the British armoured units set to enter during the
turn have now been delayed; due to the fact that hex 0103 is held by SS
armoured units. Although the British fought hard on their initial run
pushing the Germans to the brink, they are unable to clear the path to
supply. This allows the Germans to reinforce the position there, almost
guaranteeing that the British armoured replacements will not enter
(pisser, eh?). 

As turn 4 begins to unfold there are few good Allied combat choices and
they have little choice but to scamper back to Eindhoven with the
British armour, but the Germans appeared contented to allow supply
attrition to take its toll. The Allies could not afford to abandon
either postion at first , but post days' battles they are too battered
to make a concerted effort to reopen the supply line... 

It was pretty easy to figure out the consequences of losing that initial
supply line for the British armour and the delay of further
reinforcements can quicky grind the Allied efforts to a halt. It looks
as if taking the extra 2 paradrop unit moves should come in the effort
to take Arnhem, so that they get the combat shift for defending in the
city vs. SS units. A slower, more deliberate move from maps' edge to
Eindhoven, clearing the road of Germans and keeping the supply protected
until Allied turn 3 reinforcements get to enter is critical. 

This is a fun little introductory game, that looks to be quite a
challenge for the Allied player, and I am looking forward to another
playthrough with this as much was learned from the first go round...