ASL: March Madness 2013 Commissar Pack

Each year the Kansas City ASL club hosts the March Madness ASL tournament and the club releases a themed scenario pack at the tournament.

In 2013 the theme is Commissars. The Commisar pack features eight scenarios in which the Soviet player can have commissars (rule A25.22).

All eight scenarios in the Commissar Pack are predominantly larger scenarios; the pack has four large scenarios (over 50 squads engaged), three medimum scenarios (over 25 squads engaged) and one small (less than 25 squads engaged). The scenarios have frequent use of fortifications, unique terrain and environmental conditions. The Pack has seven scenarios with fortifications, two night scenarios, two with extreme winter rules, one amphibious landing and all eight have water hexes (although two are ice rules). The scenarios are:

MM25 Futile Bravery. This scenario takes place during the battle for Smolensk in July 1941. It is a large scenario with the Soviets attacking and Germans defending in an urban environment. The Germans are defending a bridge (Russians win immediately when they control any location). The Russian start on both sides of the river and are reinforced by massive numbers (25 squads) of conscripts stiffined by NKVD troops and commissars. There are also two platoons of T-26 tanks. With these number the Russians can (and likely will) launch human wave attacks. One play test saw no less than six different HW attacks by the Russian player. The Germans defent with Good infantry well equiped with MGs and well led. They also get a radio and 105mm OBA. And a few mobile HTs one with an 81mm MTR. The Germans get a platoon of reinforcing tanks. There is a great deal of rubble in this scenario because of the scorch earth activity of the NKVD and more is in the making. The scenario uses Board 60, with its hills and city environment, Board 8 without the hills and most building are rubble and board 23 with the canal as a large railroad embankment. The Germans must used the mobility of the HTs to reinforce where the main attack falls and have the OBA spotter in the right place.

MM26 Gallant Mogilev. This also takes place in July 1941. It is a medium sized engagement between the attacking Germans and defending Russian. The Germans must break through the fortified Russian positions and capture a bridge. The Russians must defend tenaciously. It uses board 64 to represent the suburban outskirts of the city and board 65 with the river overlay. The Russians receive fortifications including fortified buildings, roadblocks, trenches, wire and mines. Plus two immoble tanks. The Germans get good troops, good leaders, an infantry gun and OBA.

MM27 Odessa Madness. This is a large scenario where the Germans must help the Romanians take a fortified villiage strongpoint. The Russians get strong forces with fortifications including pillboxes, fortified buildings, tunnels, trenches, wire, foxholes and mines. The Germans get assult engineers, sappers and OBA...along with Romanians. The battle takes mostly on board 12 with the gullies actually as AT ditches.

MM28 Sonderkommando Benesch. This small scenario has five Brandenburg squads trying to move past a pillbox and Rusiian defenders to exit. It uses board 7 and 40 to creat a constricted peninsula. Giving the Russians opportunity to make the Germans attack the pillbox.

MM29 Sorve Point. This medimum scenarios has the Germans making an attack against a fortified Russian psoitions. The battle is to capture the level two hill hexes of board 61 with limited mobility of using the seashore on one side using board 7 and marsh on the other. The Russians have fortifications of pillboxes, trenches, foxholes, wire and mines. They also have OBA. The Germans have good troops, MGs and leaders with OBA of their own.

MM30 Frozen Vzvad. This is the first night and extreme winter scenario, with 40 attacking Russian squads against 20 German in January 1942. The Germans receive pillboxes, fortified buildings, trenches, wire and mines. The Russsians receive Rocket OBA and the cover of night. The Russians are attacking to capture over 30 buildings on Boards 3, 8 and 7 between the two frozen rivers. The Germans defend the buildings and cannot let the Russians build up a fire base to blast them out.

MM31 Sevastopol by Sea. This night scenario has the Germans landing and taking the high ground against good Russian troops in June 1942. The scenario starts with the Germans almost across board 8 and landing. However they must get past the Russian sentries and capture the crest of the board 58 hill. The Russian have high morale naval infantry. The Germans have the cover of night in this medimum size scenario.

MM 32 Winter Forest. This scenario has extreme winter in December 1942 with the Germans attacking Partisans to capture the Partisan camp bunkers. The Partisans outnumber the Germans. However the ski equipped Germans can outrun the Partisans and attack from multiple directions in the forested boards of 34, 37 and 52. With the forests the Partisans start much of the fortification HIP and have wire to slow the Germans. The Germans get OBA and can use a barrage rule to box in the Partisans. A SSR give the Partisans Commissars for extra rally purposes. Just how useful it will with the Germans closing in form all sides remains to be seen.