When you said A you should say B – the saying goes. Our Combat Commander Base Game campaign with Dave continues. We just recently tackled scenario #4 Closed for Renovation. The possibility to exchange files via Discord and communicate there speeds up any type of PBEM game. Needed interruptions – like opportunity fire or hidden mines/wire – can be quickly handled. Also, we play purely for fun, not always monitoring each and every step of opponent; I am really glad that I had some contribution to getting hooked Dave to that fantastic title!

Other Combat Commander camping with Dave:
#1 Fat Lipki
#2 Hedgroves and Hand Grenades
#3 Bonfire of the NKVD

Closed for Renovation provides another interesting challenge between attacker (US, Michal) and defender (GER, Dave). That again means different number of cards – 6 for me, 4 for Dave – and many more actions for Wehrmacht (defender type ones). On top of this, American start with radio – which means a lot of artillery attacks during the game!

It is end of December 1944 – Humaine, Belgium. Most of Germans were overrun by US 2nd Armored Division but stubborn remnants of 9th Panzer Division occupy a chateau on the end of the city (15 VPs for building in game terms). US CCR (Combat Command Reserve) unit will be tasked with rooting out those stubborn enemies. They will bring high caliber machine guns, artillery and even flamethrowers. But Germans will surprise them with hidden field gun!

So without further delay let me invite you to as usually picture-rich session report from our second game!

You can click on every image and enlarge it for better visibility.

Our initial set-up for Scenario 4 – I can use only top row (really shallow front…) while Dave can easily place his forces on the almost whole map, with hidden gun after my set-up.
First thing is to neutralize super-dangerous enemy weapons by placing smoke with artillery. Done. Then to use gully to approach unnoticed. Check. Then use Satchel Charge to soften enemy, advance to melee. Good. …and be surprised by Mines which suddenly appeared, broke you and made you lose the fight! Ugly beginning for my US troops.
It took me another 5 turns to prepare second assault; still you can imagine my surprise when Dave placed the reinforcements – second gun, even more deadly! But then – for the first time since I do not know how many games – the sniper hit. And the whole domino broke, with both guns destroyed….
That double attack and destruction of all forces guarding the road was a critical and turning point of the game. I started to exit the squads off the map. Later a hilarious event happen when enemy squad landed on my units – fortunately, I had ambush to deal with that surprise….
There was a constant exchange of fire – MG and artillery – on left flank. My best gun was pretty early destroyed. On right flank I decided to move towards the building – just exiting for points seemed not fair and boring. Of course, I stumbled on Hidden Wire.
One more artillery smoke and we move into building, denying 15 VPs to Germans! Flamethrowers are wonderful for close quarters combat !
Sudden death roll finished our game at turn 34, with 25 VPs on US side. In the meantime I got hero and started approach for melee. Also the flamethrowers were spreading death and destruction in the chateaux. Just before another attack, my deck run out and the Sudden Death finished the game.
Causalities and destroyed weapons on both sides

Summary

Another exciting game with a critical, turning point – this time it was the fight for the road and elimination of the two very deadly guns during one turn. We discussed with Dave how to better set-up and definitely one of the ideas was to have more wire protecting the road rather then the building itself. We both learned the lot, Flamethrowers proved to be fantastic weapon for close combat and we learned even more how important the good set-up is!

More CCE will come for sure – scenario #5 is already underway!