Incredible! That was already our 10th Combat Commander Europe scenario which we played with Dave since January! This is our epic journey to play the whole base game and we are getting pretty nice progress here. While scenario #9 was comparatively long, the below #10 went pretty quickly. So we are not far away from our final goal – merely 2 more sessions left – and we shall start discussing soon what next! But before this, welcome to as always action-packed, picture-rich session report!

Other Combat Commander scenarios in our camping with Dave:
#1 Fat Lipki
#2 Hedgroves and Hand Grenades
#3 Bonfire of the NKVD
#4 Closed for Renovation
#5 Cold Front
#6 Paralyzed from the West Down
#7 Bessarabian Nights
#8 Breakout dance
#9 Rush to contact

So what we played this time? #10 Commando Schools – another Attacker-Defender scenario, which features large lake, splitting the map in half and creating two parallel approach roads for attacking units.

It is February 1943; Russian Black Sea Fleet commando detachment (Michal, Defender posture) aids the Soviet amphibious operation against Army Group A near Novorossiysk. They landed behind enemy lines and entrenched in the town of Stanichka. The German 73rd Infantry Division (Dave, Attacker posture) immediately counter-attacks.

This should be a quick scenario, with Sudden Death rolls already at Turn 6. The Germans have overwhelming firepower (Heavy Machine Guns & Flamethrowers), the Soviets bonus in close combat. Let us see!

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

Our set-up of Scenario 10 – I am entrenched to the left of the map while Dave enters from right.
Things are not getting well for my troops; my exposed unit – even with Foxholes event – is being killed and lonely Pioneer with satchel charge approaches my main force. I have no wire, nor mines to respond.
That has to finally happen. I managed to avoid the charge but the melee ensued. I though I was well prepared with 2 Ambushes but Dave had 3 and won this fight! That was decisive and turning point of our game – already in Turn 5!
My Soviet troops quickly re-positioned to the central building only to be shadowed by the Germans with Flamethrower. I used wire (finally!) to prevent usage of weapon…
…but Dave managed to reposition them to the street, withstand my fire, get foxholes and attack with dreadful weapon. The results are clearly visible above. In the meantime Blaze started to spread next to my second position.
One more attack with Flamethrower and my whole stack was killed. Very close to the place where first troops died...
Final situation at the game end – Dave got one more of my units killed (he was reconstituted form dead, broken 🙂 ) That was painful defeat.
Causalities and destroyed weapons on both sides. Even when I managed to kill some Germans, they were coming back 🙂

Summary

That was quick, brutal and decisive game – with German victory pretty quickly assure, once I lost my first stack. Still, you rarely ever give up in CCE as its events can bring so needed reinforcements or relay change the flow of the game. The next scenario (#11 Hold the Line) is already underway and you may expect another exciting AAR soon. Stay tuned!