WG111 "Nutcracker"

WG111:"NUTCRAKER"

SQL Scenario design by Bill Thomson; Updated 100717

February 1945. Germany; As the German Reich crumbles, advancing American forces enter yet another German city uncertain if they will be opposed by token forces or will face determined resistance. For the common Allied soldier,, the goal of surviving the war in its final stages supercedes proving oneself a hero. Even in 1945 when the German strategic situation was hopeless, the German soldier continued to fight grim determination, exacting a heavy toll on the Allied riflemen casualties and morale. An Allied soldier lament paraphrased in Max Hastings book ARMAGEDDON: The Battle for Germany 1944-45 (2004; AA Knopf, New York; ISBN 0-375-41433-9) "Even though we are winning the war, the Germans are not losing".

VICTORY CONDITIONS: The Americans win by achieving uncontested control of building 21J3 at the end of any complete game turn. without losing 9 infantry units. Uncontested control implies no enemy infantry unit (leader, squad or crew) remains in any hex of this building and one unbroken friendly squad is in any hex of the building. Should the Americans lose 9 infantry units at the conclusion of any player phase, they will immediately withdraw and cede victory to the Germans side. For this purpose, AFVs and their crews have no value towards this infantry tally.

BOARD LAYOUT:

NORTH
21	only row A-P are playable
20

SCENARIO SEQUENCE:

Germans Setup First	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	END
(SSR) Move First

GERMAN FORCES:

AT START : Mixed elements of Kampfgruppe Ludwig: Set up on any whole or half hex which resides solely on board 21. No more than four German squads may setup in or within two hexes inclusive of Building 21J3 (crews count as 1/2 squad for this purpose):
1x10-2; 1x8-1; 1x8-0; 8x467; 3x 247; 1x 50cal HMG (captured); 2xMMG; 2xLMG; 8xPF; 1xRadio; 1x50 ATG
TURN 4: Ad-hoc armored support; enter any east edge of board 21.
1xSTGIII75; 1xMkIVF1; 1x9-1; 1x838; 1x467; 1x; PF; 1xLMG; 1xDC

AMERICAN FORCES:

AT START : Setup in any whole or half hex which resides solely on board 20 and is not adjacent to a German infantry unit:
1x9-2; 1x8-1; 1x8-0; 1x7-0; 12x666, 4x246, 3xMMG, 4xBAZ; 1xRadio; 1x105 HOW; 1xM4M52
TURN 5: Elements of Tank Destroyer battalion; enter on South edge:
2xM10

SPECIAL SCENARIO RULES:

WG111.1: Treat all Graveyard hexes (21M5) and Brush hexes (21N3) as Woods. Treat all Orchard hexes (21N7) as Open Ground. Ignore Rowhouse status (20F5). The footpath (21M4) cost 1 MF for infantry when entered from another footpath hex. They are treated as woods for all other purposes. Only buildings containing a staircase symbol are considered multistory buildings.
WG111.2: At the conclusion of the setup of both players, the American player decides which player moves first.
WG111.3: The German 838 may make unlimited smoke.
WG111.4: All German units may use sewer movement, no leader is required to enable this movement.
WG111.5: The German radio may only be used to direct the fire of an offboard 120mm Mortar which produces a single hex barrage. The total number of cumulative HE and Smoke FFEs available is six. The weapon breakdown on any FFE DR of 12 and repairs offboard via normal procedures. The American OBA module consists of three rounds of 81mm. An American AR may not be placed prior to Turn 3.
WG111.6: The American 105 HOW may not setup or be moved into a building hex.
WG111.7: Rule 63.7 is voided. Mortars and the American 105 Howitzers are destroyed as per 48.2 (AT gun destruction) in SQL play until replaced by 65.9 in COI level play.
WG111.8: SIDE SELECTION PROCEDURE: Each player takes one marker of each nationality and simultaneously reveals their choice of side. If opposing sides are selected, those sides are assigned. If the same side is chosen, the players bid for side with the lower rated (seed) player bidding first. Bids may start at '0' and progress in whole numbers only. The bid is the number of dominate AT START squads to be added to the opposing side. The bid continues until one player accepts the opposing side whose force is augmented with that bid. Please report the bid, winning side and comments (i.e. uneven die rolls at key moments) as this data will be used for balance modification the scenario prior to its published form.

PLAYTEST STATUS: This scenario is currently in playtest (Beta Release), please contact Squad Leader Academy to join this effort. The 'final' version will be published as a SQLA/Wargame Academy (WGA) scenario pack. As of 060410; eight games have completed with the following results [bid in brackets]: A [+6\]; A [+4]**; A [+3]; A[+1]*]; A[+0]; A [+0]; G[+0]; A [-2]. * indicates A was working at maximum causalities during final turns, ** indicates both sides were working at maximum causalities during final turns. Thanks to B. Black, J. Blazel, A. Cummins, S. Eriksson, E. Filipkowski, A. Jackson, R. Menzel, M. Pacheco, P. Pollard, C. Stewart, B. Thomson, D/ VanBronkhorst, C. Young, A. Yngve,

UPDATE 100717: Recent play in the 2009 SQLS BPA single elimination quarterfinal play by six top tier players assessed that without bidding the German player has significant advantages, as the Americans must effectively destroy all Germans in the key building. This almost requires a flanking attack on both sides to prevent the Germans from fading away during movement and advancing back from the safe side. To mitigate this, the choice of who moves first now belongs to the American player, forcing the German to setup exposed to American firepower or allow an uncontested American initial advance. The M10 reinforcements now arrive one turn earlier (turn 5). Thanks to Andrew Cummins, Scott Bramley, Phil Grasha, Howard Rosenberg, Pete Pollard, and Bill Thomson for input.