AKoTM v2.0 contd. - post your painful updates and glorious AARs here!

[Iron Duke]

Rejoice men of the Sword! For I have conceived a new idea for Combat Mission fun and I will be calling on the best of you for help soon.

But for now, please continue with this nail biting Championship match and as always, keep us informed.

Valhalla awaits...

Out.

[Iron Duke]

**Bump**

[Tread Head]

Sign me up!!! Thank-you

(I am very active)

(I prefer German but have been known to carry a M1 at times)

ltbarkly@hotmail.com

[Guest PondScum]

Turn 13: Texas Toast has now thrown a full British rifle company at my defenders on Monte Cassino, and lost approximately 90% of them. I am beginning to learn the joys of SMG squads in heavy woods - if I could just resupply them with ammo they would hold the hill for years. No more artillery to speak of, and three of the four heavy buildings remain standing.

Near the central crossroads, he's gunned down a Panzerschreck team rushing to a new position, and we've got two platoons blasting away at each other across the road. Ho hum.

As for the so-called "armor battle", it's not happening. He's got uber-Churchills and Fireflies to guard that Crocodile, but they're not coming out to play

[Iron Duke]

Toast...what's up man? Is Pondscum treating you rough? lol

At times like these I am reminded of a line from "Highlander"...

"I've got something to say!...It's better to Burn-out...than fade away!" (urrarrugh...aaaaaththtgugullgugugu *tounge out at Nun...lol*)

Carry on.

[TexasToast]

Pond Scum's report is patently untrue - I think I lost 100% of that rifle company. I haven't done much of anything right in this game, and he has been one step ahead of me across the board. I'm hoping for a dramatic reversal of fortune - however, scouts tell me his reinforcements have just rolled in.

TT

[Guest PondScum]

Turn 15... yup, I think the last of that rifle company just ran screaming off the map edge

Everything is focussed around the crossroads at the middle of the map. Four roads depart from here towards the four corners of the map: "his" corner, Monte Cassino, "my" corner, and the small flag in the woods. We each control the roads in our respective corners. The road towards Monte Cassino is no-mans land, open to fire from multiple directions. The road towards the small flag in the woods is an active front line - it used to have our two platoons firing across it, but I've decided to give my soldiers a rest and throw in a flamethrower halftrack and some artillery instead. Results look good so far.

Last turn I also laid some smoke on "my" road, to cover a Panzerschreck as it switched flanks. Texas Toast promptly lucked out and had his reinforcements appear on his road behind the smoke, just in time to rout the Panzerschreck team as they made their dash for safety through the clearing smoke. And five seconds before the end of the turn, a Sherman came roaring out of the smoke, pivoted at the crossroads, and started up the road towards Monte Cassino. A death or glory charge to the top, in the best traditions of the British army

So now we have one of those frozen-in-time moments, where several guns on my side have acquired the Sherman but not yet fired. My soldiers are taking advantage of this pause to run a pool on which second of the next turn the Sherman will die on. Bonus points for whoever lights the Ronson, of course!

[Guest PondScum]

Gack! None of my soldiers won the pool. The Sherman braved the gauntlet and disappeared into the tree-lined road to Monte Cassino. Having seen that his charge of the light brigade succeed, Texas Toast promptly laid down his own smoke screen at the crossroads and sent the heavy brigade (two Churchill VIII's) along the same route. A last-ditch effort by a Panzerfaust stopped one of them, but the other made it through unscathed, to join the Sherman on the lower slopes of Monte Cassino. From there they could put a serious crimp into my efforts to hold the summit - things no longer look so rosy.

I also have quite possibly the luckiest Kubelwagen driver alive. Sent to recce Texas's back road, he drove at walking speed right past a flamethrower hiding in the woods, but without triggering an ambush. He continued merrily along, before stopping in full view of a Sherman that had just come barrelling up the road from the opposite direction. At 90m distance, and with machine gun fire whipping in his hair, my driver executes a lovely turn and zooms off back the way he came, pausing only to shrug off the shrapnel from a shell exploding directly underneath his car.

Editted to add the following picture:

[ 09-20-2001: Message edited by: PondScum ]

[Iron Duke]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>He continued merrily along, before stopping in full view of a Sherman that had just come barrelling up the road from the opposite direction. At 90m distance, and with machine gun fire whipping in his hair, my driver executes a lovely turn and zooms off back the way he came, pausing only to shrug off the shrapnel from a shell exploding directly underneath his car<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

LOL...

Sounds like a hellava ride! And it also sounds like the game is on again...good...that's how Championship Matches should be.

Can't wait to see those pic's.

[edgars]

Bump

So you know we're following.

[Iron Duke]

**Bump**

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Editted to add the following picture:<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well damn Texas....you can't catch a break eh? LoL...

Any news guys?

[Guest PondScum]

Let's see, turn 21 update - sadly I won't be able to post pictures without revealing important tactical information

Texas Toast is pushing what looks like a fresh rifle company up the slopes of Monte Cassino, supported by the Sherman and Churchill VIII - and you don't know what "slow" is until you've seen one of those monsters trying to go up a steep hill through scattered trees. After his last edge-hugging company got wiped out, this one is coming over a broader front, using the checkerboard of woods and trees for cover. I'm slowing it up with artillery fire, and one of my 20mm flak guns on the other side of the map has been amusing itself by bouncing shells off the back of the Sherman.

On the far left, I now own the small flag after my eagle-eyed infantry spotted and wiped out a hidden PIAT team.

And things are still very messy in the middle. That Crocodile is back, this time busily setting fire to the woods around the flag. I've pushed a platoon over the road to engage whatever's left on the other side, but they really should be up on the hill holding back the hordes...

[Guest PondScum]

What a difference two minutes make. Texas Toast's death-or-glory charge up Monte Cassino has ended in death - his lead Sherman got picked off from across the map last turn, to be followed this turn by the trailing Churchill VIII. His escorting company of infantry is breaking under a rain of artillery from on top of them, 75mm and 20mm HE from behind them, and small-arms fire from in front of them. Lead elements have already been wiped out trying to push across a road.

In the middle, my sneaky Panzerschreck team went head to head with his Churchill Crocodile at 30m - and came out on top, thanks to quicker reactions. That barrel had already lowered to point at them, one more second and they'd have been toasting nicely. Texas Toast also parked a crack Firefly barely out of sight of one of my Jagdpanthers, but a few rounds of 88mm area fire just in front of the Firefly have rendered it immobile and possibly gun-damaged. I smell victory...

[Iron Duke]

Sound's like it Pondscum...but let's not count out Texas Toast..he is a very good player and may have enough chutzpah to achieve a draw.

Great AAR so far though...

Out.

[ 09-23-2001: Message edited by: Iron Duke ]

[Radar]

Hey, count me in the next round!

[Iron Duke]

**Bump**

To everyone interested in the 3rd AKoTM...

When I make the announcement in a new thread, please reply to that thread and you will certainly be in it. Remember...I need 32 Asskickers per tournament.

Out.

[TexasToast]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Duke, but this one is over - the white flag has gone up.

My loss began in the force selection, where my British infantry, Fireflies and Churchills were not well matched against the Jagdpanthers and veteran SMG troops. My plan of seizing the main objective and then cutting off the crossroads failed when he beat me to the top. He did a much better job of applying his artillery, and also of finding good firing positions to support his defenders atop the hill. Lady Luck frowned on my poor play, and punished me further. All in all, a total rout.

Denied again, what a drag. Good game, Pondscum.

TT

[Iron Duke]

Congratulations to blood-stained Pondscum, the new AssKicker of the Month!

Five straight battles did he have to win in order to stand where he is today...overcoming weather, extreme gaminess, crap ground conditions, and F*cked up setup zones. He has truly earned the 2nd AKoTM trophy.

Jonathan, please send me an email with your home address so that I can mail you your trophy.

And when you do get it, please post pic's of it so that all may envy your prize.

Thus has ended the second AKoTM.

(Thank God)

[Guest PondScum]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Iron Duke:

And when you do get it, please post pic's of it so that all may envy your prize.

<hr></blockquote>

It's here! It rocks! And it's damn hard to take pictures of!

[Gyrene]

Good Job, Pond Scum.

See you in the next AKoTM!

Thanks for a nice tournament Iron Duke!

Gyrene

[acrashb]

Beautiful. Looking forward to 'duke'ing it out again.

[Treeburst155]

Hey, that's a REAL nice trophy! Congratulations, Pondscum; and Iron Duke too for the great trophy.

Treeburst155 out.