Below is the fourth and final part in Michael Gustavsson’s Playthrough AAR of FAB: Crusader. Parts 1, 2, and 3 can be found here, here, and here. Enjoy! -Rachel

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Situation: Tobruk is relieved (a clear supply path is traced from an Allied Entry area into Tobruk) and focus for the Allied player is to either maintain the supply path or go for a Sudden Death Victory.

Turn 7: December 1-2

Reinforcement Phase – The Allied player receives the 3 SA Infantry from the Army reserve. It is placed in Entry Area B.

Allied Turn:

Admin Phase – The Allied player uses an Armor Replacement event to increase the 4 Armored by one step. One Infantry Replacement event is used on the 23 Infantry and 5 NZ units. He also uses the HQ Staff function to raise the 6 NZ by one step.

The Axis player uses the HQ Staff function to increase the 155 Infantry by one step. The XXI Corpo Infantry Replacement chit adds a step to one of the 40 Bologna Infantry unit.

Movement Phase – The Allied player now has the chance to inflict a major blow to the Axis player, whose units are dispersed over the desert. The Allies main target, the two German Panzer units, is out there and must be dealt with. The 11 Hussar Recon asset is deployed to scout for the panzers, but the scout is unsuccessful. The CIH Recon, 5 Ind, and newly arrived 3 SA are placed in reserve.

The 4 and 7 Armored moves to attack the lone 8 Panzer south of Bir el Chleta. The 7 Support moves into Ed Duda, leaving El Adem unoccupied. The 1 SA moves out of Ed Duda into Belhamel where it joins the 23 Infantry that just moved there as well.

The 22 Gd moves out of Bir el Gubi to attack the unit north, which turns out to be a ghost unit. The NZ Cav moves into the now vacant Bir el Gubi.

Strategic Movement Phase – The 3 SA uses strat-move to take up position east of Bir el Gubi. The 5 Ind moves along the coastal road Via Baldia and halts east of Bu Amid near Tobruk. This leaves the Bardia/Frontier areas with only one unit (the reduced 7 Ind) but priority is Tobruk and the German panzers. The rest would be taken care of later…

Combat Phase – The Axis player, realizing that he is outnumbered, retreats from the attacking 4 and 7 Armored units. The Allied player also attacks in Ed Duda, but the German 361 Infantry retreats as well, into Sidi Rezegh. This causes the Axis to have spent two valuable Special Actions and the Allies two Attack Supply points. Not much combat this turn, since the Axis didn’t want to fight this day. But the this is good news to the Allies; the Axis is on the defense.

Axis Turn:

Admin Phase – The Axis player uses the reusable special action as a replacement action, one step is added to the 115 Infantry.

The Allied player places a recon asset on a screening mission south of the DAK’s 15 Panzer Division. This is to minimize the movement possibilities for the DAK units during their move.

Movement Phase – The Italian RECAM unit moves to the south edge area (Allied Entry Area D) to conduct the Axis Raid event in the next Supply Phase of the Allied Player Turn. In this situation, having a ghost unit moved to another such area to confuse the Allied player would have been great. But since no ghost unit is available, the Axis player takes the chance…

The two units of the 21 Panzer Division move from Zafraan to attack the Allied force due north, at the coast. The two units of the 15 Panzer Division attack east of Bir el Gubi, where the newly arrived 3 SA is. The 7 Bersagliere moves into the vacant El Adem. Finally, at the frontier, the 16 Savona moves from Point 206 to recapture Sidi Omar from the Allies.

Combat Phase – The Axis player resolves the combat in Sidi Omar first. The attack fails to inflict any hits on the Allied single-step Detachment unit, which scores one hit on the 15 Savona. The Allied player uses a Special Action to reinforce the battle east of Bir el Gubi with the 22 Gd. The attack is a failure and the 15 Pz Division aborts the attack and retreats westward. The Attack along the coast on the 5 Ind by the German 21 Pz Division is more successful, it ends with Indian unit retreats with one hit and multiple battle assets destroyed.

Turn 8: December 3-4

Reinforcement Phase – The two remaining Allied reserve units, the 4 and 6 SA enter as reinforcements. The 6 SA arrives in Entry Area E and the 4 SA arrives in Entry Area B.

Allied Turn:

Admin Phase – The Allied player uses one Armor Replacement chit on the 4 Armored, increasing it with one step. The Reusable Special Action is also used to increase one step of Elite TQ to the 7 Armored.

The Axis uses the HQ Staff asset to add a step to the 39 Bologna.

Movement Phase – The 6 SA moves into the area on the south edge to intercept the Axis unit there. One ghost unit moves up along the wadi boundary west of Bir el Gubi. The other ghost unit just entered moves up adjacent to Bardia. The 4 SA moves into Sidi Omar to reinforce the detachment there. The 3 SA is placed in reserve.

The 7 and 4 Armored attack the German 15 Pz Division units south of Point 178.

Combat Phase – The Italian RECAM, occupying Allied Entry Area D, retreats due to combat.

Now, we will see two Allied armored brigades at full strength, up against the reduced and disordered German 15 Panzer Division of the DAK. The Allied player assigns one air mission to support the attack. The battle is a disaster for the Axis – the 8 Panzer is eliminated along with a precious FlaK AT asset. The 115 Mech retreats to the west map edge.

Supply Phase – The RECAM unit (occupying an Allied Entry Area) may not conduct a raid since it is Disorganized.

Axis Turn:

The Axis looks beaten after the fate of the 15 Pz Division. However, the 21 Pz and Afrika Divisions are still fully operational and almost at full strength.

The Axis attacks Belhamel with the Bologna Division. This division makes a successful attack and eliminates the Allied 23 Inf unit. Belhamel is in Axis control again.

The 21 Panzer Division with the 5 Pz and 104 Mech units attack into Zafraan to dislodge the 1 SA unit there. The Germans attached some artillery and a MG asset to the Pz Div. The Allies have an AT and an MG asset assigned followed by air support. The 1 SA makes a heroic stand and remains in the area with one step left. This result is devastating for the Axis, since the 21 Pz is now locked in a contested area for the final Game Turn.

The Axis makes one last desperate move. They attack into the Tobruk Fortress by committing the Brescia Infantry Division. The attack is met by the powerful Polish Carpathian Brigade and Allied Naval Bombardment. The Polish unit retreats into Fort Ariante.

Victory Check Phase – The score is Allied 11 VPs (VP areas 3, Units Eliminated 5, Tobruk Relieved 3) and Axis have 5 VPs (VP areas 3, Units Eliminated 5). This is a Sudden Death Victory for the Allied player, who needs a total of 6 net VPs to achieve this.

This and the previous posts demonstrate roughly how FAB: Crusader is played out. However, during the game not all decisions and actions taken where optimal, merely to give you an insight on the game flow and mechanics.

This ends the playthrough of FAB: Crusader, available for pre-order at GMT Games. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Next up, a combat example!

Regards,

Michael Gustavsson

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Articles in this Series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4