Back to the Frontlines

Welcome back to Firefight Fridays. Last week I took a bit of a breather to recover from GMT’s Weekend at the Warehouse. This week we are starting on the home stretch of scenarios going into the core box. We begin with “Panzer in the Pocket”, our Falaise Pocket scenario. This is our first scenario with infantry guns, so we will cover that first and then get on with the scenario work up. Let’s jump right in.

Time to Break Out the Big Guns

Infantry guns in Firefight Tactical are very simple, and as such this will be a short section. They are effectively a support weapon with very limited movement. The only major rule addition for them is that they cannot retreat due to any game effect. Any time they would retreat, they are automatically eliminated instead.

Withering Support

Following the events at Mortain, the opportunity presented itself to trap the German 7^th Army at Falaise. The over extension of the Germans as they tried and cut off the American advances created a pocket and they were now in grave danger of being trapped. With the British and Canadians coming down from the north, Patton sent the XV Corps of his 3^rd Army to Argentan to close the pocket from the southwest. As the XV Corps reached Argentan, Patton was ordered to stall the advance by General Bradley who had concerns about both allied fronts converging at speed without caution. This delay allowed the German garrison at Argentan to better prepare for the American assault, backed up by retreating German Panzers.

Running Out of Time

“Panzer in the Pocket” has an odd wrinkle to it that makes it a very unique scenario. Unlike other scenarios, this one starts with all the timer dice already in the common pool. Then at the end of each game turn, a matching die is taken from the pool and returned to the game timer. Beyond this, it is a very claustrophobic scenario. Both sides have plenty of powerful weapons to bring to the battle, but the sizable hole in the middle of Argentan in the form of its city square effectively forces all of the fighting into two tight lanes. The other thing worth noting is that this is a major armor scenario. The Germans can play a bit looser with their tanks than the Americans since they are backed up by the Pak 40s, but still whichever side loses their armor first is going to be at a major disadvantage.

Closing the Pocket

The Americans have incredible firepower in this scenario, but they are running headlong into a woodchipper. The key to American victory here is to move as quickly as possible. Exert as much dominance as you can early while there are enough dice in the common pool to capitalize on the momentum. The odd crescendo of the dice in Panzer in the Pocket means that the usual approach of prodding for weakness and then building on your successes will not work. Instead you must hit on all fronts simultaneously and converge on weaknesses early. You are the only player with artillery support in this scenario as well. The layout of the city will force the German player to densely pack their units, which makes them ripe targets for artillery. Finally, be cautious with your Shermans. They are a very valuable asset for you, but sending them straight down the road will make them sitting ducks for the Pak 40s. Conversely, keeping them moving between buildings will limit their effectiveness, so find the right balance.

Keep Them Hanging

The Germans are also very impacted by the tempo of Panzer in the Pocket. Normally the possibility space of what the aggressor in a scenario can do widens as the game goes on, but here it narrows. As a result, the more possibilities you rob the American player of early, the fewer options they will have later. This calls for an unusually aggressive defensive strategy. Try to anticipate their early moves and counter them hard. As part of this, make sure to carefully consider where you set up your Pak 40s. They, together with your Panzers, are the only thing to really strike fear in the Americans. The other thing you have going for you is your snipers. The American player will need to put their leaders into some risky situations to make good use of their artillery. The loss of even one leader here would be devastating, so put the snipers to good use.

 A Bridge too Far

That will do it for this week. The final two scenarios of the core game are both about Operation Market Garden. It is hard to believe we are almost done with the scenario run downs. Onward to next week!

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