Everything has been approved and is now in production for Blood and Jungle. The counters will take the longest at this point, but as soon as they are done, they will be shipped directly to the printers, who will then collate and package each set. I expect this product to be about an inch in thickness – a 60-page magazine, 24 scenarios cards, 3 SK-style maps, 20 rules pages, and 4 counter sheets will make quite a hefty package.

I can’t wait to get these in my hands in the next two weeks and get them shipped out.

Sam

As of this morning, everything for Blood & Jungle has been sent to the printers. It took months of hard work by all of us, but the end result will surely be worth waiting for.

For the main printer, I transferred 2.25 GB of compressed digital goodness, and 11 MB to the counter printers.

With the hard part of this project behind us, we are looking ahead to next year and planning our next two releases. Not enough decisions finalized at this point to announce anything, but we will be in full production again in January.

Bounding Fire Productions is proud to announce that BFP3: Blood and Jungle is now available for pre-orders.  Head to our website, www.boundingfire.com

BFP3: Blood and Jungle is our first Battlepack based in the Pacific Theater of Operations. The unprecedented size of this product makes it unique in our industry, and follows in our tradition of high quality, exciting scenarios.

General content includes:

47 scenarios. They range from early 1930s Japanese vs. Chinese Action to 1947 KNIL (Dutch) vs. Indonesians. The scenarios range from tourny to monster, all infantry to combined arms, etc. A good chunk of the action does not necessarily have PTO Terrain in effect. Basically there is something in here for everyone scenario wise.

A large magazine with a variety of articles all with a PTO theme.

4 countersheets. Japanese Partially Armed Paratroopers, 5/8″ counters for a variety of nationalities either rare/not in the system/captured: Thai, Indonesian, Japanese, Chinese, KNIL, US, Aussie…. and maybe some surprises.

Essentially 3 mapboards. One is our ‘double wide’ concept. The boards fit together for a large urban battlefield, and are geomorphic on all of the other sides.

…..and more.

We will be providing some pics, more information, etc.

Without a doubt this is a monster product, which I like to call ‘the OtO of the PTO’. YMMV on this but I am fully confident if you like PTO you will love this product. If you are new and not necessarily interested in PTO, you will still really like this product.

J.R.V. vs. Jim Brackin

My opponent, Jim Brackin, wanted to play this new scenario out of Operation Cobra. The Americans bring a high-firepower force to the map edge, with 21 squads, 4 MMGs and 8 M4A1 tanks. Their mission is a tough one, though. They have to clear German MMC/AFV from on/adjacent to a north-south road net while avoiding a 56 CVP cap. The key for the Germans to overcome that much firepower was the stiffening of three Panthers.

Rules Questions

Per SBR 3, “After all setup but prior to game start, the American must place 10 shellholes counters …”. The shellholes are then moved randomly and they blow up things where they land. The problem with the SBR is that “setup” might mean setup during the pregame sequence [ASOP], in which case it is after the Germans put down their units, but before the Americans put down their first turn reinforcements [ASOP 1.11A]. The use of the word “all” sounds like the shellhole placement might have been meant to occur right after ASOP 1.11A, but the SBR also clearly states that this is “prior to game start,” which happens with the first turn Rph. We played the SBR as follows: German sets up, American places shellholes, Germans roll their SBR 4 TC (which immediately follows the shellhole placement, Americans set up first turn reinforcements. That the Americans can see the results of shellholes and the SBR 4 TC before setting up their reinforcements is an advantage for them , but because they have a turn’s distance to go before hitting the German MLR, it isn’t that much of a gain.

The shellholes SBR had another rules gap: there was no mention of what happens when the shellholes ended up in woods, where the rulebook does not allow them [B2.1]. We played such result as eliminating the unit/fortification, but not affecting the terrain.

Note that the SBR 4 TC is not a NMC. Because of this, results like HOB, ELR reduction, and Casualty MC are N/A. If the unit passes the the TC, it is unbroken. If it fails, it is broken but nothing more.

German Setup

Despite the special at-start TC, which breaks any German MMC that fails it, I set up a strong front line force. I put leaders in/near the front so that I could use their leadership DRM against the TC and so the leaders could move quickly to units that broke. Most of the broken units were recovered or with leaders by the beginning of turn 2. I set up one Panther on each flank and one covering the open area from E-J10. I was hoping to convince Jim that the best way to attack was through the bocage around E-Q8. This wasn’t too hard, as it probably is the best way to attack. My goal was to delay the attacking Amis in the center. (I was also looking for an opportunity to slide around into the American rear for the sleaze win, but that proved impossible.) I was planning to fall back slowly to a redoubt built in the 24V6 area, guarding the 24V2 road.

I expected the American turn 4 reinforcements to enter from the west because that is the shortest route to the last bit of road. AP Mines in 24U9 and wire in 24W8-24V8 covered the approaches to foxholes in 24V7-24X6. I couldn’t seal the keep completely because I wanted the Panthers to fall back into the fort. I put a fair amount of my fortifications near the 24AA column, including the roadblock. I also added mines in/near 24J7 in case Jim decided to enter that way.

The Americans did indeed slog through the bocage in the center, with a small holding force on the west edge. The American attack was meticulous. They lost only one Sherman in the first 4 turns, and but two squad equivalents. The Germans also lost very little in the first 4 turns, 1.5 squad equivalents. The Germans fell back to the main fort by American turn four, with squads and Panthers on the flanks of board 24 to cover the American reinforcement entrance. The Americans entered on the west, and the Germans fell back into the 24Q5 village area, the buildings near 24S7 and the woods near 24V6.

On German turn 4 a Panther lunged at a Sherman parked by itself in 24FF6. It missed the bounding fire attempt and went back into Motion in 24EE6, awaiting the inevitable rush of Shermans. That did not happen. Jim feels that swarming attacks are overrated. He attempted to drive his Sherman over the Bocage into 24EE6 but Bogged, then put two Shermans in 24CC5 and 24BB6 to fire on the Panther. Relieved, and having no compunction about driving through my opponent’s hex, I drove the Panther through to 24GG6, flamed the Sherman in FF6, and stopped to await developments. Jim Smoked my Panther from 24CC6, but that left him stopped there, and I killed that tank a turn later. Another Sherman was killed by mines on German turn 5 (the only one of four two factor AT mine attacks; all AT mines were at 2 factors). The Americans were starting to run out of time, and they hadn’t really pushed the Germans back out of the 24V7 woods. Some squads were attacking from the 24N8 area too, but they were stymied by a squad in 24M6 and the HMG in 24Q6.

Two more Shermans died on turn German 6, and with that we called the game. The Americans were at 52 CVP, four points shy of the cap. It was unlikely that he could clear the rest of the road without losing the remaining CVP.

For excitement, I have to rate this scenario fairly highly from the German perspective. I was continually trying to cover too much with too little, with units dashing about to fill in gaps and plug leaks. Jim feels that the scenario is unbalanced. I have a hard time commenting on that because I was too focused on the defense. On the face of it it looks like a tough job trying to clear the 24Q5 block and the 24V2 stretch of road. On the other hand the scneario is 7.5 turns, which seems long enough. The key may be in the Panthers. If the Americans can contrive to eliminate one or two (without losing too many Shermans), they have a decent chance. If they can’t, they are probably going to hit the CVP cap.

JR

Craig Houliston vs. Jim Taylor

Finished up this on VASL last evening as the defending Germans against Jim Taylor’s stout Americans. We agreed this was a fun scenario that, in our case, could have gone either way by a pip or two on the dice.

As a high level overview the Americans get six Shermans and 11.5 666s with only marginal leadership (for the Americans anyway 8-1, 2×8-0) Germans get two Panthers and 8 squad equivalents — all but one were 447s and two leaders, a HMG and 2xschreks. There are two VCs — attacker’s choice control all the buildings within 5 hexes of the crossroad overlay on board 6 OR exit 20 or more VP off hex Y10.

Notable setups: roadblock: h2/i2, Panthers: i2 and L8, shrecks: H3, o9

Early stages

Defense was mixed with both some upfront D and layered backwards. The troops up front were looking to cause some casualties on the American entry, but Jim wisely avoided any missed LOSs. As a result, by design, the forward guys pulled back. In the first couple turns, My sniper recalls one CE Sherman and whacks his 9-1. His troops are now on in force and perhaps my only real screw up of the game — I HIPped a 447/8-1 in hex J4….J4 open ground behind a bocage?! What the…? I saw that after we started and thought, huh? Well, they and the schreck toting guy HS I think in H3 all miss their shots and are subsequently pummeled into oblivion by the American firepower. Meanwhile, the Panther in i2 redeploys to o5.

Mid-game

Here’s where it gets bad for the Germans. My L8 Panther redeployed to N8. Jim gets a bit aggressive and moves up to swarm him with a couple Shermans. The Panther (with WA) fires and misses (5,5) the Sherman enters the Panther’s hex. I think he fires again and misses. I then reveal my HIP 237/schreck on o9. Surprise! Silence on the other end of the Skype transmission…I gain the hit. TK = 6,6. It ricochets of a box of C rations. Drat! Now another Sherman ambles up and takes the BFF shot and rolls a 4,4 (normally a miss since the Pather was hulldown), but HD was lost when the other Sherman entered the hex. Jim rolls what he needs and destroys it (crew survives). The next turn my Panther in o5 BFFs before moving on an exposed motion Sherman – misses. Freaking gyro shot from Sherman…hit…kill. At this point, I feel it is all over but for crushing the dice in the vice…

End game

The last 1 1/2 turns are wild. Jim is still assessing whether to go for the buildings or exit. I still have a HS/HMG that has not revealed. I know — why HIP a HMG? He was located in P4. My hope was to lay a nasty trap bag some significant infantry with rate in the village. However, as the game progressed this guy may have unnerved Jim just enough to forgo the exit VP which I thought might have been a lock for him as he thought it might located in z10. I had repositioned a 447 in Y10 in a foxhole there (so a potential for three PFs). As a result, I kept him HIPed as long as possible. In the end, Jim went for the buildings. It came down to P4 with the 237/HMG and P6. P6 held a broken squad, 447, 127. A K result killed the crew on the ground floor — nuts! And I believe the final shot — a 30+2 or something(?) resulted in a 2mc which he failed. Over in P4 a subsequent spray fire shot by the HMG at an adjacent 666 and concealed 666 for a 2 and 1 flat, respectively. I missed on the result and 15 FP of American infantry enter after they pin me on his AdvFire shot. I actually ambush him (pinned) and miss on my attack on one 666. He’s 15-2 and needs anything but a 10, 11 or 12 for the win. He rolls something like a seven for the win. Game over!

Post Game thoughts

Well, this was a fun scenario and we both agreed this is something we would both heartily recommend. After the second Panther went down, I was figuring this game was over. Nothing really to stop the American armor from exiting (though I knew there was just the one 447 on the exit hex). However, just enough doubt on what PF-ready Huns might be awaiting Jim at Y10 (a 447 AND 237/HMG???) made Jim switch to the building VC.

A little tough to say without more data, but the edge seems to be with the Americans. Lots of firepower and six tanks all sporting 10FP in MGs (CE) is really potent. Frankly, Jim didn’t even miss the recalled tank from turn 1 or 2. Of course, the equalizer is the cheesy 6ML. A few of us were talking and the 228 crew as German balance might help. Nevertheless, an extremely fun scenario that should play fast and be a tournament staple in the years to come. Kudos to Jim for a well-played game and for many laughs along the way. A special call out to Chas and the BFP crew for yet another fine scenario.

***One note, we played this incorrectly for a few turns. The THICK hedges on the overlay are…light bocage. We played them as regular since they were so much thicker. So, all bocage in this scenario are LIGHT BOCAGE. BTW, nice to see the use of the small village overlay to reinvent what was a pretty one-dimensional board.

Craig Houliston

Jeff Ital vs. Jeff Waldon

I paired up Friday night with Jeff, who came all the way in from SC. we decided on a smaller job from BFP’s ‘Beyond the Beachhead 2′, which had the Germies defending the board BFP E village against the Americans. We both bid for the Americans, and I wound up with the Germans and the balance (an extra 2-3-7). The dice were about even, overall, but I managed to pull some rolls out of my ying yang when it *really* mattered. I killed two of his three Shermans on turn 1, I think, one from a PF shot (rolled a 3) and another from a low odds shot from the PzJg III/IV (the afforementioned Hornet). Turn 4-ish, when he was really starting a heavy push into the village, I rolled a 2 on a key CC, creating a leader and smoking the squad he had sent in, and then on turn 5, that same leader and HS grabbed a PF off their back and smoked the last Shermie, at which point Jeff conceded.

This was a fantastic little tourney scenario, and I got to use some (now, at least) cool bocage rules. Jeff was a fantastic opponent, as usual, and even put up with my off-color humor.

Jeff Ital

For my first game in 10-12 weeks, my opponent Jim suggested this one from the new Bounding Pack.

My Americans would have to push through the bocage (both light & regular) of the new board BFP-D, and as the title suggests clear the Germans from an intersection amongst the familiar low hills of board 18.

The U.S. gets 15 squads of mixed quality to make the initial push. On turn five the cavalry arrives in the form of 2 M10s and 5 Shermans, two of which are equipped with Culin devices.

The most important pieces of the German defense are 2 HMGs and two dug-in panthers. Jim put one panther on level two hill hex 18Y7. It was covered by an HMG team in a foxhole 18X5. The other panther was in the victory area on 18Q3, looking straight up the main road. The remaining HMG team took up a position in 18O4 in a shellhole conveniently put there by the United States Air Force in a pre-game quasi-bombardment.

I pushed hard up the right with the bulk of my force, making good progress in that area, which was mostly blind to the big German weapons.

A smaller group started up the center to try to clear German troops from the road so the AFVs could get through safely. That attack got bogged down quickly as Jim shuffled 3-4 squads around in the bocage proving elusive targets. I was making no progress there for 3 turns.

I was considering abandoning the area and shifting those troops up the right, when I got a break. A squad went berzerk and survived his charge, tying up one of the key German squads. I was able to break that squad with adv. fire and Jim began to fall back.

Turn five and the tanks arrive. I sent the M10s left with one culin equipped sherman. Ther were no German units on that side. One sherman headed up the center road, another crashed through the bocage and headed for the near hill, the remaining shermans came in on the center but took a hard right to support the infantry on that side.

On the following turn, I experienced quite possibly the high point of my ASL career: On the left, I breached a hedgerow with a culin device. Let’s all take a moment to contemplate the profound significance.

……

Ok, we’re back.

The German HMG on the level two hill was broken by a lucky 10-hex shot from a MMG, and my infantry was climbing the hill to deal with them and the panther.

An M10 sailed through the breach and took up a position on a hill to fire on the panther and infantry in the rear. The near sherman got into a good spot on the hill to fire some smoke around. Things were nip and tuck. And then.

The sherman who was going to lay smoke did not get the chance, as he quickly became smoke himself on a shot from the rear panther. Not content, Jim announced an intensive fire shot, including a turret turn on my M10. Whatever. Good luck with that shot! Ha!

Snake eyes. Armor leader goes up in flames. You. Have. Got. To. Be. Freaking. Kidding. Me.

Now in the end game, 4 or so German squads that had pulled back successfully ducked down into the gully which runs through the victory area. Getting them out of good order down was going to be very difficult. I would likely have to drive vehicles down there and expose them to faust possibilities.

Fortunately, Jim saved me trouble by flaming another sherman with the panther from hell and ending the game by pushing me over the CVP cap.

It was a tense scenario. Lots of choices for both sides. If I had a chance to play it again, I would be (as Jim suggested) more aggressive early. It’s feels better to err on the side of caution with 6ML Americans, but if the Germans manage to hold you up for a while and still have four or five squads to hide in the gully and under the bridge, rooting them out seems like a pretty daunting task. Let alone doing it without hitting the CVP cap.

Always dug the Normandy bocage scenarios. Looking forward to playing more from these packs soon.

John Haughey

Played an awesome scenario with Joe Chadwick. We played BtB6, “Men Against Tanks” from BFP’s “Beyond the Beachhead” product. The is a tight little 5 turner with a company of 6-6-6′s and 6-6-7′s attacking seven 4-4-7′s and two dug in Pz-IVH’s on about a third of a board. The board is one of the two beautiful maps that come with BtB2 (BFP D).

The Germans can set up anywhere on the playing area (roughly 1/3 of one map board, hex rows V-GG are playable). They start with 3 Wire, 3 Trenches and 4S Foxholes. The German OB consists of 7×447, mmg, 2xlmg, 8-1, 2x 8-0 and the two IVH’s (dug in though = immobile). The Victory conditions have the Americans win if they can get 8 (of a possible 12) VP’s. The American scores VP’s like this, 2 for each PzIV knocked out, 2 each for the two sunken road hexes and 4 for a cross road hex (near the cent of the map).

Joe set up with one of the tanks covering my right, which was a large open field; the other tank was dug-in in front of the 4-VP crossroad hex (Y6). On my left Joe placed 4 of his 447′s and in the center he put his trench line (which CAN run THROUGH a bocage hexside, i.e. you can move IN the trench between the hexes, very handy), near the tank and also covering the large empty field and the two sunken road hexes.

Examining the set up and the terrain, I decided to enter most of the company (7.5 squads) in my center (that is along the board end) where I could use the terrain to move full speed on turn one without coming under fire. I was hoping Joe wouldn’t place wire on this important road that he’d left uncovered. I took the remaining platoon and a 7-0 and approached on the left near a wheat field, hoping to pin his forces in that area and force them to stay, not being able to reinforce his trench line and tank in the middle.

Turn one went very well for me. The flanking platoon entered concealed and adjacent to Joe’s position, I ran another squad and HS through the wheat to get shots off in advance, he shot but didn’t get any results. I advanced with two HS’s (I had deployed 2 full 666 prior to play) into CC with his two 447s. While the remaining platoon moved in to support and cover this melee.

The main attack also went very well, I moved all my force on, coming under only sporadic fire, doing little damage. In the advance phase I moved adjacent to his trench line, putting his two squads there in danger of being cut of and unable to rout if they broke. I was very happy at the end of the USA player turn 1, even placing infantry smoke in one instance.

Joe’s turn one went very well for him. The close combat on my left was inconclusive and turned into a full-fledged melee, drawing mmc’s like bugs to a light on a dark night. Joe’s trench troops fired into their adjacent Americans and broke the whole crew (2 squads I think), thus giving his two squads some breathing room. He then pulled back a hex or two in the Trench line. At the end of the turn, the melee cost us both a HS but still raged on.

The next two turns are kind of a blur. The trench line turned into a terrific firefight, with his two squads and tank breaking US squads left and right. Joe’s tank crew squeezed of several impressive ROF shots with his 75L, happily though the first three hits he followed up with a `10′ on the IFT/effect roll, I happily took those PTC’s, but on the amazing fourth and last ROF shot, he rolled a `7′ and I promptly failed both morale checks. His mmg also dealt out rof madness, breaking countless American mmc’s. I was able to stay in it though, having several American Rally skyscrapers, my leader working overtime to keep rallying the mmcs. The route phase turned into the American Route `stampede’ phase several time.

Eventually the Americans did clear out the trench line and were able to take out the dug in Pz IV with a well-placed turret hit (whew) from a BAZ44. The melee on my left turned ugly after I managed to reinforce it, but was unable to kill off his two remaining 2nd line HS’s, I had two 666′s in there by now. Joe wisely shot into the melee and both my squads broke, one of his 237′s passing the 1MC and killing both the MMCs while they tried to withdraw from the melee. This left the 7-0 without a platoon, so he spied a lonely German 8-0 in the woods adjacent and charged in after him, alone. Those two were still in melee when I left for work this morning.

The end game proved very exciting as I closed in on Joe’s remaining tank and the important VP hexes (sunken road hexes and the crossroad). I knew I had some small chance but it was going to be a long shot. Having knocked out one of the tanks, I had 2 of the needed 8 VP. I would have to score most of these on the last turn, only then able to watch as Joe would take his final turn (bottom of the fifth).

I was able to move a couple of squads over and take control of the sunken road hexes, thus getting 4 more VPs. Joe’s last squad on that side broke under withering US firepower and wasn’t going to be able to get me out of the sunken road. So now I had 6 of the needed 8, if I could kill the last mark IV I could steel a win from Joe. I also managed to rally some units and get three BAZ44′s two hexes away from the PzIV and behind a bocage (and concealed), setting up a dramatic last turn for the Germans.

On Joe’s last turn he prepped and broke two of my BAZ toting squads with his tank and the rest of his infantry (2 squads GO at this point). I thus had one chance, one shot to take at the Pz IV needing a turret hit to boot. Well the dice Gods smiled as I rolled a `6′ (colored dr = 1) TH and got the hit. The tank blew up and so did Joe’s hopes for victory. With the tank I know had 8 VP, enough for the win.

That was one exciting scenario. There was a lot of shooting and rallying and melee fighting, some atrocities as Joe’s evil little 237 took out my two broken squads trying flee the melee <sniff> and some crazy rof action from Joe’s mmg and tank. Joe’s only been playing ASL now for a few months now and has come a long way, this is the 2nd scenario we’ve played together where the game was determined on the last DR of the last turn. Look out for Joe at the St. Louis Tournament next week; he’s hardly a n00b now. And I must mention that he wouldn’t be playing now with out MMP’s excellent Starter kit and Dave Angrisani’s tutelage.

The scenarios in BFP’s BtB2 pack are great; I’ve played five of them now and have really enjoyed each one. I love the maps as well. You’ll certainly be an expert on wall advantage and bocage after one or two of these scenarios

Stephen Brasseur

Question (Originally by Richard Weiley)

How many of the scenarios in the Operation Cobra pack are playable with the original Beyond the Beachhead pack?

Question (Posted by Paul Weir)

Just checking scenarios, (HoB III = BFP C, HoB IV = BFP D, HoB Overlay V1, H1 = BFP V1, H1), Overlay BFP 6a comes with BFP 2 “Operation Cobra)

BFP-14: Yes (Bd 17 & BFP D)
BFP-15: No (Bd 42, BFP D & E)
BFP-16: Yes (Bd BFP D)
BFP-17: Yes (Bd 18 & BFP D)
BFP-18: No (Bd 24 & BFP E)
BFP-19: Yes (Bd BFP C & D)
BFP-20: No (Bd 6 & BFP E + Overlay BFP 6a)
BFP-21: No (Bd 17, BFP C & E)
BFP-22: Yes (Bd 6 + Overlay BFP 6a)
BFP-23: Yes (Bd 46 & BFP C)
BFP-24: No (Bd BFP C,D & E)
BFP-25: No (Bd BFP C & E)

So 6 out of 12 of the Operation Cobra are playable with just Operation Cobra and HoB’s BtB (1).
I have not included any standard overlays in the above list.

I, personally, would strongly advise getting BFP’s BtB 2 (along with BFP2 Operation Cobra) for the following reasons:

1. Original maps redone in ASLSK style, this is what all future maps will be like.
2. Errata on original scenarios now fixed.
3. 2 new maps, 3 new overlays and 8 new scenarios.
4. The large overlays now fold to fit within a standard ASL box.

Even though I already had HoB’s BtB (1), I got the BFP BtB 2 and BFP 2 Operation Cobra and I am delighted.

Making up the second half of the last week’s ASL party pack was Bounding Fire Productions 2: Operation Cobra, another excellent contribution by Chas and the BFP team. Unlike BtB2, with the two loose leaf covers, this is full-on magazine style format, with unsurprisingly, a full on focus on aspects of Operation Cobra, the main US breakout operation in western Normandy in late July 1944. The pack has four principal components: the magazine itself with four main subsections, a collection of 12 scenarios on separate cards, a single overlay designed to specifically reinvigorate Board 6, and 88 new 5/8th” counters.

First up for me was the magazine, and this is black with a touched-up cartoon-cum-photo look of a Stuart passing a burning German half-track, about to drive straight into the path of a faust-wielding panzergrenadier – poor old tank crew! The magazine is 56 pages long and starts with a quick editorial from Chas Smith on the genesis of this pack and how some other scenario designers (including George Kelln and Steve Swann) have also contributed. Interestingly, whilst the inside cover is and advert for Into the Rubble, the inside back cover gives tantalising details of BFP 3 “Blood & Jungle” – a PTO-focused mega-scenario pack including 40 scenarios, a new board, a custom map and counters and rules for rare and new vehicles. Looks AWESOME!

Bocage Article

The main highlight for me in the entire pack is the outstanding full colour, lavishly illustrated 23 page long article on bocage. This starts with the basis of all bocage rules: gaining, losing, using and abusing wall advantage and then walks you through the whole bocage-thang hand in hand. Due to space restrictions in some other magazines, the reader is often asked to imagine or assume that “unit X isn’t there”, or that the “terrain feature in hex Y2 doesn’t exist”, or that the “three units that were in the road in Figure 3 have now moved to hexes X, Y and Z”. In a refreshing change, in this article, each new example or new movement phase typically has its own small colour illustration dedicated to it, and even better, it is almost invariably on the same page and adjacent to the piece of text being referred to. This sounds like a small thing but I really liked the lavish illustrations as it meant I could focus on what the text is trying to say rather than doing that AND trying to do the mental tricks of remembering which unit has changed status, or which has moved, or which building isn’t in play, all the while flipping the pages to find the correct picture. As I said, it might only look like a small thing, but it makes the learning and reading process so much smoother and that is to be commended strongly.

In the article itself, all aspects of bocage are covered, including the one or two issues still open to debate about how to treat hidden guns in bocage with boresighting or aspects of the recent Perry Sez on bocage and SCW. Sensible recommendations are given on both of these issues. The article shows in numerous examples, small tactical illustrations of the advantages and rare disadvantages of defending and attacking in bocage country, and finishes with two great fully worked tactical examples where many of these lessons are applied. Also, included are rules for BFP’s light bocage terrain, together with fully illustrated examples of how Light Bocage LOS effects impact elevation and other aspects. A good read of this article allied to a quick review of the recent new examples and rules clarifications that came with Action Pack 4 and you are well placed to play all of the 30 or more bocage-related scenarios that have been produced in the last 12 months! Normandy fans have never had it so good…an excellent overall contribution to the hobby with the near definitive article on the subject.

New Weapon – the Pueppchen

Next up in the magazine is a short overview of the history and ASL genesis of the Pueppchen, a wheeled Panzerschreck-like Gun (its a 5/8″ counter, not a 1/2″) one. The design philosophy of this is explained in detail and in response to this, a very powerful beast indeed has been created. The Pueppchen acts like a PF except that every three hexes of range for the Pueppchen acts as one-hex of Panzerfaust range so that a moving Sherman in the open 6 hexes away would be hit on a 6: well, that’s OK you may say, but its the scary ROF 3 that concerns me more as a beleaguered US armour leader.

The fact that in real life it could fire 10 rounds a minute (and so warrant the 3 ROF) doesn’t necessarily mean that it did. That’s a huge thing and I wonder if its been a little overcooked here. Note that the Pueppchen was operated all over the European fighting theatres, so whereas I may only expect to lose a single tank in bocage country to this ROF of 3 and then be able to bypass it or get infantry to cope with it, elsewhere in places like Italy or Russia, I may well scrag a couple more.

There is no backblast with this weapon and it has a manhandle of 12. Again, (indeed as one of the examples makes clear), moving this beast up hills in bocage is really hard work – moving it around in grain-fields however, probably much less so. I know its listed as super-maneuverable, but I was wondering if trying to lug the ammo around for this thing may be tougher than an M12 would imply too – maybe the ROF could have been dropped by one if you’d manhandled the gun out of its original defensive position. The TK number of the Pueppchen is a healthy 26 and it breaks down normally but it has no gunshield – even so, with a ROF of 3, I may start treating it like a 12IFT FP plasma machine gun on people in stone buildings! As noted by the rules, I may indeed not get the acquisition, but then with the ROF and an B of 12, I may not care. As the authors themselves list, “this is a PsK on steroids”. Indeed.

There are examples of its use included in the scenarios of the pack – I’d really be interested to see how this works for people! I haven’t played with this yet so all these comments should be viewed in that light, but the basic details above are essentially correct and I was just musing on how they would apply in game terms – in practise, maybe the beast is not as deadly as it sounds. However, as Zeb Doyle remarked to me, if they were really this good, why didn’t the Germans have them everywhere?!!! Just wondering…

Scenario Notes Article

:

The third big piece of the Magazine are design notes for all of the new scenarios plus all of the scenarios included in BtB2 (this magazine really should be considered as an extension piece for the BtB2 pack as many of the new scenarios use boards and overlays from the BtB2 pack). These are really quite interesting and briefly try to put each scenario back into its historical context as well as the reasoning behind the use of a particular weapons system in that scenario, but they are mainly short advice notes on how the scenario may play out. These feel like very truncated mini-versions of the Schwerpunkt notes for those who are familiar. I like this stuff so this was all great for me, but again other’s mileage may vary.

Historical Article: Operation Cobra

The final big article of the magazine addresses Operation Cobra at a strategic and divisional level in 15 pages. Regiment and combat unit listings are provided for all the US forces involved. There is a brief summary of the battle readiness of the various German divisional level units provided, with several interesting historical nuggets thrown in, removing one or two misconceptions that are held about the battle in other literature. As well as these detailed unit listings, there are short historical notes on the US use of tactical airpower, use of NW Europe camo uniforms, the carpet bombing which started the op and a full genesis of the Culin hedge-cutter and equivalent equipment that assisted in the breakout.

The article ends with a very high-level historical review of the operation at the corps and divisional level ending at the point where 3rd Army was activated. These kinds of articles tend to split the ASL-playing crowd and I see this will be no different: for those who love this stuff, this may keep them amused for a while trying to pick holes in it for points where they disagree. For those who know little of the battle, this is a good place to start to get involved, especially with the selected bibliography that Chas has thoughtfully provided. For many however, including myself, this is all a little bit “so-what”? If I want to read a good general review of Cobra and some of the subsequent exploitation, I’ll probably go read the relevant copy from Osprey and be happy in life, even if they are incorrect on one or two details about e.g. the 9th Infantry Division’s tank support. Overall, these articles are not really my personal cup of tea, but again your mileage may vary…

Overlay:

The pack also comes with only a single overlay, but what a hugely valuable contribution it is – this one is a good little wood-building-hedge hamlet to cover up the monster stone chateau on Board 6. It is designed solely to work on Board 6 as the road net only matches that board, but this will make a huge change to this old familiar, with or without bocage being in play. A couple of the new BFP2 scenarios already use this overlay in bocage format – great idea and great job on this one!

Counters:

88 counters are provided in this – excellent quality, very slightly glossy with a very good match in terms of color to your existing ASL sets – they are differentiated by having BFP printed in small yellow type but otherwise look and match your existing counters well. These counters show various iterations of US tanks with Culin or other hedge-cutter devices attached, the Pueppchens, some more versions of US armour with bow mounted Flame-Throwers included, and various Firepower combinations of P36 Thunderbolt or equivalent rocket-mounted fighter-bombers included. These are just variants from the base air support rules and just extend the burgeoning collection of variant allied air support systems I have in my counter collection, which includes Typhoons from King of the Hill and Sturmoviks from Onslaught to Orsha. Just looking forward to seeing the Me 262 in its ground support role one day too! A single page of rules is included to cover the details of this, and some simple application to the hedge-cutting rules are added too.

Scenarios:

BFP14: Opening Phase: 6.5 Turns on 3/4 of BFP D and 17. An all-infantry fight with largely German 5-4-8 para conducting a small retreat to from the BFP D bocage-lined roads back to the Board 17 hamlet. A CVP cap on the fourteen 6-6-6s allied to some OBA for both sides will keep the US honest.

BFP15: Cobra’s Venom: Big scenario, big scenario! 7.5 turns of mayhem on three boards (BFP D, E and 42) as the US drive south immediately after a carpet bomb attack on the Lehr. There is big replay value on this one as random dr dictate the status of guns and tanks (and yes they can be destroyed) and random DR dictate the quality of the 14 possible German infantry units (and yes they too can be destoyed too). The Lehr could receive a Pueppchen, four Panthers and four quality AT Guns, but the American force is strong men armed indeed, with ten AFV (including Culin tanks and FT M4), assault engineers and 21 squads overall, plus some OBA. However, the German VC of building control looks like the US have a lot of work to do here, even if they are very unsettled at start. Wow!

BFP16: Snake Charmed: Over 7.5 turns, a very strong US battle group (8 tanks with a dozer and Culins) and 21 1st and 2nd line squads) have to blast 37 VP off the south edge of the road-bocage board BFP D. The immovable object they need to overcome is a tough SS battlegroup of 11 full SS squads, two tough AT Guns, another Pueppchen (and black SS versions are provided as counters for those who care) and two MkIVs as reinforcements. This is a great looking 5-6 hours of bocage fun.

BFP17: Seize that Crossroad: 7.5 turns for another typical US battlegroup to wrest a crossroads on Board 18 from an infantry force of the Lehr. The 10 5-4-8s and 4-6-8s and 4-6-7s are stiffened with a couple of dug-in Panthers but they need to hold off 15 Elite, 1st and 2nd line squads with Culins, and M10s driving across the light bocage of BFP D. This looks to be another very solid 5-6 hour long scenario. The US task is stiffened by the presence of a CVP cap.

BFP18: Necklace of Pearls: The US has a tough job here with enforcement of keep the N-S road free of German units and stay under a generous looking CVP cap. They have 7.5 turns to achieve this over boards BFP E and 24, and rarest of rare, the Board 24 valley is still in play! The Germans are 14 mixed elites, 1st and 2nd lines with mines, wire, roadblock and three Panthers. After setup the Germans are subject to the results of shellholes and rubble creation and also a morale breaking TC. The US entering from the north and in Turn 4 the west, consists of 21 mixed quality squads and 12 Shermans including 4 Culins. A very solid combined arms attack, another mid-sized 5-6 hour long scenario.

BFP19: Russian Style: 7 turns on BFP D and C. The US must take all multi-hex buildings on BFP C and send 30 VP of US units off the south edge after entering 12 tanks with 12 squads (elite and 1st liners) as riders – the ‘Russian style’ of the title. These two boards have a lot of choking bocage terrain to hack through, much of which is oriented perpendicular to the US axis of advance, but the US can secretly designate eight Culins, 4 Gyros and a bow FT to attain some leverage. Two turns of rocket armed FBs will assist this as seven 2nd line, four MkIVs and a Stug try to stop them. Yet another mid-sized scenario but this one has a couple more funky toys in it too.

BFP20: Bypassed Lehr: 6 turns, all-infantry tournament special set on BFP E and 6 with the special new overlay applied. The Germans are numerous but brittle (5 x 5-4-8 and 10 x 4-4-7) and well stuffed with MG, but they are facing twenty elites and 1st lines with a 9-2 and MMG in light bocage – they need to hold onto four or more Board 6 buildings at game end. Simple, quick and fun.

BFP21: Ripe for the Picking: Another big scenario set on three boards (BFP E and C and 17) over 9 turns. A mixed Wehrmacht and Das Reich Turn 4 reinforcement battlegroup must stop the 3rd Armored Division from accumulating 100VP from either CVP or exit VP. The initial Werhmacht force of 5.5 1st line squads, roadblocks and a couple of 50L AT guns is merely a speedbump to a mighty US task force: 13 half-track mounted elites will burn a hole in this light bocage protected bandaid, especially when the two bomb AND rocket FB and the 6 Shermans and 3 honeys get working. The bad guy cavalry consists of six 6-5-8s in half-tracks added to four MkIVs. No Panthers or Tigers here – just average late-war tanks duelling in the hedges. The softp-skin nature to bith forces will make this a really interesting combined arms challenge. Great-looking scenario!

BFP22: Speed Over Caution: 5.5 Turns, Light Bocage is in effect on board 6 with the sweet little chateau covering overlay in place. Six US Shermans of differing flavours (including Gyros and two with Culins) and 11 6-6-6s, have to fight their way down board 6 lengthwise and take all the buildings within 5 hexes of a central crossroads or exit 20VP from a rear road exit after before game end. Timing means that its only realistic to get the armour off (unless you load up with riders and leaders) as the Germans have an HMG, seven second line squads, a couple of (probably hidden) Panzershreks to stop you. Oh, yes. And two Panthers. Rally points and recycling with your smoke are the order of the day here.

BFP23: Prelim to Death Night: A rarity in these packs – a genuine German attack! Tourney quickie as 13 SS mixed units try to desperately grab a vital crossroads in light bocage on BFP C and 46 from a company of elite US (and H2H combat is in effect). The US are well equipped with MGs but the Germans get a rarely seen PzA III/IV assault gun. Though small, I really like the look of this one – it smacks of the desperation of the SS as they try to force a way out of the tightening trap.

BFP24: Death Ride of Das Reich: This is different to everything else in the pack and another with much replay value. The action is set on three separate boards and three SS Battlegroups must each force their way across their respective boards – to win the SS can get 44VP off any one board or 110 VP collectively from the three boards together. The US has to divide its infantry forces into four parts with one group acting as a reinforcement to any one board of the US’ choice on Turn 4. Lots of choice then for both players over these three separate 7.5 turn scenarios. Careful decisions will need to be made but both sides force pools are tasty: the US gets 10 squads, a 57L AT Gun and 5 M4s to play with, whilst the SS receive 12 mixed quality SS squads and a huge (30) number of odd vehicles ranging from Armoured Cars, Flak HTs, Marders and Mark IVs. A great number of iterations available in this one and this looks a real chess like struggle in many ways. A cerebral scenario – excellent job.

BFP25: From Villebaudon to Valhalla: And finally, another German attack in another big scenario, this time nine turns long and set on BFP C and E. The German wins by accumulating VP for hex control and for multiples of 10CVP inflicted on the US. The US are tough in this – 11 1st lines, lots of MGs, and 100mm OBA stiffened by two rocket and bomb FB, and six M4 versions, a Stuart, a Meat Chopper (!!) and three M10s and two Priests. Awesome. The Greyhound Division has its own punch too though – 5 x 5-4-8s and 15 x 4-6-7s with 100mm OBA and 6 Panthers and Flak Trucks, reinforced by five more 5-4-8s and four more Panthers and another Flakpanzer. Another monster combined arms scenarios.

Summary:

So there you have it – 12 excellent scenarios but like the BtB pack, no real oddities in the rules. Again, most of the scenarios are on moderate, no wind days and there is no night or odd stuff in here. The majority of the scenarios are US attacks but the last three all give some German attack variety. These scenarios are mainly on the medium to large size but all should be completed in a long day’s play at most. Players will definitely need to exploit all their combined arms skills in these scenarios to the fullest, but the random factor to BFP-24 and BFP-15 definitely take these scenarios to new heights in terms of replayability. Quality is just what you’d expect from BFP now, being glossy card with lots of colour printing on the cards and a clear and simple layout which is easy to understand. Awesome job on these guys – brilliant stuff.

So overall, another excellent production from BFP – where will it end? Hopefully it won’t. The magazine is generally really good and the article on bocage elevates it above many other of this type of publication. My small questions about the representation of the Pueppchen aside, there is plenty here for everyone, and even if the historical articles aren’t your thing, the rest of the production is stuffed to the gills with great stuff. And rejuvenating Board 6 is brilliant! A– overall – another great piece of work guys! Many thanks for reading to the end of this…

Nick Drinkwater