Mila 18 - T8 - Holy ammo box! The ZON just flipped the table

I know that I pronounced the game over yesterday, and I predicted that I could be wrong (as usual). I was right about being wrong. The ZON bagged a huge loot in prisoners which brings their VP tally to 28, thus requiring the SS to get 56 VP. This is almost the full OOB of partisans. And the remaining partisans are either in a fortress or in a building that they didn't manage to get into for a bunch of turns. 

Things are very much up in the air... and I'm glad that I didn't abdicate yesterday as the ZON.

The row of SS off the map are the prisoners held in L9!

Mila 18 - T4.5 - The futile last stand

The ZON did not manage to do much damage. As expected (but not hoped for), the sewers seemed to be more a gimmick than a sound solution to mobility. The use of MOL was a welcome plus on the ZON's side. However, there are enough SS MMC and enough time to allow to do proper maneuvers: a good fire base strips the concealments and break the ZON and then the SS move in with a 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 CC. Ambushes happen but don't make a large difference when you roll at 1-to-4.

The scenario is a clear win for the SS by mainly eliminating the ZON. They can at this point take defensive positions and wait for the end of the scenario with little chance of losing enough VP to lose the game. However, why stop here? This isn't why I'm playing so the ZON will try. They have a fortress in W5, and have been spanking the SS from their strong position in O8. If they eliminate 1 6-5-8 or two HS with no further loss, the game is theirs. This is a gamble, but the only thing left to hold on to. Beside, most of my ASL games so far turned out to be nail biters a turn after I pronounced them "resolved".

Hey look, overzealous MOL caused a pretty pattern in column N.

Mila 18 - T3.5 - Burning gazoline

Cut off from a retreat, the ZON 7-0 SMC decided to join the pinned squads on Level 1. The ZON in O8 has a commanding view of the battle, and is stacked to capacity. Down in the sewer, another squad is lurking.

The impending wave of SS is first slowed by sniper fire, hurting the SS leader. The SS decide to group to saturate the ZON but the return fire, spiked with molotov cocktails, break the SS advance and set the wood on fire. This sets back the SS: they are broken with a fire in between and the ZON is as strong as ever.

The MOLotov cocktails are turning map 24 into a scout jamboree. If the wind picks up and the fire turn into blazes, this map will look a lot different.

Mila 18 - T3 - Clauwitzian's frictions of war

I'm not sure that the ZON can put up a very good fight. So far, they have focussed on slowing the SS and spreading them thin. The SS called for No Quarters as they can't afford the vagaries of POW management. ZON snipers have wounded 2 of the 4 SS SMC.

The outcome of this scenario is still way up in the air.

Chasing dummy stacks and an elusive ZON opponent.

Mila 18 - T1.5 - The frightened lady

The SonderCommando were given a cue of a few dozen buildings where the ZON was possibly hiding. They had some 40 minutes to secure the area before someone from higher up gets ideas about the company's readiness.

Everyone in the Ghetto scrambled to get out of the way. Unfortunately, an old lady fell and couldn't stand up anymore. Lt. Rakuna approached her as she meekly pointed to a nearby building in hope to save her life. The silhouettes from a group of ZON fighters were shuffling on the second floor.

Lt. Rakuna changed the plans and ordered the platoon to the North to form a base of fire. Little that they knew, the ZON force commander was in the line of fire, fell under a large pile of rubbish amid the bullets.

The return fire from the pinned ZON squad was ineffective, another squad slipped into the sewer underneath before the SS barged in. The squad that slipped down was then nowhere to be found, but the pinned squad above was quietly waiting to get pummelled.

Sgt. Rakuna is bleeding all over H6 from sniper fire while Lt. Pilsi has stormed up one level to engaged the previoulsy pinned and abandoned ZON squad.