A Crossfire Wargame Playtest - part 1

 Quarantine Crossfire - Part 1

To relieve the Co-vid blues I decided to test run a small game of Crossfire.  Solo of course.  Here's my table with all homemade modular terrain.  I have only a slight idea how to properly set up Crossfire terrain.  You need a lot, and you don't want any long lines of sight, but you do need fire lanes.  We'll see how it goes.

The scenario: US infantry trying to push a German rear guard out of a small village.  The US forces are 2 platoons with +1 PCs (platoon Commander) plus 1 HMG and a FO (forward observer) handling an 81mm mortar which is off table.

Here they are again.  These are 1/72 plastics from Italeri I think?  So are the Germans. All dating back many years. 

 The Germans have 1 platoon with a +2 PC and an HMG...












... and they have deployed along the north side of the road in the buildings and the field.  The HMG is set up in the walled garden.  Crossfire is very abstract about LOS.  If you are in the terrain piece you can see out and be seen.  But it is -1 die to anyone who fires at you.

 The US forces set up.  They will try to infiltrate along the east side of the road to get into firing position and set up the HMG.  2nd platoon with the FO is behind a small hill and will try to swing east and take the Germs in flank.

 

 1st platoon creeps up...The Germans don't see them

 2nd platoon tries a dash from behind the hill, but they are in full view of the center German squad which opens up and stops them cold.  Yellow is pinned and red is suppressed.  The US declared a group move which means even though some stands get suppressed or even killed, the rest of the stands may move.  The Germans scored a suppression so the US loses initiative.

German initiative 1.  Same squad opens up on the stopped platoon.  Rolling 3 dice (since the target is not in cover) he scores 3 hits.  That is a kill.  1 hit is a pin, 2 hits a suppression.  Killing one squad he gets to fire again at the next.  As long as you can keep getting a suppressed result or better, you can keep shooting.  If you don't, you loose initiative and it passes to the other side.

Firing again, he rolled only one hit.  Enough for a pin (which has no effect as the squad already is pinned).  However a suppressed result on an already suppressed stand is a kill!

Failing to at least suppress, it is now US initiative 2.

 Sneaking sneakily the Americans approach the house from behind.  The HMG behind the wall prepares to do Reactive Fire (fire from the non-phasing player vs targets that are moving) and opens up on them with 3 dice.  HMGs roll 4 dice against targets in the open and like everything else, lose 1 die if the target is in protective cover.
Unfortunately, he has missed with all 3 dice.  If you do not score at least a pin in reactive fire, you lose the ability to fire for the rest of the phase (called No Fire).  This is fantastic news for the Americans

 

 These Germans are set up in a building.  These Germans are angry because the Americans are being sneaky and taking advantage of terrain placement to not be seen.  "Who told us this was a good spot!!"

Since the HMG can not fire, and the other squad can't see them, the Americans rush forward.

 Using a Group fire, the US is able to suppress the HMG.  They retain initiative and try again to possibly kill it which would most likely be doom for the Germans. This time they miss completely and initiative passes.  German fire is ineffective and the HMG does not get a chance to rally.

 The heroes in 1st platoon (top right) are getting it done, but the slackers in 2nd are just laying around.  the brown markers are for "Ground Hugging" which is something you can do to keep from getting your ass shot off if for some reason you are caught in the open.  For this initiative they decided to attempt to rally.  Roll a d6 for each stand.  However if you fail, initiative passes.

 Some good rolling later and they feel much better about themselves.  Good enough for the FO to call in some righteous smoke!  It's easy, pick you spot and roll a 3 or better.  Indirect fire weapons come with a limited amount of ammo, usually 12 missions.  The pesky German squad cannot see a thing!

 They try to cut the flank but they run across the fire lane of the Farfegnugen guys who felt pretty perky having a target finally.  Initiative passes.

 The German HMG rallies.  The German +2 PC thinks about climbing over the wall, but an entire US platoon can draw a bead on him if he does.  You don't get a first name like "+2" for being stupid!

Loaded up again, the HMG tries to take on the approaching Americans.  The Germans are too spread out to do a group fire so they have to go one after the other.  But the HMG fails to even pin, so initiative is lost!


End part 1