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Impulse movement in the low countries
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The Monty's Gamble: Market-Garden (MGM) trial event
drew 11 entrants, with Assistant GM Perry Cocke playing as an
eliminator. Players had just received their copies of the newly
published game, so the GM-designer was kept busy running between
tables, answering questions as they arose.
 After
two rounds of single elimination, which saw one winner having
to withdraw because of lack of sleep (!), the finals came down
to a match between two veteran Breakout: Normandy players,
Andrew Cummins and Walt Garman. Cummins took command of the Allies,
and Garman the Germans.
The September 17th turn saw 1st Airborne suffer heavy losses
on their initial drop, but they captured Arnhem regardless. The
armor of XXX Corps started off poorly, losing a +6 assault on
their second attack. The Allies surrendered the Advantage and,
incredibly, the re-roll was the largest disparity the game can
produce, an Allied "12" to a German "2".
The German defense in front of Eindhoven was obliterated, and
the Allies soon thereafter captured Eindhoven and earned a bonus
VP.
On September 18th XXX Corps crossed the Maas River ahead of
schedule, and pressed on, clearing the approaches to Nijmegen.
Weak German attacks on "Hell's Highway" were easily
repulsed. Sensing the game was slipping away, Garman decided
to launch an early assault on Arnhem with forces to the east,
and won the +3 assault by 7 on the dice. The Allied defenders
in Arnhem were mauled, but held on.
The weather went overcast on the 19th. The Germans struck
first, crushed Arnhem, and on the overrun sent forces south to
Nijmegen. These arrived just in time to force the Allies to fight
hard for the city. The Allies began a steady bombardment, softening
the defenses, and then launched several assaults. The city finally
fell, but valuable time was lost. Crucially, when the weather
momentarily cleared, the Allies declined to land the Polish airborne
brigade, a move that would have blocked German attempts to further
reinforce the ground north of Nijmegen.
The fourth and final turn saw the Allies with nine Victory
Points, needing ten to win. They could either attack north out
of Nijmegen, or attack east to capture the German border town
of Wyler. Allied artillery was in position to attack north, but
the German defense there was exceptionally strong. The Allies
chose to attack Wyler. Clear weather saw Allied air power hammer
the village, while German artillery pounded units of XXX Corps
east of Nijmegen waiting to attack. Only two units of XXX Corps
managed to put in an attack, and the burden of capturing Wyler
largely fell to the American 82nd Airborne. The 82nd put in attacks
at +4, +5 and +6, and the German defense was close to cracking.
On the seventh impulse of the turn, the Allied roll ended the
turn. Since this would end the game, Andrew flipped the Advantage
and demanded a re-roll. The dice were re-rolled, but the turn
ended yet again, leaving the Allies with 8 VP, and Walt Garman's
Germans victorious.
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Michael Rinella [1st Year]
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