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Stu Hendrickson and Derek Pulhamus
take a mulligan. |
Stu is back in action against John
Vasilakos. |
Blocking the Bulge
This year we played the new C3i "Payback" scenario
and also incorporated a bidding change where the bid was for
additional assets to be pulled from the Selection Cup instead
of Fuel Assets. The scenario seems to slightly favor the German
player, and the bidding was very light (0-2 assets were bid)
throughout the tournament. The Germans won about 60% overall,
but the eventual champion, Scott Moll, won by playing the Allied
side throughout the event.
The defending champ, Bob Heinzmann, fell out after two rounds.
The Final then came down to the 2008 runner-up and lone returning
laurelist, Scott Moll, against the game's designer (and GM),
Rick Young. Rick had a very promising first turn, ripping a large
hole in front of 5th Panzer Army that Scott could not adequately
fill. After some intense study though, Scott's frown turned upside
down when he realized that Rick focused too much attention on
the 5th Panzer Army, and made a mistake in the 6th Panzer Army
sector that allowed Scott to place much of that formation out
of supply.
Rick had to spend much of his Turn 2 efforts remedying the
supply problem he had created for himself rather than worsening
Scott's position, and the chance for a decisive victory was slipping
away. The scenario is four turns long, and covers the swing of
momentum in the battle, such that the first two turns usually
find the Germans still on the offensive, but the last two turns,
with clearing skies and American reinforcements, find the roles
reversed.
Rick spent the last two turns tenaciously defending against
the US counterattack while trying to cling to a marginal victory
from his very successful opening turn, but Scott used his last
turn's breakthrough phase, his last special action, and American
airpower to snatch Malmedy back from German possession, thereby
granting him the win.
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Peter Pollard and Bill Beswick meet
vicariously in the Ardennes. |
Scott Moll earns his title in the
Final against the designer, no less! |
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