Main Event V: Owl vs. Der Kuenstler

[Der Kuenstler]

Great job calling the battle, Joonny!

After reading this whole thread I'll try to answer some questions about the battle from my side:

Q: Why use mortars on the treelines in the beginning?
A: Because I was 90% sure there had to be guns there - turns out I was wrong, but at least I ended up distrupting one of his platoons. After one turn of shelling and no apparent results I switched to targets I could see.

Q: Why not go for the flag at town center?
A: I wanted to surprise him but also because the US M1 halftrack's sides are totally flat, they tend to die easier from MG fire than the German 251/1s with their angled armor, and Owl got to start the scenario with some of his zone in town already, so I figured he would just sideshoot all of my halftracks if I tried to go in there.

Q: Why did you reverse your M10 into the sights of Owl's Stug?
A: I didn't know it was there at the time! I was going to follow the M1A1 halftrack around the woods if it made it without dying - but it didn't!

Q: Why Load up all of your halftracks at the mayor's house and then unload them?
A: Because I was planning to make a rush on the town - then I saw Owl moving some stugs towards there so I changed my mind.

Q: Why no big push on the right flank with all of your infantry advantage?
A: Because they would have had to cross a lot of open ground and Owl had at least four AFVs on overwatch and enough time to get several MG42s into the buildings in position. If I could have kept my Priest alive I would have blown the building down and then advanced the men through the smoke, but it didn't work out. I figured I'd have lost more men than the flag was worth.

LOOK AT POST #64 - this is one reason Owl is so dangerous - he rarely lets you face his guns 1:1 - he gets them lined up on you for a numerical advantage.

I would say the key to this win was that regular M10 of mine to the West - if that M10 had died, I would have had nothing to keep Owl's armor at bay over there. Keeping the M10 alive was imperative for me. That's why I smoked the hunting stug in post #56 instead of going toe to toe with it. I knew I had a bazooka team coming up behind it so I left it to the bazooka team - much less risky. It was very lucky for me the M10 lived and one of Owl's stugs bogged over there.

After I was able to destroy both stugs and Owl's whole flanking platoon to the West - I knew I had hurt him pretty bad. I knew he controlled 5 flags to my four, but that only represented 11% more flag points than I had. I knew I had taken out more vehicles than he did - so by continuing to snipe at him as opportunity arose I figured I could squeak a minor victory or at worst a draw.

By trying to rush my Southern flag at battle's end, Owl only made it worse for himself, as I had seen the increased activity and moved my armor over there.

I was very happy with just a minor victory against this guy and I tell you - I spent no little time fist pumping and shouting at my computer when I saw the result - lol. I took my wife out to eat fajitas at my favorite mexican restaurant to celebrate that night. Lord knows that dastardly Owl has beaten me his share of times in the past!

Again - great job calling the game Joonny!