** Black Eagle and Barbary Lion - The Matrix Games version of West Front
| Rating: | 8.04 (7) |
| Games Played: | 6 |
| SM: | 6 |
| Turns: | 25 |
| Type: | Custom |
| First Side: | Axis |
| Second Side: | Allies |
| Downloads: | 373 |
[Gembloux, 51 kilometers SE of Brussels, Belgium]: [H2H][HISB][GD]: On May 13, 1940, the Germans and French fought the first real tank battle of the Second World War near Hannut, Belgium. The Germans forced the French Army's Cavalry Corps to retreat, and continued their advance westwards, hoping to beat the main British and French armies to their planned defensive positions on the Dyle Line. On May 14th, elements of General Hoepner's XVI Armeekorps (mot.) encountered infantry of France's 1st Army near Ernage. Fierce fighting throughout the day brought Hoepner's troops to a halt, and forced the Germans to realize that they were too late; the Dyle Line was indeed occupied. The Germans withdrew for the night, but planned to hurl the 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions against the French in a frontal attack the next day. The center of the French line was held by the men of the 1ere Division Marocaine (1st Moroccan Division). This unit, which had a proud tradition dating back to the First World War, was considered an elite unit. As the sun rose on the 15th, the men of the 1st Moroccan Division prepared to add their own chapter to the unit's illustrious history. [Recommend play with Variable Visibility and Extreme Assault off; Armor Facing optional.]
* Recommended for experienced players.
** The title of the scenario refers to the national animals of Germany and Morocco, the Black Eagle and the Barbary Lion, respectively.
*** Updated zip file uploaded on 05 June 2024. Scenario (.scn) file should be v2.1, .org file should be dated 04 June 2024 and .map file should be date 02 January 2023.
* Recommended for experienced players.
** The title of the scenario refers to the national animals of Germany and Morocco, the Black Eagle and the Barbary Lion, respectively.
*** Updated zip file uploaded on 05 June 2024. Scenario (.scn) file should be v2.1, .org file should be dated 04 June 2024 and .map file should be date 02 January 2023.
| Player Voting Stats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Member | Balance | Enjoyment |
 Herr Straße Laufer |
Slightly Pro Allies | 7 |
 Schwerpunkt75 |
Well Balanced | 7 |
| Herr Straße Laufer |
Slightly Pro Axis | 7 |
 Triarii |
Slightly Pro Axis | 7 |
 Oberst |
Moderately Pro Axis | 6 |
| Gaming Records | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Side Player | 2nd Side Player | Result | Score | ||||||
 |
 |
Schwerpunkt75 | vs. | dawags |  |
 |
Allies Minor Loss | 24 | 54 |
|
|
dawags | vs. | Schwerpunkt75 | |
|
Axis Major Victory | 72 | 12 |
|
 |
Oberst | vs. | Zap |  |
|
Axis Major Victory | 72 | 12 |
|
 |
Triarii | vs. | Zap | |
|
Allies Major Loss | 12 | 72 |
|
|
Schwerpunkt75 | vs. | Herr Straße Laufer |  |
|
Axis Major Victory | 72 | 12 |
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Moroccans were full strength the Germans started with reduced unit strengths. It made it a tough environment to attack in.
No disrespect to the Designer but this scenario needs revisiting to better Balance the sides. Maybe you could try -4 or -5 trenches for the allies. More Hexes blocking the German advance.
Respectfully disagree. I stand ready to play as the French any time against any opponent who wants to play as the Germans. I may not win as the French, but I guarantee that the German player will have as much as they can handle.
As scenario designer, I will incorporate some minor improvements based on input from this and other games and issue a Version 2.1. of the scenario file.
Immense thanks to Dale Wagner for helping me to test both the initial version and Version 2.0. This final version of the scenario has been years in the making, and while this scenario is still pro-Axis (in my opinion), the Allied player has everything he needs to make this a real challenge for the Axis player - if he thinks outside the box and does not allow most of his forces to sit unused behind fixed defenses. Both the Allied and the Axis players must be familiar with and know how to employ a generous allocation of engineering units and vehicles.
I recommend this scenario for experienced players only, although between two opponents of different experience, the more experienced player should play the French. I also recommend this as a team game, with two Axis players (one for each Panzer division), and three Allied players (one for each infantry division).
This scenario is as historically accurate as I could make it in terms of the OOBs and the map, although some liberty was taken with the OOBs to improve balance. I hoped to shed light on a mostly forgotten but important chapter of World War Two that in many ways contradicts the commonly accepted narrative of that the German panzer divisions just steamrolled all of the French opposition on their way victory.
Any way, enjoy!
Schwerpunkt75, 19 May 2024