Having recently acquired a used Winter/Desert board, I set out to battle a few scenarios with my usual opponent @guilherme as we opened up the booklet of Mediterranean Theatre scenarios. We got to try out minefields, infantry with rocket launchers, exit markers and Italian forces, all for the first time!
The first game I went as Axis and got lucky with cards and my opponent lost quite a few figures in minefields, and the game ended 6-0 for the Axis:
In this first game, the Axis blocked the only road leading to the exit markers, and the British were constantly held back by the minefields, advancing at times with a single unit forwards. The axis draw good cards and had even better luck with the dice, and everything the British sent was picked off individually. No units made it to the Exit markers.
We also started switching sides in order to see the scenario from the other army’s perspective, and I think we’ll keep doing this. I can’t stress enough how this setup is terrible for the British, which is only aggravated with the Blitz rules which say that armor on the Allied side cannot advance more than 2 hexes!
Here are some photos of the second instance of the battle:
The second battle was still won 6-4 to the Axis, but this time the British were lucky to get Their Finest Hour and Bombardment, which was able to secure 2 medals. However, the mines along the road were harrowing, with no decoys to be seen! What frustrated the German command was the unlucky draw of only left flank cards, which were powerless to stop some British units from advancing almost to the Exit markers. At the last moment, a Direct From Headquarters card was drawn, giving the Axis player 4 orders to attack in the middle section, securing 3 medals from already weakened British forces!