Saturday, May 21, 2016

Field Of Battle WW2 game with Le Duc

Managed a game this evening (in lieu of not being able to participate in Celtic Cup this year) with Le Duc using, at his request, Field Of Battle WW2.

Been absolute ages since I used these but with the core systems being Field Of Battle they were very easy to get into.
Also been a long time since my 6mm kit has seen action.

I used a Spearhead map and OOB (although from 2 different scenarios) to set up a 1945 clash between SS and Ivan Guards.

Ivans had elements of 2 Guard Infantry Regiments (of 2 Battns each) with two Tank Brigades (each 2 Bttns of T34/76 and 1 of T34/85 and a Motorized Infantry Bttn), backed up by a JSII Regt and off board support from a 76mm Battery.
Rolling for usual FOB stats yielded 6 Assets (used to bring in Aircraft, continue Barrages and such like) a morale level of 28 with a D12 CinC and D10 Leaders.

The Nazis had elements of 2 SS Pz regts both an amalgam of single PZIVh and Panthers with one adding a Coy of StugIVs. they had two weak PzGr Regts in a mix of trucks and SD251s.
Support was a Bttn of Tiger IIs (to which I attached an Armoured Engineer Coy), a PzJager Bttn of Marder IIs and Pak43 Atgs with off board support of 2 Regts of 170mm and 105mm Guns.
Their Cin C was also a D12 with D12 Leaders but lower morale of only 23 and only 3 Assets.

With both sides being Experienced/Veteran level troops the Combat dice were all pretty high (D10 being lowest) but German Infantry had poor defence rolls yielding quite a few D6 defence compared to the D8/D10 of Ivans.
However the Nazis ended up with a poor sequence deck whilst Mother Russia managed to roll up a Superior version.
Ivan Tank Brigades operated as single formations despite being comprised of 3 Bttns of tanks.

As the game was just to showcase the system to Le Duc I simply set it up as a simple encounter with Le Duc having pick of sides,
He plumbed for the Ivan juggernaut and we both simply deployed 12" in from respective long table edges.

Then began a a really fast flowing game (as Le Duc commented just as a mobile WW2 game should be) utilising fully the FOB card deck system.
I flung my 2 PzGr Regts forward with 3 move segments onto some central hills but this proved a mistake as they were simply blown to bits then flatten by the Ivans !
We were both cagey on my left flank as Tiger IIs faced JS IIs although one JS Coy was forced back with some hits (later rallied off).
The losses on the PzGr plus hits on my Panzer units soon saw my Morale expire and I was giving Morale Points to the Ivans.
Of course I then turned a Morale Card forcing a Force Morale check which I promptly failed ending the encounter.
All in all we played game to completion in just under 4 hours which is excellent considering both fairly new to rules, the FOB system is so straightforward to learn and play.

I had forgotten just how good FOB WW2 is for a large game (we had something like 55 Coys all told on the table).
In such a large game the abstraction of Heavy Weapons support, Flak, Engineering and Assest system simply works.

Lots of plans afoot for further use of these rules by us both whether they come to fruition is entirely another matter !!

A mix bunch of pics as the lighting changed from evening sunlight to artificial lighting, note i used 2 Spearhead stands per Company.


Ivan Tank Brigade






And its mate






Weak Pz Regt with PzGrs in support








Royal Tigers Bttn (2 Coys)







Overview of initial set up










PzGr wiped out on this hill








Sister Regt in trouble on adjacent hill.............









Royalty holds the flank as Pz Regt moves up






The disaster unfolds in the centre for the PzGr Regts






Ivan Airpower fails to damage the Kings







Panzers getting worst of exchange with Tank Brigade with Pak43s lending a hand




Royal Tigers and Josef Stalins go at it






Quantity has a quality all of its own...............................






And yet more quantity on show





Ivans retake hill from hapless PzGr






Support from Panzer Regt is insufficient to stem the tide








And so it went for other Panzer Regt.


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