Command Decision:Test Of Battle first outing

Game today using Test Of Battle version of Command Decision rules system at Stephens.
I have had these for about 10 years without trying them !
Used to play CD versions I & II quite a lot prior to arrival of Spearhead.
We used Stephens lovely 10mm kit with me as Canadians and he as SS in a scenario 'Buron' showing the 12th SS counter attack on 7th June 1944.
Great game with a much faster playing version of CD.
A lot of stuff has been refined to easier systems with a lot less firing and a new hit and hit effects system, although based around unit quality.
The CD orders chit system remains but with less order types and effects more playable overall.
Like Battlegroup rules high velocity weapons suffer as they essentially fire the same as anything else eg a 37mm hits same as an 88mm with only a smaller extreme range and of course much less penetration.
Some stats seem tad off as well such a standard Sherman has frontal armour of 8 but a Firefly has a mighty 10 whilst a PzIVh has a mere 6.
I prefer SH or FOBWW2 for larger games but TOB is great for games with couple of Battalions per side.
The WW2 kick continues...……………

I Ain't Been Shot Mum again

Another go with these enjoyable yet frustratingly written rules.
We played another scenario from the Bleneville Or Bust supplement with Stephens using his Yanks against my Krauts.
I had 2 Stugs and 2 Tigers backing up a mixed Company of Fallschirmjager and Infantry against 10 Shermans and a full Armoured Infantry Company with some Recon assets.
We both had access to air power although USSAF had rocket armed Jabos whilst Luftwaffe had MG strafing only.
I did manage to brew 5 Shermans but lost one Tiger to laser guided munitions of the Jabo (and 2nd Tiger nearby was lucky to escape unscathed) whilst my 2 Stugs retired with guns knocked out.
My Infantry were badly handled by Yank tank fire and incessant 60mm Mortar attention (Yanks had 4 of these annoying weapons).
We failed to finish but I think it would have been hard for me to wrest control of the bridge objective from the Yanks.

Again we came up against some rules issues this time being unable to find any rules covering on-table mortar fire !! not covered directly (amazingly !) in the actual rules but is in the late war supplement War of Liberation.
Another was use of MGs on half-tracks, with rules covering their firing included but not how to crew them again I found an answer later in another supplement (a no-brainer as such but at least it spells out that you need to leave crew to drive a half-track and 2 additional crew to fire any onboard MG at full effect).
Such issues are very annoying with IABSM especially with such basic stuff, easily enough resolved but much time wasted trying to decide what rules say, or don't say and making a house rule.

Still an enjoyable game and we both like the scale of IABSM and its system overall but just wish the writing was a tad 'tighter' and less left to Kriegspiel approach.









Overview of the battlefield from Yank entry point with German high ground to left

Yank tanks suffer

Yank Infantry Platoon and Recce defend southern approaches to bridge

Yanks in the church facing my Grenadiern

Stugs on my left flank

Soldaten on ridge line

More Shermans appear to the north

Tiger appear to replace the retiring Stugs

My FJ advance in centre

And uncover more Shermans

My left

My right

Shermans suffering more as Tigers open up

Soldaten decimated by Tank HE

An M8 brewed a hard to spot little bugger in the bocage

  

Combat Commander - 1940 scenarios in triplicate

Been awhile but got CC:E back onto table with my Dad tonight playing 3 scenarios from the 1940 Fall Of The West battle pack.
First had BEF defending Dunkirk perimeter, the second Brits again defending in Norway and third had French in well France.
Nasty old Huns lost all three but the last was exceedingly close.
As always exciting play with this most excellent game system.




















BEF defends near Dunkirk

As Huns attack

Action in Norway

And French see off Huns near the Meuse

I Ain't Been Shot Mum eastern front action this time

Another try with IABSM this time using a scenario from the Bashnya Or Bust! supplement.
I was Germans defenders and Stephen used his Russian hordes to attack near the fictional village of Holm.
Le Duc arrived later on to view the rules in action.
We failed to finish the game with things firmly in the balance.
As ever a few 'what do we do here' moments with the rules but thrashed out a couple more house rulings.
We also learnt a few nuances regarding the use of Company commanders and the potential danger of occupying buildings !
The dice demon managed to 3 x 6 on 3D6 when firing HE at a house which reduces it to rubble killing all occupants !
He then rolled 2 x 6 on 3D6 against a wooden abode with same devastating effect...……………
I lost 2 MMG teams and 2 Big Men to this so 12 men.
Despite our struggles to understand several aspects of these at times ill-defined rules we actually like the game they generate at this 'big' skirmish scale as evidenced I guess by multiple plays.

Only a couple of pics once more.




Dug-in Panzer Grenadiers supported by a Pak38

Soviet attack developing slowly

Panthers deploy to thwart Russians

 

I Ain't Been Shot Mum another outing

Another try of IABSM this time using a scenario from the 'Bleneville Or Bust' supplement with my Germans encountering a US force under the command of Stephen near fictional Norman town of 'Belle Maison'.
Another interesting and fun game (unless you were a Panther crewman!) with even a visit from a USAAF rocket armed 'Jabo'.
We did however find one or two more ambiguities with the rules not knowing if Blinds can use Reserved dice for Firing later in turn ?
I believe reading rules they cannot but far from clear.
Still a nice flavoursome ruleset
I still favour PzGr Deluxe overall but these are a nice alternative.

Final Arguement Of Kings - a little solo Seven Years action

Had set up a solo game with my SYW Russians and Prussians to try a few rulesets I have not used much or at all.
I tried a simple encounter style scenario first using Honours Of War rules from Osprey and whilst there is a lot to like in these rules as ever I just find them far too bloody (even with my dice rolls !) so I quickly reset the units and gave Final Argument Of Kings a try out.
A more complex and therefore a tad slower set but much deeper and more satisfying overall.
Essentially they are a variant of Johnny Reb for SYW with order markers and semi-simultaneous activity but it flows pretty well.
As in JR the most complex sequence is charges especially if multiple opposing units declare charges as there can be literally a lot of moving parts !
But once I got this sorted the game flows very well overall.
As in most SYW sets Prussians are better troops with greater move options and quality with Russians conversely poorer shots but stoic in their morale (ie damned hard to upset !).
With orders system solo is bit stilted as not much in way of surprise possible but still fun to explore the game systems.

Hope to get a head to head game with these at some point.




The pics mostly from the HOW game but same deployments etc