Panzer Grenadier Deluxe - St Nicolas Farm game

Another outing with PZGR today with Stephen using the included scenario based around action at St Nicolas Farm in Normandy which is a relatively small game (based on a 5' x 4' table).

Stephen took the attacking British and I the German defenders.

British have 5 Infantry Platoons with a Piat, an MMG, a 2" mortar, a Dingo, 3 Shermans and off-table Fire Support (2 missions only) controlled by a BHQ and 2 Coy HQs.

The Germans have a PAK40, 3 Infantry Platoons, 2MMGs and 2 PzShks controlled by the BHQ and a single Coy HQ all of which can set up hidden.

British are tasked with taking St Nicolas Farm and both sides get to place several terrain items (woods and fields) at start.

Stephen went with a simple straight up the gut assault on Farm which initially came a cropper as his dice rolls were uncharacteristically awful  (several snake eyes) and mine above average, with a couple of losses inflicted and lots of units suppressed, later his rolls improved greatly.

My Pak 40 did get drop on Shermans but failed to damage any, only causing suppression/fall back ! 

It was later mangled by a British Platoon firing upon it. 

This sort of gave Shermans free reign as PzShks only fire out to 6" and indeed despite managing to get such a PzShk into range (using an exploit move) then winning the initiative allowing me to go first, but then the sods failed to activate and were then obliterated by target Sherman.

One British stonk failed to inflict any damage on farm defenders but another wiped out a whole Platoon.

We soon called time as the lack of effective AT meant the Shermans would likely blast the farm defenders over remaining turns, at that stage Brits had lost 5 stands and Germans 6 (just over their 25% level)

Good to get another handle on rules and learnt that I had been classing Platoon Commanders as 'full' HQs but that only applies to BHQ and Coy HQs (although effect is minimal).

I like that whilst units can be discovered (unhidden) once they fire/move or due to recon that depending on acquisition range or weapon range they can still be unengaged (not much shooting from base edge across whole table) allowing maneuver to occur. 

The player (100ft general) knows they are there but units on ground cant draw a sufficient bead on them to take effective fire without closing on them.

Table set up with St Nicolas Farm in foreground (Brits deploy on right)

Shermans approach farm complex

German MMG opens up beside a Plt Cmdr (whose Plat has just been obliterated)

No answer to British armour after loss of Pak 40

Early stages with Brits suffering losses and suppressions

Oh if only this had lasted.....................

British concentrated on my right

Soon to be history Hun Plt defends hedgeline

The Pak 40 with open field of fire on Shermans

British advance stalled but not stopped