I was German defender against Russian attacker.
We failed to finish but Russians were pressing hard on Fascist lines and my off-board Panthers were due to enter fray (Ivans had 2 JSII about to appear)
One of my favourite WW2 sets as nice balance of complexity and playability with good period flavour and eminently suited to 15mm kit..
Stephen maybe not so enamoured (ala most DB sets).
Game was played by 3 of our many Daves, with Dave M taking Germans (as he arrived first and had time to plot hidden units) against Dave T and Dave B as attacking British.
After brief outline of core rules we got straight to it and a super game it turned out to be and managed to play full 14 turns of scenario as it went right to the wire.
Highlights saw Germans having a run initiative in early turns and 2 Shermans brewed.
One was taken out by Pak40 the other was flanked by a PzShreck team (a combo of moves, exploit movement and the won initiative), the remaining Sherman was later damaged and then retreated off table
British seemed incapable of activating much in first turns or if they did their shooting was abysmal (something which Dave B in particular suffered from all game).
However Germans were forced to move (and reveal) a Platoon deployed in 'lesser' farm as Brits not deployed anywhere nearby, and whilst this cost Shermans (as PzShreck included) it did mean this Platoon was far from later action at St Nicolas Farm itself.
British Artillery had accurate but marginally effective first stonk on this advancing Hun Platoon.
However second stonk on orchard at St Nicolas Farm devasted a Platoon of defenders (2 Dispersed and other Disengaged).
This opened up things on this flank for British who advanced into orchard (an exploit move and initiative wins helped here) and then assaulted into the farm itself, initially losing but ejecting the defenders (an MMG and single Section) at second attempt.
Brits were firmly in control of farm with no Germans in numbers nearby to re-take (and reduced to firing PzShrecks at buildings), however the British losses were such that Huns could win by breaking British force.
Indeed both sides were rolling Force Morale Tests for 25% casualties and indeed on last turn the British were a single loss from defeat however they managed to Rally 3 Suppressed units which was just as well as Dave T rolled a mere 3 on their last Force Morale check which would have seen these units Rout and would have given game to Germans.
However by skin of their teeth the British won by controlling the farm at game end.
Table at start (Germans all hidden)
First British assault on farm has been repulsed but second wave ready to try again
Also at club today:
A Chain Of Command 2 (that didn't take long !) in 28mm by Jeremy D and Dave S, with Jeremy N and Chris involved.
British won this one and feedback on new version seemed positive
Another great outing with these rules and we fair whizzed through 11 turns (despite usual waffling prior to game) which is great.
Only 'problem' was our not reading scenario correctly and so my Panthers deployed off-road which is not correct as only entry points are the two roads (lined with bocage) or a central wood (but that would entail rolling for bogging for AFVs).
But it did not really impact enjoyment that much as hidden US anti-tank guns (including one in ambush I never got to reveal) got drop on Panthers anyhow with two being brewed, one damaged and fourth becoming low on ammo.
We also thrashed out a couple of remaining terrain issues (re hedges, buildings and cover) and feel they allow a fast paced yet flavoursome game overall (will likely go with these for next club game).
They just sort of suit our 15mm kit.
M10 reveals itself from hidden status (we forgot roll for bogging when it emerged from wood)
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.
Tigers are pretty awesome in system with lowly Shermans having real problems dealing with them frontally (as it should be) needing essentially critical hits, even the 17pdr armed Firefly finds it tough to destroy them outright but much more likely to at least damage or force them back.
Conversely the Tigers 88mm is very unlucky if it fails to destroy a Sherman with a very good chance of Damaging as a minimum.
That being said I did lose 2 of the 3 Tigers ! one succumbed to a lucky long range damage from a 6pdr and then a further damage from a Firefly (2 Damage equals a kill) but they had knocked out 5 of 11 Shermans and damaged 4 more so a fair trade.
The PzIVH only managed to damage another Sherman whilst being damaged itself.
The 88mm Flak 36 failed to hit anything (long range shots) before being destroyed by 3" mortar barrage.
British air support did arrive and duly targeted a Tiger but only managed a Suppression.
Called the game as whilst a British infantry Platoon had managed to sneak onto their hill objective the Germans were firmly in control of Cintheaux but lacked numbers themselves to threaten the British high ground objective, a sort of winning draw for Krauts.
But as per history Wittman was one of Tigers brewed but this time by a lowly PIAT blast onto his flank.
Will I plump for using PZGR at club ? most likely but maybe a different scenario although this one is fun with lots of armour in play.
Tiger is burning
