Test of Battle - Lindern 1944 scenario played

Game as scheduled on Easter Monday with the chaps at Mr Ps (always the willing host with the most) using CD:TOB but this time with his and Mr Bs excellent 10mm kit and terrain.

Scenario was Lindern from TOB book which is set in November 1944 around Geilenkirchen with US force (3 infantry and 2 tank battalions plus supports) against dug-in veteran Germans (1 PzGr Bttn plus reserves of a Pz coy and a PzGr Coy) defending a hill and two underpasses to a railway line with a couple of bunkers to assist.

To allow all the nice kit to be on table from get go we used the 'phantom stands' option (Krauts had 8) in lieu of using maps or hidden markers and this worked pretty well in fooling the Yanks as to locations of actual enemy.

Yanks commanded by Mr P, John and Le Duc whilst Mr B and I took the Krauts.

Yanks had a huge advantage in numbers but with the phantom units and the Krauts being dug-in veteran PzGr they would be no push overs.

So it proved as John sent a full Bttn of infantry against 'Toad Hill' on German right which was defended by an actual PzGr Coy with their weapons team in a bunker. The Yanks were supported by artillery and some direct tank fire but fell foul of some excellent rolls by yours truly (no too often I get to say that and it seems D10s are my friends) and recoiled.

Our left was 'defended' by a single Recon stand with the phantom stands doing sterling service confusing the Yanks under Mr P and Le Duc and making them advance cautiously  (Tanks were in tank/infantry teams so slowed to foot pace) and so allowing our reserves (under Mr B) to arrive to shore up this flank.

Overall losses to Yanks sort of broke their commanders morale and it was decided they could not progress to their objectives and time was called.

TOB worked well (practice game helped enormously) with very few rules queries. We did learn that a Tank platoon can pump out a lot of anti-infantry firepower as a PzIV in opportunity phase (+1 to ROF) was able to fire 3 HE and 4 MG dice to chagrin of a couple of US companies. Had their accompanying Shermans being able to respond in kind (no visible targets) that would have seen 14-21 anti-infantry dice in play !!

TOB covers all the required bases for a WW2 game and allows lots of options like use of various orders, flexible artillery options and indeed options on how/when to use shooting dice. 

But it can get a bit bogged down in choices and processes, none of which are complex of themselves but when all combined it gets busy/fiddly with lots of markers and stats and suchlike. Key is to limit game size to manageable proportions and not try to go too BIG (always a temptation but imho better suited to Spearhead or similar). 

A couple of sub-standard pics (my hands must have been unsteady with the adrenaline of all those high rolls !)

Check out Le Ducs blog for much better action pics and to do justice to the 10mm kit

https://warfareintheageofcynicsandamateurs.blogspot.com/2023/04/command-decision-test-of-battle-1944.html

View of German right with Toad Hill and railway line

Our left with phantom Coys on hill and central wooded area (Recon platoon has shot forward in forlorn and doomed attempt to delay oncoming wave of Yanks)

 

Yank infantry Battalion forms up to assault Toad Hill

US reserves arrive in centre but took ages to uncover Kraut ruse of phantom defenders.

 

 

Test Of Battle - a test game

Played a brief game using Test Of Battle rules (ie Command Decision IV) today as a practice for game on Easter Monday with chaps.

Stephen had set up a scenario 'Assault on Step' (Kursk period) for us to play with me as Germans and he as Ivans, using our 15mm kit (although upcoming game will be with 10mm Yanks vs Krauts, I believe).

Having been ages since we have used TOB this was useful refresh on rules rather than a 'proper' game and indeed this was wise decision as we (despite both having read rules) found plenty we had forgotten and needed to see in action (Spotting being a key one).

TOB is not inherently complex as WW2 rules go but has a lot going on each turn which means lots to remember and it can get what I term 'a bit fiddly' with the chits, the phases and various options but not onerously so, at least if a player not controlling too much more than a supported battalion (sort of like O Group).

Hopefully game will run smoother on Monday with this brief practice under our belts as we covered most aspects of game.

German infantry and anti-tank supports hiding in woods (with Inf Gun HQ spotting from behind ridge line)

Tiger company on high ground (sadly the collection of Ivan armour visible under their guns are not actually there as actually coming on at table rear as reserves)

Some of said reserves arrive in cover

Russians probe my left 

One Tiger forced back by opportunity fire and having turned around at start of General Fire Phase.

 

Command Decision: Test Of Battle game played

Game using Test Of Battle (ie Command Decision IV) today at Stephens, our first with these rules in donkeys ages.

Stephen set up Linard scenario from TOB book a US attack (in the end a full Infantry Regiment of 3 Battalions plus 2 Tank Companies) against SS defence (a single Battalion of PzGrenadiers with 1 Panzer Company).

Individually the Panzer Grenadiers are pretty potent with their 2 shots per stand, and being Veteran and dug-in helped against the flood of US units.

Took awhile to get our heads around how off-table artillery Battalions (2-3 batteries/stands) are used in relation to number of FOOs required but pretty much everything else was easy to pick up again.

TOB is more playable overall than CDII (never really played CDIII) with much less shooting and streamlined shooting ranges but retains the core of the CD system. 

The use of the Order Counters seems a tad fiddly and rather too flexible in some respects but a nice system of command and control if game not too big.

Fun game which we failed to finish mainly due to extended discussion of planned multi-player game and its possible subject matter, choice of rules etc (this of course was fun in itself for dyed in wool wafflers such as ourselves).

Only a couple of pics as got engrossed in game.

Test Of Battle scenario played

Game of Test of Battle (ie Command Decision IV) today at Stephens using his most excellent 10mm kit.
We selected a scenario we found online based on counterattack against the Scottish corridor during Epsom Offensive June 1944.
Scenario looked good with 3 Battalions from 15th Scottish Division defending a road from counterattacks by KG Fey from 1st SS and KG Weidinger from 2nd SS (also 3 Bttns) both with some armour and artillery support.
Pretty busy table with masses of hedgerows and orchards cutting visibility/LOS down to a few inches at most (max of 12" along the tree lined roads).
However the game was not that satisfying despite the rules being very slick and easy to remember and like most US rule sets queries are easily answered.
Problem was that the SS were classed as Veterans Morale 9 with the British Regulars (ie 2 levels lower) Morale 8.
The SS Coys (all at full strength) with 3 Inf and 1 Wpns Stand could pump out 8 basic dice versus the Brit Coys with their 3 Stands garnering a mere 3 dice in reply.
Added to this the Weapons Platoons have much better hit numbers and indeed being Veteran all the SS firing has a +1 so Brits with their 3 dice (6 if Opp firing) needed generally 4 or less to hit (with -1 cover) whilst SS with 8 dice (12 of Opp fire) needed 5 with Inf and 8 with Wpns (even in harder cover it was still 4 and 7).
Then any hits on SS have 50% chance of having no effect whereas Brits have only 30% chance.
This meant the SS were an unstoppable juggernaut that could simply blow British away whilst Brits could inflict little or no damage on SS.
British did have better artillery access (but lack of decent field of view for spotting stands nullified this).
We stopped the game after several turns as it was obvious that it was so one-sided as to be unplayable and an exercise in futility.
The SS PzGr are best Germans can field (their standard Infantry less potent) especially at full OOB but one wonders based on TOB model how they failed to sweep British from Normandy !
The scenario not the best in hindsight as just too much Germans stuff with too many advantages.
Pity as the rule system is great and quicker playing than older CD versions but I am beginning to recall now why I ended up going to Spearhead and other rules.
Yanks (not unsurprisingly) are better match-up as they too have Armoured Infantry Coys with 2 dice firepower and weapons Platoons.
One must pity the British and the Russians however in historical match-ups, they may fair better of course versus lesser German types or in points based games (the SS Coys cost 255pts with Hanomags the British Coys a mere 55 points on foot not sure they are even worth that !!!)



RTR Churchills move up to support Infantry

SS start to appear

A British Battalion that was immobile until Germans closed to 9"

Germans push forward annihilating a single blocking Company in village

British defence may look formidable, but of course looks can be deceiving

Panzers appear 

British Infantry about to be deluged with fire

Churchills deploy but one Troop forced back by Tiger as PzGrs cross the stream

SS deploying 

Two British Infantry Companies have been blown away around upper roadway

Test Of Battle at Le Ducs - Market Garden scenario

Game of Command Decision Test Of Battle at Le Duc's' yesterday as he wished to try the latest iteration of CD and had set up a Market Garden scenario from one of the official CD supplements.
Read his more in-depth AAR at http://warfareintheageofcynicsandamateurs.blogspot.com/2018/09/breakthrough-at-oosterbeck-or-not-with.html)
Think the scenario was entitled 'The road to Elst' but certainly set in that area with 30th Corps pushing along the infamous highway (lots of "this bits the wide part!" comments).
Game attended by the brother Brittain who commanded the Nazi defenders whilst Le Duc and I took charge of the British.
Game start delayed after extensive waffling session between all of us including diverse discussion of Le Duc's extensive library of books and rules, or thoughts on sci-fi games, fantasy games (ugh), board games, various projects and ideas we all have for various time periods etc etc !!
Once the fracas began it became very clear how tough the British mission was as we encountered various hidden German units and anti-tank weapons.
I was attempting to push on our left but got stymied in an area of polder and my armour on that damned road although I did destroy a PzIII Platoon and a battery of nasty 20mm Flak guns.
Le Duc on our right managed to push forward but at too high a cost and we called the game after 5 turns (in another 3 turns 2 Tiger platoons would have appeared)

We discovered a couple of rules we had missed in earlier outing with TOB, firstly that when issuing a Rally order it must touch the issuing stand so really means a turns delay as Battalion Commanders move to Shaken Companies (as their CO cant issue own order) to issue an effective order (ie within 6").
Also that the Regroup order now applies to Vehicles/Tanks as well as Infantry a change IIRC from earlier versions of CD.

Great to get a game in with 20mm kit ('midgies' as we call them) from Le Ducs collection.





Pre-deployment look at battlefield from German right (John)

Push starts up "the wide part"

And the inevitable outcome

Command Decision: Test Of Battle - 1940 scenario

TOB game played at Johns using his and Stephens excellent 10mm early war kit.
Scenario was set around Hannut in Belgium with a Panzer Regiment with Panzer Grenadier support attacking against French armour and infantry.
The Boche also had some air support (Stukas and ME109s) the French a small chance of air to counter the Luftwaffe.
Both sides had off-table artillery, 75mm for the French and 105mm for the Boche.
I started as a German Commander along with Stephen but after a single turn Stevie P arrived and took over my command and I then assisted John with French.
The Boche were Veteran with morale 9 (i.e. pretty damn good) the French mostly Regular (with a few Experienced) also Morale 9 (not too shabby)
Interesting using early war kit with French tanks having decent armour and similar AT to Boche but with lesser rate of fire (1 man turret/radio less tanks) and slower.
We failed to finish the scenario with the Boche having taken only Hannut (they had to capture 2 of 4 objective BUA and threaten a third to win) but with French infantry lines badly weakened.
Took a bit to explain the LOS/Spotting rules to John and Mr P as both new to TOB but otherwise things cracked along nicely.
Only mistake we noticed was when a Stuka attacked we forgot to reduce morale of enemy with 12" of the attack by 2 for any morale checks.
Again a nice system for this scale of game ie 3-4 Battalions plus support per side.

Test Of Battle - Cristot Normandy scenario played

Another try with TOB this time using our 15mm kit and a scenario adapted from the Rapid Fire Normandy supplement.
Action is based around attack in area of Cristot on 11th June by 50th Infantry Division against 12th SS Hitler Jugend.
British were Regulars Morale 8 the SS Veteran morale 9 although if we were to play this again I would make one or other Experienced with same morale level as Veterans are very powerful in TOB with their +1 to hit.
The scenario was based on a 7' x 5' table and so I copied terrain pretty much exactly however the RF villages are a good deal bigger than the TOB built up areas so maybe should have reduced their footprint a tad.
But really made little difference to game overall.
Stephen took the SS defenders and we just had him set up hidden on a map which worked fine.
Tough to spot in Normandy terrain and defenders invariably get first shot in.
We also used the Special Events cards which are a nice addition with some minor but interesting effects for specific units or actions.

The deterministic Spotting rules take a bit of getting used to but work fine, but we still are not 100% sure we are doing Morale checks correctly in terms of some modifiers as to whether they are 'one offs' or last throughout game in particular Forced Back and Eliminated.
Otherwise a slick playable system streamlined a good deal from the earlier CDII we played years ago.

I suspect another outing for these soon





The area of operations pre-battle from German lines, Cristot center/left.

Dragoon Guards run into trouble

As Infantry deploys around Hill 103

Hill 102 occupied by Panther Platoon which which I never got close enough to spot.

Allied advance on left towards Brouray

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...……………