I Ain't Been Shot Mum - solo session 'Action At Galmanche'

Gave IABSM 3 a solo try out today using the included 'Action At Galmanche' scenario (which I last played during 2020 lock down) as possible contender for club game but feel system not really multi-player friendly with unit card activation system.

But its certainly works well as a low level 'not quite skirmish' game (although sadly somewhat overshadowed now by Chain of Command in Lardy world).

Plenty of Big Men in this one (8 on British side and 6 Germans) so lots of options (once their cards and associated Platoon cards get into deck) although the Allied Blinds card seemed to take ages to appear.

Had forgotten that quite a lot of markers needed in game but system overall fits its level well (of course solo not optimal for blinds/hidden stuff).

German Pak 40 opened up on a Sherman early on (Blinds in open easily revealed) but failed to achieve any damage or shock despite using aimed shots and was then pummeled by return HE fire by Sherman and mates whose card appeared immediately with result that 3 crew died and 3 shock inflicted.

British infantry however up against it with Germans dug in along wood edge and Brits in open or light cover (hedges).

Did not complete game (other things planned for table) but must revisit this set again for 2 player as it has a lot to offer and we did play quite a few games with set several years ago (time really does fly !)

Huns dug in along wood edge (technically still hidden on 'terrain blinds')

Two Sherman Troops revealed and advancing

British PBI taking shock in open

Adjacent Platoon prudently taking cover

Pak 40 engaged Shermans to no avail

Reserve Zug defending building 

More Huns defenders dug-in along woods

These units engage advancing PBI

Initial deployment of a spotted blind

Took seemingly ages to get Blinds card to get any movement for Brits

 

A bit of solo dabbling about - Battle Command & I Ain't Been Shot Mum

Set up and played a couple of 'lonely pint' games over weekend for purposes of rule refreshing and plain old fun because (thankfully) this is how I still see myself and wargaming !

First I set up a Napoleonic game for Battle Command based on an old Lasalle scenario 'Pitschberg 1813' with French attacking Prussians.

However the scenario has French attacking from short end of table and set up right in face of Prussians especially their Advance Guard so all pretty squashed and very bloody from get go.

Forces are nicely balanced but think I would re-jig the table to extend French deployment area by at least 12" and maybe its orientation, so did not complete this one.

French arriving at 'whites of their eyes' range to Prussians

Then I set up IABSM scenario 'Action at Galmanche' from rule book.

Only partly through this as lots of rules refreshing (been ages since used IABSM) but lots of action already.

Forgot that Blinds are auto-spotted on a Tea Break Card so was a bit nonchalant with the British deployments and they were all spotted in one go.

Still the German Pak40 failed to brew 2 Shermans (some damage to gun-sights and mobility) and crew has been reduced to a mere 2 so Actions reduced.

German infantry shooting also sub-par (much less potent than in Chain of Command) although I did miss that Shock is doubled if shooting from Ambush.

British pre-game Stonk did inflict a lot of shock and killed the German Mortar Observer (not sure if any Big Men/Cot CO can call in these now ?)

Had also forgotten that there can be a lot of markers required (I had to dig mine out) with Pins, Suppression, Overwatch, Shock and several types of damage for AFVs but this is a nice playable and flavoursome WW2 game (I prefer it to CoC in many aspects)

British Blinds advancing with Germans all hidden (Green pipe cleaner denotes)

British force of a an Infantry Company (3 Platoons) and 2 Sherman Tank Troops

Pre-game Stonk has inflicted Shock on several German sections

Dug-in Pak 40 lies in wait 

British Blinds clumped together and should have held the Tanks back

All revealed on a Tea Break as too close to enemy d'oh !

I Ain't Been Shot Mum - South of Cherbourg

Played one of the introductory scenarios from IABSM with Stephen 'South of Cherbourg'.

This is an all infantry scenario with regular Whermacht defending against advancing US troops. Been ages since we have seen Stephens Yanks on table with any rule set and ages since we have played IABSM.

Very enjoyable it was too despite less than stellar card sequencing for Germans even with two 'Tea Break' cards in deck, I had two turns I got virtually no activations whilst Yanks had several.

Must say this sort of system really appeals to me as I prefer this to standard you go I go styles overall and IABSM works pretty well for the Company-a-side game it covers.

We failed to finish (spent way too much time waffling about our frustrations with ongoing Covid crap) but did get to see lots of action.

The on table 60mm mortars teams (3 of the buggers) seemed pretty effective especially compared to my largely ineffectual off board 81mm mortar battery.

This of course assume we were doing things correctly which not a given after so long away from rules, and still find some parts rather under explained despite this being a third edition.

We fluffed the auto spot and close combat rules somewhat forgetting that close combat is automatic when units end up 4" apart.

Still a fun outing and whets appetites to revisit them again in future.

The table set up from US entry point (the road)

Action around the walled farm

German 2nd Platoon sections just prior to being routed by US firepower

Our close combat mistake at the track/hedge (these two sections should have 'meleed')

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

  

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