Panzer Grenadier Deluxe game

Played a game using the most excellent Panzer Grenadier Deluxe rules by Dave Brown today.
Scenario was 'Action At Tessel Bretteville' from venerable Overlord rules which we had originally intended to use but went with PzGr instead just using the 1:1 Extended range rule option.
Germans are well out numbered have 1 weakened Company (equivalent of a single Platoon) with support from an MMG team a couple of 81mm Mortars some off-board Artillery and 2 Tiger 1s.
The Soldaten can be dug-in and can fortify any house they occupy and have barbed wire and an AT Minefield.
British have a full Infantry Company with an MMG Platoon and off board Artillery backed up by a Troop of Shermans (4 Tanks one of which is Firefly) and 2 Churchill Crocodiles.
We played this many years ago using Overlord and was a tough proposition for the British as they count as Inexperienced against Elite Germans which means the Artillery really plays havoc with their Morale in addition to causing casualties.
Using PzGr I classed the Germans as Veteran and the British as Regular which is not as great a disparity.
Also off-board support in PzGr is limited to 2 defensive and 4 offensive missions.
A good game with this excellent rule set as always.

I pushed my Brits mainly on the left (including the Shermans) trying to use the minor cover of the orchards with only my Churchills on the right.
We used the attacking Fog Of War cards for first time (not needed for defenders as they count Hidden with 1 unit in Ambush) and these worked very well giving the attacker some 'unseen' movement.
Of course I stumbled into Grenadiers dug in within the orchard and the two Tigers deployed well forward.
The Tigers engaged my Churchills forcing them to Disengage and damaging one.
Winning a key Initiative (I won 90% of the initiative today !) allowed my Firefly to get a flanking shot on a Tiger and brew it up.
Its mate however proved invulnerable and damaged the Firefly.
The Germans ambushing my lead Infantry Platoon caused few casualties but did cause numerous Suppression and Fall Back outcomes.
My dice rolling today was freakishly good for the most part with several 'box car' rolls which garner extra effects in PzGr.
I did however roll 'snake eyes' when firing an Artillery stonk which caused a 'Danger Close' result on several of my foot teams Dispersing (ie KIA/Destroyed) 2 of them !
But numbers and the Sherman support eventually told as I destroyed a couple of German sections although they proved pretty tough though in foxholes and with barbed wire (as this meant I could not get into close assault as wire takes a full turn and a test to cross)
But as the sparse German numbers meant they had a low Battle Group break point the Germans were forced to yield.

Yep that's right folks an actual win over Stephen for once !!! 

Lets not mention the disparity of forces shall we.............

The HQ Impetus and Activation system in the rules works very well and all the firing and moving systems are simple to use.
Compared to Battle Group rules we have been using these offer a bit more 'meat on the bones' as it were with better graduation of AT fire ranges although Infantry is destroyed (ie removed from play) more readily and less 'gimmicks overall'.
Less feeling of 'buckets of dice' and 'everything hits on a 6'
But both very playable and fun rules.

Only a couple of pics as I was engrossed in action !




Defending section in those tough defensive entrenchments

Brits advance in orchards (playing card s are FOW Cards and yellow is Suppressed)

Battlegroup - 'Bloody Gulch' scenario

Another scenario from KG Normandy book played using Battlegroup rules this time with Stephen as US and me with attacking Germans.
Scenario set around Carentan with elements of 17th SS and 3rd FJR and several StugIIIGs against Yank units including some battered Paras and eventually 9 Shermans and some Armoured Infantry.
Very open terrain for Germans to attack across which meant death for my Soldaten.
Germans had limited Artillery support (£ high priority General Support stonks)
Armour battle proved fairly bloodless with only a single Sherman brewed and no Stugs lost as both sides reluctant to close range and so most shots requiring 6 to hit then 8 or 9+ to kill.
One quirk we noted in this game is that Infantry in the open can mitigate losses of 2 or more by taking a single loss and falling back Pinned but if same Infantry are in cover (such as behind a hedge) they lose this option.
Whilst hitting them is one point harder and they save on a 5-6 compared to a 6 in the open we found that casualties were such that fall back option would have be preferable.
Germans took a lot of chits Unpinning units to try to move forward and along with lost units they exceeded their 39 Battle Rating long before Yanks (who had a whopping 53 or more)

Battlegroup system is certainly very fast playing and slick (I personally love the Orders and Battle Rating system) but it is a tad 'WW2 lite' in several aspects betraying at times its Warhammer genesis (6 to Hit, buckets of dice to Damage and/or Save).

It is however a fun game and always nice to get  WW2 kit on a table and play a game to completion in a few hours.




SS Stugs and Grenadiers advancing in openness........

US Paras defending

More Stugs and Fallschirmjager arrive into the openness...................

Shermans arrive

A supply truck arrives (much needed as Stugs have a mere 5 ammo)

More openness.............................

US Armoured Infantry arrives

Battlegroup - Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil scenario

WW2 game using Battlegroup rules today against Stephen.

Used a scenario from the KG Normandy book by same author with me as British.

A fun tank heavy game with these slickly playing rules.

No time for a report just a few pics.

Field Of Battle 2 - Stones River ACW game

Field Of Battle game at Le Ducs (http://warfareintheageofcynicsandamateurs.blogspot.co.uk/) using his 20mm ACW figures (some nostalgic figures !) using a Fire and Fury scenario covering Stones River battle again this time as Federals (I played it a few weeks ago as Rebels using Regimental Fire and Fury).
Units were Brigades.

Another superb game with FOB with the ever present feeling of an epic encounter and a real narrative to the battle.

Rebels had a Skilled deck and some Elite units and decent leaders (mostly D10) and a line of entrenchments against my more numerous Yanks but saddled with a Poor deck and mediocre units and leaders (a lot of D8).

I decided not to attack the central Rebel defences instead pushing my main attack on my left with my extra numbers a conducting a holding action on the right.
This proved to be a good decision as the Rebels attacked relentlessly on my right.
Thankfully my Brigades here held on despite a lot of losses even managing to Rout a couple of Rebel units.
This flank was remarkable for how mutually awful our volleys were with only close combat proving decisive.
The center was essentially nullified as I would not attack and defenders would not leave their entrenched line.
This left my left flank as the decisive area.
I attacked from the get go and sent my reserves here.
My initial attacks where successful pushing the Rebels back although they did Rally due to good officers.
I attacked across the river and timing was fortuitous as I was able to get across whilst enemy were 'unloaded' and was able to take a section of entrenchments.
The Rebel morale pool depleted and I was gaining Morale and eventually the dread Army Morale check cards appeared for the grey clad force.
Le Duc managed to pass one by rolling a 12 to my 10 ! but on second card I again rolled a 10 and the Rebels succumbed and yielded the field.
A great game in a reasonable time with a plausible outcome cannot really ask for more.




Yank center surveys the formidable trench line and opt for descretion over valour.

Rebel strength on Yank left

And forward they come 

Watching you watching me..................

Rebel assault comes in

Yanks assault on the left

Turning the flank

The only way to force this positsion

Pressure on my right increases

Across the river and into the trenches

Rebel assault waining

Overview

Airfix 7th Cavalry such memories

Sword And Spear game played

Played a game at Stephens today and he decided that we try Sword And Spear rules using his Carthaginians against my Punic Romans.
I had a brief dally with these rules when they first came out (now on a 2nd edition) but did not really grasp them finding some the concepts confusing..
However today's game was a real eye-opener to the attraction of the rules with them scoring very highly on playability and flavour.
The use of activation by dice is reminiscent of MEG card system and the combat like LADG (although with somewhat less modifiers and interactions) and once I got my head around the fact that a whole turn is a culmination of the unit Action Phases I really enjoyed their seemingly simplicity and fast play.
No outcomes seemed silly or implausible.
Elephants and Warband types can be very powerful if Combat Dice favour them whilst Legionaries are good tough troops and Cavalry a somewhat brittle but hard hitting type (again along lines of LADG).
As Combats are completed unit by unit rather than by files they are resolved much quicker than in MEG or FOG.
There a lot of decisions to make with Action Dice each phase and lots of angst when rolling useless 1 or 2 and cheering when rolling double 3 or better or a 6 and there is some subtle skill required to best utilise the 'hand they deal you'.
The opposed Combat rolls (best 4 dice with highest causing a Hit or Morale Test) is very easy to use with only a few modifiers (Armour, Fresh, Stationary Spears etc) to add dice or modify rolls.
Initial deployment can be key as units do not maneuver easily as usually you need an Action dice 1 above (2 for Undrilled units) your Discipline level meaning an Average unit with discipline of 4 requires a 5+.
Commanders affect this by improving discipline level by 1 and Veteran troops are level 3 to start with.
Foot skirmishers are weak and require some thought to use well and can be a drain on Action Dice at times.
The Army lists are somewhat generic but work ok as do the points costs (we played 500pts each which is default for 15mm on a 6ft x 4ft table).
No doubt as we play them more we will find fault but we found the rules to be well written and contained answers to most questions we had (there is an FAQ which helps)
All in all an enjoyable set and another (so many choices so little time !!) nice option to have with same toys.

PS - the Romans were stuffed !!

 

General D'Armee game

Game with Stephen using General D'Armee points system although I managed to over price my force by about 500 points !!

However the game was unaffected as it played really well with my newly acquired Russians facing the French.

Only a couple of pics as too wrapped up in proceedings.