http://rustandthecity.blogspot.com/2015/11/firestorm-caen-turn-2a.html
He scored 6 victory points to my 1, since I didn't wipe out any of his platoons, and that's how VP is scored, grumble grumble. We stumbled several times with the rules, since we really are still re-learning it all, but we ended up with a legitimate result, and the next game should go a lot faster, haha.
My army: 3 platoons of grenadiers, a mortar platoon, an MG42 platoon (which I attached to two of the Grenadier platoons) (And I split my 3 platoons into 4, using the Kampfgruppe rules lets you take the company 2iC and group portions of other platoons into a separate platoon), a PaK Anti-Tank gun platoon, some Infantry Guns (my bare-silver ones there), 2x 4 Panzer IV tanks, and 2 Panthers.
With 'Delayed Reserves,' half your army starts on the table, and the other half in reserves, and they don't start showing up until turn 3 (if you're LUCKY. I only got one reserve unit to arrive before the end of the game, and they weren't enough to turn the tide.)
Adam's unpainted Paratroopers. We started playing years ago, but let it all lie fallow for ages. We just got back into it very recently, so some of our stuff is unpainted. Please don't judge us too harshly.
View from the German deployment corner
View from the British deployment corner.
Turn 1, the Germans begin to spread out, with a strengthened platoon and the Panzer IVs moving to engage the enemy, while the 2nd platoon of infantry moves towards the woods to cover that flank.
My mortar platoon prepares to give covering fire as my 2nd Grenadier platoon advances to cover our exposed flank. The scenario has the enemy start in the opposite table corner, but their reinforcements arrive on the other side of the long table edge, so directly opposite the village I started in, instead of further away, hence the need to guard against a flanking maneuver.
My bold Panzer IVs managed to knock out one of the British Cromwells at range, sending the survivors scurrying around the hill, out of the line of fire.
Adam's deployment, with a platoon of Paras behind the woods and holding the objective, some anti-tank guns ready to blast anything that clears the edge of the woods, mortars right by the farmhouse, and his tanks there on his left flank, on the other side of the dirt road.
With no nearby tanks to contend with, I use my Panzer IVs against the Paras in the woods, killing several with massed vehicle machine gun fire, before they assaulted and massacred the Panzer IVs. In my game with Evan last week, we didn't have any assaults, so I was woefully unprepared for how murderous Fearless Veteran infantry are in close combat, especially Paratroopers with their gammon bombs and PIAT teams. By the end, Adam had three bases left, two from the platoon and one the Company CO, but I was all out of tanks, and my reinforcements were not forthcoming.
Bearded giant! 100 metres, front!
No, but those yellow chips are my objectives, which Adam has to take to win. He did. My AT guns lost 2/3 of their number to his tanks, which swept around the hill and rolled absurdly well. The survivors decided to flee back to Dusseldorf rather than guard the objective.
With his tanks sitting on my objective, my only hope left was to drive them off, giving me more time to bring on reserves. He has to Start the turn in control of the objective, so I had a chance. But my Panzerschreck team, the only survivor of that large infantry platoon, fled at the start of my turn.
I guess I don't have any pictures of their action, but that platoon did some decent work, advancing on the enemy and taking constant fire from mortars AND anti-tank cannon the whole time, but were outflanked by the tanks once my PaK guns fled and left them unsupported.
But finally, my first reserves arrived on turn 5(!) I chose my two Panther tanks, the most powerful and meanest medium tanks of the war. If I could destroy two of his tanks, his last might very well flee, and save my skin for another few turns.
But alas, it was not to be. Both shots missed, and Adam won the game. With no platoons lost, he scored 6 victory points to my 1. I'm only a little salty about the results, I just wish more of our armies had gotten table time. He didn't get any reserves at all, and I only got a single platoon, leaving like 2/5 of my points completely un-used.
Still, I had an absolute blast, and I'm looking forward to playing again. I'm ready for some big, pitched battles where I can bring more of my force to bear against the foe.
