NZ Masters Day 2

Breakthrough vs Rob Torrence. My hope- flanks shots on KVs for a point before getting BBQed by the flame tanks.

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Regiment

1x IS-2

4x ISU-122 with 1x 50. cal AA

SU 122 + V.S. Rat

4x ISU-122 with 1x 50. cal AA MG

4x KV-1s

5x KV-8s- flame tanks (CT)

Turn 1- I do my fort knox defence, hoping the combo of panthers and pak 40s will tempt Rob not to drive straight over then- not sure if its agod idea as there are plenty of LoS blocking woods etc to limit my flank shots. 

 Here they come!

 The ISU 122ss reach my pickets on turn 1. The infantry stand offered to surrender but was crushed in the assault.

 

 However 2 ISUs bog- I consider assaulting but decide its a bad idea. 

 However, in my next turn the panthers and pak 40s bail the 2 ISUs and command JS 2 so I take the opportunity to charge and capture them all! That was not what I expected! The other ISUs and KVs are heading round the woods behind them- one KV has fallen prey to a stuka strike, another fell off the table and was broken. Yikes!

 Turn 3 the reserves turn up- flame tanks! Again my offer to surrender is turned down. The Zyrinis appear and kill 2x KV 1S and survive return fire and kill the last KV in the next turn. As thy try to flee the ISUs they are destroyed but they have done their job.

 Yet another lucky airstrike, this one kills 3x KV 8s! Things are going unexpectedly well, though it is still touch and go.

 In the end the panthers move across to contest on turn 5 and I kill the last of the KVs to break the
Soviet company. In his last turn Robs last act is to drive his ISUs at my infantry and hits with a breakthrough gun on a  6 and my infantry fail their morale check taking the company commander with them.

 4-3 to me. I almost managed a 5-2 but Rob deserved the extra point, he played well but the dice abandoned him at key times and to tell the truth I was not expecting to pull this one off at all so was rather happy to walk away with 4 pts.

Game 5: Nicks Romanians

Nick was in 2nd place, me about 5th or 6th equal so as a bit surprised to have to face the Romanians from hell in a Fighting withdrawal but the games were based on who hadn't fought in the top half dozen or so as well as by swiss chess. 

·         HQ :  @x P/K, 2x P/Shrek, 2x 60mm Mortar

·         Vanatori Motoizata platoon (full)   Panzerfaust SMG, 8 MG

·         Vanatori Motoizata platoon (full)   Panzerfaust SMG, 8 MG

·         4x 47mm Schneider guns

·         4x HMGs

·         4x 150mm Skoda M34, 1 Observer rifle

·         4x 100mm Skoda M40 guns, Observer rifle

·         5x Soviet T-34/85

Anyone who does not rate minor allies has not faced this particular list, it came 2nd at  Winterfest (36 layers) and was 2nd at the Masters. I got lucky and got to defend and hoped Nick didn't have enough infantry to attack properly- I was to be proved wrong very, very soon... 

The Romanians mass for the attack on their traditional enemies...

 Doesn't seem so many of us.

 I hid my Ztrinis and nimrods in a wood as nicks artillery has a large template and is very dangerous. Unfortunately he targetted a nearby GtG infantry stand and hit it (needing a 6) on the first roll of the game- i was lucky to only lose only one Zyrini.

 RV Romanians and T34/85s advance- a classic shot!

  I return  fire, paks bail 2 then I fluff my panther ambush and only hit 2 T34s and bail them both. A stuka then bails another! Nicks return fire with his overwatch 75mm TACs takes out 2 pak 40s! 2 panthers are destroyed and the third bailed and fails to remount.Turn 3 I need to take off a platoon and eventually decide on the Nimrods but actually needed them too. 

The rest of the battle was so intense that I forgot to take any more photos. On turn 7 I fired a  shrek and 2 of the last 3 T34/85s killing them both! the last one ran away. On his last turn out of infantry I had to survive tow artillery bombardments and did. I had to lose 1 more infantry stand to force a stay on the board check, had I done so I would have been broken as the commander fled with the sole survivor from the pak platoon earlier. 

4-3 to me. Another absolute nailbiter that I was again lucky to win. The key probably being on turns 4 and 5 when my infantry on my right ,managed to stop 2x assaults vs vets by hitting with 7 out of 9 DF dice. Had either failed it as all over, the bailed panther would have been captured and I'd have had nothing at all left to keep Nick off either of the central or right objectives. A great game and once again I was happy to walk away with the extra point as it could have easily been 4-3 the other way. Another great game. 

Game 6: Encounter vs Steve Chambers and his motostrekovy 

• HQ
• 1x platoon @ 7x SMG
• 1x platoon @ 7x SMG
• 3x Ba64
•  9x T-70 obr’43
• 3x IS-2
• 4x SU-100
• 4x SU-122
• 3x Spetnez & 2x captured Sdkfz 250/1
• Limited Sturmoviks

Both Steve and I are long time Soviet players and his motostrek is not dissimilar to mine so I knew I was in for a tough game.

I defend the village to the left of the table with Nebs, pak 40s, panthers and a single infantry platoon

 Turn 1 Steve advances- all his tanks are on table.

Steve's turn 1 The SU 122s crawl into close range and I miss them all with my pak 40s and panthers! The SUs then kill 2x pak 40s and their command stand.

 Turn 2 I smoke the JS 2s to keep them moving then an airstrike of a single stuka comes in. Steve declines to try to drive it off. What could it do? Two dead and 1 bailed SU 100s (even with  rerolls to hit) and the survivor fled!

 The panthers though start ranging in on the SU 122s and eventually kill 2 bail one and again the survivor flees. Not only that but a panther shot goes through the front of the command JS 2 meaning they are command less! Steve so forced to move his 2iC forward to try to appoint a new commander, a job that would take a few turns! Unfortunately though the next turn both were bailed by panthers and the platoon fled (much to my relief).

 Meanwhile the battle of the lightweights begins. 9x T70s vs a panther who will win well the way these particular panthers roll firepower tests, the T70s!

 And again from another angle.

 And again the next turn, finally a shot goes though and the panther dies and what do I haveto show for it? 2-3 bailed T70s. Having tried to do a similar trick myself several times in the past and only actually pulled it off once or twice so I was suitably impressed with these little guys! 

Again form here the game was a but tense to take photos off. The T70 continud rampaging, leaving a trail of destruction including- 2x infantry platoons and the nimrods but the panthers slowly hunted them down. The game was long and intense and as the last 1 minutes ticked by (and with a need to get to the airport to catch my flight) I finally managed to hunt down those pesky T70sand also his reserve infantry as they assaulted in. The Zyrni coming onto their own in the last few turns to hold one objective and hunt down infantry. 

4-3 to me. again a really close and thoroughly enjoyable game. The dice gods favoured me in the end but we both had our luck and the T70s almost won it for Steve. It was very, very close.

Placings

Steve Hill's with Motorised SS (2x jagdpanthers and Barkman) on 32 points- was a clear winner.

Nick and his Romanians on 25 pts were 2nd.

 Steve Chambers and I were placed 3rd equal on 22 pts but as I beat him the trophy went to me so our game ended up being hard fought tussle for third. 

 I think there were another 4 or so players on 21 and 20 pts so it was really, really tight- as one would expert in this type of competition.

So there we have it 6 extremely tough games, none of which I felt I was ever on the bag for me and all the wins could have easily gone the other way. The first two games vs Bob and Bede I was lucky to get any points an as very glad to do so.

The Hungarian force

I was happy with my force, it as not a standard tourney force and performed well vs what often felt like superior forces so it did better than I'd hoped. The airpower was probably the stand out unit and swung 3 games for me (or got me some much needed points) and I was really, really glad to have the third infantry platoon, it was critical in all games. 

The only thing I struggled with as the lack of stormtrooper to get back out of trouble with the Hungarian tanks, makes them pretty fragile at times. I can honestly say for once I wouldn't make any changes to the composition. It all combined ell when it had to. I got pretty lucky at times but was a fun force to use and made for 6 very enjoyable, if someone nerve wracking, games.

Craig 

NZ Masters 2012- Day 1

This past weekend was the NZ Masters in Wellington. Wellingotn is the oonly direct flight from Tiamru so i decided to go (after flagging it last year) and took the Hungarian motorised infantry out to see how they'd fare.

My force was:

2x ,Rifle 2x Panzerschreck

3x R/MG platoons + P/K (7 teams),

3x 75mm 40M guns

3 Panther A

3x Zrinyi II

2x Nimrod

3x Nebelwerfers (CT)

Sporadic Stuka Ju87D

Having seen the army lists there was one force I didn't want to face in the Hasty Assault round 1, Bob's Chaffees, so guess what I got to fight :)

•  2x Chaffees
• 5x Chaffees
• 5x Chaffees
• M8, 2x Jeeps
• M8, 2x Jeeps
• 2x M8 Scott HMC
• 4x M36 90mm GMC Jacksons

I'm defending on the left, panthers in the woods, infantry covering the objectives.

 I was under pressure on both flanks- bob camped 5x chaffees on my left objective on turn 2 but kept contesting for the next 8 or so turns. Meanwhile his other chaffees and recon used tot errain to avoid any fire until they were nice and close then put pressure on the right objective too. I hate light tank hordes!

 This stand off last for a few turns, the panthers were lurking so the chaffees didn't advance to far, one big bogged for 3 turns probably being my saving grace.

 The panthers head over to help. The paks have taken out 2 jacksons after the fluffed their shots at the panthers- only bailed one!

Result: 4-3 to Bob.
A real nail-biter that went to the wire- I needed to kill a jeep and either  a Scott the last Jackson to break his force when he finished off the last panther and finally broke my company.

The most amusing unit? Bobs recon platoon. The paks and Zyrini's took care of his other Chaffee platoon only to be cleaned up (along with the nebs and a few infantry stands) by 2x recce jeeps that passed every save they had to make (or I missed with the Zyrinis). They zoomed round my table edge killing one and then bailing 2 Zyrinis over two turns then ran riot! Alas as it turned out afterwards we'd make a slight mistake and the paks killing the greyhound had killed the commander so they should actually have been halted with no commander but hey, these guys ere so badass they had mission tactics. A very  enjoyable, if stressful (for me game as I struggle to avoid losing 6-1). The jeeps changed the game somewhat and it could have gone 4-3 the other way had they not shot me to pieces but hey, the game was fun, it was an honest mistake and made for a very amusing few turns. Well played Bob.

 So, I didn't want to face US light tanks on Hasty Assault, I also did not want to face Bede Bailey (who typically ranks 1 or 2 in NZ) and his Shermans in a  free for all, so guess what... Oh and I drew the same table!

Bede's US Shermans  (CV)

• CinC M4, 2iC M4 (105)
• 2x M4, 2x M4A1 (76)
• 3x M4, 1x M4A1 (76)
• 3x M4A3 (105)
• 3x M4 81mm MMC
• 1x M8, + 2x jeeps
• 4x M36 90mm GMC Jacksons (CT)

My plans? Try not  get rolled over too quickly and get some points if i could! 

 Bede's army is WIP- according to Bede but as usual is looking absolutely stunning!

 He advances his Sherman's on my right flank, protected by the recon jeeps of the Jackson section- meaning I am wary of using my panthers to counter.

 On my left the other Shemans creep a  bit closer and present me from moving forward- the Zyrinis and paks hopefully can keep things tight, but also mean i'm not going forward and am in danger of losing 6-1 on the right. The panther near the building takes a snipe at a mortar half track only then to be destroyed by a bombardment by the 105 shermans! Not being able to snipe then storm trooper is not good!

Then the panthers went right and tried to snipe a 76mm sherman but missed. Bede's response? Reveal his tank destroyers and charge with them and the shemrnas vs one panther! Arrgghhhhh! Stormtrooper, stormtrooper!

 Whose ya daddy?. Just to add insult to injury Bede masterfully starting using his mortars and Shermans to drop smoke on my remaining panther. I am still looking at down the barrel at a 6-1 loss.

 Can to platoons of infantry hold on? About no the dice gods gave me a glimmer of hope- for a point at least. Bede had bunched up his other Shermans behind a building as they carefully advanced avoiding LoS on my Zyrini's and a lucky airstrike destroyed 3 of them! Then the next turn a lucky nebelwerfer strike killed 2x Jacksons and I bailed two shermans with the same ht but failed to assault with my infantry to get them.

 Time to go! The zyrinis and my 3rd platoon advance too get that last sherman which ended up being bailed by the zyrinis and destroyed by another airstrike.

 Charge- the infantry advance can e get a point at least?

 Bede thinks not...

Luckily though the sherman died, the Nimrods died trying to get the recon unit but in the end the Zyrinis managed to finish the jeeps off (breakthrough gun) and I almost also got the 105 shermans and ended up on the far objective but not quite soon enough- a 4-3 to Bede.

To tell the truth I was damn glad to walk away with 3 points, as for most of the game I was starring down the barrel of 6-1 hiding. I got a couple of moments of luck but really was on the back foot from turn 1. Those Jacksons and their recon units really make panthers cautious and can easily react to whatever shenanigans I tried to do. Bede played really well as expected)  and as unlucky to drop a couple of points really, but hey I'll take them.  

Game 3: No Retreat vs Damien & his Finns. 

Damien was running 12x CV Finnish platoons! Yikes. Luckily I got to defend. I also drew the ame table for 3 in a row but someone kindly sapped. 

•  2x command SMG
• 9x Infantry +Kapteeni Lauri Tourni
• 7x Infantry + 4x Maxim HMGs (combat attached)
• 2x Maxim HMGs
• 3x M35 81mm mortars
• 2x Lahti Anti-tank Rifle
• 2x Pak50 PstK/38
• 9x pioneer rifles (RV)
• 2x PaK75 PstK/40, Corporal Toivo Ilomaki Special Character
• 3x T-34/85
• 2x Anti II SP AA
• 4x 122mm H/38 Howitzers

Damien plots my downfall. I've never had the privalage of facing him so was looking forward to this game..sort of.

 He attacked on 3 axes, each with a very different but very nasty infantry platoon- the hero and his mob were scary, luckily I didn't realise how scary till later! Panthers ambush to support the infantry on my right before they are overwhelmed by the infantry + HMG platoon.

 The super scouts- 2+ on skill checks, recon etc take the centre- and spend lots of time lifting GtG so his support units can decimate my force. They worked really well together. 

 Zyrinis appear from reserve and destroy the T34/85s! doesn't count as a point though as he has more than 9 platoons.

 The last shot- too much pressure over the next 1.5 hrs to remember to take a single shot. As you can see the panthers did well covering the centre- the nimrods got hit by a 122 bombardment and destroyed. At the top of the picture the pioneers prepare to assault too.

 Result: A very hard fought 4- 3 to me.
Damien's force is really scary. He almost got the forward objective and I only just drove him back. In he end I managed to break his company- no mean feat to kill 6 platoons but eventually got there. Again it as a tough but fun game that could have easily gone the other way so I was happy to get a win off him. Not sure how I'd have fared the other way round and I'd have had to attack, not very well probably. I also liked the fact each of his infantry platoons were combat monsters but geared to very, very different roles very cool.

So end of day 1 10 pts which was close to several other players as there were lots of very tight games.

Russell then let us know our match ups on day 2, Rob Torrence and his SU 122 company in a Breakthrough. Oh joy! Everything is FA 8 or 9 including the KV 8 flame tanks- this was not going to be good. 

Craig