HQ
- Aufklarung
- 5x stugs
- 3x 221 ACs
- 3x nebelwerfers
- Limited HS 129s
We rolled for the mission and got Encounter, which we both don't usually play as we don't really like it. Dale chose sides and deployed his aufklarung + stugs (about 90% of his army's points) and I deployed a Rota platoon and SU 152s (just because I could!)
Deployment
Here they come!
This looks even mroe intimidating! Dale got the first turn and acouple of my infantry teams died before being able to find suitable cover.
Take that- the SUs move forward a bit and engage the only target they can see and hit a half track which promptly explodes, needing a 6 to hit!)
Turn 3- Dale had just tried to snipe my flamethrower with the stugs but missed and at the end of the turn realised my T34s could come on this turn so stormtroopered to face the potential threat- arrgh!!! As a result my T34s were pinned into the corner- even going through the forest they were about 1/2" out of range of side shots on the stugs. Curses!
SU 152 commander: Well the stugs have got their backs to us and are in the open, it would be rude not to drive onto the hill and have a crack... Alas I missed (I did need a 6 of course so why wasn' I surprised?) 7+ years of FoW and this is the first use of MW SUs in a non scenario game (I now remember why!).
"Anyway", the commander muses, "we'll be safe enough here..."
WRONG! Where the hell did that come from? 3 stugs then finished off the second one, curse front armour 8 (when at long range) when you can only roll "2s" for saves.
The cheeky 2iC trying to remove the flamethrower (the only team in SMG range)
The T34s hug the forest while the stugs use the road to put pressure on the other flank.
The storch is the second objective. My second rota platoon came on and promptly bogged 2x scout cars so only 9x 50 cal dice as I charged the aufkalrung trying desperately to claw back a point. I did kill 3 teams (including the company commander) and force a platoon morale test (which he passed) but the next couple of turns the stugs and half tracks simply blew me off the objective. One stug was sniped by a T34 with a side shot but two others parked on the objective and I was unable to contest. At this point my mortars had finally turned up but failed to range in on the remaining aufklarung. My frst platoon too was now moving through the village but was unable to assault the aufklarung on the last turn.
6-1 to Dale.
Thoughts
A game of missed opportunities. I was always going to have to try and get in and deal with the aufklarung and hope for the best vs the stugs- 5 was simply too many to deal with (as it turns out Dale's points were off and we should have only faced 4 but it made it more challenging this way!). Dale maneuvered them perfectly to counter the flamethrower and T34 threats and I really had no other openings to deal with them after that.
Air support would have been handier for me and it is for scenarios that this that I feel its worth it. I still would only have had 2 platoons on board and 2 in reserve but at least could have rolled each round for some air support to keep the stugs spread out.
I actually liked the SU 152s, fragile as hell but something to be wary of. On a less snowy table the T34s could have tried to use their mobility better (we are playing a bogging test for snow and if passed normal cross country movement but no double timing)
No comments:
Post a Comment