I took a pretty average 1500 pt FJ list:
| HQ | 55 | |
| 2x | Stummelwerfers | 50 |
| 10x | FJ + P/K | 255 |
| 10x | FJ + P/K | 255 |
| 3x | Pak 40 (FV) | 195 |
| 4x | Stug Gs (CV) | 380 |
| 3x | Panzerwerfers (CV) | 195 |
| Sporadic HS 129 | 115 | |
| 1500 |
Poochie's US Rifles consisted of:
HQ + bazookas
2x rifle platoons
3x 57mm aT guns + bazookas
4x 105s
4x 155
4x Stuarts
limited kittyhawks
Deployment.
Poochie deployed his 2nd infantry platoon as his limited ambush.
Turn 1
The 155 battery missed with its first ranging in attempt but hit and destroyed a stug with its second roll. Luckily another stug passed a top armour save vs a flight of kittyhawks!
A look down the US line.
Chris deployed his transports as well- unarmorued, 50 clas and fully tracked, these things were to be apin all game! In my only HS 129 strike of the game I missed the 155 but destroyed a transport and the artillery failed to unpin- one less thing to worry oubt in my next turn.
Then there was 1. The stugs had moved forwrd t try and engage the 155s but for two turns I failed to stormtrooper- on the 3rd turn I paid the price- the 155s ranged in and destroyed 2 stugs! To add insult to injury the kittyhawks MGed and destroyed a panzerwerfer that had jsut arrived form reserve.
My infantry meanwhile tried to get into the wood on the big hill. Poochie wasn't having any of that and came forward to assault me, killing 2 teams so my FJ retreated to regroup- and then promptly failed to unpin, even with the company commander being there to assist!
We reach an objective- a few more turns have gone past. Poochie continued to assault the pined FJ but they only lost 3 teams and the survivors counter assaulted and killed 4 teams of Poochie's he retreated. In my enxt turn I unpinned and continued to attack, wiping out the US infantry and opening up the objective- then he 57mm AT guns arrived!
Poochie's company commander trying valiantly to get a medal of hour led a bazooka team and observer and assaulted the FJ. My surivors eventually broke! The company commander then moved to the other side of the table to save things over there!
On the other my kampgruppe arrived and did everything possible to win an iron cross. They survived fire from 3 Stuarts- which were then picked off by my last stug and pak 40s They assaulted the 9 strong other US rifle platoon- killing 3 teams. Poochie then missed them all with 4xveteran teams in his counter assualt and the FJ killed 4 teams in return, including the platoon commander. The last 2 teams retreated! The last 2 teams eventually died but not before they had MGed a 155 transport putting the 155s below half strength and they retreated!
On the other flank my reserve platoon made it to the objective- these guys lost 3 out of 7 teams to a time on target barrage on their first turn. They were eventually MGed and assaulted off this objective and died to a man.
The stug that won the battle! This guy survived being bailed (twice) each time passing a motivation test to stay on the table and also 3 top armours save in a row (all up 5 rounds of fire!) and eventually killed 2 105s. Funny thing was that right by the bailed stug as a US observer but being an independent team he couldn't launch an assualt by himself to capture the stugs and win the game.
In the end the 2 panzerwerfers managed to come forward and kill the US company commander and the last rifle team in the 2nd infantry platoon to break the company for a very, very improbable win!
Result 4-3 to the FJ
I had left on table:
- 3x pak 40s + commander
- 1x observer
- 2x panzwerwerfers (which couldn't move as I'd lost their command stand)
- 1x stug!
Chris had his 57mm guns and 3x 105s left!
What a completely silly game!
It started off with me getting trashed by artillery and on turn 2 I thought it was going to be 6-1 to Chris and I'd get a second game in very, very quickly!
However the FJ hung in there. The turning point came when my KG passed 15 saves in a row in one round and then the next turn they made the silliest assault I've done in a long, long time, somehow wiping out seven teams and opening up the other objective. Then they forced the 155s to retreat and captured the objective- only to finally fail a couple of saves and die!
The last few turns I had to kill 2 rifle teams to win and Chris had to kill my stug- which then proceeded to pass 5 top armour saves in a row (as well as 2 motivation tests to stay on the board) vs the 105 battery!
A great game played in our usual light hearted manner- its always a lot of fun playing Poochie and look forward to the next one. I think he is owed a major win for that one, talk about snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
It was also good to see Ben (Jungle Rhino) from the forums popping into to his old gaming club whilst back in NZ on holiday.
Craig
Incredibly bloody, but great report.
ReplyDeleteCdlT
Cheers CdtT
ReplyDeleteThe report doesn't capture the sheer silliness of the last few turns as dice hated one of us and then the other- it was a good fun game though and thoroughly enjoyable.
I was really surprised at how the FJ managed to bounce back after such a damaging beginning, but I think had Poochie stayed on the defensive and not counter attacked so aggressively he would have won 6-1 as I was really going to struggle to deal with the dug in vet infantry without being able to lift gone to ground.
Craig
I must admit I was surprised at the result, but I've also had a few quite ridiculous games of late. Fun if you're the one who manages to pull off a victory, otherwise....not so much ;)
ReplyDeleteCdlT
I'm still claiming that result doesn't falsify my claims re: the mission! :P
ReplyDeleteChris was watching and told me about some of those crazy assaults - Mr computer brain said that one of them was an approx 1/7000 outcome, but at least the craziness seems to have evened out.
Typical Poochies to not hunker down and defend. It works for him most of the time though.
Yes- 1/7000 would be a very conservative estimate! However, even though in the and I won by breaking Pooches force I did manage to contest 2 objectives whcih surprised me!
ReplyDeleteNot easy for infantry to attack other infantry on but I find with the mission they key is to build your attack slowly- exactly the same as I would do in a Cauldron- having mobile reserves can be nasty as the likes of Poochies Stuarts can ruin any infantry platoons day and you can't always counter that. I guess going for 2 objectives (eventually) also helped ensure he spread his defences thinly and may have helped too.
I think it would be better with the attaker going first but can also see that as leading to lots of 6-1 victories by turn 2-3 unless the defender started rolling for reserves on turn 2.
In most of our games (6 or so so far) the attacker has won, either by breaking the company or grabbing an objective but usually its mobile forces that can manage the latter.
I like it but aren't completely to grips with it yet.
I don't think Poochie knows the meaning of the word hunker down- but in that game, on reflection, it might have been a better way to play (less fun for him no doubt but more effective).
Craig