Tempest 2012- MW Tankovy- Game 4

No Retreat vs Mitchell.

This was the most entertaining game of the day. Mitchell kept a positive attitude no matter how crappy the dice were and we both had a real laugh at this topsy turvy game.
 

Schutzen company (2 schutzen platoons- 2 pak 38s each, 4x 105s, 4x carri).

 Mitchell's deployment- 105s with ambushing schutzen with attached pak 38s. 

 Charge! The valentines double move- to lure out the pak 38s.

 Mitchell deploys his ambush and fires and the double timing valentines.

 I loe a valeninte and continue forward to the objectiive. The T34s and T70s continue through the town- after having silenced a pak 38- and survived a couple of 105 bombardments with only a single T70 lost.

 T70s line up against the remaining infantry

 The Valetnies advancce over the bridge to try to intercept the reinforcements.

The carri have turend up and killed a couple more T70s so the others pull back and hide!

 The T34s advance to dea with the carri- and also shoot at the 105s from beyond theri direct fire range.

 The carri are in toruble. I do like being able to move 12" and shoot with T34s- even with the new penalties.

 The T70s doubble time to pressur ethe back objective and the BA 64 double time 48" across the desert- whicih we treated as roads!

 The T34s ccontinue toa dvancce and deall with the 105s and hide from most of them- so far long range fire has killed 2x 105s. 

 How long can 1x 105  surivive vs 6 T34s? Too bloody long. In fact it almost browk my T34 company- with the hhelp of the pak 38s from the reserve platoon.

 Esrlier the 105s in direct fire killed 2x Vals so I puled the survivors back to keep the company alive. With only 2x Crusader II left (and only 2x MGs between them0 Mitcehll decided t was time to take them out with the forwrd infantry platoon. My Vals tried to retreat but with the storm trooper mvoes the German infantr easily caught them and assualted- failing to do damage and allowing my tanks to retreat. The next round he repeated the process and so the Valentines, almost back to their deployment zone were again swarmed and this time 2 were knocked out or bailed. The survivors fell back and failed their morale test (4 failed out of 5 for the weekend- only the T70s earlier in this fight had hung round and that was only because the company commander was finally in the right place for a re-roll!)

 The gun dual continues. In my turn I sendd the /t34s forard and take the objective.

 I manage to get the only contesting tank bailed then kill the last AT guns. Mitchell failed to unpin his forward olatoon for two turns (despite the commoany comander being present) and so cannot contest the objective.

5-2 to the Soviets, but once a gain a fun, and very close game.

Thoughts
A really enjoyable day. The tankovy were fun but fragile and only just scaped thorugh several games- it really needs at least two more T34s but at 100 ppts its hard to get enoug. However, I ended up coming 2nd, just above Poochie and just behind Jeff L. I enjoyed all the games and thought the format was excellent.

I wanted to use the day to learn the new rules and enjoyed them- the changes are great, even H&C.

As for the list,  I really regretted taking the Valentines and think the SU122s would have been a better/ more useful choice. I found the combination of slow + no HE to be very limiting, whereas the T70s and T34s were able to move back and forward to switch pressure, something the Vals just couldn’t do. I enjoyed the new- H&C rules different but limiting, but at least their MGs were useful. However, the additional +1 to hit really hurt the T70s so make the Stuarts a very tempting. I’m now tempted to look at a tankovy of Stuarts & Shermans for Southcon- maybe even with a razvedki on M3A1s to keep the All American theme…

Finally, many thanks to Stephen S for once again organising a great day- he does an outstanding job at all comps he organises and really is the pillar of the FoW community in this part of the world.

Craig

Tempest 2012- MW Tankovy- Game 3

If you a hate blue on blue games (like I do) please ignore the next report.

I was up against Dave Evans andd his fealress vet Ausssie Div Cav (which was on my original ideas list). Dave was running:HQ Honeys & carriers, 1x carrier patrol, 3x crusaders, 2x 6pdrs, 2x grants & a shermans, bofors.

Modified Free-for-all.

This was using Stephen S’s FFA- played diagonally so objectives end up  in the corners- makes for much more depth than a standard game so is quite interesting and makes for a fun version of FFA with sweeping flanking moves possible.

Vals and BA 64 square off against Grants & Sherman,

 Crusaders hold the centre for Dave.

 Vals and BA 64s prepare to advacne. The T34s ae just out of shot to the right- hull down on a low hill.

I stated by duking it out with the heavy tank platoon (grants and shermans) with the Valentine's and T34s but after 2 turns had only managed a single hit- while losing 2x T34s (even though I was stationary and hull down and so had a minimum of 7 before folloiwng saves!). Dave siimply lept saving everything and it wasn't until turn 3 I finally managed to destroy a grant and then the next turn  managed to knock out the last of the British heavy armour then I managed to take out the 6pdrs at little cost and things were looking up.

 The epic dual continues.

 

Meanwhile the T70 were retreating from the crusaders and honeys but managed to roll better armour saves and eventually killed the crusaders- which then left Dave with no AT of note. He threw the carrier patrols at the objective. 

 Vals engage the 6 pdrs- they knocked these out.

Dave got aggressive with his carrier patrols, drivving past the T70s to the objective to try and use thei 50 cals to ruin the T70s day.

 When that didn't work he wnt after my solf BA 64 unit- whch came off 2nd bst from the ensuring 50 cal vs anti-tank rifel scrap.

 Once again my BA 64 mananged tho fail theri morale test (3 fails from 3 for the day!). By now though the Vals had switcheed targets to help out the T70s.

With only a command Stuart left Dave was now in serious trouble. Tghe T34s wandered accross the board and grabed an objective.

 
Result:5-2 
Again it was much closer than it appears. Each turn when conscripts you don’t know what will die, so no plans work out as intended. At the beginning of the game Dave couldn't roll under a 5 for armour saves and my tanks could not scratch his Grants/ Shermans. Near the end it was my turn to keep rolling high which left the T70s surviving vs the fearless crusaders.

Another fun game on a misison I really enjoy.

Tempest 2012- MW Tankovy- Game 2

Surrounded vs Xelee's armoured panzer grenadiers

Jamie deployed in a wood with his tiger between the two objectives and the heavy AT came on as his immediate ambush. I split the vals and T34s to try to get one platoon to get flank shots on the tiger. My biggest mistake was probably the deployment of the objectives, I was worried about digging infantry out of a city so put them both on the ones side and so allowed Jamie to defend with everything in a small area- as you can se in this photo. The objective by the bridge should have been near the intersection in the top corner.

 When in doubt...hide.

 The tiger goes huntiing Valentines & T70s.

 So the T34s sneak out to take ona  singel pak 38/97- and fail to destroy it

 Jamie's pak 38s and other pak 38/97 fire on the BA 64s which were trying to get close enough to lift GtG.

 The T34s have now made an opening in the pak line and are about to try to exploit it- so Jamie sends back his tiger to help out.

The tiger has moved back to help out against the T34s while the infantry sit tight and stay gone to ground.

 T70 snuck round getting picked off by paks- loisdng a couple. The T34s came out to deal with a single pak 97/98 but struggled and then the tiger and pak 38s got involved, I managed to lose two T34s and bail 3 and the survivors fled! So much for fearless. I was hoping to last the round and get some shots on the tiger with the T34/57s. 

 Jamie redeploys his tiger to deal with the next threat- the Valentines.

 Which lumber across the bridge and assult the panzer grenadiers. A Valentine as knocked out by the pak 38 then  the Valentines killed a stand (not bad with one hit from a conscript tank). I was hoping Jamie would counter attack and give me the oppprtunity to get a couple more but alas he failed his motivation test and so backed off- leaving my Valentines unable to get out of the LoS of the tiger!

 Let's hide! The T70s meanwhile have been engaging the pak 38/97 and killed the last two but the commander passed several sole survivor tests as he marched off the table (I like this new rule, making it harder to prevent platoons withdrawing without giving away a VP- alas Jamie rolled well and denied me the point).

 The Tiger had two Valentine targets and destroyed them both and once again I failed a company (platoon) morale test and broke 2 from 2!

 Jamie brought back his transports and the the last T70s were taken out of the 37mm half tracks and tiger- not point delaying the inevitable as I tried to get a very unlikely point.

6-1 to Jamie.
My objective placement was a biggie in this one but Jamie did everything right and blunted my attacks- which were a bit disjointed. Again not overly impressed by the Vals lack of ability vs dug in guns/ infantry- or their movement! The new transport rules were good to see in practice- even if I was on the receiving end!

Well played Jamie, not an esasy table to defend on and you did it effectively and efficiently- next time I'll place to objectives further apart and make defending harder.

I've played this one twice now and really like it.

Tempest 2012- MW Tankovy- Game 1

This year Tempest was 1100 pts midwar, one day, 4x games- and played a couple of months earlier tan normal. 18 players turned up for the comp inclduing a few I'd not met before so was good tro see such a good turn out- people obviously liked the format. 

 I decided to ditch my old favourite SU 122s and try out 7x Valentines. These days we don’t play much FoW except for comps (too much Impetvs) so all playtesting would be done on the day- whcih is never ideal. My aim was to use the day to learn the V3 rules.

I haven’t run a MW tankovy in about 4 years or so, so this was going to be an interesting experiment.- the SU 122/T34/T70 has always been my main Tankovy force midwar and had been quite successful but for this comp I thought I swap the SU 122s with the Valentines. Going into it I thought I was a bit light on T34s and this is how it proved.

	Soviet MW Tankovy Batalon (FC)
	Eastern Front, p188
1x	T70/43	30
8x	T70/43	240
7x	Valentines	285
2x	6 pdr upgrades	20
6x	T34	430
2x	57mm upgrades	20
3x	Armoured Cars	75
		1100

Game 1 FFA vs Nathan Maynard

Nathan ran a MW Carri company (9x carri, AA, motorcycles, 1x lancia and 3x Panzer IIINs).

Lancia and Panzer IIIs defend vs my T34s and Valentines. T70s at the far end counter M14/41s.

 Valentines hug the edge of the world and double time. they manage to just be out of range of the Lancia (funny that). T34s hug the edge of the forest to avoid the same gun.

 M14/41 advance to engage my T70s and start whittling them down- so I retreat behind a hill and wait for reinforcements. 

 T34s double time to the left flank to assist the T70s- the Vals are doing the same but more slowly.

 The T34s manage to bail 3x carri! Yep, failed firepower tests.

 Here come the T34s- carri on the hill in the distance.  I really like the new cobblestone roads.

 In the top of the picture the panzer IIIs have moved into the field to engage the Vals and T34s.

 The Vales move too far forward and two are destroye d by the Lancia at extreme range which finally has a target.

 Meanwhile though the M41 are starting to burn due to the intervention of the T34s.

 Meanwhile the T70s continue to hide.

 Now the M41s are in trouble but Nathan charges the T34s to get side shots.

 This is the worst gun dual in history- the Valentines stuggle to hit the panzer IIs and when they do the (2 forward Val III) 6 pdr shots bounce off the front glasis- and they begin to wear down the Valentines so eventaully they pull back without causing any damage.

We bail the last 4 carri.

 And finally finish them off.

 The T70s are now looking brave- the objective is in the distance, protected by an AA platoon- we are down to 4x T34s and 4x T70s.

 The Italian tank commander pops over to lend a hand while the T34s make the most of wide tracks by going through the woods.

 A silly gun dual developed between T70s and the Italian carri commander- which lasts far too long as I keep missing the trained Italian- or he bounces 45mm AT shots. The commander holds us off long enough for the the panzer IIIs to arrrive (the Vals having backed as they were done to half strength).

  Nathan is not able to contest- the far T34s have the objective. A very hard fought 6-1 that did not reflect the way the game was played.

 A fun game, Nathan was up against it- I was always going to try and stay as far from the lancia as possible but my Vals and T34s were both at half strength (as were the T70s) when I finally took it so it was still a very close game. Well played Nathan- just too many FA 6 tanks for the Carri to handle.