BA Burma '44: Max Attrition

Tonight Kent came over for another 800pt game of Bolt Action. This time is was during the dry season in Burma, or so the gaming cloth indicated.

I'd gone back to my old faithful list adding my Stuart for some much needed AT support, Kent dropped the infantry gun for a sniper.

800 pt British

·         1^st Lt & NCO

·         Free observer

·         2x reg 9 man sections (SMG + LMG)

·         1x reg 8 man section (SMG + LMG)

·         1x Vet 9 man Gurhka sections(SMG + LMG)

·         1x Sniper team

·         1x Vickers MMG

·         1x 3” Mortar team

·         1x M3A1 Stuart

Kent ran (IIRC)

·         Commander & NCO

·         Medic

·         2x 10 men (reg) sections with SMGs and LMGs

·         1x 10 (Vet) jungle fighters

·         1x MMG

·         1x sniper       

·         1x Chi ha tank

  

      We decided to do Max Attrition (man I hate the mission names in BA!) and decided to both avoid any subtley by having everything in the first wave. On turn 1 there was no firing as everything moved onto the table. 

    

  The Stuart leads my advance.

 

 Gurkhas advance.

 Kent's Japanese sneak through an area of jungle.

 The Japanese are supported by the Chi Ha tank.

 Turn 2, my small section continue to run round the right flank, trying to outflank the Japanese positions.

I tried to get sneaky on turn 2, moving the observer up for a clear LoS. Alas a well aimed shot from the Chi ha blew him to smithereens (the smoke ball was used to mark his fate).

 The Japanese stick to the jungle.

 I advance a section up to the ridge line where they come under intense small arms fire from the jungle.

 Turn 3: Towards the end of the turn I ran the section down the hill, gambling on getting the first dice on turn 4.

 Meanwhile on my right the Gurkhas, sniper and small section keep the pressure on Kent's troops.

 The beginning of turn 4

 

My plan works, I get the first dice and assault, killing the Japanese section, although I lost 4 men in the process. 

 The survivors of the assault pull back and the reserve section moves forward. Kent has moved more infantry and his MMG to counter my assaults.

 On his left flank the Gurkhas and regular infantry continue to cause problems. The Chi ha catches fire after being hit by the Stuart but the crew manage to put out the fire. However, the crew remains somewhat shaken and refuses to act for the rest of the game- though I also refuse to destroy the tank.

 Kent's MMG and commander are the only things holding together his right flankas another section of British infantry advances.

 When cunning plans go bad. My platoon commander and NCO (having already destroyed the Japanese sniper in an earlier assault) completely whiff in this assault vs the Japanese commander and he then dices them into small pieces with his steak knife! Inconceivable!

 Charge! Another section moves in to assault the MMG position.  I hit 8 times and need 4s to wound- 7 dice were 3 or less!!! Ah crap, what's that in the jungle behind them? Eek Jungle fighters!

 The Veteran Japanese get the first order dice and all that is left of my section is one man who fails to score a hit and is destroyed.

 Banzai!!!!

 End game: Turn 6

 

Result: A Draw. 

Damn, going into turn 6 I had it under control with a clear 2-3 point buffer but in the last turn Kent  clawed it back though some great dice rolling and a wee bit of luck. I just couldn't kill that damn Chi ha. It was a topsy-turvy game, all over in less than two hours and as per usual with Bolt Action lots of amusing light hearted moments. It really is my favourite beer and pretzels style game at present, despite its issues.

    Next week Kent is keen to try out the DAK and 8th army forces...

  

   Craig