BA: US Paras vs Fallschrimjager

Tonight Kent and I had another game of Bolt Action, with my US Glider Platoon taking on his Germans. This time I'd tweaked my list a bit, taking 2 squads of US Veteran infantry to represent the tough as nails paras. Otherwise it was similar to the list I used in our last game.

My plan, use my multiple infantry squads to outmanouvre him and support each other.

• Vet officer & NCO
• 8x man Vet Glider troop- BAR, 2x SMGs
• 7x man Vet Glider Squad- BAR, 2x SMGs
• Airforce observer 
• 8x Vet  Inf (Paras)-BAR
• 8x Vet  Inf (Paras)- BAR 
• 1x  Reg Med Mortar 
• 1x Vet Sniper team
• 1x Vet Bazooka team
• 1x Reg M16 Quad AA half track
• 1x HMG Jeep

Kent fielded his usual Fallschrimjager force:

• HQ
• panzershrek
• 9-10 man FJ squad (LMG, 2-3 SMGs)
• 9-10 man FJ squad (LMG, 2-3 SMGs)
• 9-10 man SS (4-5 assualt rifles)
• 1x medium mortar
• 1x MMG
• 1x Sniper
• 1x 234/1 armoured car 
• 1x Air observer team 

So two similar forces. We rolled by maximum attrition. As per usual I had a cunning plan and included a flanking force of the two vet para squads and the jeep. Kent, as usual deployed his entire force in the first turn. 

Turn one the paras make a run for the safety of the buildings.

 Turn 1, the M16 opens fire at Kent's air observer team needing 7s to hit. I managed to get 3x 6s out of the 12 dice. This was followed up by 3 6s- 3 hits! I then followed that up with this! One dead observer team.

Towards the end of turn 1 the (new) 234/1 armoured car advances on the M16, causing it to catch fire but the crew put the fire out and managed to stay on table- the lieutenant in front of the M16 helped with that though.

The situation at the end of turn 1.My infantry advancing on the buildings.

 The Germans are also advancing towards the river.

 Turn 1- a mortar strike (needing a 6 to range in) killed two men from my glider squad, My observer has called in an airstrike so Kent decided to hide the target, the 234/1, amongst my troops- part of a cunning plan.

 Who's ya daddy?

On cue the airstrike arrives, my Quad is pinned but doesn't open fire- the 234/1 is then knocked out. At this point we had a big discussion about how over the top airpower has been in our games so far (we've rolled 6s each time for the strike) and have decided to ban the use of aircraft- or at least take a serious look at the alternative rules, in our limited experience so far the rules seem over the top so we will stop using it, at least in is RaW form.

The Fallschrimjager advance to the banks of the river.

 The SS find a crossing and head towards the dormer house in the distance, which now houses one of my glider squads.

 And they are across the bridge, my lieutenant, in the foreground, is starting to panic.

 Advance- the SS are also across the river. Where are my flanking troops?

 Turn 4: At last the reserves arrive- the jeep spraying the MMG team with 50 cal shells, killing one crew member.

 The two veteran para squads advancing down the banks of the river.

 My oficer has retreated and Kent's FJ prepare to assult my squad in the house.

 Fierce hand to hand fighting ensues.

 I lose (4-3) and the building is captured.

 The bazooka team races out to fire on the second FJ squad following up to take advantage of the breakthrough.

 In the other house a FUBAR results in an attempted order to assault the remnants of the SS squad into a garbled and confused order to "RUN AWAY!"

 The two SS survivors retreat from my veteran para squads, slowly giving gorund by keeping up automatic wepaon fire as they do so.

 The M16 tries to cut down the second FJ squad

 In the final turn my officer suruvies as last gas attempt form the sole survivor in FJ squad one, from killing him.

And so it ended. a rather chaotic battle. Kent destroyed 5 of my squads/units and I got 4 of his so another close and hard fought game.

Most enjoyable, even if we both agreed that the air rules aren't that much fun. We will have a look at the alternative air rules to see if they are any better.