Southcon 2022- first run for the elves

 For the first time in many years I am heading down to Southcon and will be joining Josh and Gordon to play Kings of War. I’ve had lots of practice games with my Ogres and had planned on taking them but after a single game with my elves changed my mind so am taking an army I have very little experience using- a total of one game under my belt so the list is far from fine tuned.  

The elves are considered an elite army and somewhat of a scalpel force and nowhere near as resilient as my ogres are so it will be interesting to see how they go. 

 2x Palace Guard  Regiments

1x Therennian Seaguard horde

1x Quicksilver lancers (Stormwind) Reg

2x Silverbreeze Cavalry Regs

1x Drakon Riders horde

1x Elven King,  Mount on a Horse, shardblade (melee 2+)
2x Lords on Drakon 1 with the Boomstick

2x Elven Archmage’s- 1 lightning bolt, inspiring talisman, #2- lightning bolt

20x Unit Strength, 11 Units

Palace Guard

Elite medium infantry with CS 1, reasonable defence (Def 4). I was tooing and froing between taking them as a horde and the seaguard as regiments or vice versa. In the end I stuck with my original idea of having the palace guard regiments flanking the Seaguard and trying to manoeuvre into flanks. I see these two units also as working together when possible.

 

Seaguard Horde

The plan is to have hem holding the centre, plinking away with 25 shots hitting on 5+. Spears with Phalanx, hitting on 4s with elite is unit is a solid, versatile unit. I hope to blunt attacks and then counter attack with the Seaguard. The now have steady aim with their shooting too. I’m not expecting their shooting to do much but hope to aim at Def 3 or 4 units as much as possible.

I’ve used the GW Galadheim Elves as for these units and very happy with how they have turned out.

 Quicksilver lancers (Stormwind) Reg

Elite elven heavy cav. They have been boosted n Clash of Kings 2021 with the Quicksilver Lancers option for one regiment which makes them nimble and increases their nerve to 15/17. This makes them a real threat on the flans with their options to turn on a dime. I’d have loved to add Jesse’s boots to them but alas not enough points. I am using Galadhiem Knights and also Riders of Rohan to make up this unit.

 

Silverbreeze Cav reg

I like using light Cav type units and the Silverbreeze are some of the bs tin the game. No thunderous- unless charging off a hill memo to self for during the games!), speed 10,  melee and ranged 4+ which isn’t too shabby, nimble and elite and steady aim. For this unit I am using GW riders of Rohan.  

 Drakon Riders horde

I love the look of this regiment, using the new Mantic mini’s. These guys fly and have CS 1 and TC 1 + elite. 18 attacks, hitting on 3s. A real threat and I will need to combine with my other cav units when possible. A dangerous unit and so one that opponents will focus on.

 

Elven king

Speed 9, 5 attacks, CS 1, with the shard blade (hits on 2+). My mobile anti-flyer and anti character unit. I didn’t have points for the sabre tooth a cat (duelling). A mobile, inspiring support unit.

 2x Lord on Drakons

In my practice game I only had one but have dropped my other unit for a second one. Again I am using the new Mantic Drakon models which are stunning. I have one the Boomstick for 3 lightning bolts but am kicking myself for not taking the blade of the beast slayer. My reasoning was the broomstick turns him into a mini dragon with a breath attack option so we will see if it works out. Again highly mobile with elite melee, fly, inspiring, nimble and TC 1. Not as tough as Gordon’s human kings of winged beasts but are also cheaper. Hitting form the flanks or rear will give them 10 or 15 attacks so I need to make sure I position them correctly.

 

2x elven archmages

Again pretty simple- lighting bolts and one with the inspiring talisman to inspiring trools. I intend to use them as speedbumps/chaff if necessary but their main role witl be for close fire support with lightning bolts with the sea guards.

 

So there we have it, 11 units, 20 unit strength. Having seen the other army lists I think it might struggle in some match ups but I am hoping to be able to work the flanks and manoeuvrability. I don’t think it will do that well but am hoping to win 2 and would happy if I could win 3 games over the weekend.

 

 

28mm Mongols. Who to use?

Southcon 2013 will have a 300 pt Impetvs comp (I'd prefer 400 pts but never mind) and is themed on Armies of Asia. It will be using "official" 28mm basing i.e. 12cm wide. I don't think I'll do this though, will probably make a few 4cm sabots to add to existing basing as it is more flexible.

I'm not really that interested in the theme, I lived in Japan for 3 years, about 100m from the local castle and enjoyed walking around it in the evenings, or with everal other gaijin occasionally climb the walls while drunk.

Kochi Castle

  Japanese military history isn't really my thing however and aren't that keen for a Chinese, Japanese or Korean armies but one army I have always wanted is Mongols so I see this comp as an excuse to make a Mongol, Golden Horde, army. I guess I have a bit of a light horse army bent- I've a 28mm Hunnic/Alans army to do as well as my Seljuks. The attraction of the Mongol is it will easily be able to be used with my Arab & Crusades forces too. So who to use for the figures?

Gripping Beast?
Using a selection from the Timurid range?

 Musketeer Miniatures
Again, their ghulums are very nice looking figures and could be used for the medium cavalry.

 

 Perry- Arab armies?
Basically morphing my Seljuks & Ghulums- probably not too far off and could run it now using these figures. My current Perry and OG horse archers could be used with these guys. 

 Some of the Perry Arab range could also fit into the theme with some work.

 Steve Barber
These guys look really nice and are sculpted as mongols. My only conern is not having ordered any before whether they would fit with the Perry's size why. Their army deal looks very good value too...

So anyone got any suggestions or experiences with these ranges or other suggestions for who to use for Mongols? Curleys aren't an option too weird looking.  

Craig

Southcon Day 2

Day 2: Fighting Withdrawal vs Jamie MacDonald (Finns)

My 4^th Invercargill player in a row- the Invercargill guys are all good players so this was potentially another tough game. Jamie was running:

• 2x infantry platoons (1 was reduced strength)
• 3x pak 40s with a couple of infantry teams
• Pioneers
• Heavy mortars
• 3x captured T34s

I didn’t think he had enough AT to stop me, especially if I could stop him concentrating T34s and pak 40s so decided to split my force and make him defend both objectives I’d placed. 

The majority of my force aims at the lightly defended left objective. 

The Shermans ensure that Jamie has to defend both objectives.

 

 

BAs screen the advance.

 The left flank advances.

I stopped a couple of turns to fire on the pak 40s. The paks ambushed the SU 122s killing 2 bailing 1 but they stayed on board, and then the 122s hid. The heavy morrtars caused a few bails but little else. My return fire only managed to kill 1 pak with 10x gun Stuart shots and 15x 50 cal dice. The next turn the pak bailed a scout car and it was then killed by my massed firepower leaving the objecitve pretty much undefended except for 3-4 infantry teams.

 Meanwhile the Shermans blocked the T34s, stopping them reinforcing the left. A couple of times Jamie thought about taking them on but each time the number of tanks eventually swayed him and the T34s remained hidden.

 The Shermans managed to blast out a few teams and ensure that Jamie could not leave that objecive unsupported. 

 Turn 4- the razvedki sweep the last 3 teams off the objective and put a defensive screen on it. Jamie's sends 6 pioneers teams to try to wrestle it from me but in the following assaults his teams come in piecemeal and in two turns he only manages to kill 2 teams with 6 or so dice. My 6 razvedki become 4 but kill all the pioneers and pass their morale test and so I win at the start of turn 5. 

Result 6-1.
Jamie simply did not have enough AT to stop my attack and by forcing him to keep his AT seperated he was not able to mass enough fireower to slow me down. A bit one sided in the end but still a good game (at least for me) as you are never sure what will happen when conscript tanks are involved. 

Game 5: Surrounded vs Bob Pearce (Tiger company)
Bob and I knew we were about to meet- he was doing well and had smashed some infantry forces I thought should have slowed him down so he was obviously running his tigers well. Not exactly a huge list but one which woyuld cause me no end of problems.

• 3x tigers
• 3x 20mm AA
• 3x pioneers
• limited stukas

 On the right table I rated my chances to try to get the small VPs and who knows a lucky airstrike and I was in with a chance- on the wrong table I was pretty much screwed. We both agreed the Cauldron table would not be a good one for my force but alas that is the table we drew- oh crap. I also got to defend- gulp.There as a wadi, a few rises and no LOS blocking or area terrain at all- the tigers would be able to fire the length of the entire board and the best I could hope for would be the occasioanl concealed shot!


I deployed my razvedki in the wadi and ambushed with my BA 64s! My plan simple- hope to hold on for 3 turns and get my reserve to intercept his reserves (i.e the small platoons). No point deploying any tanks as at best he need a 4 or 5 to hit from anywere on the board!

Turn 1- my BA64's ambush then use the recce move- to chase down the  AA and try to stay alive and annoy the tigers. It kind of worked- the aAA double timed away then the next turn let rip from long range- oops.

 Turn 1 a tiger arrives from reserve- hey no fair!

 The other tigers hug my defences ot prevent airstrikes (clever boy that Bob) and start shooting. 

 This isn't looking good but I hold on till turn 3- the AA destroys my recon on turn 2.

 Now that's what I call a tiger!

  Turn 3- my battalion commander and Stuarts turn up (forgot to deploy hm but luckily in V3 you can attach warriors to reserves). The AA half tracks and shot to peices from behind then what is that noise behind us...?

Tigers vs Stuarts is never pretty within seconds the tigers and stukas kill 3 and bail a couple more Stuarts.  My Shermans then arrive and their shots miss or bounce off the tiger's armour.

 The turkey shoot begins.

 SUs arrive and a shot bounces of the side armour of the company commander- who misses with 2 shots (neeeding 2s) and bails another ha, ha! Unfortunately the other two tigers were better shots and the 122s are destroyed in seconds.

Shermans valiantly close to try to get to the tigers flanks but again the one hit bounces off the side armour. This has allowed the staurts ot duble time around and attack the pioneers.  Killing one and them destroying the othe two in assaults. Moments later my last tanks including the battalion commander are destroyed. 

 
4-3 to Bob. I was bloody lucky to limp away with 3 points from that one. The table was truly  worse case scenario for my force but that's the luck of the draw and I would have been struggling on many  tables vs that particaulr force. Bob probably should have retreated his last two infantry stands from the assault vs the Stuarts (I would have) to conserved a VP but that isn't the way he rolls. A fun game if a one sided one- Bob made sure he stayed away from my flame thrower and hugged my infantry negating my rata airstrikes but he did all he had to do. So that is now 1-1 between us.

Going into round 6 I was a point ahed of Cal (my old rival) on the allied side and first equal with Kent's FJ and Bob a point or so behind us, so I was hoping to face Kent but Richard made sure we didn't meet and instead he faced Cal. I would have preferred to meet Kent simply becuse I did not want to face Rob and his panthers- bugger I got the one match up I didn't want.

Game 6: No Retreat vs Rob Shirley (Panzer grenadiers)

• HQ + Remer
  
• 2x motorised pgs 
• 2x AA
• 3x panthers
• 3x nebs 

We played on my Ortona Table- lots of places to hide from panthers (I hope). Rob ambushed with panthers, and depployed AA and a large PG platoon with Remer.

I loaded up my right flank and left my Shermans a bit wider to act as a possible decoy.  I was hoping to pin the panthers to an objective then scoot away behind buildings to grab the other one- a dodgy plan is better than no plan at all!

Turn 1: Recon 16" (Tob deployed near the objectives, not to far forward) + jeep mobility on turn 1 meant my recon was aready on the objective meaning the panthers had tro deploy. Likewise the M3A1s race forward towards the objective.

 Panthers ambush the razvedki killing two half tracks and bailing another. Luckily I only lose 1x infantry team, the PGs then charge out and drive my razvedki back in disarray, killing another team or two. On my turn the stuarts sit on the objectives while the razvedki rally and kill the 3 nearest pg teams- the AA halftrack is bailed by the stuarts.

 Turn 3- the pantrher kill 4 stuarts and kill a couple more (but I stay on table). Another infantry team leaps out of a building near the burning flak to the left of the shermans (which had killed it). He missed with the assault so my Shermans (whcich had been in the assualt) and BA 64s broke off through the German lines- there s about a 2-3" gap between the teams in the rubble and buildings. This meant on my turn I was on the panthers flanks! 

The Shermans fanned out- some heading (with the BA 64s) to the other objective, 5 tried to hit the panthers from the flank- I scored 3 hits(needing 5s). The near panther rolled 5 and 6 so was only bailed (and got straight back in- arrgh, the frist time in i don't know how many years my MW tanks have flanked a panther!) but the far one was knocked out. My other Shermans and BA 64s machine gunned 2 teams of the original PG platoon and then used shooting to succcessful to grab the objective.

 Reserves arrived but nothing that could sway the battle.Yah for the new Hens & Chicks!

 The Shermans consolidate ot the objecctive- one of the 5 near the panther is about to be moved to make sure the command chain is kept

 The panthers killed 2 more stuarts and the two survivors were attacked by remer and the sole survivor from the pg platoon- I missed them in defensive fire and survived a panzerknacker strike then backed off and to the battallion commander and passed their stay on the board test.

 Game 6-1.

Didn't think it would go that way- the assault fror the building probably changed the game as it gave me an extra move towards the pantehrs and wass not what Rob eas expecting.

Final Results
I came first allied and first eqaul overall with Kent- Kent won all 6 games vs a wide variety of oppoents so very well done to his FJ. He crushed Cal in the final round and so really deserved his laurels- a great result for his FJ. We ended up on same points- he had a few closer games but the extra  +2 for winning each round and although I only won 5 we were on the same overall points and Bob nipping on his heels as second best Axisby a point or so. Cal was 2nd Allied (I think)

A fun comp, as usual. some outstanding tables but a couple were a bit too hard possibly- the Breakthough in the snow (I didn't get to play on  it though)  was pretty hard on most forces amd the Cauldron was just nasty vs tigers!

Thoughts on the army and 3E

The tankovy did better than I hoped- I was surprised not to see any German medium panzer companies (might be my army for next year). I didn't get to breakthoguh gun much but only lost the 122s once, and the entire army combined well.Tthe rata's underperformed but a few times the I moved tanks into the 16" bubble to get better shots and so waved off some of my few strikes. The game vs Noel  as probably when the planes performed best although they did fail to kill the stugs they got a few infantry and a couple of werfers. The razvedki were damn handy and possibly the  most useful unit.

I still find conscripts a challange, turn 1 and 2 I am always anxious as to whether I've done the right thing and it isn't hard to to start bleeding units as a couple of turns of average dice can gut a company or two. Still if massed it can throw out a lot of dice and put psychological pressure on but vs a calm opponent who knows how to focus on one unit at a time they can quickly come unstuck.

I really enjoyed the new Hens and Chicks. German players once again had to worry about their tanks' flanks rather than moving slowly back and keeping front armour to the tankovy. I'd rather need a 5 or 6 to hit from the side than no chance at all. If the Germans can keep the tanks at range they do fine but at least now you can work towards getting flank shots and they need to be on their toes.

Final comments
That's my 5th win out of 9 Southcons- I never go into a comp hoping or expecting to win, rather I go in trying to make the army perform the best I can and minimise opportunities to lose platoons/companies and so make my opponent's work for every point they take off me (of course it doesn't always work out that way but that is the plan).

I had 6 good games against very good players and managed to win 5 of them so was very, very happy with the outcome. Richard put on another excellent weekend. The tables were top notch- I was happy to accept an equal best table for my Ortona table. I look forward ot catching up with the players again next year for the 10th Southcon FoW comp.

Menwhile, on Wednesday it is time for some Crusades era Impetus for a change of pace

Craig

Southcon 2012- Day 1

 Southcon 2012

This was the 9^th running FoW at Southcon and I’ve been to all 9. I think Noel and Pete Black would be the next most regular attendees with 7-8 each.

My MW Tankovy (FC)

• ·         1x HQ Stuart
• ·         8x Stuarts
• ·         8x Shermans (6x 50 cals)
• ·         4x SU 2122
• ·         3x BA 64
• ·         9x Razvedki (SMGs) in M3A1s
• ·         Sporadic 1-153s

Game 1: Dust up vs Stephen Falconer (Panzerspah)

Frist up Stephen Falconer- great.  Top player from Invercargill. Stephen was running a pak front pretending to be a panzershpah. This was not going to be an easy game.

• HQ 250
• ·         2x 250 patrols
• ·         1x 232 patrol
• ·         3x 233s (yes!)
• ·         4x pak 38s
• ·         3x pak 40s
• ·         2x 88s
• ·         Nebs

• ·         Priority (IIRC) stukas! 

Stephen deployed his paks and 233s defending his objectives, I placed Shermans and razvedki. Trun 1 Stephen moved his 233s forward to get round my flanks of my Shermans moved out to hunt them and KOed a couple of a couple of turns later. His air caused me all sorts of problems, killing my Sherman commander and a couple of Shermans. I managed to deal with the last 233 and by then my reserves had started to arrive so they double timed away form the 88s that had a great field of fire and my Sherman’s and stuarts concentrated on intercepting his reserves. 

Stephen’s recon was damaging my razvedi and air nibbling away at the Shermans. He managed to push a pak 40 forward just far enough to hit a Sherman frm the rear and destroy it, putting them under half strength, the same turn my  razvedki were knocked under half strength by the 250s patrols. His 232 patrol double timed back behind the safety of his pak front (the ensure he still had 4 platoons alive) but I pushed my 122s through a wood and one got a bead on the double timing 233s and hit them both on 5s- knocking them both out. Alas his pak hit put my shermans under half strength and both they and the razvedki legged it- yep more failed morale tests for me!

I then cleaned up the rest of the armoured cars with stuarts and nervously avoided the now rapidly advancing pak 40s and pak 38s, MGing the pak 38s and forcing company morale tests. Stpeh passed a couple and got closer and closer to my forward objective with his At guns but eventually failed a morale test.

4-3 to me. His gun line was a pain and I never really entertained trying to take it on, double timing everything away from his 88s. I was a bit annoyed to lsor both companies the same turn and would have preferred it if one had hung round. His force was interesting but a wee bit light vs the stuarts/shermans and as he himelf said he srewed up the first trurn moing the 233s forward and should have proably had them in reserve. A good game though, tense all the way through and ended up quite close. I got revenge for our game a few years back where he trounced my razvedki- so we are now 1-1.

The 233s advancce on turn 1.

The first of many airstrikes focusing on my command tanks- sensible play that!


Shrmans retreat to incercept the reserves.


The 250s focus on what they can kill- my razvedki!


The paks advance up the road towards the objective!

Game 2: Pincer vs Peter Black (Carri company)

Pete is another of the Invercargill guys I rate very highly- he has won Southcon 2 or 3 times so I was wary going into the game. We were both armoured by my Sherman’s trumped the armour on his Carri, but his 88s trumped my Shermans. I got to defend and although I entertained the idea of ambushing with Stuarts put 8 Sherman’s into ambush.

Pete was running;

·         HQ cari

·         3x carri platoons (4-5 strong)- FV x1, CV x2 (IIRC)

·         5x L60s (CT)

·         2x 88s (FV)

·         4x Semevontes (CT)

I hid the stuarts and left the forward objective open. He advanced (surprise, surprise) and I ambushed on my far left with the shermans, killing 2x L60s and 2x carri)-  the starts ahd moved round to help the shermans and did bugger all but I had anticipated killing the carri at least- oops. This left the objective open and covered by 88s but my Shermns were protected by buildings so couldn’t be targeted while my stuarts were fed forward to contest. Soon it was a bun fight between semoventes and carri (and 88s whenever they spotted a stuart) and shermans and stuarts- with me being forced to expose tanks to keep the game alive .

 In the end my heavier shells  (and armour) of the Shermans were the decider and I broke Pete’s  force about turn 5 although I was down to 2x stuarts but finally passed a morale test (yeah!) to keep them on table.

6-1 to me but if I had been attacking vs those 88s it would have beena different story. Alas Sherans completely outclass carri and as long as I could staty out of the way of the 88s and concentrate on the semevone’s first he was in trouble. Pete palyed well and I nearly screwed it up by leaving the objective too open, but the good ridgeline was never an option to ambush from as the 88s had a clear LoS on it.

Stuarts on table, ridge line covers the objective but well within range of 88s.

 Surprise. Why ambush vs L60s? Because I could!

 The firefight continues but the Shermans have a definite edge.

 Stuarts tangle with carri- inclduing the Italian company commander.

Game 3: Surrounded vs Noel Black’s FJ

Richard’s very cool looking Stalingrad rubble table- lots of bogging checks with conscripts, oh yah!

Noel had

·         Van De Heyte:

·         2x full FJ

·         2x recoliess

·         2x stugs

·         4x pak 36

·         3x werfers

I placed Shermans on one side, everyhtring else together on the other. Turn 1 I only bogged 1 Shermman and the stuarts, SU 122s and razvdki advanced on the far side. My rata managed to hit and bail a stug (first rurn of 4 in a row I bailed a stug with planes or shermans only to fail a 3+ firepower test). Noel hit my razvedki and stuarts with werfers and knocke out a couple of 122s with stugs (which had of coruse remounted).

Turn 2 another airstrike, another bailed stug ((briefly). By turn 3 my sherns were finally in positon, y stuarts continued to pour fire on the pak 36s and infantry- my BA 64s lifting GtG. To get some flank shots my Shermans had to get close to the innocuous looking doorknockers- the Sherman’s bailed another stug (stupid 3+ firepowers) then the lost 3 in return fire and another to a door knocker's steilgranate! Oh crap- Noel’s first ever victim apparently! My stuarts and SUs continued to throw everything they had at the paks and had killed a couple but on De Heyte managed to bring one back!

It was now 4 Shermans vs  stugs so the stuarts rushed the stugs. I couldn’t get side shots but they would the following turn. The Sherman’s had to stay still to maximise shots and only managed a single bailed stug (yep, couldn’t roll a 3+ to destroy again) which again remounted- 4 turns and 4 failed firepower tests to kill stugs (grrrrr) then the return fire killed a 5^th sherman and the doorknocker bailed another- once again my fearless morale fails me and the shermans leg it- 6-7Stuarts vs 2 stugs?

The game as slipping away. I surrounded the stugs with stuarts and blasted the last of the paks with volley firing 122s. Van de Heyte tried to keep the survivor and commander on table but they all legged it! I had 5 side shots at the stugs (on 5s), 2 hits, 2 failed side armoured saves, 2 passed firepower tests. Typical! Fail with multiple  3+ tests, pass needing 4s.

At that point Noel surrendered- he had 6 team on the objective, no AT, was down to 1x werfer and his other FJ platoon could not intervene- it was simply a matter of blasting him out of his foxholes with volleyfire and stuarts after the BA 64s lifted GtG.

5-2 to me. Stugs, we hate them- but at least Sherman’s have a chance vs threat front armour- if they ccan pass firepower tests! This game was a great example of how conscript tanks cannot stand a couple of rounds of attritional warfare vs the likes of stugs- they simply melt away so its really important tominimise losses or opprtunits to take return fire.

Noel's deployment- great looking table.

Stugs snipe 122s on turn 1


Havng forced their way through the rubble for two turns (only lost 1 tank) the Shermans draw LoS on the stugs.




And it all goes horribly wrong!

End of Day 1

I was first equal for allies with Keith’s staghounds. Keith had despatched two forces I did not want to face- Bob Pearce’s tiger company and Rob Shirley’s panzer grenadiers with 3x panthers- both tanks which were designed to kill conscript tanks in droves. I knew Bob was doing well as the Axis and was right up there and Kent had 3 wins but were were unlikely to face ach ther until the final round, if at all, as the TO was making sure people played people from other parts of the country whenever possible- so odds were on day two I’d face one or both of Bob and Rob.

To be continued...