Tourney Game 1 - FFA vs. 7th Armoured US Tank list

My first game was against player, who hadn't played Fow after v2, so as I was a bit rusty as well, so was he.

The game started a bit late, which left to us not completing it in time either.

IIRC he had something like this.

CiC Sherman of sorts 2iC with Jumbo

1 Sherman platoon of 4-5 tanks, 76mm and stuff, Jumbo as well

1 Sherman platoon of 4 tanks again stuff.. As an infantry player I haven't paid that much attention to the different versions, apart from the HBG stuff...

1 ARP platoon with gun in tow

1 HT Mortars platoon

1 Recon with M2 and jeeps

1 large platoon of Veteran Priests

We played on a generic French rural scenery.

I deployed on the side with the railway, the Paks with VDH in the forest at the middle, second (schreckless) FJ platoon left of it, on the objective, LG40s in the corner woods, the Big FJ platoon was behind the big red brick building (that had no openings on sides/back), the mortars between them and the Paks. Stugs were behind the building to the left of the red railroad building.

US player deployed the CiC behind the right flank forest, Bigger Sherman platoon in the middle and Priests behind it, smaller tank platoon was behind the church, with the ARP and mortars on the road at the left flank, the Scouts were also there.

US Player got the first turn and promptly pushed forward, shermans sniped one Stug. the Armored OP moved on the left flank, the ARP bunched behind the small building at the middle.

On my turn I popped all four trap teams, 3 on the tank platoon at the left and one on the Priests. I managed to assault and kill the Jumbo and bail out a Sherman. Shermans counter-assault finished one trapper. My Bigger FJP moved forwards, while the PAKs, LGs and the second FJP dug in. Stugs moved behind the 1 FJP. My Stummels fired a bombardment on the bunched up halftracks, destroyed 2! and killed a few teams as well :)

2nd Turn for the US player revolved on trying to smoke the Paks, Slapping a bombardment on the Stugs/FJs and trying to kill the Trap teams...

I moved my FJs forward and Smoked the Shermans in the middle. Trap teams shot unsuccessfully, while everybody else more or less stayed down.

In the latter rounds, the Shermans in the middle concentrated on the Paks, killind one with MG fire... The Priests kept hitting the Stugs/Big FJP but rather ineffective, Trap teams kill off the Sherman platoon near the church, Stugs move forwards on my right flank, while trap team manages to kill a Priest. What's left of the ARP assaults the trap team next to the church, and lose one to DF. Trap team is killed.

The recon platoon assaults my obs in the forest, only to be wiped out by my FJP, the big Sherman platoon manages to score another Pak but it gets brought back from the dead by the VDH.  Sherman OP drives to the Flank of my Stugs and scores one. I ignore it as time gets thin, Shermans divert from the right objective and move to intercept my bigger FJP.

Another Pak gets killed by the Priests and VDH helps to re-roll and promptly helps the Paks and himself out from the battle (#%6&&""##) ... I kill off the ARP and start on the Mortars, while my infantry starts the assaults on the big Sherman platoon, I kill one, and they fail their roll, so must break off, only the space is very limited, my consolidation forces them to assault range of my CiC who assaults... Another Sherman burns, and we get time-outted...

I don't have much experience on FFA, TBH my tournament experience is very limited altogether, but this was a learning game for me and certainly for the opponent...

End result was 3-2 for me as I killed 3 platoons and lost 1.

Local tourney LW 1780 with 12 players. Part 1 the List

So I went to Lahti to try to qualify for the Finnish National Team for ECT :)

Took a list from Bridge by Bridge, one suggested and discussed with no other but the one and only Mathemagician, Riha.  I attached all Schrecks, 1 Stummel and 1 HMG to the first platoon, 1 Stummel and HMG to the 2nd platoon. the last Stummel went to the Stummelwerfer platoon.


Here's the list and pics, sorry they are crappy, but the painting ain't so nice either...

Full HQ options with both Fausts - 240

Full FJ with Faust - 275

Full FJ with Faust - 275

2x HMG platoon - 80

2x 8cm Stummel platoon - 65

2x 7.5cm LG40 platoon - 55

4x Pak40 platoon - 240

4x StuG G platoon - 380

Went to an open tourney, with bunch of infantry and some black magic...

Few pics from the Tourney, will write better AAR in near future.

Took the BBB list to the tourney, first game was FFA against trained US tanks, the opponent was very rusted guy, who did play last in V2nd rules, went to overtime so got 3-2 for me, with 3 platoons killed by me and Pak40s left the field with VDH  :P  Traps were wonderful.


Could have won this in 5 mins by assaulting his tank platoon from all sides, and also in range to contest the obj, but was timed out...

Second game was No Retreat vs. Meuse PZIV list on a very nice Africa table, town though. His worst opponent list 
6-1 against very good player, was tight. Recon limited the trap teams effects but again useful and made the opponent  move in very narrow lane.

Third game was Hasty attack against the Jaakari list, who won the tourney. I 'won' the Attack roll, and assaulting the objective in 4th turn successively when he rolled the second reserver roll and got one t-28 platoon and 1 Jaakari platoon on the objective with 5,6, 6,6  Still manages to kill Pioneers, Torni recce platoon and Stugs for 3-4.

I think the list is very very functional and I'm planning to practice with it in preparation to ETC 2013 where I qualified being 3rd in this tourney. 

I was very rusted also, so need to play lot more.. Winner was Jaakari list, second and tied to the first place played  trackless Finnish Jalkavaki.  

Flames of War V3 official FAQ - Old version, there's a new one now.

As the Version 3 FAQ PDF was very welcome indeed, I still prefer reading black on white, with less fluff, so here's a go at more readable FAQ for the fow's latest faq, took a while to compose, so be nice...

New version with latest updates.


ERRATA:

Considering Guns that begin in a Very Difficul Going.

Page 44: No Guns in Very Difficult
Going: Replace “even to rotate on the
spot” with “even to rotate on the spot
(unless mounted on a turntable)”

At the start of the turn if the bogging test is successful...

Page 44: Freeing Bogged Down Teams:
Replace “manages to Free their vehicle or gun”
with
“manages to Free their vehicle or gun. If they Bogged Down entering Area Terrain, they back out to the edge,ready to enter again or drive off.”


Crash Action

Page 49: Crash Action:
Replace “when it Unlimbers”
with
“when it Unlimbers or Dismounts adjacent to the vehicle”

Digging in and state of the team

Page 51: Digging In:
 Replace “treated as having moved”
with
“treated as having moved when shooting, for example”

Page 51: Digging In:
Replace “for any other purpose”
with
“for any other purpose, including firing artillery bombardments”

Page 60: Leaving the Battlefield:
Replace “Any time that teams”
with
“ Any time that one or more teams”

Page 61: Mountaineers:
Replace “treat steep hills”
with
“treat gentle and steep hills”

Page 78: The 6” Rule:
Replace “on the far side of the Area Terrain”
with
“on the far side of the Area Terrain if the terrain is
taller than both the shooting team and the target”

Page 78: Bocage Hedgerows:
Add “as they are taller than all teams”

Page 86: Concealed by Linear Obstacles:
Replace “across Linear Obstacles”
with
“across Linear Obstacles that are at least
half as tall as that team or the one looking at it”

Page 88: Concealed by Area Terrain:
Replace “at least half in Area Terrain, but straddling the edge”
with
“straddling the edge of, but at least half in, Area Terrain
that is at least half as tall as that team or the one looking at it”

Page 90: Gone to Ground: Replace
“assault in their own turn”
with
“assault in their own turn or conduct anti-aircraft fire in their opponent’s preceding turn”

Page 100: No Saves from Big Guns:
Replace “Gun teams, Passengers, and Unarmoured vehicles ... Bunker Buster”
with
“Gun teams, Unarmoured vehicles, and all Passenger teams in vehicles hit by
a Breakthrough Gun or a Bunker Buster, automatically fail their Saves”

Page 102: Bailed Out a Second Time:
Replace “the shot has no effect”
with
“the shot has no additional effect on the tank”

Page 105: Appointing New Commanders:
Replace “(including attached supporting platoons)”
with
“(including attached supporting platoons, but excluding all Allied platoons)”

Page 110: Sniper’s Hide:
Replace “any Terrain Feature”
with
“any Terrain Feature (unless Impassable)”

Page 118: Improvised Armour: Replace
“If vehicles with Improvised Armour ... against weapons”
with
“If a vehicle with Improvised Armour fails an Armour Save
against a weapon”

Page 118: No HE: Replace “Infantry and Gun teams”
with
“Infantry and Gun teams and Nests”

Page 128: All Guns Repeat!:
Replace
“previous turn’s Bombardment”
with
“original Bombardment”

Page 151: Which Platoons are Defending:

Add “If a Defending Warrior or
Independent team is within 8”/20cm of an Assaulting team and has not Joined a
platoon, it must, if possible, immediately Join a friendly platoon.”

Page 161: Has the Assaulting Platoon Won:
Replace “no enemy teams within”
with
“no Defending teams within”

Page 161: Has the Assaulting Platoon Won:
Replace “the only enemy teams within”
with “the only Defending teams within”

Page 181: Who Can Shoot:
Replace “Any weapons (other than”
with
“Any teams that shoot at aircraft (other than with”

Page 184: Original Target Destroyed:
Replace “may select any other”
with
“must select any other”

Page 198: Flame-throwers:
Replace “any other type of vehicle or team is hit, it is”
with
“any other type of vehicle or team is hit, it and any Passengers it is carrying, are”

Page 218: Fields of Fire Diagram:
Replace “Nests with no obvious firing slit use...”
with
“Nests with no obvious firing slit can shoot in any direction.”

Page 226: Burying Bunkers:
Replace
“Tank teams fitted”
with
“Any teams fitted”

Page 234: Entrenchments: Replace
“Fully-tracked and Half-tracked vehicles and troops on foot”
with
“Fully-tracked vehicles and troops on foot, and Difficult Going for Half-tracked vehicles,”

Pages 238-239: Tank Destroyers: Replace
rules with revised rules.

Page 240: Time On Target:
Replace “Every team hit by a TOT Bombardment”
with
“Every team hit by a TOT Bombardment (and any Passengers it is carrying)”

Page 241: Stormtroopers:
Replace “cannot make a Stormtroopers move.”
with
“cannot make a Stormtroopers move, aside from Unlimbering”

Page 245: Schürzen:
Replace “When a tank protected by Schürzen is ... and fails its Armour Save”
with
“If a tank protected by Schürzen fails an Armour Save against a weapon with a Firepower rating
of 5+ or 6 hitting its Side armour”

Page 246: Night Attack:
Replace “If they do so, … uses the Dawn rules”
with
“If they do so, their company has the Always Attack special rule (see page 257). If a
player that makes a Night Attack is the attacker, the game starts in Darkness and
uses the Dawn rules”

Page 246: Night Attack:
Delete “When making a Night Attack, the company has the Always Attacks special rule (see
page 257)”

Page 248: Mike Target:
Replace “caught under the bombardment”
with
“caught under the bombardment (and any Passengers they are carrying)”

Page 260: May Attach Gun Teams:
Replace “You can attach out…”
with
“You can attach out up to half of the Gun teams, retaining at least two Gun teams
in the HQ Support Platoon.”

Page 260: May Attach Gun Teams:
add
“Whichever you do, no more than half of the Gun teams, but always at least one gun, may be attached to any one platoon.”

Page 260: Combat Attachments:
Replace
“excluding the Platoon Command and Transport teams”
with
“excluding the Platoon Command team, Observer and other Independent teams, and Transport teams”

Page 260: Combat Attachments: Replace
“the Platoon Command team is removed”
with
“the Platoon Command team (and the Komissar team if there is one) is removed”

Page 260: Combat Attachments: Replace
“may not Combat Attach more than half its teams”
with
“may not Combat Attach more than half its teams (again excepting the teams listed above)”

Page 260: Combat Attachments: Insert
before last paragraph
“If the platoon making Combat Attachments has Observer teams or other Independent teams, you must Combat Attach the Independent team with the rest of its section, and the whole section must be Combat Attached to the same platoon together.”

Page 263: Pioneer Supply Vehicles:
Add
“If the Pioneer Supply vehicle is placed from Ambush, the Obstacles must be placed using the Placing Ambushes restrictions on page 266 as if they were teams in the same platoon.”

Page 264: Meeting Engagement: Add
“Players always roll dice to see who attacks and who defends in a Meeting Engagement, even when one of the forces
has the Always Attacks or Always Defends special rule.”

Page 266: Placing Ambushes: Replace
“Heavy and Immobile Gun teams”
with
“Heavy and Immobile Gun teams (whether Limbered or Unlimbered)”

Page 266: Placing Ambushes: Replace
“placed in Ambush closer than 16”/40cm to”
with
“placed in Ambush within 16”/40cm of”

Page 270: Summary: Replace “the
defender removes an Objective that they placed”
with
“the defender removes an Objective that the attacker placed”

Page 276: Deciding Who Won: Replace
“Fair Fight”
with
“There are No Draws”

Fallschirmjäger Pioneers - the best infantry in the game :)

FJ Pioneers - Rifle/Mg At 4 FV/FT, can take flamethrowers, supply truck what's not to like?

• Price, at ~34 points per team, the FJ pioneer is very, very expensive
• Flamethrower at 34 points, will you use it to pin/destroy CT troops?
• Third platoon of infantry, unless you are one of the brave ones, who try out one of the FJ pioneer lists, this will be your third platoon of infantry, I'm not always happy to have 3 platoons of infantry.
• I will try out a FJ pioneer list in future friendly games, but do not see the point in having these elites on any tourney list of mine.

There are a lot of good things to say about the FJ pioneers, that's for sure, but if you could get them as rifle teams, the price might be better... 

The US Tank Destroyer updated official rules in a nutshell.

The suggestion to Tank Destroyer Rules.

TANK DESTROYERS

The Tank Destroyer special rules have been revised since the rulebook was printed. The revised rules are shown in the rulebook updates section (page 12) and completely replace the rules in the original rulebook.

When I place the Tank Destroyer Section, can I string them out to outflank the enemy?

To an extent you can. There are two relevant restrictions on placing the Tank Destroyer Section: they must be within Command Distance of a team from the Security Section, and be In Command when the Security Section is removed.

The first part requires you to place every team close to the Security Section, so you cannot string them out with just one team near the Security Section. The second part means you have to keep the whole Tank Destroyer Section together as a platoon, so you cannot put half of the Tank Destroyer Section at one end of the Security Section and half at the other.

If I’m playing a mission with Prepared Positions, is my Towed Tank Destroyer Platoon Dug In when they are placed?

No. Since the Tank Destroyer Section moved to follow the Security Section, they are not Dug In when they are placed using the Tank Destroyer Section rule.

Can Tank Destroyers be placed using the Tank Destroyer Section special rule within 12”/30cm and in Line of Sight of an AOP with the Column Security special rule?

Yes. The Column Security special rule applies to Ambushes, but the Tank Destroyer Section does not use the Ambushes rule. The AOP is still a team and as such prevents the Tank Destroyers from being placed within 4”/10cm of it, or within 16”/40cm of it in the open.

What happens if the Security Section of a US Tank Destroyer Platoon is Destroyed, but there is no legal place for the Tank Destroyer Section to be placed? 

If the Security Section is Destroyed, the Tank Destroyer Section is placed around its Destroyed Command Team. If it cannot be placed there because the enemy is too close or for some other reason, then it cannot be placed and the platoon is Destroyed.

If the Security Section of a US Tank Destroyer Platoon loses two out of three teams, does it need to take a Platoon Morale Check? 

No. The Tank Destroyer Section is still operational, so the Security Section does not need to take a Platoon Morale Check.

The Tank Destroyer Section will only take a Platoon Morale Check when half of the teams from the Tank Destroyer Section itself are Destroyed (assuming none are Bailed Out or Bogged Down

Probable tourney list for open tourney at 1780

So, here's the next iteration of my 2 Tiger IIs list for FJs, will try it on mostly cause I've been told that it does not work.. And smoke and TDs will make me regret it ;) Well, might be, but I still think it's gonna be a painful experience to anyone who did not remember to pack heavy artillery or air, the Marders should be enough to keep anything flanking busy, and even the nebs have some teeth with the Pak40.. The knackered old 2iC gets to have the Stummels as 6th platoon, and we can smoke everything, if I hit FW, might go with 5 platoons ;)

The Forum - Church of the One Truth

I really have problems with the facts people let's us know when talking about tactics or lists in certain forum nowadays, Like, never take short Fj platoon, you could have Grenadiers if you take that... What? Take pioneers, you really need them. What? Oh, you play those silly blue on blues... I think really competitive peoples are on one side, and the loud peoples on the other side.

I'm at a point where I think I'll stop posting, as I used to loathe the blizzard forums cookie-cutter way of talking, the Flames of War is complicated game enough, with lot of Xs on the battle,

• The Terrain - Snow, Night, Mud, all make things happen
• The Opponent - Sure, if you play the same guys with same lists over and over, this is not mod..
• The Time - again, if you have a limit, it might change your thinking about 5+ platoons with 10 teams each?
• The possible case of having to move the forces.
• The Meta - This one is huge. 

Enough of rant, will stay as lurker for the time being, and concentrate on wwpd and few national forums, guess I can share my insights here as well :)

1780 LW Cassino FJ vs. Harckocsizo Szazad

In order to practice a bit and also have a go at ETC-tournament qualifier lists, me and Aleksis played Encounter on a table with lots of terrain. The larger wooded areas were normal forests that block los and are difficult terrain, smaller woods provided concealment for all, hedges concealment for infantry only.

The lists were.

Cassino FJ

Hungarian Tanks

In order to practice a bit and also have a go at ETC-tournament qualifier lists, me and Aleksis played Encounter on a table with lots of terrain. The larger wooded areas were normal forests that block los and are difficult terrain, smaller woods provided concealment for all, hedges concealment for infantry only.

Harckocsizo Szazad Harckocsize Szazadi HQ - 1x CinC Tiger I E (195 pts) - Ervin Tarczay(75 pts) Harckocsizoi Platoon - 1x Command Tiger I E, 1x Tiger I E (390 pts) Harckocsizoi Platoon - 1x Command Panther A, 1x Panther A (365 pts) Light Harckocsizoi Platoon - 1x Command Toldi II, 3x Toldi II (155 pts) 1x Upgrade Toldi II to Toldi IIa (5 pts) Rohamagyus Platoon - 1x Command Zrinyi II, 2x Zrinyi II (225 pts) Assault Pioneer Platoon - 1x Command Pioneer Rifle/MG, 9x Pioneer Rifle/MG (270 pts) Command Panzerfaust SMG (10 pts) 3x 15cm NW41 rocket launcher (85 pts) (CT)

Monte Cassino 1.fjd Fallschirmjägerkompanie HQ - 2 Cmd SMG team 3 Panzerschreck team 3 8cm GW42 (Stummelwerfer) mortar Fallschirmjäger Platoon - cmd/panzerknacker/smg, 9 rifle/mg teams Fallschirmjäger Platoon - cmd/panzerknacker/smg, 9 rifle/mg teams Fallschirmjäger Machine-gun Platoon- 4 Mg42s (Attached) Fallschirmjäger Mortar Platoon - 2 8cm GW42 Assault Gun Platoon(Heer)- 4 StugIIIg Fallschirmjäger Tank-hunter Platoon- 4 Marder II 3x 15cm NW41 rocket launcher

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

The Map

Hungarian deployment

UNITS IN RESERVE
Harckocsizo Szazad Light Harckocsizoi Platoon - 1x Command Toldi II, 3x Toldi II (155 pts) 3x 15cm NW41 rocket launcher (85 pts) (CT) Harckocsizoi Platoon - 1x Command Panther A, 1x Panther A (365 pts)	Monte Cassino 1.fjd Fallschirmjäger Mortar Platoon - 2 8cm GW42 Fallschirmjäger Tank-hunter Platoon- 4 Marder II 3x 15cm NW41 rocket launcher

DEPLOYMENT SUMMARY

Harckocsizo Szazad: The hungarians won the roll to choose side, and chose the left. The objectives were placed. And tyhe pioneers started on the far right, on the objective. The Zrinyi and tigers took the middle. Monte Cassino 1.fjd: I made a mistake on setting my objective on the hungarians far right allowing for his few teams to control both... You live you learn, then again the hungarian's only target of offensive was the Toldi platoon snatching objective.

TURN 1

Turns 1-3

The Fj maneuver into the buildings while Stugs try to get the Zrinyi while avoiding the Tigers.

Stugs play cat and mouse with the tigers, the FJ platoon moves to town.

The Fj platoon moves forward, to cut the route of the tanks and to allow for assault in case the opportunity should arise.

Tigers get smoked every turn, Stugs get killed, Panther leader killed by nebs, marders arrive and help kill the Zrinyi.

Before they get killed by the combined fire from the Tigers and Nebs

The reserves arrive on the wrong side for the tanks. I forgot to take any more pictures as we were timing the game as well, on the last turn I managed to Kill 1 tiger, assault the second , which failed the roll to counteratack and ran away. Then I bombarded the Panther, shot it with a schreck, but all in vain. The total score was 3-2 for Hungarians, with the Stugs and Marders killed and Zrynyis on his side. All in all, would've been a better game had I put the objective on the far side, as the Hungarians stayed on the same spot for the whole game, and I really didn't have the possibility of attacking either objective. Had I put the objective elsewhere, I could've overloaded the defenders there, just didn't think it through, now I know and will be doing this differently the next time.



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