Guest from the West coast Canadien Infantry defending versus BBB Fallschrimjagers.

Went to Panssari museum in Parola last Sunday with my 2 oldest sons, and no other than Russ from the NorCal gaming circuits,  Russ posted a nice AAR of a game we managed to play, instead of obstacles like morning flight, wife, work and so on. Do enjoy.

AAR Canadien IINO defends BBB FJ in Pincer


Here's the text and pics:

I managed to get in a game vs Mikko while in Finland. Both of us made a sacrifice to play-we ended 2 hours before I had to get up and catch my plane the next day and Mikko had to convince his wife that playing FOW late on a weeknight was somehow a good idea-after school and before work the next morning!

Anyways, Mikko played his FJ from market Garden and I played a Canadian list his friend had.

Mikko's List: HQ+ Heydte + 4 Trap teams + 3 mtrs + 3 schreks, 2 large FJ platoons, 3 StuH42s, 4 Pak40s, 2 88s, small mortar platoon and a small Recce platoon (3 stands). He combat attacked the schreks and a mortar each to his infantry platoons (12 and 13 stands each), and added the 3rd mortar to his small mtr platoon to make a 3 tube battery.

Russ's borrowed Canadian list: HQ, Full Rifle platoon with 3 De-Frocked Priests, Short Rifle platoon with 3 De-Frocked priests, 4 6 pdrs + Trans, Arm Recce pltn (2 Shermans, 2 FFs), 4 M-10Cs, 4 3" mtrs, 3 Carriers, 3 WASPs.

Scenario: Pincer. With my limited amount of infantry, heavy AT but not a lot of "digging out" power, I didn't  opt  for the night attack and hoped I would roll to be the defender-which I did.

I started with the full rifle platoon, mortars, 6 pdrs and the armored recce on the board (see picture 1 below). Mikko weighted his attack to my left and came at me with both infantry platoons supported by mortars, Paks and Stuh42s. The 88s were set up where they might get a shot in but he didn't have transport for them so they couldn't move.

As he came forward, I tried to trim his numbers with the mortars but didn't do much. His trap teams popped on his side and advanced towards  my solo units (Observers and commanders) on my right flank while everything else went in on my left. I waited one turn too long to deploy my ambush, which resulted in my 6 pdrs having to ambush further back then I would have liked.



As Mikko came in he used his mortars (very effectively) to smoke off portions of my force while shooting with StuH42s, a Pak40 shot or two and his infantry to start to bring my infantry platoon down. Assaulting was tough at first because I had a lot of DF shots.

Finally, on turn 4, I received 2 reinforcements. I brought in my WASPs and M-10Cs. I hit his Recce platoon with 1 WASP, killing 2 and the 3rd ran away and blew up his StuH42s with my M-10Cs. (Picture 2) One of his infantry platoons had lost 5 or so teams but he was still very infantry strong. On his turn 5, with good use of smoke and careful assaults, he wiped out my infantry platoon and drove me off the objective.  (Picture 3-probably taken just before I lost the infantry platoon)

On turn 5, I brought in my short rifle platoon and fired everything at his infantry (lots and lots of MG shots) but I didn't quite kill enough. My infantry assault went in and was counter-attacked back. I had to send my tanks in-because it was that or lose the game. After 1 round of assault and counter-assault, facing 2 Shreks and 2 Panzerfausts, my platoon was destroyed. (Picture 4).

So, a 3-4 loss for me. In retrospect, I could have been more aggressive with my tanks, should have put my ambush down on my turn 1 and a few other minor things. Nothing glaring. With Heydte giving him morale of 2+ (higher command so he can re-roll many checks), you really do have to kill the FJs to the man. It was a fun, close battle and it is obvious that Mikko really knows how to handle his FJ list.

For me, I would not build my Canadian Infantry list like his friend did-it was very strong AT but too strong in my opinion. I generally want more infantry and/or more firepower to dig troops out. I like the Carriers and the WASps of course, If I had run into Panzers from the Meuse or something I probably would have been happy to have all that AT I suppose (12 AT 15 shots per turn + 12 AT 11 shots per turn + 4 AT 10 shots per turn).

Anyways, good times and Mikko is a fun opponent to play. We both learned some things here and there. The Panzerfaust trap teams are quite useful even if you are attacking. You basically get a single team assault force that runs around and threatens individual units or tanks. I did kill 2 of them but who cares-they don't count towards anything. Anyone that plays FJ and doesn't bring Heydte and 4 trap teams is crazy. He never managed to raise anyone from the dead but it wasn't for lack of trying...

ESC / ETC 2013 - Tournament up next week in Serbia!

So it begins, it's my first international competition and not too little at that. First on Friday, I'll be moving my Cassino Fallschirmjäger in Dust-Up, Counterattack and Surrounded.

Thanks for WWPD's Eric Riha for the concept.

There seems to be 47 players in the Singles tournament, so some action guaranteed.

After the ESC, there's the Dinner Party, guess will need to tone down on drinking a bit, there :)

The main event will be the ETC and it's 3 games on Sat, 2 on Sun.

Bridge by Bridge list for that, the emphasis here is winning more than not loosing platoons, so I have stuff I wouldn't normally use, like 3 tank platoon and trained 88's, although I'm gonna try the twin battery in near future.


I'll try to update the blog a bit from Novi Sad as well, but might not be able to.

Faerie Story - 2ID meets the 6th FJR in a magical dust up

Once upon a time, in a Land far, far away, the Necromancer was brooding, the nasty forces of good had invaded his land, and won a battle or two, against the superior armies of evil..

As the dawn broke, the Scouts reported a disturbance in the Force, and further investigations made it clear that a contingent of Mighty Wood Elves was in the vicinity, the Necromancer shivered at the thought, then hardened himself for the up and coming onslaught...

So, still trying to get as many practice games before the ETC I can, sometimes making my Significant Other  not too pleased...

We played a Dust-Up Mission with the following lists at 1780:

2ID from the Devil's Charge

6 FJR from the Bridge By Bridge

I won the first roll and chose a quadrant where I got a good fields of fire, and the stone church to move from, My paks did do nothing, until in the very end, they had a few misses against US reserves.

I choose to put a 2iC with a stummel, my recon, the StuHs and FJ2 to delayed reserves,

The US deployment, and the village, where it all went down...  the US player deploys the 155mm, AT guns, one SS and Infantry platoon.

This was also the last picture I took, sorry about that. 

FJ turn 1 : The FJ1 moves inside the church, paks dig in, stummels try to, 88 takes shots at the 155mm's but misses. I pop a Faust trap, that assaults the Guns, but misses, gun team did not...

US turn 1: US arty targets and kills the 88, also kills a team or two from the FJ1 IIRC. Digging-in Stuff, the SS moves forwards, Infantry truscott trotts teams across the clearing, into the building... (pfft, my first ever 2ID encounter this..).

FJ turn 2 : The FJ1 moves through the Graveyard and preps the Doubled up platoon for assault, Stummels smoke, Direct Fire from 88 and FJ1 is enough to pin the platoon and the assault goes in, and slays the teams in the building next to the objective.

US turn 2 : The TDs Deploy to the Village Square. Using .50 cals to root out FJ1, Infantry platoon fails to un-pin. Guns fail to hit the building (1 shot from a bunker buster hits on a 6. 4 teams in the building, brrr..)

FJ turn 3 : I get reserves, StuHs arrive. I deploy two Faust traps, who promptly shoot their Fausts at the TDs, scoring 2 bails,  StuHs bail one, the Infantry is Pinned so I assault...

Schreck team destroys the last active TD, the battle with the US infantry goes a bit against the odds, with the US staying for the end, and finally killing the last of the FJ1 including the CiC. The TDs leave though, and the Infantry platoon consolidates, now with 2 teams..

US Turn 3:

No reserves.

 Artillery ranges on a StuH, bailing the assault gun, the AT-guns fire on the Stuhs, bagging one.

Then the US player makes a rather bad move, by doubling up his 2iC to help with holding the OBJ.

FJ Turn 4:

2 Reserves :)

I bring the FJ2 and the Scouts.

Last Faust trap assaults a 155mm gun, kills it and consolidates another one.

StuH fail to un-bail, last active StuH fires at the doubled-up 2iC, who promptly attaches himself to the AT gun platoon, whose bazooka team was linking them here.

3 Kills later, the 2iC is still there (2 warrior saves, live and let die...) , but the AT gun platoon loses a Baz, Gun  and the Cmd team.

88 shoots at the 2iC scoring 2 kills, the CiC gets it, and the 2iC removes bravely the second last team from the infantry platoon. 

US Turn 4 :

Sole survivor check for the Infantry platoon succeeds and the team promptly kills the last Faust team.

1 Reserves, he gets the Mortars against my advice, and moves the to effective range. The 155mm unpin and 

fire a 2 gun bombardment on FJ2, 1 kill.

the At guns fire at the FJ2 1 kill.

FJ Turn 5 :

StuH fails to unbail. FJ2 moves to assault range of the AT Guns. Fail to pin. StuH shoots at the 2iC but fail the FP check on 2+... 

Stummels bombard the snot out of the moved Mortar platoon and 88 adds to mayhem.

FJ2 Assaults and the At guns are no more.

The Mortar platoon breaks.

US turn 5 : the sole survivor check fails for the infantry, company morale with 2iC: 2!

It's all over.

5-2 for the Germans.

 

Video Games -- the Horror.

Bought a PS3 game yesterday, Bethesda Id Software couple of years old 1st Person shooter called Rage. It was only few euros and it sort of reminded me of fond memories with Fallout saga, and also quite a few RPG sessions from my youth.

Don't know if it's me getting old, or are the games getting more difficult nowadays, last night stayed far too long awake trying to blow up a hummer with a turret, with bullets running out all the time,,, Guess I'm more fit to pushing little men on a table..

Thinking about joining the Red Menace...

Hah,

At our club in Finland, the Eastern Front is close and close to the heart as well, I've been looking for another force for quite a long time now, but it's starting to seem like the Russians are my choice, no matter the bad talk I read about them.

So far I'm thinking of having either a Strelkovy or Tankovy... Gotta look up some of the speed-painting techniques...

FJ Pioneers vs. Harckocsizo Szazad at 1780 points

FJ Pioneers vs. Harckocsizo Szazad at 1780 points.

So, I got to test this list in Counter Attack versus infantry-eating beast called Zrinyi II. My opponent had made tiny changes to his list, and now had 15cm artillery as well, he had 3*3 Zrinyis, 2 Panthers, 40mm AA, Pioneers with Wagon, Nebs, Toldi and 15cm guns.

I completely missed (he almost forgot them himself) his supply wagon and made a very bad job at putting up the fortifications, as the idea is to get the enemy come to you, when you have AT4 infantry...

The place where time stood still, my elite infantry stays put from beginning to finish...

The concentrated enemy, just had to use my nebs on those instead of smoking to let me move my troops...

The firing squad

overview of the battle

Marders and Nebs cause casualties. Zrinyi and heavy artillery kill some Pioneers.

Trucks dead, 15cm ranged in, and fearless stay pinned...

Stugs arrive from the mobile reserves, promptly on turn 3...

Can't really relate this battle too well, made mistakes, would know more how to use the forts next time, but not too sure I'll want to as I don't think this list is competitive enough, and I'm a bit of a competitive person...

Afterthoughts: 

I killed 3 platoons to make this 3-4, lost none, had to put the Stugs in reserve, for the fear of getting the marders in third round and losing them too easily. Another smoker would have been godsent as I couldn't move the troops, for the fear of getting wiped out by the HBG assault guns.

Gonna test the FJ Pioneers tomorrow.

I seriously think these guys are not tourney-worth but gonna try them versus those 'we eat infantry for breakfast' Hungary HBG tanks.

Here's the list...

The idea behind this is rockhard combat platoons with FTs, two trucks for fun. Two mobile platoons for AT and limited Air for people who bunch their tanks... 6 Platoons, no problem with Armoured Reserves with Marders TA0. Will let you know how this went :)