Bob’s Black Bulls 11th Armoured Division.

Rather than my rambling blow by blow description from the last game I’m going to go for a more Newsreel 50’s BBC narration

So in best newsreel style ( comment on which you prefer.

Over on what is our Eastern front old Jerry our old adversary now brave Allie is attempting to push the Red plague from its Eastern border. 

Initial reports have Jerry making probing attacks against the red hordes. An attempt to advance on both flanks has met some resistance and light casualties have been sustained.

From three Soviet prospective:

To arms comrades, our glorious forces have rallied I  their might and have rushed forward to ensure the freedom of those we have liberated from racist tyranny,  despite light casualties our glorious soldiers rush forward to destroy our liberated Allies lands.

Well that was 2x paragraphs that didn’t say anything,  think I’ve got this propaganda thing down pat.

Anyway basically,  initially Soviet Dice draws had 2x T54 units moving forward using cover to approach both objectives.

Then German dice meant that the units on the hill reserved dice for possible targets of opportunity.

Still more German dice meant that both the Jagdpanthers and 75mm Panthers attempted to move on the objectives, the Former got a sight on the SU130’s and knocked out oneand bailed another.

I did then pull a red dice and neatly knocked out 2x Jagdpanthers , until as writing this forgot to check range and now realise the shels fell 2″ short!

With all the German dice gone the Soviets made a General advance, losing one SU100 to a hit from the German Command unit.

So Soviets 2 vehicles knocked out but 3 pts for objective 2, which they safely hold!

Then the final German dice was drawn. As with the T54″s they were placed I  the farm buildings on  their left flank, enabling them to fire on objective 2, and to act as mobile unit to seize it as necessary.

Leaving only Soviet Units to deploy, they were place as per the battleplan ready to move off to take objective 2.

As I’m writing this up I already see a drawback to German plan as I have a side view of table and can see objective 2, sitting on the hill top… which means a Soviet Unit can hold it with out exposing themselves to incoming fire.

Finally as if to prove my point I revealed objective 1 for move 1!

Before I turned over turn 1’s objective card, I decided to do deployment, using the Bolt Action style chits in a bag to make it as fair as possible,  but on the whole trying to stick to battleplan for each side.

1st dice was a red, not really unsurprising as Soviets have 7 units, to German 5. Remembering the foo bar with the ISU130’S, last time, I placed one unit in the wood’s on hill by the rail branch line, putting them I  a good position to cover Objective 1

Next was German, so I placed the JagdTigers were their big guns could dominate objective 2.

Next was another Soviet, this time the other SU130’s , who are In the lead of what was to be a Soviet tank park. (Photo later)

Next a German, so the Jagdpanthers were placed on the rail line to cover Objective 1.

Then it was another Soviet( bag is having fun) so JS3’S were placed in the railway statio   area, to be in position to attempt to close on objective 1.

As is the dice gods having a laugh both sides command dice were drawn next, the German chose the wood’s next to the Jagdigers , in order to aid the gun line covering objective 2.

The Soviet Commander wisely place him self behind the ruins but I  a central position fo both avenues of attack ( last picture later)

Another Soviet Dice was drawn, so the Smaller of the Soviet T54 company’s was placed on the far left flank in a position to sweep round on Objective 1 using maximum cover.

1st thing is I think I messed up on picking forces, should have gone with gut and gone for cheap and cheeful Tiger 1’s, think I could have got 2x 3 tank companys for cost of shiny Jagdtigers . but oh well !

My thinking on this has developed on this, given numbers think going  for objective 2 only intially is the way to go, as with previous game, can use the wooded hill to dominate the approachs to the objective with the Jagdtigers, moving the 75m panther ands around the sides of the table.

Initally the plan is to move the Jagdpanther into the the buildings around the rail line to shoot at anything moving to objective 1 and to hold the ** panthers back until I know what both objectives are.

Assuming that they are not dummies, plan is tot take objective 2 and only really contest 1 if they can quickly immobolise the Soviets and secure 1.

Its a plan, not saying its a good one!

The sound effect is for anyone who watchs those war story documentary’s which do battles , or phaff for 3/4 of an hour on the commanders forces etc, and then do 15 mins if lucky on the battle taking out time for adverts, pre views of post adverts, then re-cap post!

The Soviet plan is easy, steam roller the Germans !

But will consist of two parts.

JS3’s & 1 company of SU 130’s and the smaller co of T54’s will move to secure objective 1 as it is the closest of the objectives ,Deploying the Js3’s and the ISU30’s around the hill , with the T%$’s hiding in the building’s area for possible bacontree of approaching German forces .

The 2nd unit of ISU130’s will move into the farm buildings area and take up position to dominate the central table , with the common unit with them

leaving the larger t54 and SU100’s to move to take up positions around Objective 2

1. Well having shuffled the mission setup and rules cards , I drew them randomly this time ( though why did I think they were going to be identical !) and that was different :

Shorter game turn , two objectives only , and no reinforcements , so the Soviet corner is going to look a bit con-jested!

Any way I placed the objectives as on the map and put some trucks, etc  for effect!

Now that put the Tiger in with the Sturmoviks !

1st thing is the corner deployment with the built up area in the middle of the table favours the Soviets as it negates much of the German range advantage, which is good as the reduction of objectivess reduces the Soviet’s ability to stack up points by getting them 1st, Objective 2 is in hilly terrain so defending units can hide  and both have dominating terrain around them.

Now all that needs to put a major monkey rench is for objective 2 to be a dummy, which will be after boths sides has had to allocate and beging to move towards either objective!.

Oh! and forgot to mention rolled for Attacker/Defender

Germans as per narrative are attacking and Soviets defending!

Having played the 1st game am now looking at expanding it upo 100pts
On my Birthday 14th Sept ( just 1st free weekend as Sept is heavy with Birthdays plus post pub visit can be arranged) planning a games day, using table layout to do various Clash of Steel Games, and maybe Stargrave final game. Will up it to 75pts a side. Also will return to standard Initiative to get people used to rules before phaffing with it.

But will be trying a 100 p solo game  game , sticking with everyone vs Soviets, starting with re-equipped German force, facing a revised Soviet Force

The thinking on the Soviets based on partly the narrative from Army guides and 1st game Experience.
Firstly let’s try and Improve the Soviets Range, and Penetration, so more ISU130’S and T54’s.

Command
1x T54-1 4 pts

Command Skill

Major Lightning 3pts

Core Units
6 xT54-1 company 19 pts
5 xT54-1 Company 16 pts
5x ISU-130 Battery 15pts

5x ISU-130 Battery 15pts

6x IS-3 Company   20pts

Support

5x SU100 Battery 8 pts

100  pts

The skill allows a role for 2nd movement of units within command range.

This selection should give a bit more punch but also allow them retain there mobility.

German

Command

2x Panther 8.8cm     22pts

Skill Resourceful   3pts

Core Units

3x Panther 8.8 cm 18 pts

4x Panther 7.5cm 14 pts

3x Jagdtiger           30pts

Support

3x Jagdpanther 13 pts

100pts

You will notice a marked lack of Maus, they suck up a lot of pts but still only have one bang stick.

I decided I needed more than better to stop being Swamped.

It is very Panther orientated,  the 8.8 version gives me same bang as the King Tiger, but with Superior Mobilty plus Accurate.

The Command Skill makes him Concealed if not moving, even if out in open.

Be interesting to see if it works as it Germans with 15 tanks vs Soviets with 33 , so over 2 to 1 numbers can German superior tech overcome Soviet numbers, the age old question .

For those who want a close up of new 88 Panthers.

As a solo game this tank light version of Flames of War worked well, it reminded me not only of the rule mechanics but was reminiscent of some of the earliest micro tank games I played back in middle 70’s using old WRG rules.

The various random mission layout and mission  rules give a wide range of random scenarios for a table that can be left with same basic layout, it’s certainly an idea we will adapt for other games.

Now as for the Forces, the Soviets have 2 things going for them, numbers and mobility, that’s it, their heavy tanks are not as good as look on paper ( historically correct) being out ranged and having insufficient armour against the best guns of opposition.  To be fair it was shear bad luck and lousy dice that kept their best unit out of most of the Game  stuck in a fog, but they still managed victory pts .

Think T54’s are the way forward.

I’d watched a few lets plays by various groups and it became obvious that the big Heavy tanks were costly,  slow firing,  and despite good armour and guns just didn’t have enough shots to kill the Soviet waves, which is why I went for lots of Pershing’s,  which worked (just) have a feeling my British Force will be pretty much Centurions and Comets!