War stories

[Guest]

@Der:

Our D-Day game was done on 25 maps (5x5) and was roughly 3,000 points and done in 2 days.
Kursk was done on 24 (6x4), and was perhaps 4,000 points - though mostly armour and also took 2 days…
Battle of France on 20 (5x4), and was closer to 2,000 points and took only 1 day.

That dwarfs our games completely.  :-o

[axisfan]

Well these games are something to aspire to.  Kurst is something I would like to do. Did you use any Panthers? If so how did they fare against the Russian heavies? By the way, Panthers were there in small numbers but I think there were a lot ot PZ IV’s and Tiger’s .

As always thanks for sharing

Axis fan

[Der Leiter]

The Russian tanks were slaughtered but there were a few reasons for this. Firstly it was our mistake to put one new player, and one relatively unexperienced player on the Russian side while the Germans had three experienced players - we had assumed the Russians would be able to hold their own despite this but we were wrong. Secondly, perhaps because of their experience, the Russian player (West) refused to commit his tanks and concentrate his firepower. Consquently his forces were destroyed piecemiel; he held most of his T-34s in reserve.  He also had several very unlucky rolls.

The Eastern Russian player just rushed all his tanks into battle, often going to point-blank; which is actually fairly historical. Left against the Panzer Company he might have even defeated them, however since the Western player wasn’t actively opposing my Army Group Centre I was able to swing around with a platoon of Tigers and decimate him.

However we knew in the beginning that the Germans had the advantage in armour; the game wasn’t based on points but capturing several objectives which the Germans (just barely) failed to do.

We used the equivalent of a Regiment for each side, and found that it left enough room to comfortably maneuvre units. Here’s the main elements of the SS Panzer Regiment used:

Tiger Company w/ HQ
8x Tiger I
6x Veteran Tiger

Panther Platoon
5x SS Panther G

Panzer Company w/ HQ
6x Panzer IV G
2x Panzer III F
2x Elite Panzer IV D
7x SS Panzer F2

We don’t always play games of this size, in fact we often find small 50 point infantry platoon battles to be just as fun (and a little less time consuming).

[axisfan]

Yeah, I suspected that might be the case with the smaller game.  And the make -up for German side looks accurate.  Since very few Panthers actually participated in the Battle.

Well I have to do final preparations.

I’ll hopefully have a status report tonight

Be Well

Axis fan

[axisfan]

Well my 1st game I was spanked.

Map # 6 (Tiger Heaven)

Germany:
SS pAnther
PZ III F
Hetzer
SS Sturfuher
SS Storm Trooper X2
Stuka
Vet Wher Infan
Kar 98 x2
pz gren
MG 42

US/UK

Churchill Croc
M3 Stuart x2
Humbar
Bofar
Bazooka
Screaming Eagle Capt
Screaming eagle Para x5
Resourceful hero

The panther took out the M3’s and the humbar, but somehow due to my carelessness a Para got in close and 1 disrupted it then took it out.  My mg 42 was caught in the open and was eliminated as well

Many of my Infantry were shot up before they could close,  Aror wise my tanks did well.  Even the SS storm troopers took a beating but came back punching.

Stuke went in on a stragler and again due to carelessness and some excellent rolls I lost that (My faith in Air power is severly shaken 21 pt wasted)

Lessons learned

Need more SS units they fared well.  Figure out how to defent against para’s.  I have to get better acquainted with the use of infantry.  At the end I had all my infantry wiped out and just did not have the force necessary to take the objective.  I’m sure these are nebie mistakes but it was a learning expierence.  My opponents strategy was superior.

Axis fan

[Guest]

Yea those Screaming Eagle Paratroopers can be a nuisamce if they are played against you.  I cant beleive one was able to take out your Panther though.  I guess it was just bad luck.  What did you attempt to take out with the Stuka?  Im sure you tried taking out the Crocodile right?  Ive had some bad experiences trying to take out the Crocodile with a Stuka before……so dont feel too bad.  :wink:

[axisfan]

He dropped the para’s in at turn 4.  One was droppen in alone that was the one I went after with the Stuka.  I counted those hexes twice and made a stupit mistake Bofor has a range of ten and I was at tem.  He deployed the churchill next to the bofur and the M3’s and humbar on the other side. I moved into making it look like I was going after the churchill but instead hit his M3’s I took 1 M’3 and damaged the Humbar.  The churchill fired one shot on turn 7 but my ss Storm damaged him. I didn’t expect him to get his hands on those paras the captain or the hero.  Have you ever had to counter them?  What can I do.

On another note:  Have you heard anything about German para’s being introduced into the game.  Besides the SS units they were some of the best.  I hope they intro thos soon.

[Der Leiter]

Fallschirmjager are in the next set.

[axisfan]

Life is good

[Der Leiter]

Unfortunately (for the Axis) the Rangers are also out, and are quite a match for the SS-PGs. They may not be ruthless or have the raw Firepower but their re-roll is extremely useful.

I’m hoping to do a scenario using perhaps a company of them… most liekly in a pacific setting; we haven’t done anything large-scale in the Japanese theatre.

[dictator_wanna_be]

@Der:

The Russian tanks were slaughtered but there were a few reasons for this. Firstly it was our mistake to put one new player, and one relatively unexperienced player on the Russian side while the Germans had three experienced players - we had assumed the Russians would be able to hold their own despite this but we were wrong. Secondly, perhaps because of their experience, the Russian player (West) refused to commit his tanks and concentrate his firepower. Consquently his forces were destroyed piecemiel; he held most of his T-34s in reserve.  He also had several very unlucky rolls.

The Eastern Russian player just rushed all his tanks into battle, often going to point-blank; which is actually fairly historical. Left against the Panzer Company he might have even defeated them, however since the Western player wasn’t actively opposing my Army Group Centre I was able to swing around with a platoon of Tigers and decimate him.

However we knew in the beginning that the Germans had the advantage in armour; the game wasn’t based on points but capturing several objectives which the Germans (just barely) failed to do.

We used the equivalent of a Regiment for each side, and found that it left enough room to comfortably maneuvre units. Here’s the main elements of the SS Panzer Regiment used:

Tiger Company w/ HQ
8x Tiger I
6x Veteran Tiger

Panther Platoon
5x SS Panther G

Panzer Company w/ HQ
6x Panzer IV G
2x Panzer III F
2x Elite Panzer IV D
7x SS Panzer F2

We don’t always play games of this size, in fact we often find small 50 point infantry platoon battles to be just as fun (and a little less time consuming).

Im just randomly interested with what was the make up of the soviet army in ur huge krusk battle…

[Der Leiter]

1 Rifle Battalion

• 12x Mosin-Nagants
• 6x PPSh SMG
• 6x PTRD-41
• 8x KMT MG
• 2x Fanatical Sniper
• 2x Cossack Captain
• 1x Hero of the Soviet Union
• 1x Commissar

1 Assault Gun Company

• 4x Su-85
• 8x Su-76M

1 Katyusha Battery

• 3x Katyusha (w/ Indirect Fire)
• 2x Red Army FO

1 Air Support

• 3x Sturmovik
• 3x Spitfire

TANK BATTALION

2 Light Tank Companies

• 16 T-70s

1 Tank Company w/ HQ

• 8x T-34/76
• 8x Soviet Grenadier

2 Heavy Tank Company, 1x HQ

• 8x KV-1
• 8x Soviet Grenadier

2 Guards Tank Platoon

• 3 Guards T-34/85

1 Sherman Tank Platoon

• 3 M4A1 Sherman (Lend-Lease)

1 Lee Platoon

• 3 M3 Lee (Lend-Lease)

3 ATG Batteries

• 9 ZIS-2 57mm

[Guest]

Lets keep this thread alive.  Im hoping I can get a large match in next week at my local comic book shop.  If I do attend, I will tell of my war experiences in this thread afterwards.  :-D

[Der Leiter]

I’m organizing a large (approx 3000 pt per side) game of Battle of the Bulge on Sept 28th. Probably going to use an all-SS (or at least mostly) force including an SS King Tiger, Pahtner, and Panzer Platoons as well as several sections of Jagd(panzer/panther)s. The Allies will be mostly US and largely Screaming Eagles. They’ll have a company of Shermans (M4A1s with M4 Rhinos as platoon leaders, M4A3(105)s attached) and a platoon of Easy Eights.

We’ll also be using a winter map that I’ll help design and somewhat need to get started on!

[axisfan]

That will be very cool.  Please let us know how you do.  What about SS stormtroopers (they seem fairly nasty up close).

Regards,

Axis fan

[Guest]

@Der:

I’m organizing a large (approx 3000 pt per side) game of Battle of the Bulge on Sept 28th. Probably going to use an all-SS (or at least mostly) force including an SS King Tiger, Pahtner, and Panzer Platoons as well as several sections of Jagd(panzer/panther)s. The Allies will be mostly US and largely Screaming Eagles. They’ll have a company of Shermans (M4A1s with M4 Rhinos as platoon leaders, M4A3(105)s attached) and a platoon of Easy Eights.

We’ll also be using a winter map that I’ll help design and somewhat need to get started on!

Take some pictures of the event!!  Id like to see the madness of having 6000 pts worth of units being on the board.  :-D

[Der Leiter]

SS-Stormtroopers are terrible, we might use them for a late game but not this one as SS-Panzergrenadiers actually fit the theme. They’re marginally better up close, but the difference between 8 dice at range 2-4 and 6 dice at range 2 is pretty big.  I’ll also have close to 100 SS-PGs available; though probably won’t use nearly that number.

I managed to get pics of Kursk and the Battle of Britain previously, but not D-Day. Should hopefully get some of this as well.

[AgentOrange]

I’m gonna have to join my local store’s A&A club - the owner has been talking to me about such events. (although I don’t think he’s mentioned using 20-25 map tiles, or fielding 5000+ points of forces  :-D)  Anyway, as soon as I get my bins of units back in my possession, I shall become more of a regular at these things.  :wink:

[Guest]

@Der:

I managed to get pics of Kursk and the Battle of Britain previously, but not D-Day. Should hopefully get some of this as well.

Post them ASAP!!  Id like to see them.

[Der Leiter]

End of turn 4: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/Big Battle.JPG

German Reinforcements: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/German Reinforcements.JPG
Russian Reinforcements: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/Soviet Reinforcements.JPG

The Russians are coming! http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - Guards.JPG

Dogfight; each player placed his planes in initiative order to make it more interesting: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/Dogfight.JPG
The last major air battle: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - Last Major Air Battle.JPG

Bring out your dead! http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - Bring Out Your Dead.JPG

German Panzer Company approaching the Russian cities: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/Panzer IVs.JPG
Russians defending against the Panzers: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/City Defence.JPG
The Panzer assault continues: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - Panzer Assault.JPG
Russian PTRD manages to actually disrupt an SS-Stormtrooper: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - PTRD vs SS.JPG
Panzers overwhelming, but something’s wrong: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - Something Not Right.JPG
The meatgrinder: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - Brutal.JPG

Panthers overrunning Russian defences in the West: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - Panther Attack.JPG

88s deploy: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - 88s Deploy.JPG
Tigers take up position: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/Tigers.JPG
Tigers unleashed: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - Tiger Attack.JPG
Tigers breakthrough the middle: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - Tiger Breakthrough.JPG
Death of a Tiger: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - Death of a Tiger.JPG

Axis bombing the heck out of the last Russian town: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - Air Raid.JPG

End Game: http://www.freewebs.com/onlinedm/AAM - End of Game.JPG

You can see on the End Game / End of Turn 4 on the middle map, second one in, the ZIS-2 ATG at the edge that survived the whole game; never moving, underconstant fire, and generally being a nuisance.