Finally managed to catch up with Ste, for some gaming fun. He wanted to play some FoW and suggested something themed from BGG. We set the game at 1500pts. I set the board up for some Lorraine action.
He brought along his American, 7th Cavalry tank company. 8 Confident Trained Shermans and 5 Stuarts with 4 CV Tank destroyers and a FV paratrooper platoon.
I rolled out a Panzer Kompanie - the 'panzer bums' for the first time...14 PIVs, 6 Stugs, 4 Mobel wagons and a short GPG platoon.
We rolled off for mission and got Hold the Line... I was AutoAttack so Ste started deploying.
Having 5 platoon, meant 2 on and 3 off for Ste, but both on, could be in ambush. After much deliberation Ste decided to 'deploy' his TD's and paratroopers - hoping to be able to get in a sneaky assault on some of the poor quality German armour... So with nothing facing me on the table, I put everything down, then Ste placed his 2 HQ tanks... one behind the hill and one behind the farm house behind rear ob.
With deployment done... I rolled out... With nothing on the front objective, I was tempted to rush it straight away, but I'd only just be able to reach it and then take all the fire from the ambush due to ATD, and had no recce to mitigate ambush... so I made a regular move up to start with in turn one, expecting Ste to place his ambush and then I'd have something to shoot at... I had one target this turn, the 2ic that my own 2ic had a single shot at down the flank but missed...
Interestingly, Ste choose not to deploy his ambushing troops, preferring to wait one turn, he return fired with his 2ic bailing my 2ic.
My turn 2 and I thought , well its now or never..time for the bum-rush! I at the doubled the first panzer platoon past the front objective, then backed it up with the other two moving normally and contesting the objective with the lead tanks. I ATD'd the mobel wagons round the wood to check out the other side of the corn field. The GPG's moved up to wood edge, hoping the troopers would storm trooper out their vehicles through the wood. I sent the flanking Stugs ATDing down flak to cover the other objective making Ste have to react to two threats at once. The GPGs failed their storm trooper move but I had the ob covered and all close by ambush positions covered. Ste couldnt now deploy on the objective... he'd have to try and shoot me off...
Ste popped his TDs in tree line on wood overlooking front obs, and his Paras in woods behind stugs looking to charge and ambush them from the rear... aided by his CO emerging from behind farmhouse. The 2ic moved over as well to assist the TDs...
Ste's shooting was not the best, only managing to bail 2 tanks from the leading panzer platoon that had ATD'd, and destroy one tank that was contesting the objective from the following platoons. I still had one tank contesting the objective...
The CO shot up the Stugs on the flank killing two and the third fled, giving Ste a point but it was all over as he had nothing more to stop me starting next turn holding the front objective....
Game ends 5-2 to ze Germans.
Post game discussion and it was clear Ste held ambush too long. Perhaps he didnt even need to ambush could have just deployed, with paras holding front obs and TDs in over watch on hill. Or he could have had more armour on the table instead from the start either in ambush or not...
Next time we'll try a fair fight mission and see how that plays out...
Ste's reserves that never had a chance to arrive...
Still an enjoyable game, and a chance to catch up for a natter too...
