Mech War in the Desert

British: Mike, Steve & Mitch.
Italians: Jim, Chris & Mark.
Rules:  Our own house blend of FOW & BA on a 10'x6' table.

3 Fucileri platoons supported by some MMGs, ATRs, light anti-tank & light howitzers are dug in around the village & oasis.
A British force of motorised infantry supported by armour is attacking them from the far end of the table.
Italian armour is in reserve off table behind the camera to come on sometime after turn 3.
The Italian Artillery & Armour are Confident Trained.  The rest are Reluctant Conscripts.
The British are all Confident Trained.

The British have deployed their 25pdrs & some infantry on the ridge in front of the Italian position while their main force lead by 9 Crusaders advance past the Italian's left flank.  The Italians are trying to  manhandling their a/tank & artillery to their left, otherwise hunkering down hoping the cavalry will arrive to save them.
Two platoons of Italian tanks Semovente & M14 have come onto the table in the foreground to take on  the 9 Crusaders.

Another troop of M14's have arrived & the Crusaders are getting smashed.  The Brits also had 3 Grants which were at first supporting the infantry but are now moving up to support the Crusaders.  A troop of L6 tankets have rushed up the side of the wadi to support the Fucileri.  The British infantry re moving up to attack the Fucileri.

The British infantry have broken the centre Fucileri platoon & stormed into the oasis.  More British infantry are now advancing on the Italian front line. 

The Crusaders have been destroyed & the Italian armour is advancing to close the range on the Grants.

One the Fucierli platoon on the right is still holding on. 

The Grants have now also been destroyed, but a converging attack on the last of the Fucieri has broken them.  The Italian howitzer battery is ringed by infantry & doomed.  The Italians have lost the village & oasis so have lost the battle.  

But the Italian armour will retreat heads held high & the Rome Tribune front page will tomorrow proclaiming a great victory of the Italian armour in taking out 9 Crusaders & 3 Grants at the cost of 1M14. 

The British plan was to keep the Italian armour at bay while their infantry won the battle.  It worked even though the tanks were destroyed (according to the British tank commander, through bad luck, but according to the Italian tank commander by cunning tactics - in fact by a bit of both).

Renaisance Italian Wars at Black Hills

 Peter's Swiss v. Mark's Milaese

The Milanese on the far side are in full view.  Most of the Swiss army is out of sight behind ridges on the near side.

The Swiss have advanced over the crest into sight revealing that have concentrated their force on their left.

The Milanese have retreated their centre to buy time for their left to swing onto the Swiss flank.  But some their Militia infantry have failed their command test & not retreated.

On the left the Milanese cavalry have fallen back from the Swiss pikes & the Militia are throwing good dice & hanging on.

On the left the Milanese elite knights have broken the end pike block.  Their lesser cavalry have pinend the ne4xt pike block.  The Milita are giving ground but still hanging on.  In the centre & on the right both sides have redeployed to face each other.

On the left, the end pike block has formed hedgehog facing cavalry on two sides. The Milita has finally broken, but it has severely weakened their opponents .  On the right, the Milianese cavalry has ridden down one musketeer unit.  The other musketeer unit has somehow held for now, but is doomed.  In the centre the Swiss have been weakened by Milanese artillery & are about to be attacked by fresh units.  The Swiss commander concedes the battle & orders a retreat.

The Swiss pike blocks did not do well.  An enquiry is being held into the pike factors, to check whether they need adjusting, or if it was just a case of crap dice.

WWII Russian Front

Soviets: Mike & Mark.
Germans: SteveJ & Mitch.
This time the Soviets are defending.  There are 8 objectives.  The Soviets deployed first with half their units on the table & half to come on in the 2nd turn.  Hidden or off table units were not put on the table at the start.  There were cards put on the table at places where units could be hidden or come onto the table & the units on their storage tray marked with a corresponding card face down.  The Germans came on from any point on their table edge.  Table size 10'x6'.  Rules: House WWII rules.

The Germans are coming on from the near side of the table.

The Germans have seized the village with Panzergrenadiers supported by MkIVs.  2 Tigers & 4 Pak40s are deployed on their right. On the far flank a second Panzergrenadier platoon & 5 Stugs are attacking the infantry at the farm.  Soviet tanks are coming on in the centre to support their infantry.

On the left the Germans have over-run the Soviet infantry & the Stugs have turned right to support the MkIVs in the centre engaged with T34/85s & anti-tank guns.  On the right, the Tigers are facing off 8 T34/76s.  On the far right Soviet infantry are advancing on the Pak 40's.

The Soviet centre is being over-run by the Stugs attacking their flank.  On the far flank, the Soviet attack on the Paks only took out half of them before running out of men.  The Tigers have been overcome, but it's too late - the Soviets have lost over half their force & fail army morale.  In any case the Germans hold 6 of 8 objectives with another within reach while the Soviets have no chance of improvement.

It was a decisive win for the attackers.  The points total for the two forces was equal, but with a big table, making the defender deploy first made up for the advantage of defending.

WWII: The Russian Front

Chris' Russians v. Jim's Germans.
An attacker/defender scenario with the German infantry & anti-tank dug in on the table at the start with panzers coming to the rescue some time after turn 3.  The Russian objectives are the crossroads & the bridge.  The Germans are Veterans.  The Russians are Inexperienced, but Fearless.
Another play test of our house rules for WWII 15mm figs.

The Russians are attacking from the far edge. 

The Russians advance with armour on their right & infantry on their left.

On the near flank the T34/76's have over-run the anti-tank gun & deployed in the wood to take on the Panzers as they come on.  In the centre the T34/85s are whittling down the German infantry, but also taking losses from anti-tank.  The Russian infantry are closing on the German infantry defending the bridge. 

The T35/76's have been destroyed by the Stugs.  The T34/85s have taken the village, but the MkIVs are counterattacking.  The Russian infantry have moved up within assault range of the infantry defending the bridge.

It's all over for the Russians, their infantry have been mown down by German fire & their surviving tanks are facing too many panzers.
The game might have been a bit unbalanced in the German's favour given their defensive advantage. Maybe we over-compensated after the Russians won last time.  The rules played well, except this was our first try at armour v infantry & that aspect needs some more work.   

The Empire v. the Swedes rematch

Empire: Chris & Mike.
Swedes: Mark & Steve.
Same armies as last Thursday, mostly different generals, forces on opposite sides of the table & this time map deployment.

The Empire is on the far side deployed with their infantry on their left & cavalry on their right.
The Swedes have rested their left flank on the orchards in the centre.

The Empire's cavalry have advanced on the near flank with musketeers pushing thru the village to contest the orchard. The Swedes deploy to defend the orchards & the gap between them & advance infantry on the far right flank.  The artillery exchange shots in the centre.

The Empires first attempt to charge thru the gap between the orchards has been beaten off by the Swedish cavalry.  The Swedish musketeers are defending the forward orchard.  The Sedes are moving more infantry & some cavalry to the far right.

Another attempt by the Empire's cavalry to break thru has been beaten off.

The Empire's cavalry have thrown in the Polish Hussars in another attempt to break thru.
On the far flank the Swedish infantry have charged & broken the end tercio & are wrapping around the end of the Empire's line.

On the near flank the Polish hussars have been repulsed.  On the far flank the second tercio has broken under coverging fire from 3 Swedish tercios. In the cnetre the Empire' musketeers havefinally been cleared form the orchard, but its too little too late, the Empire have lost over half their units & fail their  army morale. test.  This time the Swedes have won.

The Swedes used the orchards to good effect to prevent bottle up the Empires horse & buy time for a methodical outfanking of the Empire's left.  The Empire had more troops, but the Swedes better quality.  The two armies have equal points & have won one each, so that's a nice endorsment fo the points system.  

Pike & Shot: The Empire v. the Swedes in 15mm.

PeterC's empire army had 4 large tercios of pike & shot, 2 detached musketeer units, 4 heavy & 4 medium cavalry, 1 unit of Winged Hussars & 2 guns.  All regs.
Mark's Swedes had 6 small tericos of pike & shot, 2 detached musketters, 4 heavy & 4 medium cavalry & 2 guns.  All vets except the gunners.
Rules: Our Marathon to Mafeking house rules.

The Empire is on near side.

Both sides have advanced their left wings.

On the far flank cavalry are slogging it out on a narrow gap between the woods.  In the centre the Empire is advancing. On the near flank the Swedish cavalry is having command delays.

On the far flank the Empire is gradually getting on top of the Swedish cavalry while the narrow cavalry front allowed them to use some cavalry to support their infantry on the ridge  where it has gained the upper hand.  In the centre the tercios are in hand to hand combat.  On the near flank the Sweidsh cavalry is still dilly dallying.

The left end of the Empire's infantry attack suffered badly from Swedish musketry & artillery & has been broken.  But the left end of the Swedish line is also in bad way.

The Empire has finally beaten the Swede's left wing, but the their own left centre has also collapsed.On the near flank the Swedish cavalry has finally charged home, but is not doing well.

The survivors of the Empire's victorious right wing are on their way across the rear of their centre to help their left flank.  But the the Empire's left has more than held its own & the Swedish left flank cavalry is beaten.  Although the Empire's centre is a mess, they have won on both wings & the Swedes concede defeat.

WWII Armoured: Germans v. Soviets in 15mm

 Jim's Panzers v. Mike's Soviets

The battle was fought with our house rules for WWII.
Deployment was by platoon in order of coloured dice out of a bag BA style.

The Soviets are on the far side with T34/85s on the ridge on their right, T34/76's on their left & 2 infantry platoons in the centre.
the Germans have MkIV's & Stugs on the ridge on their left, 2 Tigers & a mechanised infantry platoon behind the village. 

The Germans advanced their tanks off the hill to get into range of the T34/85's & do some damage before the T34/76's got around their flank.  But the Soviet's had the  advantages of hull down,  defensive fire. & better dice.  
The infantry of both sides was content to grab part of the village & hunker down while the big boys slugged it out.

The Germans turned their remaining Tiger & their Stugs to face the T34/76's on their flank while the MkIV's advanced  to cover to keep the T34/85's busy. But they missed every shot - the only T34/76 to die being picked off by the panzerschrek hiding behind a half track.

A shower of good dice by the T34's destroyed the Stugs & the writing is on the wall for the Germans as the T34/85s swarm forward.

The lone remaining Tiger is facing 6 T34's, the 3 surviving MkIVs are facing 6 T34/85.   It's only a matter of time.

The Panzers have been destroyed & the Panzergrenadiers in the village are doomed. 
The Soviet flanking manoeuvre backed with good dice secured them a decisive victory.