Hasty Assault Mission

Jim's Welsh Guards Armoured
v.
Rich's Spevverband
in 1975 pts Hasty Assault Mission (from Firestorm Market Garden)

The Mission is a twist on the Encounter Mission - with distinct differences between Attacker & Defender.  Both sides have only half on the table, but the Defender has Delayed Reserves while the Attackers are standard Reserves & the Defender has one Immediate Ambush.  The reserves come on anywhere on the rear edge, not diced for location as in Encounter.  The objectives are different too, with the attacker having 2 to go for, but the defender one.  Apart from taking an objective or causing morale failure, the Defender wins if the Attacker doesn't or the Attacker isn't over the centre by turn 6. 

The Germans started a Sperr, 105's, Heavy Mortars, 88's & Pak 40's (ambush) on table & Sperr, Pioneer, 150 inf guns, Hetzers & Stugs to come.  The Brits started with their 2  infantry & Sextons on the table, with 2 tank platoons & 6pdrs in reserve.  The table was open on the German right but cluttered on their left.

The Brit objectives were in the centre & on the German left.  They started by advancing infantry & HQ on their right.  This drew the Germans to the left, but when the Cromwells arrived they were brought in on the left and the HQ switched that way as well while the infnatry hunkered down in the town & woods.   The swarm of Cromwells worked their way though the German right, but then found that the centre objective was just within 100 of Pioneers on the other side of a hedge causing a stand-off.  On the other flank, the Hetzers counterattacked.  They popped the 6pdrs, but the Brits droped smoke on them then charged them form both sides by infantry.  The infantry charged home & though they got no kills, the Hetzers failed morale & could not escape the ring.

With no armour left, their antitank & artillery depleted, and the Cromwells moving back towards the now poorly defended left flank objective the Germans conceded.

The pic is taken from behind the Brit right.  The Mission seems to be an improvement on Encounter - it's nice not to have to dice for where your reserves arrive & the clear attack/defence roles is good.   Not sure how or if the big table affects balance - both sides reserves have further to go.