Nick in Launceston -- Firestorm Bagration

Nick B vs Nick R.  1500 pts, Hold the Line.  Nick B attacking with Tankovy, Nick R defending with German Panzers.

Nick B had a subtle army of 31 x T-34, 9 of which were upgraded to T-34/85.  Nick R had 10x Panzer IV, 2x 88, and Panzer Pioneers.

There was a massive road block as the Russians advanced.  However, the German Panzers were hard to kill -- they kept stormtrooping into cover.  But just about every turn a Panzer would fail to stormtroop, and the retribution fire would knock it out.  The Russians kept having to avoid the 88's, and the forested terrain meant they couldnt just charge ahead.  And the Russian losses were mounting too.  Fairly quickly the Germans switched tactics, going for the easy kill of the normal T-34 tanks, killing any where they could get a shot and not have much return fire.  The game was cat and mouse.

But eventually weight of numbers won out.  Both panzer platoons failed morale or were destroyed.  The Russians had lost two platoon, and had one that was close to a morale check.  But the Germans had only one platoon to hold two objectives.  The Russians rushed the undefended objective.  Nick R had to kill a Russian tank in the weakened platoon to force a morale check, and possibly save the day, but he missed.  So the Russians squeaked through in a 4:3 win.