More Flaming Bolt Action

 After last week's promising start I fiddled tour new house rules for WWII a bit & set up a tank battle in the desert on 10'x6' table.   As I haven't sorted out  a points system yet I made up 2 similar armies, all regulars.  Both sides had 3 infantry platoons of 6 RMG + 1 ATR, 2 MMGs & a commander.  The brits had a 25pdr battery, the Germans a medium mortar battery.  The British armour was 3 platoons of 3 Crusaders & 1 platoon of 3 Valentines.  The Germans had a platoon of 5 MkIV shorts, 5 MkIII specials & 2 Mk III shorts. All the infantry had transport.

The German are on the near side.  Both sides did a map deployment within 18" of their base line.  There are 3 objectives.  The village & each side's line of supply road.

The German got first turn & their infantry drove down the road & deployed all their infantry in the village & the oasis.  The British infantry made a more measured advance expected their artillery to soften up the Germans in the village before they attacked. The Brits had all their Crusaders on the far flank advancing on the German supply line, so the Germans sent their MkIIIs from the centre to meet them.  On the left the MkIVs rushed forward down the left side of the table intending to take out the 25 pdrs to protect their infantry in the village. 

The MkIV's lost one tank before murdering the 25 pdrs with MMG fire.  The Valentines didn't arrive in time to save the guns, but they won the close range tank duel, taking out the MkIVs.  On the far flank the MkIIIs got the better of the Crusaders, losing 2 but taking out 6 Crusader & the surviving Crusaders fell back behind the ridge.  In the centre, British fire broke the Germans in the oasis, but the infantry platoon & MMGs in the village held firm.

With the Crusaders on the run, some of the MkIIIs diverted left into the palm trees to hose down the left flank British infantry with MMG fire & when their infantry attack on the other flank was beaten off, the Brits failed army morale.

The tweaks to the rules engendered by last week generally worked well.  A couple of minor issues came up, but will be fixed for next time.  The game rattled along fast with plenty of the strategic manouvre usually lacking in traditional BA on a small table.  QED.  Swirling tank battles on a big table is what these rules are meant to do & the verdict so far is that they do it well.  At present the rules take up just 3 pages of text & a 1 page QRS.  Now I've got the basics working I need to add a points list & some scenario rules.