Sunday, December 30, 2012

The Weather Outside is Frightful...

...but wargames are so delightful.

Stormy weather so why not stay in with a wargame?
Probably not a good day to go to the beach.
The Game: Bolt Action
The Scenario: Envelopment (Americans attacking Germans)
Game Size: 450 pts.

US Platoon
Veteran 1st LT and 1 extra man
12 man veteran squad with 4 SMG and 2 BAR, plus Anti-tank grenades
Veteran Bazooka Team
Veteran Sniper Team

German Platoon
Leutnant with 2 extra men (All germans rated regular)
Wehrmacht infantry squad with 10 men and 2 MG42.
Two Panzer II's.

Germans deployed. From closest to farthest: Panzer II, Squad and Leutnant,
then other Panzer II at the far end of the table.
In this mission, it's up to the Americans to move as many troops into the german deployment zone, or even better right through it off the table, by the end of the game.
Things started off with a prepatory bombardment, giving a pin marker to all german units. Perhaps some Germans should have been kept in reserve? Then the American first wave arrived and things really got started.

Turn 1: The American Squad runs right up the middle of the table. The Panzer II in the german centre opens up with its MMG, but misses completely. The more distant panzer then fired likewise, killing a single american. 

The Americans charge towards the german lines. The main squad and
LT are in the centre, sniper team below them and bazooka team in
the foreground.
Turn 2: Both panzers fire their MMG's on the yanks, killing one and adding more pin markers. The Bazooka team advances around the woods, looking for a clean shot on a panzer. The sniper makes a long range shot, killing a german MG42 soldat.

The Bazooka team looking for a clean shot.
Turn 3: The Bazooka team fires at a panzer, missing it. The panzer fires back, killing the bazooka teams loader. The american squad runs blindly right ahead into the forest, a foolish move. The Germans advance to point blank range are let 'er rip, killing a whopping 8 americans. The lone survivor, Pvt Smith, makes his morale test and holds on.
The americans, heedless of danger, charge right into the massed fire of the
germans.

Turn 4: The lone Bazooka man fires at the panzer, hits it for maximum damage and it explodes! Things are looking up for the yanks. The wehrmacht squad fires at lonely Pvt Smith, and even with so much fire power only manage to hit him once. He's out of the game, but crawls back to safety and claims his purple heart. 

Pvt Smith vs. a ton of Jerries.
Turn 5: The American 1st LT runs right through the german deployment zone, followed quickly by the sniper team. They made it because of the distraction caused by Pvt Smith holding out, as well as the panzer previously destroyed by bazooka. This scores victory points for the americans. The lone bazooka man fails an order test and hits the dirt - just in time because that saves him from incoming fire. The remaining panzer obviously respects the bazooka, for he too fails an order test, reversing at top speed away.

Turn 6: The bazooka man hits the dirt once more, intimidated by having to face the german platoon plus panzer alone.

Turn 7: The bazooka man fires one last time at the panzer, hoping for a lucky shot but his rocket falls short. The wehrmacht squad approaches and opens fire, thus ending the game. All american units are either destroyed or have advanced right through the German deployment zone. Now lets add up the points and see who won!

The brave and lonely bazooka man faces off against Fritz alone.
The germans get two points for every unit destroyed. That was the bazooka team and infantry squad, so the Germans score 4 points. The Americans get 1 point for destroyed units and three for each unit advancing off the table, so 1 point for the panzer destroyed, 3 points for the LT advancing and 3 more for the sniper, for a total of 7 points! The difference in scores is 2 or greater, so the Americans have won. 

That was a really fun game. After the main american infantry squad was destroyed by my stupid move, I thought the game was over but the yanks persevered and won the battle. Thanks for reading!