Wednesday 5 September 2018

Somewhere in Normandy '44 - About Patton test game 20180902

After years of writing and rewriting, a more mor less stable version is taking shape.

I was inspired by a game some years ago that used dummies: a stand with a figure and a number or letter on it that could be a unit, or just.. nothing. I use it for both sides, so no one is certain about the position of an enemy unit untill it is revealed, by scouting as passing in plain view.

Another thin: a nucleus on both sides of infantry units, and other units are drawn. So both sides really don't know what is facing them.  Also extra cards are drawn for reserves comming on later.

Also limited ammo. So no one shooting the whole game.

Some things that needed further clarifying: timing when reinforcements come on table.  
What was not yet tested in the game: off board artillery support. I would limited mostly to the start of the game. Artillery bombardment preceding an attack.

Cercerning the drawing of support units. I used what vehicles I had, which redered the German reinforcements to strong. The 2 shermans and cromwell proved to be no match facing 3 panthers. 
Should have place more ordinary infantry units in it.


The game: the British  started with 3 infantry units, 2 snipers, and a mortar team on the right,  an M20 6 wheels armored car and a scout car, 2 infantry units and finally a Churchill tank on the left.

They had to capture a crossroad in a village.
Facing them 3 fallshirmjäger units, a mark IV, a panzerjäger and an 88 gun.
Adrien as German player posted one infantry unit on each wing and one in the village, The Mar IV one the left, and the 88 and panzerjäger also in the village.


The German start was not so good. Te revealed  MarkIV aimed at the Churchill, mist and was himself knocked out by his target.  The 88 revealed the next turn, missed from close range, lost part of it's craw due to mortar fire , failedagain in hitting a target and the crew was wiped out by the M20.

The panzerjäger came out and destoyed the churchill, but withdrew when English infantry went into close combat with it.

 
The fallschirmjäger on both flanks were attack in close combat by british infantry but stayed put.





The reinformcemrnts come on.The sooting by the shermans and cromwell had no effect, the better guns of the panthers  knocked two allied tanks out. Gme over.








apart from the overpowered Germans, the game went well. Maybe the system of using dice for number of ammo rounds left wasn't ideal, but the alternative is keeping notes.

Gaming WWII is a challange. Taking into  account all the differences between units vehicles etc is not easy, but a more than satisfying test.

54mm figures from DAK Fallschirmjäger and SS-Fallschirmjägerbataillon 500


Figures from Ronny painted by Gilbert and Franske VDT.









https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/500th_SS_Parachute_Battalion

Monday 3 September 2018

54mm Arnhem Game

I ran an Arnhem game using Bolt Action at Pacificon, our local end of summer game convention. I had been preparing for this game for almost a year, buying soldiers and vehicles and buying and painting foam houses. As usual with me, I was putting the finishing touches on the buildings the night before the game! There were four players on each side and the game moved fairly quickly. The British set up their eight sections and two anti tank guns in hidden positions and the Germans had the unenviable task of finding them, usually by triggering an ambush. The British held their own until the German tanks arrived on the table, after which they began demolishing buildings with High Explosive fire. Playing the game, one could see why infantry must hate urban warfare. Next Market Garden game will be the US Paratroops defending"Hell's Highway".