The Next Day Somewhere in Europe (One Hour Skirmish Wargames)

 "You boys did good. I 've got another assignment for you. A German officer was driving on a road a few miles from here and was shot up by one of our flyboys. He was traveling alone, no escort, and at a high rate of speed - that's raised some questions. Someone up top thinks he might have had plans or a codes or something of value and they want to take a look Gather up your stuff and head out. Find the wreck, search it and get back as fast as you can. We think the Jerry's are already on their way."

US approach from the bottom. Germans at the top. The smoking wreck on the bridge.

Jerry gets there first. Meanwhile the US sniper, Pvt. Leupold dropped the German LMG assistant.

Sarge runs to engage him and drops the German in his tracks. After rummaging around in the wreck, Sarge recovered a satchel with a code book and plans.  

Feldwebel Arnold wasn't about to let the Yanks get away unscathed. He burst out of the trees spraying bullets. Sarge tried to use the kubelwagen as cover, but to no avail.

Leupold silenced the German LMG, Cpl. Baker ordered the rest of the squad to advance. Pvt. Austin ran up to recover Sarge and the satchel.

The US BAR gunner crossed the river, flanked the Germans, but was killed before he could do any damage.

Another shootout on the bridge as Baker and Arnold exchange. This one goes in favor of the Yanks.

.

Arnold is only lightly wounded but recovers with just enough time to see the Americans fade into the trees.

"Well done, men. I know it was costly. Sarge was a good man. But that satchel you brought back is going to save hundreds, maybe thousands, of lives."

*****

The BAR gunner was killed outright - there's no coming back from close combat casualty. I drew a card for Sarge after the battle, and he came up red (red is dead).

Our little group just got a little smaller. They started the mission with seven men and finished with five.

Here they are so far

• Pvt Leupold - Deadshot(2), Sniper rifle, working class, political, inexperienced, 
• Pvt. Punch - Brawler(1), M1,straight out of school, joined up because it's a family tradition, 
• Pvt. Austin - Inspiring (redraw any 1 resolution card) M1, farm hand, looking for adventure
• BAR
• “Sarge”, Sgt. Vinny Sergente Pistol (rifle too), Motivator, Entertainer - the 2nd most famous Italian guitar player in South Philadelphia, patriotism, battle hardened, Leader (3)
• Pvt. - M1
• Sgt. Baker - (Leader 2), SMG, farm boy fighting for the folks back home (little brothers and mom's apple pie)
• M1

Pvt. Austin didn't have a name, but I needed one for the narrative, so he earned his. He got Austin because he's Stone Cold. 

Squads in Five Men in Normandy earn a new skill after each mission. I gave Austin the Inspiring trait from One Hour Skirmish Wargames since he recovered Sarge from the bridge.

The final unnamed Private will earn his name next mission.

For the record, the Germans had 6 men - 1 SMG, 3 Rifles, 1 LMG assistant, 1 LMG, and four of them were KIA.

This mission was generated using the campaign rules from Five Men in Normandy. Normally they'd have had time to rest, but the event they rolled was no rest and an immediate mission. The mission was randomly generated. It took me a bit to come up with something for them to retrieve. I think it had a suitably comic book / adventure movie theme.

Bridge to Nowhere and Some D&D

As I mentioned in the comments on my previous post, I was planning to tackle the Airfix bridge over the weekend. Lo and behold, I did!

EDIT: The bridge was primed with black gesso. It was then damp/dry brushed with Ceramcoat Hippo Grey. That was followed with some Ceramcoat Raw Sienna. Then a light coat of Ceramcoat Bridgeport Grey. After that, a very light drybrush of Americana Light Buttermilk which I thought would finish it off. Unfortunately, that made it too contrast-y. So I  then hit it again with a very light dry brush of the Raw Sienna to tone down the Buttermilk.

In person, it has more of a buff/sandy tint to it. Regardless, it's a dramatic improvement over the bare plastic.

The figures are Toy Soldiers of San Diego, painted some years ago.

Speaking of painting, there are four lizard archers underway, although when I'll get a chance to finish them is anyone's guess.

Gaming-wise, I have a scenario idea for testing out the vehicle rules for Hammer of Democracy, but it may not get on the table until next week.It will absolutely use the newly painted bridge!

**** Warning: Role-Playing Gaming Talk Ahead ****

This last Sunday was our second session of 5e D&D.

I'm running friends and family through the starter set (the older one, with the Lost Mine of Phandelver) as we are all new to playing 5e (I played in Adventure League years ago, which I did not enjoy). Once we're done with this campaign, I'll step aside and someone else will run a campaign. That means I'll get to be a player character for the first time in a long time!

Without giving too much of the story away, but for those familiar with Lost Mine of Phandelver, they rescued Sildar (the human warrior captured by goblins). However, they didn't put forth any further effort against the goblins or their bugbear leader, so the threat remains. They are, though, interested in finding the goblin chief's location.

Sildar, who tried to persuade them to eliminate the immediate goblin menace, only acquiesced because he was in no shape or position to argue with them. 

Complicating everything, at the previous session the player characters captured a goblin with the intent of reforming him from his evil ways. He led them to the local goblin lair - although i was cautious not to have him give them much if any information about the lair layout - but certainly his presence will pose a problem for them when they get to town. When warned that society may not accept their gobbo friend, the PCs decided their first purchase in town will be a hat, and maybe a fake mustache, for him. 

He's already become a bit of comic relief (I do my best Dobby the House Elf impression while playing him ) so of course, I'll let them find a suitable fez or fedora for him. 

We play again on Sunday.

The last campaign I ran with a group of people met bi-weekly. It's been ages since I had a weekly role-playing group. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever did.

Operation Hasty : Game 1

Corporal May took a look at his map. "There's a farmhouse on the other side of this ridge. Eddie, Atkinson, 'Stain', you're with me. Whiteford, take Saunders, Cross, and 'Lucky' around the base of the hill. I want the Bren covering the road and the farmhouse in case someone's home and isn't glad for the company." 

These paratroopers were among those chosen cause havoc for the Germans and prevent them from destroying infrastructure as they pulled back from Sora to Avezzano and that part of the Gothic Line. It had been christened by the higher-ups as 'Operation Hasty', wich didn't fill May, Whiteford, or any of the others with a lot of confidence.

"Yes, Corporal! Alright you lot, let's move!"  That was Lt. Corporal Frank Whiteford, the second in command for this squad. He had been in it since Dunkirk, and with May since the Moro River. He knew May could smell trouble a mile away.

Of course, May often was the one causing trouble.

A boxer before the war, he was always ready for a scrap in and out of the ring - and always willing to get one started if no one was forthcoming. In war, he learned not only was he good at knocking men out, but he was good at leading them, too.

As May and his team moved down the hill to the edge of the woods, they spotted a German patrol moving up along the farmhouse.

There are two blinds on the board - one in the field, one in the house. Rather than using the Nuts! patrol scenario and PEFs, I used the patrol scenario and forces from Platoon Forward. There are two blinds, one of which is the real patrol, and the patrol will consist of several blinds as well which have to be resolved.

"Looks like the welcoming committee is already here. Let them have it!" May's Sten was already spitting lead before he finished his command, bringing down the German squad's LMG team.

Another German was dropped by rifle fire and then Whiteford's team opened fire as they came around the hill, to terrible effect. 

The few Jerries who had survived the attack fell back behind the house.

Gott im Himmel!

Celebrations were cut short by the sputtering of bullets from a window of the farmhouse. 

"Spandau!"shouted Whiteford, as he was knocked to the ground. Lucky opened fire with his Bren - killing the gunner and leaving the loader scrambling.

From their left, alongside the farmhouse another LMG team appeared and again Lucky's Bren made quick work of them.

A kubelwagen raced up the road to provide cover for the badly mauled German patrol which was trying to withdraw. With its mounted MG-42 it opened fire and wounded Lucky, but Saunders caught the worst of it. 

Under a hail of lead, Whiteford scrambled, grabbed Lucky and Saunders and dragged them into cover behind the hill.

Meanwhile, the MG-42 in the house had repositioned and prepared to open fire on May's team on the hill. The trunk of the tree to his left exploded in splinters and May hit the dirt. Dragging Stainton who had caught one in the arm, he slipped back into the shadows of the trees.

The firefight ended as quickly as it started. The Germans withdrew- unaware that they had come against a single squad - as Cpl. May led his men to temporary safety deeper into the woods. 

Stain and Lucky would be OK and could keep going, but Saunders, on the other hand, was in bad shape.

"What do we do, Corporal?"

 

*****

• Rules used: Nuts! Final Edition
• Platoon Forward generated the German patrol - it was far better equipped than I had expected. I was OK with that given the historical situation.
• I used the Nuts! non-player force movement and such. The decision to withdraw was made immediately after first contact (by the Nuts! table for that). I figured that since the other blinds were in position, they would provide cover for the withdrawal - hence the tripod MG, the extra LMG team, and the kubelwagen getting some action before ending the game. 

Fictional Citadel : July 8, 1943, Part 2

In the predawn hours of July 8, 1943, the 4th Panzer Grenadier Regiment, Phantom Division (under the command of General Feuerbach), took up positions north east of Tomarovka. Their objective was to capture a bridge and the hills overlooking the main road to Yakarlevo,

As the sun rose, the Soviets advanced southward from their position west of Yarkalevo, carried forward by the momentum of their success against Phantom Division on July 7th. Communication difficulties due in part to physical exhaustion of the troops invovled, resulted in the 3rd Artillery Battery and 3rd Antitank Battalion arriving in positions far from their objectives. 

The Germans suffered similar command and control issues. More than once the entire division was forced to hold its position while orders were sorted out.

German engineers led off with a double move special event But the German Division would receive a No Units May Move special event twice!

The 9th Soviet Guard Rifle Regiment advanced through the woods north of the German position behind the river, which brought the German artillery under fire,  before the German crews had a chance to unlimber their guns. It would be some time before the German artillery could relocate and deploy.

"Are ze communists close or is it mein binoculars?"

At the hills, the 7th Soviet Guard Rifle Regiment engaged in a furious battle with the 4th Panzer Grenadiers, before abandoning the position for the protection of the village. The fighting continued and the 7th SGRR was soon no longer a fighting force. 

Meanwhile, the 8th Soviet Guard Rifle Regiment arrived from the north east - it's objective being the hills east of the road. A traffic jam of Soviet units presented difficulties in meeting the timetables set for their assault.

 The Soviet drive for the bridge coalesced around the advance of 3rd Recon Battalion, in support of 9th SGRR. 

Stopped first by the 1st Panzer Engineers and then Feuerbach's division HQ (the General himself was commanding from the front with the 4th Panzer Grenadier regiment), eventually it met destruction at the hands of 4th Panzer Grenadier Regiment.

The final showdown of the engagement occurred when 2nd Panzer engaged in a close range duel with the Soviet AT battalion that saw both sides break from the field.

Sensing the momentum draining from both sides, 3rd PanzerJaeger was able to secure the bridge while 4th Panzer Grenadier held the hill - tenuous though their grasp was. 

Gurdjieff was forced to concede and ordered the withdrawal of the 3rd Soviet Guard Rifle Division north, to an area just east of Systevo. Phantom Division still reeling from the effects of the previous days of fighting, found itself unable to pursue the retreating Soviets.

****** Campaign Notes *****

You will notice I forgot to take a picture of the end of the game. I was too caught up in it to remember and then I ran to take care of the bookkeeping.

This was as small battle. Not just in terms of number of units but in strength points involved.  Both sides had been pretty well beaten up previously and were not near full strength. 

Consequently it was also short. There were six  complete turns - so 3-6 hours of fighting (i figure a turn is 30  - 60 minutes).

The Germans went second on turn 6 and knowing they would be at exhaustion at the end of the turn, and having rolled a No Units May Fire special event, I charged into close combat where I could to push the Soviets to break as well. Was that gamey? Yes. Does that bother me? No. I view it as Feuerbach seeing the Soviets on the ropes and hoping to deliver the knock out blow with the last of his strength.

At the end both had reached their exhaustion points for movement on the campaign map.  As it stands, Phantom Division will need two turns on their baseline to be able to advance.

While the Germans got back 3 of their lost strength points, the Soviets had two points go into the hospital, so it's possible that 3rd SGRD will be ready to advance as early as next turn.

What remains is PanGermania vs the 1st Tank Corps. It is the 2nd time the two have met - it will be a rematch of two armored units. 

Even if PanGermania wins their July 8th battle. am not sure about the campaign going forward. At this point it's almost a guarantee that the Germans won't be able to advance much farther. Is the loss of men and machines worth it?

A Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Table Top Teaser #1 is one of my favorite scenarios. So I thought it'd be a good test of my Frankenstein's monster of a grid-based rule set for WW2 for 1 base = 1 company. Friday night, I broke out the card table and setup.

With a 6x6 grid, the table gets very crowded very fast despite the attacker's piecemeal arrival (the attacker has quite a few units for so few grid spaces). In my first game, several German units suffered losses very quickly due to an inability to fall back(I use the hit result table from The Portable Wargame) without colliding with another unit. But, because they have staying power, the situation didn't improve for the remaining units.

I chose to ignore the exhaustion point because had I not, the game would have been over by turn 5 or so.

Turn 6 or so - the last arrivals, er, arrive.

I reset the table and tried again using the two-hit variant for strength points originally proposed by Ross Mac and incorporated into Developing the Portable Wargame. This was a much more exciting game. The Germans still suffered some losses early but as they were eliminated whole cloth, it left breathing room for the remaining elements to maneuver. 

This isn't really an issue with the rules so much as recognizing that a large (for me) scenario in a small space, where stacking is not allowed, requires adjustments.

The Soviet defenders had lost two complete units by this point.

But on turn 10, they managed to blow the bridge . Admittedly, stranding their HMG company and a tank company on the other side of the river. Sacrifices for the integrity of the Motherland.

It occurred to me after the game, that in essence, my rules are really just a modified version of The Portable Wargame. 

I use a different firing mechanism (Similar to Memoir of Modern Battle (Cordery) and Hold the Line! units roll 3 dice to hit at 1 space, 2 at 2 spaces, and 1 at three or more spaces - the limit being dependent on the unit type), all hits count, hits are 4 or 6 in the open, 6 in cover, MGs hit on 2/4/6 or 4/6 against targets in cover (these are Morschauser's "to hit" numbers). Close combat is more violent than in The Portable Wargame, with infantry rolling 4 dice, and others rolling two or three, with the same hit numbers given. The number of dice doesn't change regardless of the hit points remaining. This makes close combat potentially decisive and possibly swingy even with mismatched units - closer to Morschauser (who, if it's not clear, I am a big fan of) than The Portable Wargame. There are some other rules changes that I like (units have to fire before moving, a unit can't initiate close combat unless they start adjacent to the enemy unit, and a few more).

All that said, as much as I *like* my modifications, I think I really ought to give The Portable Wargame a try again as written, but this time with the two-hit variant to see if that difference makes the rules-as-written close combat more acceptable to me.

On the Grid Again

 Friday the dam burst and I played a flurry of games on a grid - spurred in no small part by my acquisition of a foldable card table.

It measures 38 in. square, which with my current grid cloth is still just 6x6 of 6 inch squares. But that's fine for One Hour Wargames scenarios with small forces.

I set out Scenario 14: Static Defence  - a favorite of mine  - and I tried some rules I had written up over the course of the preceding week. 

In this iteration, weapon companies were split up into attachments to rifle companies.

Soviet ATR companies can engage armor up to 1 space away. Other infantry have to close assault it.

I played two games like this. They were Ok but they weren't quite what I had hoped and had some flaws I found bothersome.  I combined them with some ideas from The Portable Wargame and tried again.

That was better but still not quite right. So I gave The Portable Wargame a chance as written - but using three hits per unit.

Soviets held off the attack on the town - which was the German target. They instead captured the hill rather accidentally.

That still wasn't quite right, for me. So, I scribbled some ideas down and slept on it.

Saturday morning, I set up a new scenario (Scenario 20: Fighting Retreat) because I needed a change from the last one.

Dramatic sunlight.

Classic Toy Solider MG team holding off the Soviet advance.

Very close to what the end of the last game looked like. The Soviet advance collapsed due to losses. I set exhaustion at 50% of strength points due to the small totals for each force.

The end result was exactly the kind of game I had wanted to play. I played twice even, just to be sure.

In the end it was an amalgamation of my own preferences, Hold the  Line, Bob Cordery's Memoir of Modern Battle and The Portable Wargame, and a little Morschauser (4's and 6's to hit and 2/4/6 for MGs).

Operation Citadel-ish

In the mood for getting some kind of game on the table, I flipped, well, scrolled, through, my copy of One Hour Wargames and realized I could treat scenario 8: Melee as a suitable substitute for Grossdeutschland's attack on Cherkasskoye in July, 1943.

Regular readers may recall that I fought this battle as part of a campaign last year.

Panzer and Tiger units from GD advance in front of PzGrenadiers.

Elements of Soviet 199th Guard Rifle Regiment protect the hill, while others advance to meet the fascist invaders.

GD Panzer IVs were completely destroyed but GD recon unit and additional PzGrenadiers arrive to press the attack.

Two AT batteries of the 67th Guards Rifle Division reinforce what remains of the 199th.

Assault lead by Pz Grenadiers supported by recon and Tigers (off camera)

The Soviet left flank collapses under the weight of GD's advance.

Recon foolishly leads the charge to eliminate the last of the defenders.

The Soviets lose Cherkasskoye at great cost, while GD losses are minimal.

I used improvised rules based on my Division Squares: Simple WW2 Combat on a Square Grid but converted to grid-less.  The biggest changes, besides using a ruler, were that I left out leaders and artillery. 

Obviously some of the specifics of the scenario didn't match my original from last year - which I tried to base on research - the Soviets weren't dug in, there was no artillery barrage, and there was no village, but honestly, it was close enough and just as enjoyable.

Another Panzer Kids Deluxe Eastern Front Edition

Tuesday night, my son and I held another game of Panzer Kids Deluxe. This time I set it somewhere on the Eastern Front in winter.

 The Soviets had three T-34/76 tanks, while the Germans had a Tiger I and two PAK-40 anti-tank guns.

The mostly immobile Germans were no match for the speedy Soviet tanks, who also rolled better when it came to shooting.

 

 

At the cost of one tank, the Soviets captured the village.

This one wasn't a nail biter by any means -  the forces were mostly balanced cost-wise, but the lack of mobility and low defensive values for the PAKs was too much of a difference.  I should have given the Germans just one PAK and a PzIV. Still we had a fun time - plenty of sound effect making and dice rolling hi-jinx, and we can't wait to play again.

It was also nice to try out the winter table. The ground cloth is a military surplus poncho I acquired for performing at noise shows - it's far too hot to wear under lights on a stage, but it does make a decent winter landscape I think.