StuG Smuggling with G Company

I had some time Friday night (tonight as I write this) and really wanted to break out my 1/32 StuG. It's a beautiful model / toy by 21st Century that I almost never use as I have no other 1/32 armor.

In any case, the scenario, "Stug Smuggling", is another one for Crossfire - this time from Lloydian Aspects - converted to a 6 x 10 grid for use with G Company.  I played it a few years ago, using Blitzkrieg Commander and I think, Bob Cordery's Portable Wargame: Modern, which was on his blog long before the books came out.

The scenario and forces were essentially as written, except I substituted Soviets for British and I don't have a StuG III, so a IV it is. The gist is that the Germans have to get the StuG to the opposite side of the table - infantry are expendable. The Soviets have to stop the StuG or they lose. If they stop the StuG but have less than five infantry stands remaining (including the ATG), it's a draw.

The Soviets have AT grenades but they do not have any ATRs, so they have to either use their ATG - which depends on the StuG moving towards it - or close assault the StuG - not a great prospect.

Finally, the scenario name sounds to me like a euphemism for a Speedo, much like "banana hammock." (Let that thought just settle into your brain.)

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Sneaky StuG.

Overview of table layout, end of turn 1. The Germans were pretty cautious - keeping the StuG and infantry together.

Soviet anti-tank gun. This experimental ATG is simple enough that even a sniper and a Forward Observer can operate it. Glorious socialist engineering!

The Germans approach the village- the StuG has gotten a little  ahead. Soviet fire from across the road hampers the German infantry near the top of the picture. The Germans are elite, so they aren't worried.

Infantry fire-fight in the village. Soviet troops in the orchards opposite the church give the Germans trying to rush across the road pause.

With the Soviet infantry losing the firefight, the StuG attempts to overrun the obstacle in order to get around the woods that were blocking its path. Instead it is lodged there.

The smoking wreck of the StuG - destroyed when close assaulted (I rolled a 1. It was outnumbered and was being attacked from two squares, so -2 on the roll for a -1 over all. The Soviet units were both disordered in the attack but not destroyed).

The Soviets lost three squads total from the two forward platoons and the ATG crew, but finished with six rifle squads and a mortar crew. The Germans lost two squads of their six, and, more importantly, the StuG. Soviet victory.

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This was a lot of fun. I felt like I had a lot of hard choices to make and some worked out and quite a few didn't and those were mostly poor choices on my part, like running across open ground to frontally attack a good order StuG.

It was nice to just play not play test, although it was inevitable that I'd try some things. The new close combat - which is less deadly - worked as I hoped.

Since all of the Germans were elite, I was able to remember that this time, and found them almost impossible to eliminate when in cover. If they weren't hit multiple times in the same turn, they'd invariably rally at the start of the next (not a bad thing, just an observation).

The StuG functioned as a mobile heavy MG in this game- and why not, they get two d6, keep highest, when rolling as an MG against infantry - and they were effective that way, but I rolled terribly to cross that obstacle (I used the scenario rules for that). None the less, had it succeeded,even i it raced across the table, it would run into the waiting Soviet 3rd platoon with little to no infantry support, since their escort was bogged down in the village most of the time.

I found that my dissatisfaction with the turn sequence just wasn't there when I played today. So it will likely stay as is in my current draft which should go live this month (I know I said that last month, but things happened).

Thanksgiving Battles with G Company

Next up for my extended weekend of ridiculous amounts of gaming, were games featuring my multi-figure based WWII Eastern Front collection. You know, the ones I post all the time lately.

Thanksgiving evening saw a return to The River with G Company, not once, but twice!

The first game was a complete rout as the Soviets decimated the Germans with HMG fire and artillery, including taking out their Forward Observer, leaving the Germans without smoke to cover their advance. It was a bloodbath and ended in a handful of turns (it was that bad).

The second game things went a little better for the attacker, but in the end, the Germans took too many losses to continue.

First game setup.

From the first game. Germans have no smoke - the FO was eliminated - and so must cross without any cover. It didn't go well.

2md game. A Forward Observer - having crept onto the bridge -  finally gets the smoke he requested. In the background, the Germans pour across the river, shielded by smoke from the HMG fire coming from the pillbox.

Brutal close combat ensued shortly after this was taken.

On Friday ("Black Friday"), the German advance tried again, this time with The Hill.

The first battle went to the stalwart defenders who drove off the Huns.

I set it up again - because why not? - but this time, after three games in less than 24 hours, I was feeling vaguely dissatisfied with the G Company turn sequence, which works well for me and isn't complicated, does look complicated and requires the solo gamer to change hats almost every other step.

In addition, I have been noticing that the artillery in my games just never even comes close to using the number of fire missions available. So, the mechanics were the same but the turn sequence was a greatly simplified, traditional,flexible (units can move/shoot in whatever order suits the battle plan, but can't split their actions with another unit - although the enemy can fire in reaction)  IGO-UGO, and artillery calls/arrival was available to both sides each turn.

The result was a much faster playing game that didn't involve as much mental side- switching for the solo gamer. I jokingly call it "G Company: Toy Solider Edition".

Whether I continue to use the simplified turn sequence, the artillery rule change may well be brought into G Company, as I felt it made it more fun - ordinarily, the limit on fire missions is theoretical - one side never gets enough opportunity to call in a lot of artillery (off-board heavy mortars),  but now the limit was quite real and required decision making to best use those resources..

Incidentally, the Germans had their first victory of the SoloCon celebration. Now, the attacker has won The Hill scenario about half the times I've played it, so I'm not convinced the rules changes had anything to do with it, but it does merit some more play testing.

The Hill in all its glory. There's a LOT of open ground covered by the Soviet HMG.

Defenders of the Motherland.

A Soviet sniper takes aim at a German NCO.The polka-dotted strips are the mines.

Germans cautiously advance under cover.

German right engages the Soviets on the Hill. On the German left, sort of visible in the background, left, 2nd platoon advanced around to flank the Soviets.

The victors in Game 1 (the German force was devastated and forced to retreat)::

 Contrasted with the end of Game 2:

This photo was staged after the battle. The final fight was a close assault scrum on the hill.- with units from both German platoons, and the mortar team - that eliminated the remaining Soviet units, save the PL and the FO.

Friday evening, I moved fully in the direction of simplified gaming, but up a level (platoon per base), with Morschauser's Modern rules, with some modifications, and a OHW scenario. But I'll spare you and post that later!