Last night saw a bolt action game planned using all my British and my friends German bolt action forces. Came to roughly 1800pts a piece. You can find the list in a blog here.
What we learnt from last nights game was that amount of troops needs a bigger table but we still had an awesome time and thats all that matters ☺.
The table was all set up
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| View of the target village |
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| The bridge that needs capturing |
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| The whole table. The bridge and village need taking |
We had half our forces on the table and the other half in reserve to be called upon when needed. We rolled to see who got the choice of attacking or defending. I won the roll (A spectacular 2 beating my opponents 1. Hopefully not an omen!!)
The game started with my airbourne unit a first into the field. A squad either flank and my team weapons in the middle. The Germans occipuied the houses either side of the bridge and most of the units in the village went into ambush awaiting my forces.
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| Left flank a para section and a Cromwell tank |
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| Right flank para section supported by an MMG |
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| The snipers sneak off into the fields and the mortar and PIAT head forward |
The first 2 turns were mostly my troops advancing. My opponents armoured vehicles came forward the StuH parked on the bridge, the infantry were preparing their defence.
Few shots were exchanged, the Germans were safely waiting in their houses. The StuH and my QF 6 pounder traded shots but then the Germans medium mortar started dropping rounds onto my QF 6 pounder eventually taking out the unit. My light mortar moves up and first round hits the target house (my 4 year old rolled a six for me! No more sixes after that so he was sent to bed mwha ha ha) unfortunately the round went through the top floor (where the Germans were ) and exploded on the bottom floor harmlessly.
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| Paras light mortar starts dropping rounds on the house to the left of the bridge |
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| My forces get closer. (Please ignore white miniature my 4 year old has to have a model while we play and he left it there) the Germans are tucked up away in ambush awaiting my attempt on the bridge. The StuH sits tall on the bridge. |
The StuH on the bridge survives several shots from my Cromwell and is christened "Lucky Helgar". As my forces get closer the Germans unleash an artillery barrage!
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| The artillery drops on my right flank thankfully no casualties but plenty of pins handed out to various units |
The pins put on my HQ really hampered that unit and inwas forces to rally them as they would not budge.
The StuH feeling bold advanced off the bridge giving the oncoming infantry another headache. My Cromwell proved a terrible shot missing from a ridiculously close range. My plucky PIAT team moved out into the open to take on the StuH but missed!!
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| PIAT team attempt to knock out the StuH but miss |
The PIAT team then take a battering from the StuHs howitzer and taking one casualty but not put off at all.
My right flank para section takes a chance and charges the StuH as it goes past.
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| The Paras attempt to knock out the StuH as it goes past |
Unfortunately they are unsuccesful in hitting the armoured vehicle so re group.
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| The German artillery observer moves up to have a crack at the PIAT team |
The German artillery observer moves up and shoots at the PIAT team but to no avail!! The left flank para section heads along the river bank exchanging fire with the house opposite. The PIAT team (well the one guy) hits the StuH and stuns the crew. The snipers move up into a field and also add their fire against the Germans. The German panzerschrek moves into the bridge to deal with the British tank threat. The loader falls to a sniper bullet as they scamper across the bridge.
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| The panzerschrek team shelters by the StuH |
That Germans do an excellent job of bogging the British forces down just before the bridge plus there are a hoard of infantry and machine guns awaiting inside the village.
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| The Puma moves onto the bridge to hold up the British even more |
The Puma moves up into the bridge and exchanges shots with my Cromwell both missing.
The para section on the right again charge the now stunned StuH and knock it out!! The remaining panzerschrek gunner and artillery observer are also took out.
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| The Paras swarm the stunned StuH and knock it out |
The Cromwell strikes a shot home on the Puma and knocks it out also!
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| The Cromwell knocks out the Puma! |
With the German armour took out the left flank para section make a dash for the bridge! !
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| A section of Paras make a dash for the bridge through a barrage of fire |
The Paras that made a run on the bridge lose half their number in the attempt but being 'stubborn' chaps they carry on regardless. The first British reinforcements arrive on scene. A Sherman tank, M3 half track and Veteren army unit. I've got close to bridge but the Germans have really battered my force and have a scary number of machine guns, assault rifles and smgs pointing at the bridge and not sure if I have the infantry to get over the bridge in siginificant numbers.
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| Sherman tank fires HE shells into a building |
The new on scene Sherman pours fire into the building containing the German squad that wiped out half a para section. The pins and casualties were rising in that house.
As time was getting on we brought all the reinforcements we had on the battlefield. That ment the Germans got an influx of SS troops and a Panzer with a howitzer to boot. I got another squad of regular troops, an artillery observer, a universal carrier, PIAT team, light mortar team and regular HQ.
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| Reinforcements arrive! (Blue dice are proxy order dice as we ran out) |
The house to the left of the bridge (containing a Heer squad) has took a pounding (as it was a right thorn in the side)
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| The amount of pins in the squad in the house. |
The casualties and pins eventually took toll and the squad fled the battlefield.
The surviving 5 paras from the left flank pushed into the bridge sheltering by the burning Puma.
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| The Paras get onto the bridge. (You can see the pins on both houses to the sides of the bridge to see how much fire they took. Need more HE lol) |
The panzer rolled into view and destroyed the 5 brave paras
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| A panzer rolls into view taking out the paras on the bridge. Also you can see my half track containing my vet army squad speeding towards the bridge |
My observer dropped an artillery barrage on the centre of the village no casualties but got some pins down on most of the German squads. My half track holding my vet squad raced to the bridge. The Germans push out of the village centre towards the bridge. A German flame thrower unit headed to the bridge to hold up the British. The flame throwers companion was shot down by the sniper. More German Infantry were also getting on the bridge behind the panzer. My half track disgorged the Veteren squad 2 LMGs at the fore.
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| Behind the smoke you can just see the German flame thrower. Plus the Brit veteran squad charges the bridge |
The 2 veteran LMGs slew the flame thrower in a hail of bullets leaving the panzer the only German unit on the bridge. All the British pushed towards the bridge and the Germans pushed forward to resist.
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| The British armour and infantry push towards the bridge. |
And here is where we called an end to the game (it was late and we had been through a good number of turns). We called the game a very costly Allied victory (if I would have had only one tank left it would have been a draw but we felt the 2 tanks left were a distinct advantage (as the panzer was equipped with a howitzer) in pushing across the bridge.
Great game, very bloody and quite tense at points. As I said at start that size force needs a bigger table but hell it was great fun!!!! Been a long while since I've played such a big battle (we are talking 90s 40K battles here) and was a nice change of pace from skirmish gaming.
Have a great day folks!!
