Sunday, 12 May 2019

Grabbing an airfield

So, after successfully defending the airfield last week, it was my turn to take the airfield. Knowing how difficult it was for the Germans to get to the objectives, due to the large expanse of open table, I came up with a cunning plan. 
I would take 4 squads, two of which would take the objective (the guard hut) nearest to me, and would basically go down for dear life for the rest of the game. The other two, would come on as reserves around turn two or three and take the objective on the other side of the board, and then in the last turns, make a dash for the objective in the centre.
To help these four squads were the obligatory MMG, a light mortar, a light howitzer, a sniper team, and a flamethrower, to help flush out any stubborn squads on objectives. Once again the board was going to be very open, and so I was going to be facing an awful lot of firepower.
Here goes
Turn 1:
Getting the first dice, I decided to bring on squad 1 to the nearest objective, the guard hut. Terry had a squad camped on their and I opened fire. 8 Rifles and a LMG should do some damage to this squad. I caused one pin marker. Not a good start, and so I bought on a second squad to try to repeat this trick. 
Things got better, and I was able to add a second pin, and kill three of them. Sadly no machine gun or NCO between them, but it was a better start. I then brought on a light mortar team, who missed the Bofors, which wasn't a small target.
Having taking a pummeling from my two squads, Terry then tried to advance the squad guarding the hut towards the enemy. However, he failed his order test and went down. He then twisted his MMG, also postioned by the guard hut to face my squad, and killed two. Terry then lowered the Bofors and opened fire, but much to my relief, he missed. 
Finally, to the tune of a drumbeat and a warning about Stingray, Stingray, the Picket Hamilton, in the centre of the table rose upwards. I was happy about this, as it gave me an excuse to flush the enemy out with my flamethrower. Terry then moved his squad guarding the Bofors forward and was able to kill one of Light Mortor team. The surviving man was able to pass his morale test.
Terry and I then spent several dice put down makers on our reserves and the turn came to a close with my sniper missing Terry's squad guarding the Bofor's and the MMG trying to and failing to hit Terry' Air observer. 
The turn came to an end with Terry activiating his air observer and putting a marker on the squad nearest to the guard hut. Next turn the Airplane would arrive

Turn 2:
The turn opened with a high pitched scream as an airplane came chrashing through the clouds and heading towards the enemy. In a moment of confusion, and using the old adage of If you miss it's our's, if you hit it's one of theirs, Terry's Bofors opened fire and caused two points of damage. One more and the plane would have been shot down by it's own side.
However, in some sort of incrediable barrell roll, the piolt carried on, Sqaud 2, in it's sight, and opened fire. The sqaud wisely, went to ground. Terry's fire caused lots of hits, and a pin marker, but much to my relief, and Terry's distress, no casulties were caused. The plane flew off, not to be seen again :)
The turn began properly, and Terry got the first dice, and again he tried to order the squad guarding the hut to advance, but they were having none of it. The kettle had just boiled or something. Meanwhile, Terry's MMG then saw squad 1 and opened fire. They got two pin markers, but no dead. I got the next dice, and I decided to charge them in combat with Terry's squad, but I failed my order test, leaving them somewhat in the open.
The team inside the Picket Hamilton opened fire on my MMG, but were unable to hit. For the next few dice pulled, Terry and I were unable to hit anything. Terry's Bofors missed Squad 1 and his Air Observer team missed my MMG. Meanwhile, my light mortar were unable to hit the approaching squad, that had left the Bofors behind.
Terry then brought something on, which I could not deal with, a Bren Carrier. Being an infantry heavy army, I've not brought anything that could deal with a vehicle. The Bren Carrier then opened fire on Squad 1 and killed two of their number. 
My response was to open fire with my MMG on to the Air Observer, in case he had any nasty tricks and wipped one of the squad out. Terry then brought on an Armadilo with two machine guns and an autocannon. Not only could I not deal with the Bren, I had this as well. I was well and truely scuppered. He shot at squad 2, but failed to hit. Perhaps I could.
I then fired my sniper at Terry's squad that was leaving the Bofors behind them. Though I gave them a pin marker, I was not able to kill any of thier number. Terry then shot the whole squad at the Sniper, and due to the Rapid Fire rule, he had 14 dice to hit with. All he needed was a single six, due to being inexeperienced, a small team, and in cover. The dice came up in my favour, not a single six. 
I got the next few dice, hoping to bring on some squads to capture the Bofors. I was able to bring on one squad, who advanced towards Terry's squad near the Bofors and killed four of their number. In return, they opened fire and felled five of my men. I took a courage test, and the squad was fine. 
I was then also able to bring on an officer. But, when my next squad decided it didn't want to come on, I kept the artillery peice and flamethrower for the next turn. 
Terry was also unable to bring on his officer, or his final squad. He repostioned his medic and with that the turn came to an end. Things were looking good
Turn 3:
I got the first dice, and Squad 1 charged the squad guarding the hut. They shot as I came in, and he was able to kill 4. Ouch. We started combat. I rolled badly, and was able to kill 1. Terry, was also able to kill 1 and so the combat carried on into another round. I was able to kill 2 more. 
So was Terry, so we moved into the third round of combat. I killed two more, Terry was able to kill one. I won. I used my consolidation move and moved on to the objective, but to do so cost me 8 men out of a squad of ten. If I was not careful, they wouldn't be there for much longer. 
Being so close to the guard hut, the Air Observer, and his assisstant, charged the reamins of Squad 1. I told you taking this objective was going to be short lived. Terry and I spent the first round of combat failing to hit and so we moved on to the second round of combat. Terry, again, failed to hit, but now the dice were with me, and I was able to finish of the air observer and win the combat. 
I then tried to hit the Bofors with the light mortar, but the sights were not correctly aligned and the shell landed harmless in area. Terry, getting the next dice, charged in his inexpereinced squad, near the Bofors into my recently arrived squad 3. I shot as he came in, and killed two of their number.
Needing five to kill, thank goodness for being veteran, I was expecting to loose one or two. Terry killed 5. I had no attacks back. The squad was dead, and Terrry consolidated towards the sniper a might one inch. That was going to cost me. 
Terry then opened fire with the Picket Hamilton and aimed his shots at my MMG. Thankfully, it was fine and only took a pin marker. Terry, then brought his own light mortar on, and landed a shot on squad 2, who went down. Despite this, one of thier number was killed and two pin markers were added to thier tally. Terry then fired the Bren carrier at the squad, who killed two more of thier number, including the Sqaud NCO, who died before being able to pass his hat on. 
I then targeted Terry's MMG with my own MMG and killed one of thier crew. Not what I really wanted, but one dead crew member was better than no dead crew member. My sniper then missed the Bofor's and I was begining to wonder if he had been trained at the Imperial Stormtrooper Shooting Range in Star Wars as he spectaculary useless at hitting large targets. 
Terry then opened fire and targeted on the Light Howitzer that I had brought on to the table, with the previous dice. As the crew were busying putting up the weapon, two of thier number were pulverized in a hail of flak. The last man passed his morale check. Terry then returned MMG fire and aimed his MMG at my MMG and killed two of their number.
The Armadilo roared into life and shot at Squad 2 killing another of thier number and added a pin marker. I was grateful for them being down, or it could have been a lot worse
Again, Terry was unable to bring on his last squad and his officer. I was then able to bring on my final squad, who appeared on Terry's board edge, near the Bofors. They advanced forward, and opened fire, killing three of the squad that had been guarding it. Not even Terry's nearby medic was able to do anything about it and the squad fled off the baord. Though I didn't control the objective, it was now getting close to becoming mine. 
I finished the turn with brining on the flamethrower team. Hiding behind Squad 4 to protect them from any fire. Their goal to burn the Picket Hamilton.
That had been a bloody turn, and quite costly for me. But I was now denying Terry one of his objectives and getting closer to controlling the second.
Turn 4:
Terry got the first dice of Turn 4, and aimed a light mortar shell at Sqaud two, and killed two more. I had only four men left before the shell had landed, and so needed to take a morale test. I failed, and the squad fled. Great, this was getting even more difficult to try and control the guard hut objective.
I received the next dice and squad four advance forward and opened fire on the Bofors. I rolled six hits. This lead me to kill two of the crew. However, both dice were sixes. If I rolled one more six, I could destory the weapon using the Exception Damage rule in Bolt Action. I rolled the dice.
One of them was a six. I had destroyed the Bofors. Terry responded by firing the Picket Hamilton at my squad and killing two of them. I decided to get my MMG down into the ground as Terry opened fire with his own MMG and caused no damage. Phew.
Terry then went in with the Armadilo. He fired one Bren Gun at squad 4and killed one more of them. He then fired the auto cannon and the other Bren gun at my MMG, which died under a hail of fire. Though I wasn't really enjoying playing against the Armadillo, I do want one for my own army. 
I tried to shoot the light mortar at Terry's inexpereince squad, but I missed. Terry then tried to move this squad forward, but they bottled thier morale test and went down instead. Terry was then able to bring on his officer, near the Bren Gun carrier.
Squad 1, on the Guard hut objective were able to add a pin marker on to Terry's MMG. Finally, my flame thrower carried on thier advance on the Picket Hamilton, and Terry was able to bring on his final squad who came in at a run. 

Things were not looking good, but I was now contesting two objecitves. I might be able to pull something off here.
Turn 5:
I was going to have to hit the dirt and hope for high water that I could survive, if not I had no chance of winning this game. I got the first dice, and charged the reamins of Squad 1 into Terry's MMG. I was close enough so that they could not fire as I came in, and was able to wipe them out, before retreating into the safety of the cover of the Guard Hut.
Terry then opened fire with his Armadilloe and shot a Bren Gun at the flamethrower, who survived. The rest of the vehicle's weapons went at the remains of Squad 1. Despite four hits, Terry was only able to kill one of their number. The last man held his nerve. Meanwhile Terry was unable to do any damage with his Bren Carrier.
I finally took the Bofors, which gave me the full objective. I the shot with the squad at the near by inexperience Squad and killed two more of them. My flamethrower then, after passing his test, ran forward and was now outside the objective in the centre of the table. 
Terry's newly arrived squad advanced on the Bofors and killed the Squad's NCO, who then passed on his leadership to a colleague. My light mortar missed agian, and then I realsied my mistake. 
The Picket Hamilton still had a gun team in, and the flamethrower was now in point blank range. How stupid I had been. All I could do was watch as Terry gunned them down. Though I could still wrange two obectives, I knew the third was now out of my reach. 
Terry's officer ran forward and renewed the contest to see who could hold the Guard Hut. Terry's light mortar, copying mine, missed and the shell aimed at my officer went sailing over. My sniper missed, once again and Terry finished the turn with advacinng his full ten man squad towards the picket hamilton objective in the centre of the baord.

Turn 6:
I got the first dice of the turn and once again the Light Mortar missed and then for an encore, my sniper missed once again. I think both of these were a waste of points as they've not contributed anything to the whole game. 
Terry then got the next dice, and tried to land a light mortar on my officer and so I elected to go down and he survived for another turn. However, Terry, then aimed his Bren Carrier forward and shot the Bren's at my officer, killing him, and at Squad 1 and killed nothing. 
Terry then advanced the Armadilo forward and aimed a Bren at my squad at the Bofors and I went down, and they survived. He then fired the other Bren and the autocannon at squad 1, and again they escaped uninjured. Terry rounded off his pull of dice, and his squad finally got the objective in the centre. 
In an effort to make sure I contested the Guard Hit, I moved the Light Howitzer forward. 
Terry then got the final few dice of the game. He tried to fire the Picket Hamilton at the Bofors squad, but was unable to cause any casuties. He then charged in the squad into my squad guarding the Bofors and killed 2. I only had to kill two, and so of course, predictably, I killed one. My squad ran off, and the game came ot an end. 
Terry had won, and gained three campaign points. And after four scenarios, the campaign points are.
Terry 37 David 33
or
Allies 37
Axis 33
This was a great game, and honestly, if it wasn't for that final combat, where I lost control of the Bofors, this game would have been a draw and very different. However, Terry's combination of a Armadillo and a Bren Carrier was something I couldn't deal with and so gave Terry the advantage. 
I also shouldn't have left the flamethrower in front of the picket hamilton. That was just a stupid mistake. But, this was a good, fun, game and the next scenario is a Patrol Scenario which I'm looking forward to. 


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