Désolé pour les anglophobes mais, comme j'ai posté un AAR sur le site de GS, je fait juste un copier-coller...
Il s'agissait de la finale du tournoi Starter Kit organisé par Game Squad, une très bonne expérience que je recommande à tous ! Les 3 Lolo du site ont participé (St Hilaire, Lorenzo et moi-même).
La lutte a été acharnée et, la finale a été vraiment chaude après un premier tour catastrophique.
So, let's go
As Martijn said, S24 is a big scenario when you begin with AFV, each turn was about 2-3 hours to play, and there are 7 in this one.
There are a lot of infantry and AFV : 6 Shermans for the Russian and a Tiger accompanied by a PZIIIN for the German. German has funny toys to play (Panzerfaust, Panzerschreck and FT).
Here is a little AAR of what happened. I hope my English isn’t too awful…
As Martijn prefer German and, I prefer attack, I have Russians.
I have 7 turns to take 6 buildings locations on map v, between J and Q. No time to sleep!
I put screenshot in attachment as it seem Imageshack is not accessible from here ???
The first turn was a big lesson for me, losing 4 Shermans…
The first one couldn't be avoided as it moved adjacent to the HIP Pak38!
I said “couldn’t”, but perhaps a more cautious advance with infantry in front could have saved him. I choose to screen my infantry with AFV and know I would have to pay the price…
One more Sherman died to a PF hit while trying to move in the opposite CA of the Pak... I was thinking Martijn won't try a PF eating Backblast, but he did and killed me! And he survived. First lesson, killing an AFV is worth risking losing a squad to a backblast... So your opponent will go for it!
Well, still 4 Shermans left...
During German 1rst MPh, the PZ IIIn move toward a Sherman who had an acq to a key enemy infantry unit blocking my own infantry so I decided not to fire as the To Hit for Martijn was a "3". Bad idea as he rolled this 3, using APCR my tank exploded.
Oups, 3 left...
Now, the Tiger come... It moved and positioned in the Los of a Sherman who had an acq to the Pak38. The Tiger can't be killed in the front by my 75 (baring a CH) and, if he hit me, the 88L kill me in every facing.
I want to kill the Pak so I decided to do nothing as the to hit was a "4"… which Martijn rolled
At this point, I said to myself, "Ok, it's lost..." But I always try to fight till the end so, go on!
I was too confident with my tanks and expected DR 3 and 4 were too difficult. You can try this with a squad but not with your precious AFV...
Ok, now, I will have to use all that is possible to protect the two last guys. Looking what happened, I think I had to take Motion Attempt when in this sort of trouble… This was lesson 2.
During my second turn, a combination Sherman-infantry neutralized the Pak 38 and the other moved to help the infantry advance, searching secure position from enemy AFV. A squad moved to block Panzer IIIN way of approach to its back (Y11).
Then come the German second turn…
The PZ IIIN moved adjacent to the Sherman, in its rear but, as it fired its MG to the squad who was in its path, it couldn’t fire at me now, nor in the AFPh, so I did nothing. Note the squad succeeded its PAATC but fail to kill the Panzer.
Second, the Tiger moved and positioned himself in the front of the Sherman, but this time (lesson 2
), I launch an sD (and get one) and make a successful Motion attempt so the Tiger couldn’t hit me due to the multiple DRMs. The Sherman changed its VCA so it could escape in its next MPh directly in the PZ IIIN location.
Turn three was the turning point.
Martijn’s tanks were in good position to kill one of my Sherman but with no infantry to support.
So, Hurrah! During my turn, infantry charge them through the woods and survived all Defensive Fires. Squads were positioned to go for CC in the APh!
Second, my Sherman who was in trouble escaped after moving right in the IIIN location and stopping in its rear side, three hexes away (in I10). The Defensive shots didn’t hit him.
Then my over Sherman positioned on the hill, in the back of the Tiger. The Tiger fired at me, changing only TCA but it was a miss.
Finally, one squad recovered the now abandoned Pak 38, in the Tiger side facing.
Bad new, I didn’t hit the enemy AFV with my Bounding fires but I’m in good positions.
More than this, two of my three infantry succeeded their PAATC and go for CC : 1 squad vs. each German AFV. None of them was a success but, as they survived (one to the 16 flat IFT attack of the Tiger sN!) Germans AFV couldn’t fire outside their hex during their incoming PFPh.
And then come the German turn three.
Wanting to escape, the German AFV didn’t attack the infantry.
When it started, the PZIII N was attacked by my squad using Reaction CC but, with no effect. So close as 3 hexes vs. a non-moving target (as it didn’t still enter a new hex), the Sherman didn’t miss and killed the enemy.
Then, the Tiger use its sN to smoke its hex and it succeeded. My infantry failed its CC.
My Sherman hit (with ROF) but, it was a turret front hit so impossible to kill (AF 14, to kill#14). The Pak missed and is destroyed as I rolled a 12 and it was a captured Gun manned by an infantry squad. Damn.
Then Tiger started, Sherman ROF and, this time, it was a rear hull hit! And yes, the Tiger exploded… Ouf.
During the three turns of the “tank battle” my infantry make good progress and killed 2 of the 6 Germans squads and the Pak crew due to failure to rout. I think this is the best way to kill enemy infantry and I always try to attack with this in mind. But there was still and HMG to deal with (MMG squad who killed a Sherman with a PF failed a WP MC) and now, reinforcements arrived (6 engineers squads with LMG, PSK and FT).
On my turn 4, Sherman positioned on the hills so as to shot at engineers without hindrances, slowing their advance toward the victory buildings while they keep distance from them (and eliminating MMG squad for failure to rout). Infantry take place for the final assault but not in range of the engineers and their FT. One squad survey the PSK to avoid a rush toward the Sherman in K8.
On the german turn 4, the squad manning HMG finally broke as did the one manning the FT so during my turn 5 I could move to get starting position in front of the last two victory locations. Engineers try to move toward them but Shermans were in good shape and broke most of them. One succeeded in moving in the abandoned HMG place, one more time I have to deal with it.
On turn 6, they were one German good order squad in the woods, one in the building with the HMG and two between the two hills. Concerning German leaders, the 8-0 engineer dies in turn 3 due to a CR when it carry the FT (5 on the wound dr) and the other engineer (9 -1) was broken in turn 5 and failed to autorally. The last one was the initial 8-0 who is wounded. It was time for the last run.
Infantry surrounded the wood so two broken squads will failure to root and the last one (FP 5) will face a Russian 6-2-8 in CC. P7 will be protected by a PBF 12 shot directed by my 9 -1 leader if German survived and look for a counterattack.
HMG was a pain so, a Sherman goes to deal with him and enter the building in order to lock its shot to the incoming wave! I bogged but Martijn failed its CC Reaction attack so HMG couldn’t fire outside there and I could position infantry for a 3:1 CC with a leader -1 vs. the German CX 5-4-8. The two broken German squads adjacent (with the wounded leader) goes DM and will be pretty hard to rally. In every case, they will have to fall back from their actual position during the next RtPh.
A captured MMG positioned on the hill out of their actual LOS to “welcome” the two last German squad with a 8 FP shot (16 is risking a PBF, that they have to do if moving toward the building)… The second Sherman positioned to fire at them from the opposite side and keep an eye on the two DM squads and wounded leader in M6. And there will be one more turn if something goes wrong.
So, at this point, Martijn ask for a cease fire.
This was a great game with a great opponent.
Finally, it’s a long scenario but it is a perfect one to learn more and more on AFV.
Lastly, I want to thank Enrico for his organisation of this tournament.
A really good job!
Those 5 games were a fantastic experience with good guys. And, yes, I must admit that I was in a cold sweat more times than I expected because I love this game and, when playing, I’m living it :laugh:
Raul, Chandler, Laurent, Stephen and Martijn, it was a pleasure and, I hope we could play one more time altogether.
Raul, see you soon in Kreta :p
Laurent Le Billan, Grosbil de FFLASL (
http://forum.cote1664.net/ )