Panzer Scenario 3

Panzer scenario 3.  My first game in a while I had to relearn some things and learn about suppression if in a hex with a Brew Up for the first time (or perhaps I forgot...)

The scenario is a meeting engagement, basically the first scenario with infantry and guns added to the mix.  We played it with variable penetration and the turret facing rules.  Each side gets points for enemy kills and holding the VP hexes.

Both sides move into position on turn 1.  I should have moved my Panzers for the hills...

First Blood goes to the Germans and their superior optics!  At this range the German gunnery is superior to the Russian
armor.

End of turn 2.  Things are looking very good for the Germans.  They get two kills and a bail out result with no damage to them.

End of turn 3.  The first German casualty and it is a brew up too - causing the other units in the hex to be suppressed.  This will mess up their gunnery and being in the way of the other German stacks messes theirs up too.

End of turn 4.  The Germans move about and get another kill to no loss of their own.  Things still looking good.

Turn 5 and things go from good to bad.  The Russians kill two tanks for the loss of only one.

End of turn 6 and things go VERY bad.  The Germans lose three tanks, another one being a brew up.  The Russians lose nothing.

End of turn 7 and time to throw in the towel.  The loss of the command tank last turn caused all of the Germans within a hex to be broken and all of them failed to recover.  With only 2 runners still on the board vs 4 Russian runners who are not broken it is time to run (walk for the tank crews that have broken tranks) hills.

A fun game that plays quickly.  Gerardo and I have another game scheduled for the 23rd.  Scenario 5.  When I work my up through the rules we will be playing some of the big honking scenarios in the France 40 module and I'm looking at the Western Front module for some of the scenarios in that one.

Holland 44, End of the Road

Lawrence and I finished up the Holland 44 game we have been playing.  His Germans managed to hold the line against a poorly led XXX Corps.  One big mistake really cost me the game and I won't make that mistake again but will most likely make others.  Pushing the tanks too far forward while the 101 area was still threatened by German units.  The elite bonus does not help one whit on Defense so a turn or two needs to be spent attacking the Germans to knock them out of contention.  Not doing that allowed them to cut the road and knock the spearhead OOS.

End of Turn 13 and the game.  Seven more turns left in the game but it would not have been enough to counter the losses XXX Corps had suffered.  Another two turns might have been enough to throw units across the Rhine for a VP win.

XXX Corps still held up, for the most part, just beyond Eindhoven.  Another two turns would have cleared out the Germans but that was two turns 1st Para just didn't have.  The 82nd probably didn't have them either.

The other edge of XXX corps advance.  Next turn the bridge over the canal would have been started and the turn after would see it complete but once again too late.

Nijmegan is under strain.  The Germans are pushing the 82nd back steadily.

At Arnhem the Red Devils are holding their own for now but are being whittled away and every loss brings them closer to a catastrophic loss.

Next month we go from Holland to the Pacific with Avalon Hill's classic game Midway.

Holland 44

The continuation of the Holland 44 game, really late posting and few comments.  Such is the way of things when I suffer a stomping.

XXX Corps Supply is cut. 

82nd holding well at Nijmegan

Red Devils holding in Arnhem.

XXX Corps bridge still cut and Germans have pushed in more troops.

Nijmegan starting to feel pressure.

Arnhem still holding out.

XXX Corps spearhead still out of supply.

Nijmegan still holding.

Arnhem is still holding. 

XXX Corps supply line is even WORSE off after successful German advances.

Nijmegan still holding.

Arnhem is holding by a thread now.

XXX Corps supply is still cut and not looking better any time soon.

Nijmegan holding on.  I was darn near ready to concede so took no picture of Arnhem but it was much the same as before. 

XXX Corps supply cut and all bridges to top of map are blown by retreating Germans (a 1/3 chance you would think ONE of them wouldn't be blown).

Nijmegan.

Arnhem will fall soon.

Germans are finally falling back from the Supply road near Eindhoven, only a few days behind schedule now...  Other side of the canal is even more of a disaster then before.

Nijmegan - I made a mistake and should have stacked units!  Remember ZOC Bonds always!  Luckily the Germans did not get a retreat due to my stupidity.

Arnhem still holding - but it was the Allied turn so I was not going to attack...

XXX Corps area and the Germans are still holding between the canal and Eindhoven.

Nijmegan - Germans are moving in.  Should have ZOC blocked the entry from the bridge to leave only one space they could have reached - next game.

Arnhem Falls and the Germans start the advance to Eindhoven.

MBT Scenario 3

Finally had a chance to play MBT again.  Forgot a couple important rules that helped me and hurt my opponent but we both forgot them so I don't feel TOOOO guilty.  Going to remember for next game though.

The setup.  A US recon unit composed of 5 M1 tanks, 4 Bradleys and an M106 arty unit try to blunt a Russian attack by 10+ T80 and a bunch of BMP3.  Russians enter from the left and get points for exiting on the right.  US gets points for every Russian not exited at game end.  Both sides get points for unit kills.  That line of trees between the hills effectively chops the battlefield in two since even at the highest hill height they block LOS since the trees are taller.

First kill of the game.  

End of turn 1.  The US has done very well with the shooting so far.  This keeps up and it will be all over by turn 3.

End of turn 2.  The US won initiative and then rolled lousy for the shooting part.  

End of turn 6 (Lots of mostly ineffective shooting by both sides in between though there are losses including 3 US Bradleys and an M1 while the Russians lose a number of BMPs and a few T80s).  The Russians skirt around the remaining US defense to make a run for the map edge.  If we had looked at the results so far it would almost be no chance for a Russian win but I think a draw was still possible.

End of turn 16 and the game.  I don't think the US forces suffered any more losses after turn 6 other then the M106 (which I was surprised lasted as long as it did, a couple of ND hits and a mobility loss and the crew stayed inside the whole time).  The Russians lost all but a single BMP and 2 T80s that managed to exit the map. 
I thought for sure I was doomed when the US forces missed all those shots on turn 2 but the Russians didn't do much better and also did not have enough commands to move everyone.  The pattern repeated itself through a large part of the game till the last few turns when my vassal dice got hot again. 
I had a game of Panzer set for yesterday but had to answer a support call instead.  Looking forward to another game of MBT on the 3rd and a Panzer on the 24th.