Flames of War

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600 Point After Action Reports (AARs)

Players: Russian Cossack (Rich) vs. DAK (That Guy from PA)
660 points in a Free for All (FFA)

The Table: Some Woods that worked in my favor!

The Plan: Against armor there was none except to grab and hold an objective.

The Actual Battle: His 2iC bogged down my Cossack captured it. They dismounted and destroyed his CiC! Yeah, Go Team!!!! Then his real tanks turned around and contested the Objective. My Cossacks assaulted from building (no Defensive fire from the tanks!!) and did wait for it.... wait..... NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

End of Story.

Lessons Learned: The Cossacks did everytng right. But again could not sustain damage!!!!!

Players: Lee Sowers (Italian Armor) vs. That Guy from PA (British Armor)

The Table: My opponent likes to have the board mirrored, so we each had woods in each corner and in the center was a town with a bridge.

The Plan: I was going to remain conservative and use my large 75 mm long range to pound the enemy before allowing the Recce to take the objective.

The Reality: Lee closed in using the village to protect his panzers from my long range guns. He rushed his Italian Armor over to the woods to cover his objectives. His Armor was successful in taking out 2 of my Armor cars. I was able to utilize my long range guns to destroy the Italian Armor. I then went mono-a-mono with the Panzers that used the Storm trooper move very effectively in the town to destroy the Grant platoon. We then had an all out slug feast for my objectives as my Sherman III stood up to the Panzer by making many moral rolls but eventually fell.

Lessons Learned: We learned that a unit that double timed can not extend that movement into the woods. Meaning you can only get the rough move of 8" and not double time at 16" and include the 8". Lee's Italian tanks should have stopped short of the woods and remained in the open for a turn before entering the woods.

Players: John Sorge (Russian Armor) vs. That Guy from PA (British Armor)

The Table: Our table had a village in one corner and a hill in the other. The center had a hill with woods.

The Plan: My plan was to run my Recce forward covered by the Grants and HQ. I figured I could get the tanks to pound the objective zones and have the Recce take the target.

The Reality: John's Russian Tanks moved rapidly forward and quickly shot up my Recce platoon. The slug-feast between the Grants and T-34's did not last long with 6 T-34's taking on 3 Grants. The Russian Horde entered the hilly woods and destroyed all in their path.

Lessons Learned: I learned three things about the Russians. First they traveled much faster than I had expected. They cleared over half the board in turn one. Secondly I learned that they had to stay within 2" due to a Hen and Chick (Editor: they can only move 6" if they want to fire!) rule that may play against them in a future game. Thirdly, in mid-war they are much easier to hit since they are rated as reluctant (Editor: actually because they are conscripts).

Players: Lee Sowers (British Inf.) vs. That Guy from PA (DAK Armor)

The Table: My opponent likes to have the board mirrored, so we each had a town and woods in each corner. The center had a wooded hill.

The Plan: I wanted to pound the infantry with my tanks and avoid the Churchill tanks. My Panzer II and the Panzer IIIJ could not touch the Churchill's so the only target was the infantry.

The Reality: Both sides sat back and the Churchill's started to pick off tanks so I had to go on the offensive. I was able to cause causalities in the woods but bad rolling left my tanks exposed to the Churchill's and of course, I lost that battle.

Lessons Learned: I learned that an early 1942 Panzer Army can't take on a late 1943 Churchill's without 8.8 Gun support. I have learned what not to do with Recce. I unfortunately have not figured out the correct way to use them yet. I need to be more effective with my Storm trooper moves.

Players: John Sorge (Russian Armor) vs. That Guy from PA (DAK Armor)

The Table: The table was heavily skewed with a full town on one side and two individual buildings on the other. The center had a river running through the center. I lost the critical die roll at the beginning that allowed the winner to choose the board side.

The Plan: Stay covered and to rush the Panzer II forward to take the objectives.

The Reality: I got a real dose of reality when the T-34's out ranged and out gunned me. At long range my Panzer IIIJ could not penetrate the thick t-34's armor. I rushed the Panzer II and Panzer IIIJ forward to take cover since John could pick them off since I had no cover to hide behind. I fell 2" short of the objective that allowed John to take my objective first.

Lessons Learned: Many lessons learned here. The DAK army needs longer range and heavier weapons to survive in this tournament. It's an early 1942 Panzer Army so the 8.8 Flak gun is the only things I can upgrade this army since the best tank I can upgrade to will be the Panzer IIIJ (Late). I have learned that I still have not used my Recce properly. The Panzer II seems to be machine gun platforms with thin armor. The Russian tanks not only move fast, but they can shot 32" which out ranges my tanks.

Players: Bill Bartlett - Grenadier Coy
John Sorge - Tankovy (we can move as far and in anyway we want) Coy

The Table: There was a small village on my side of the village and woods and a hill on Johns.

The Plan: I was going to dig in my infantry and guns and move my assault platoon into the buildings and wait for the tanks to come by. Being pioneers they would be deadly assaulting from cover.

The Reality: My guns and the infantry failed to dig in the first turn. My assault platoon was passed by and out of position for an attack. Then the freaking tanks shot the crap out of me and assaulted. Numerous bad rolls later my entire right flank disappeared along with my CIC... again. I manouvered my assault platoon for an attack and they got shot to hell too... game over.

Lessons Learned: Nothing new really... I just hate tanks and the people who play them.

Players: Travis Newman: US Rifle Coy (U you S suck)
Bill Bartlett: Grenadier Coy

The Table: A village covered just about the whole table. Some woods were scattered about too.

The Plan: I wanted to use the buildings to cover an advance up the left side of the table with my assault platoon and 2IC. I left two grenadier platoons to cover the objectives with the heavy infantry guns in support.

The Reality: My assault platoon moved up the left with no opposition until they ran into Newmans weapons platoon. Hiding in buildings does help against those damn 60mm mortars. They quickly reduced the assault platoon to bloody rags. I set my infantry guns up too close to the woods and was unable to bombard anything for the first few turns. My observer when to the top of a ridge on the right and Newman went after him imediately. Talk about over kill. He sent his tank hunter platoon after him. One little, harmless and lonely observer. Fifty some odd shots later, he was even more harmless. I just love to watch people send everything they have after him. It is quite funny and keeps them from shooting the hell out of my infantry. Anyway, I had to move my infantry guns up to get a shot at his tanks. They are devisting against armor. I killed one before Newman concentrated all of his fire on them and they disapeared. His recon had moved up into weapons range and I was able to kill most of them and they failed their morale check. (Newman, read the recon and tank hunter rules, you'll live longer) Since I only had two platoons left and he had a crap load of machineguns I hunkered down hoping he would come to me. He didn't and we spent a good thirty minutes with him shooting at me and me unable to respond. Fortunately I made all my saves and he didn't force a company check. On mutual agreement we called the game with five minutes to go before time ran out.

Lessons Learned: Keep back from the woods the requisite 4". I could have pulverized his infantry if I had.

Players: That Guy from PA, British begger lend lease Armour
Bill Bartlett: Grenadier Coy

The Table: Woods on both sides and some buldings in the center. A ridge on the left.

The Plan: Dig in and let him come to me. When he got close assault with the panzerknackers then run down the table to claim an objective.

The Reality: I dug in, but That Guy from PA stayed back and tried to pick me off at long range. I killed off his recon with my heavy infantry guns (they never had a chance). Since the armor wasn't ATTACKING I started to move up my assault platoon with the CIC. That was a bad idea. They got wiped out when they failed a morale check to counter assault his CIC and had to run for cover. Defeat snached from the jaws of victory, again. (this is getting to be a habit) After spending an inordinate amount of fire power on my observer That Guy from PA changed targets and eliminated the infantry guns instead. Being down two platoons I hunkered down and waited. And waited, and waited. Do people who play armor realize that they are supposed to be the spearhead of OFFENSIVE operations? I ask because no one seems willing to attack with them. So, he ended up wittling dowm the last two platoons down to two stands each after I went on the offensive. I put my reliance into the cover provided by buildings. They're not much help when you have good FP in your tank guns. I finally conceded and that was that.

Lessons Learned: Never send the CIC with the assault platoon, send the very expendable 2IC instead.

Players: Lee Sowers (British Inf.) Defender vs. John Sorge (Soviet Tankovia) Attacker 600 points played 8/16/07

Mission: Free for All

Terrain: Both sides had intact and ruined buildings separated by fields of rubble. The center had a small village. To the right center was a ruined building. The rest of the field was clear. Objectives for both sides were to either side of the rubble fields.

The Plan: Lee had one platoon of infantry dead center in the rubble field and one platoon of 3 Churchill's behind the buildings on my right. My Tank Company of 6 T-34's with a Command T-34 with Tank Riders, was behind the building to my right. My Tank Company went to the center behind the small village. The Cdr went into the ruined building on the right. The plan was to try to get a lucky shot on the tanks and dig out the infantry. Once I dug out the infantry he would have to throw me off the objective. Granted, heavy looses, but hey we're Russians. Lee's plan, dig in the infantry and cower, creep forward like a bunch of old ladies with the tanks. (BTW… that's exactly what he did.)

The Reality: My plan worked very well, except I could not penetrate his armor on the Churchill's. Even with my Commander on his flank, we just couldn't defeat his armor. Even when we bailed him, he got right back in. We made the objective and did manage to start pushing his infantry out, but not enough. His high rate of fire and thick armor won the day.

Lessons Learned: Nothing new here. Mid War Russians just can't go against heavy armor without additional support. A flame thrower or two would have turned the day.

Players: Lee Sowers (British Inf.) vs. Allen Kaplan (German Grenadier
600 points played 8/10/07

Mission: Free for All

Terrain: Mid-East looking. Both sides of table had some walls and small buildings, equal on both sides. There was a stream with a bridge dividing the two sides down the middle. There were equally spaced high shrubs and trees in the middle near the sides.

The Plan: Lee had one platoon of infantry on my left and one platoon of 3 Churchill's on my right. I planned for my AT guns and arty to hold off his tanks while I advanced my infantry platoon in the center. I could then go left or right toward my objective, whichever would be easier. Lee's plan - dig in the infantry and push forward carefully with the tanks.

The Reality: Turn one I learned that my AT would only hurt the tanks on the side. Never got a side shot. My 105's could not hit the tanks when spaced out far enough that only one was under the template. When they did hit the top armor of 2 was too much for my lousy rolls. He picked of the AT guns and the 105 one at a time, while keeping my infantry from running around him to steal the objective.

Lessons Learned: Got to take Panzerknackers. Need bigger guns. Remember to roll for the German Schnell move (would have got one AT gun in position for a side shot.

Players: John Sorge, Russian Tankovy Batalon
Travis Newman, American Rifle Company

Mission: Free for All, 600 points

The Terrain: Hilly countryside with various woods spread about the board.

The Plan: Dig in with infantry to defend a flank, pop up my tank hunters at the right time and knock out his tanks...capture his objective with the recon.

The Reality: Once again, speed kills. Fast green cockroaches buzzing around the battlefield with cannons of their own make it difficult for my two tank destroyers to take out his 7 tanks. And since bazookas stink (Editor's Note: This is what Lee told Newman when helping with his list!) , I didn't have enough to allow my infantry to hold its own. Also, I dug in on the wrong spot.

Lessons Learned: More bazookas, less jeeps. Also, dig in to defend both objectives instead of one.

Players: Travis Newman, American Rifle Company
Norm Lunde, Panzer Grenadier Kompanie

Mission: Free for All, 600 points

The Terrain: One side of table contained buildings from the outskirts of a town while the other side of the table contained hills and a patch of trees in the middle. The Middle of the board had trees on one side and hills on the other.

The Plan: To navigate through the woods with my recon to capture the objective while my tank hunters and .50 cals rained fiery death upon the Krauts.

The Reality: The Germans sure know how to take advantage of a poorly placed army and kicked it into overdrive across the board...putting me out of position to defend my objective and capturing it with relative ease.

Lessons Learned: Double move exists

Players: Karen Jarosz, US Paratroopers
Bill Bartlett, German Grenadiers

Mission: Free for All, 600 points

The Terrain: Wooded area and a hill on the paratrooper’s side. The Germans had the cover of buildings. Hence the german observer  took everything thrown at him and still survived!!

The Plan: Plan?? What plan??? The German plan (as interpreted by the paratroopers) was to sit, fire and make the infantry come to them.

The Reality: The German plan worked!! The paratroopers light machine gun unit barely got off any shots before they were taken out. My Mortars couldn’t hit a thing and the infantry trudged through the wooded area only to be to late to do any damage. Victory went to the Germans. (You can stop grinning so widely now, Bill)

Lessons Learned: I don’t know if having a plan or not made a difference here. Seems that my dice had a mind of their own and the Germans were just better equipped. It was a good game and even though losing was no fun, playing was!!
Thanks Bill for a good game!
Karen Jarosz

Players: Richard M.J. Jarosz, Russian Cossacks
Bill Bartlett, Cheating German Grenadiers Coy (Would not let me use his dice!!!!)

Mission: Free for All, 600 points

The Terrain: Wooded hills on either side of the Center of the battlefield. There was a small town under construction (unpainted buildings) on the German side and there was a very small Russian Village on my the my side but towards the center. For peasants they have beautifully painted cottages!

The Plan: Pin the enemy with withering fire from the Katushyas then strike hard and fast with the Cavalry!

The Reality: Well, the Katushyas could not hit the side of a Tractor Factory! The entire game they hit once before getting shot up by the German Artillery! Once may have been enough since he did not unpin and my two Cossack platoons were in charge distance! The first went in with the Command Company joining in (CiC and Kommisar). Since the platoon was pinned their defensive fire was not great (Keep those words in mind!). They made contact and rolled 3 NOTHINGS!!!!!!!!!!! The fascists did not even need to take a morale check to counter-attack. He came back and killed three forcing my morale check. Then I countered with 4 big NOTHINGS!!!!!!!! Then the fascists killed all but the CiC. He charged with all the glory of Taras Bulba and did NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The fascists swept him aside and returned to their foxholes. But still pinned from the rocket bombardment.

The second platoon went in. Getting shot to shreds by the same pinned platoon???? They failed in the assault and ran losing a number of their platoon and lost the platoon check so were gone! When the German artillery finished off the rocket battery that was all Stalin wrote!!!!!!!!!!

Lessons Learned: No matter what the plan "Dice rule the Day!"
Do I have to say it???? "I hate this game!"
richj

Players: Richard M.J. Jarosz, Russian Cossacks
John Sorge, Russian Tanks

Mission: Free for All, 600 points

The Terrain: Wooded hills on either side of the Center of the battlefield. There was a small town under construction (unpainted buildings) on the side and there was a very small Russian Village on my the my side but towards the center. For peasants they have beautifully painted cottages! You figure we would know the terrain by now!!!!

The Plan: Dismount all the Cavalry and Dig In!!! Use my other two mobile platoons to grab an objective.

The Reality: Well, the Katushyas could not hit the side of a Tractor Factory! The entire game they never hit! (I thought we shot that crew!!?!?!) He doubled moved behind a wooded hill into my right flank. The Cossacks held their ground and the Mobile platoons ran into his CiC's T-34. OOPS! Forgot about that one. The dug in cossacks drove back the rebellious tank horde 3 times but taking loses each time. The mobile platoons could not get past the CiC. (I just figured out how to do it as I write this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) A few more assaults by the tanks finished the defenders and he captured the objective

Lessons Learned: No matter what the plan "Dice rule the Day!" since my infantry, first time ever, did nothing to the tanks (top armor only 1). Just the averages would have meant 2 destroyed. I think it got one bailed.
Do I have to say it???? "I hate this game!" Starting to sound like a mantra.!!!
richj

Players: Bill Bartlett: Grenadiers Coy
Lee Sowers; British Armour er... I mean Rifle Coy

The Table: The table was set up with a rail road track running across my front line and a few ruined buildings along the tracks. On Lee's side of the table was a small village and blocking his approach in the middle of the table were two mine fields and some swamp land. Also in the middle of the table was a hill on the right with a machinegun bunker on it.

The Plan: I wanted to hold the objectives with my infantry guns and an infantry platoon. The other two infantry platoons would move up the right and capture the objective.

The Reality: Lee was completely out of character in this game and attacked. His infantry platoon stayed to protect the objectives and his Churchills came across the table. I moved my two infantry platoons up the right using the cover to good effect. His Churchills did a little shooting to no effect and my infantry guns were a waste of points for the whole game. I made the mistake of assaulting to early with my assault platoon and was driven off by the tanks. The next turn he was in range and I was able to assault from cover within 4" with the CIC. He died. Then came the remainder of the assault platoon with the 2IC attached. They died too. At the other end of the table my infantry was pinned by fire but holding up well. They were a little too comfortable and wouldn't move again. Then disaster struck and one platoon was wiped out. The Churchills in the mean time were challenging the left objective. The Churchills then wiped out the infantry guns and with no CIC I auto failed the Coy morale check and that was all she wrote. Lee, your tanks SUCK! Without them you're NOTHING! Just kidding... Bad dice rolling ruled in this game for me. The Dice Gods laugh at me yet again.

Lessons Learned: And this is so stupid of me... We don't need no stinkin' FP test in an assault! ...sooooo stupid of me.
Bill

The Reality: On the right flank the American Recon Platoon with it's MG armed Jeeps beat me to the woods. When the cossacks charged they got pinned. When they tried it again they got slaughtered!! Then on the left flank My cossacks got to the objective only to be shot to pieces by the MG armed Jeeps of the Tank Destroy platoon. The Tank Destroyers... they made kindling out of my Tachankas!!!!

Lessons Learned: Don't charge MGs with Cossacks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Gaming Club meets at the Game Room the first Friday of each month at 8PM.