Battlegroup Sniper Kursk 1943

We wanted a straight forward infantry fight in a urban landscape, 1943 lists were used but no specific attack/defense scenario. The goal was get a good game.   This was our second try out  of this urban set up  this time we had two German players with 600 points attacking 400 points of my Heroic Soviet Infantry.  again the Germans can keep their squads as 8 men then brake off the MG team when they choose.

Soviet 400 point army List 

• FHQ, Forward Aid Post
• Rifle Company with 3 76mm L/16s with loaderTeams
• 4 Sniper teams and 2 Foot Patrols

Buildings scratch bulit JP and from the extensive collection of the Provans this time from Hovells.

Fascist had 600 points to play 300 points for each player.  Each player was rolling separate command dice. We had three objectives on table the Brewery (in the Soviet deployment area) and the cross roads and a church on the square just outside the Soviet deployment zone but overlooked by the German deployment zone.

My plan was to fight in two blocks on the soviet left and one house on the right.  Soviets got the first turn by dint of outscouting the Fascists

foot patrols lead the way

Move one Soviets advance on the cross roads my wrecked T-34 marks the spot.  It is quite hard to form up a platoon in a street but those two blocks were critical for me.

Facists cant see anything yet!

T-34 in the centre  of the shot here and the battle did revolved around this block on the right and the next one down the street.  Three hours of fighting for the Fascists to take this.  However they still didnt get the cross roads which were contested through the whole battle.  The Germans were reduced to trying close assaults  from the blocks and rubble after pinning my heroes in the next set of buildings with fire.  Hard to do with regular infantry .  My battle plan worked here

Pinned down fascists.

On the other flank the Germans had snipers in a bid to out diddle the Soviets, however this is where the 76mm infantry guns came into their own area firing on the tallest building on the German table side as soon as their HMG and Sniper moved into the second floor.  this was kept up for six turns eventually killing the sniper team and driving out the HMG which had to be tactically co ordinated to get away.  

static prevented many turns of fire

Poor communication rolls blocked German mortar fire for at least four turns followed by a period when the Command group had to focus on tactical co ordination.  Again it took over six turns to dig out the frontline snipers.  The snipers were driven back on the secondline housing them killed but once the germans were in these houses the 76mm kicked in.

Favourite building with Soviet sniper team on ground floor

My 76mm infantry guns after the battle

Brewery with company commander in GAZ parked inside

Both German commands racked up BR close to their limit, but the first to fail were my Soviets.  An intense urban battle taking over four hours with few rules glitches.  Battlegroup is so easy to play once the glitches are sorted out.

Wavre 1815 Vandamme's First Strike

We were playing this What If scenario based on a Vandamme's corp attack at Wavre.  Four players using the Over the Hills Rules, which seem to us to capture a better flavour of the period than Black Powder.  Figures are all 10mm.

Prussian defenders weather the French cannons

French storm the first bridge

We rapidly adjusted the rules for opposed bridge crossing into a built up area by breaking it down by combat rounds.  First turn only the bridge counted, second turn only the built up area counted and finally if the french were in the buildings there were no tactical disadvantages.  this interpretation gave the french at least the prospect of a break in.

French finally storm into Warve

Russian Prussian legion awaits to counter charge

Fire fight on the Dyle

Prussian garrison of the mill

Swiss storm into the mill backed by a division of infantry

Prussian Cavalry Brigade

Even More French

This game played well and Vandamme was able to pass over the Dyle, took Wave, but not drive the Prussians off the table.  we took this to be a victory for the French

Get off my land Sudan 28mm

All figures from the collection of David P Senior and Junior their experience and skill shows!

Hail Ceasar Crossing Point

We had another Hail Caesar bash playing 300 point armies for each player.    It is a distinctly different format for us normally we have one big battle splitting everyone on two sides.  We have played a lot of barbarians v romans in the past.

However me and Livi with John H really have got into the 300 point army battle, we play for 2 hours 30 minutes and then swap tables, which also gives us two bites at the cherry with five hours of play between 12 noon and 5 pm.

 Kenni set up two battlefield tables fitting into the description in the Hail Caesar rules, secured by terrain on each flank, then adding a shallow river on one table and a stream on another.  The stream counted as an obstacle only so Open order units can just cross it other units needed to give up one movement segment but would be at risk of disorder as they could not retreat over it.  The river was a greater challenge but had four crossing points that caused no penalty.

Battle One Parthian v Bactrian Greek on the Stream table

The Bactrian commander was seriously pissed off at the stream across the middle of the table. Bactrian plan  was to let the Parthians cross the stream then crush them.
The Parthian plan was to attack on both flanks and shoot them to death.  Result Parthian victory.

Bactrian Centre under fire

Parthian horse archers Peter Pig

The brown strip is the stream bed. the 4 units of Parthians shot up the three units of Saka horse archers

John h's Saka horse archers

Bactrian Elephant

On the other flank the brave Agema advanced to be shot down by the four horse archer units that closed in on them.

John H's Agema

Battle Two  Huns v Later Carthaginian on the River table

Hun battleplan attack over three fords with their Heavy cavalry in the centre
Carthaginian plan cover the fords hold the centre and counter attack driving the Huns off the flanks.
Result Hun Victory after a hard difficult fight.

Hun horse archers face Carthaginian horse

The Hun left flank shot this medium cavalry unit to pieces, but their main push was to plunge all their heavy horse into the Gauls holding the Carthaginian Centre. meanwhile the Hun left hung about failing command rolls for three turns in a row.

Big Livis centre

Hun Heavy cavalry

Battle Three Successor v Later Carthaginian on the Stream table

Successor plan hammer with the pike and anvil with the cavalry.
Carthaginian plan hold the centre and counter attack driving the Successor off the flank.
Result a shattering fight in the centre the Macedonians lost, the hammer wrecked two out of four Gauls before they broke.

The Anvil

The hammer 2 units of phalangites with four units of peltasts tucked behind, Thessalains and one unit light cavalry on their left to hold back the beast of an elephant.

Livi's bane

At one point this elephant was sat on by its master

Battle Four Parthians v huns had no pictures but the parthians out shot the huns and their Catphracti smashed the Hun Heavy cavalry.

Hail Caeser Day

Today we had a Hail Caeser Day Four 300 point armies were fielded and we played four fast action battles.

Parthian v Late Persian

Later Cathaginain v Macedonian

followed by 

Late Persian v Macedonian

Parthian v Later Cathaginain

The pictures are from John H Persian and Macedonians, he is back to painting and playing after a seven year gap.

John H Persians

My Parthians

Persian Sparabara

John H Phalanbites

JH Agema

JH Peltasts

JH Companions

Agema rode these Persians down

JH Peltasts