Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: Digits on September 26, 2020, 07:44:21 PM
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Today’s game was to be an encounter in Africa and there were do be 5 of us...but due to the increasing uncertainty and fears of another Covid lockdown and increases in the number contracting it, understandably, it was put on ice. As myself and Jamie have started collecting for Chain of Command, we decided to not let the day be a complete bust, but making good of the fine (though a little cold!) weather, and play a straight forward game Using whatever scenery we could muster. I had some bocage pieces from a former life which just used as hedgerows became useful.
Link to my painting thread
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=126468.0
Covid Shelter
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/1B7B2C33_1EB4_467A_B774_41418BB3FA1F.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
Peaceful countryside....things were going to change....
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/D9110E5E_B5E8_452C_964A_451B7057DDA4.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/45CF9D8F_A5AD_42DE_AB6C_B204F5BF7F47.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
I’ve only briefly played one game at HasBeen’s house, and Jamie played a few games years ago, so we had much to learn.
I play with a panzergrenadier platoon, taking a pak 40 and a sniper team for my supports.
Jamie with a few extra support points available took an M4 tank, 30cal machine gun and a 60mm mortar team.
The deployment phase is going to take a lot to master....
Playing across the table, both of us rolled to use the centre section. Seeing freezing opportunity when Jamie placed two counters on the same point, I moved to freeze it, only for Jamie to deliberately freeze his last counter whilst I too had doubled up thus bringing it all to an end... thus neither of us really gaining much of an advantage with our resulting deployment positions.
More to follow...
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I will follow with interest.
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Good man!
So I’m not listing a blow by blow account but here is a sequence of events and pics.
I deployed my first squad into a field.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/90F7E32A_1BA2_4A29_8C2E_36B82D0BC16F.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
The Americans immediately brought their tank onto the table, a squad that spent a few phases hunkered up behind a house on their left flank and a flanking squad to the right which probed along the hedge row. These guys would prove a thorn for a number of phases.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/D4AEC6A6_9D32_4F6B_873D_CCA093516B09.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
The flanking squad took the first casualties.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/67D324AA_DE97_434C_8DD3_ED36F903B39D.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
The tank fired into the field, inflicting a little shock onto the forward squad.
In my next phase, I deployed my freshly camouflaged pak into the road and with a limited view of the M4, knocked it out with my first shot! See, it pays to paint......if the M4 had had paint....it may have shrugged off the armour piercing round!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/DA59EBC0_4105_4272_9DE7_072312F24D46.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
Of course it always helps to have lucky dice!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/CBE3004E_A692_4008_8024_DD1A97F8C809.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
The Americans deployed a mortar team, firing indirectly managing to help put sufficient shock and damage onto my leading squad, pinning them and injuring the nco in the process. The mortar was also supported with a 30cal deployed into the top floor of the house opposite the field.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/D415E722_E904_4384_A283_CF2A0B896F9E.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
In my next phase, I was able to deploy my final assets, a squad to my right flank that immediately went into overwatch and my sniper team. The sniper team went on to fire a few times at the American third squad, effectively holding them in place and making them doubt their advance.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/0543DD42_6A64_43CB_A995_A6D1C90365DC.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
With no armour to contend with, the German panzerschreck and American bazooka took to firing he at targets of opportunity. The bazooka hit the pak crew, killing one and injuring the nco. The Germans putting their fire into the top floor of the house where the 30cal was hiding.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/F46EDE84_7BD3_454B_BEAF_62EDFC43643B.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
Looking to outflank through the woods, the left most American squad had to dash across a little open ground, only to be riddled with spandau by the squad on overwatch.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/1D93BAA4_B106_4198_B3FD_90AF1B9E4A79.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
Bringing up my third squad into the hedge line of the ploughed field, combined fire with the now pinned leading squad was finally enough to dislodge the right flanking Americans, first breaking them, them with the tactical use of a Command dice, sending them scuttling off the table edge. These two events both resulted in a reduction in morale.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/4314B350_9EE1_4C9C_BFAC_A32B30137F4E.jpeg)
Getting my leader into an advantageous position where he could control the pak gun , panzershreck and the effectively leaderless leading squad proved quite useful.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/9DC1BB03_D444_48AD_92A6_DCDB702145EF.jpeg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
He orchestrated the final demise of the 30cal that hightailed it out the back window.
Turning the pak to the now pinned left flanking squad, the writing was on the wall and the Americans beat a tactical retreat.
Very enjoyable. This was however a learning game. There was a little ebb and flow and it’s easy to see how it could have easily swung the other way had the German leading squad been wiped out, hence why Jamie concentrated so much on them.
Can’t wait for the next one......lots of scenery to be made and painted, and a few remaining minis.
Jamie is painting both his and my AFV’s so there will be a few options in the future.
Rules are straight forward...but mastering the command dice will be an art form I imagine!
Thanks Jamie, great day.
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Well done, looks fun.
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Great looking game! :)
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i confess that CoC has entirely revitalised my WW2 gaming. Every game is a fantastic experience, and the pint sized campaigns are just brilliant.
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Yup, once we have played another game or so, our intent is to play Bloody Bucket.
As for the game revitalising, I agree. I used to play Rapid Fire and had a large 20mm collection. Enjoyed it at first but became predictable.
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Great write up Dave! Thank you for being such a great host.
The ebb and flow was a great thing in this game as your first squad came under my concentrated fire and I was piling on the pressure. I have read from a few blogs about never engaging in an exchange of fire, squad to squad with the Germans as they can bring so much fire to bear. I am surprised just how long my squad probing on the flank lasted.
Sadly they were whittled away with the key turning point being the move across the battlefield of your Senior Leader to help control that flank.
As you say, this was a (re-)learning game and we will get much slicker over the next couple of games.
Key points to take away:-
- We have a much better idea on what extra terrain needs making/buying
- We know that cover is everything
- Mutual support is also everything
- Snipers are a pain in the butt
- Tanks are fragile
- Distributing shock, understanding who can shoot and be shot at, is where our main area of rules reading and learning is required so as to be a bit slicker
- Print some QRS's whilst we learn
When we get a bit better, we also spoke about the campaign and even getting 'the boys' (Flatpack, Has.Been et al.) to fight one of the campaign turns or potentially a game of Big CoC!
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Yup that squad on the flank were tough nuts to crack.....especially when your leader joined them to rally their morale!
The other key take away for me is trying to get a handle on that bloody deployment phase! I can see how a bad five minutes there can have a big impact on the rest of the game.
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Great looking game! You two are going to to be my go-to sources for all advice on CoC.
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Looks good Dave and glad you were able to salvage something from the day.
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Thanks Ian, yup, was a good day in the end as if brought forward the learning curve.
Was looking forward to having a go at the WW1 East African game though......hopefully soon enough!
James, you are best asking Jamie....he’s the one who’s read it properly! 😉
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Great stuff Digits. Very brave to have armour present in one of your first games as it can be hard to use effectively and often feels like a waste of support points. The patrol phase is an excellent feature but it is entirely possible to lose a game before it begins (see my devious use of a SdKfz 250 here https://beneathaleadmountain.blogspot.com/2015/03/pictures-from-our-games-of-chain-of.html). My opponent had the choice of what table edge to defend but he just went with the one he was standing by (I would have chosen a short one :)), he then got distracted with his own plans for his patrol markers rather than mine and - boom - the shortest and most disappointing game of CoC he’s ever played - but for me vitally important as it was a campaign game and I didn’t risk one of my little metal chaps.
Your scenery is looking great, in my experience CoC really appreciates good, layered scenery to allow you to make the most out of your chaps - that said I’m working on Tunisia and not looking forwards to trying to get my infantry across the much more open terrain than my usual Normandy clutter (I love Normandy as the terrain density means the infantry are vital and they have to work hard to protect any armour). Keep up the good work.
BALM
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Cheers fella.
I don’t envy you getting chaps across the Tunisian desert.....we were discussing how near impossible it was to cover open ground.
I will be sure to checkout your blog too....much to scrutinise! ;)
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Maybe not scrutinise :) it’s mainly nonsense and I’ve previously never tried to publicise it (until I joined LAF and on a whim put the link in my signature) as it’s a way to try and motivate myself and get some idea of progress (if any). My lack of computer and motivation to wrestle with blogger on my tablet means I’ve achieved a lot more than I’ve blogged about but I’m trying to correct it.
Operation Torch is going to be brutal, Tunisia isn’t even as sparse as the earlier fighting but it’s still going to be drastically different to what I’m used to. Presumably smoke and suppression will be key (coupled with blind optimism). I’m quite looking forward to it but then I’m also excited about Italians in sun helmets :D
I really enjoy Battlegroup and Chain of Command so it’s good to see someone managing to play whilst I’m stuck sheltering and using LAF as a means to get a hobby fix.
Are you going to do specific winter terrain? I love the aesthetic appeal of a snowbound battlefield but it will have to wait until I’ve finished the terrain for Normandy or Tunisia (and everything else I’d like to do...). Keep up the good work I will follow with interest,
Stay safe and well,
BALM
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Great stuff and good to see you enjoying the rules, I think they deliver a great experience. I’ve put together some thoughts on using the command dice
http://thetacticalpainter.blogspot.com/2019/01/luck-or-skill-command-dice-in-chain-of.html?m=1
and on making the most of the patrol phase and deployment.
https://thetacticalpainter.blogspot.com/2019/12/playing-patrol-phase-in-chain-of-command.html?m=1
https://thetacticalpainter.blogspot.com/2020/01/deploying-in-chain-of-command.html?m=1
They might give some additional food for thought.
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Ahh, TacticalPainter...Thank you for those links. As it happens I have your page permanently open in Chrome and I constantly refer to it.
I love your AAR's. When and what will the next CoC campaign be?
However, despite reading all of your tactics, that doesn't stop them completely disappearing from my head the moment I am faced with a board and the pressure of a real opponent is on.
Jamie.
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BALM - semi winterised would best describe it. Collecting terrain and buildings is terribly expensive these days so I don’t want to plaster them all in snow.
Our compromise is a wintry feel to the base mat, all troops and vehicles winterised and much of the terrain will be autumnal...mostly with the ability to have a little snow sprinkled on if we feel it. We are setting our scene in the opening few days of the conflict, before the heavy snow!
TP - thanks for the comments and Links. Jamie had indeed been studying your tactical advice and had relayed a few choice bits to me. When I get five, I will have a sit down with a good mug of coffee and enjoy the read - cheers.
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Digits I know the feeling just my Normandy/Into the Reich/Eastern terrain takes up a lot of space/time/my meagre funds and whilst I’d like winter versions I can’t see it happening any time soon. I think I’ve seen Piers (V) and Warwick playing winter games where they’d sprinkled snow over their normal terrain and vacuumed it up afterwards (maybe a low powered desktop or keyboard vacuum would work for this?).
BALM
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Yup....think I need to invest in one of those! Good idea, cheers.
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An option for a 'deep snow' scenario is to spread a suitable blanket over the table - some sprinkling with a bit of ballast/sand and brush/scrub makes for a decent board:
(https://brawlfactory.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/coc-bulge-1.jpg?resize=219%2C219)
This is my quicky, slap-dash set up for the second scenario of Bloody Bucket (ugly hedges and not enough clutter/ground cover...aack), but included to show another advantage of going the cloth-over-hills tabletop: The elevation drop east(right) of the road (~12m iirc) can have a large LOS impact if it's included.
(https://brawlfactory.files.wordpress.com/2020/09/100_6750.jpg?resize=219%2C219)
The method may also come in handy for the mentioned Tunisian theater in representing wadis/folds/etc to break up a possibly to-open battlefield?
PS- sorry for the hijack
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The blanket plus scatter looks good. I have been tempted by the Ardennes and the Winter campaigns in Northern Germany with the excellent Empress minis, but been put off by having to redo all my terrain. This looks like a good way to 'winterise'.
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Don’t worry about hijack...good idea.