Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: CapnJim on August 29, 2021, 02:29:41 AM
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This is my first foray back into WW2 since I joined this distinguished group called LAF. I've posted AARs and/or pics on the Conflicts that came in from the Cold, Old West, and Pulp boards. But I decided it was time to head to 1944 for a bit.
These guys are all Warlord plastics. I took a sprue each of Grenadiers, Blitzkrieg, and Afrika Korps Germans (all free, courtesy of Wargames Illustrated!), and put this Gruppe together, mixing bits from all 3 sprues. I even added an arm from Warlords plastic US GIs (the arm with the hand holding the cigarette on one of the Feldwebels).
These pics show the Feldwebels and the MG42 team, from various angles.
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These pics show the Schutzen from various angles, along with the Gruppe all together...Enjoy!
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I even added an arm from Warlords plastic US GIs (the arm with the hand holding the cigarette on one of the Feldwebels).
One of my favourite ways to do a quick conversion, good work on these.
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Outstanding! Not everyone creates lifelike poses, but yours come to life!
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Thanks, fellas!
@MaleGriffin: I do try to make my plastics into realistic poses. Thanks for that comment especially... 8)
And I stand corrected. This is my SECOND foray into LAF's WW2 section. I forgot I posted an AAR of a GIs vs. Heer battle a while back...
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Well, these guys finally got to see some table-top action.
My gaming group played a WW2 scenario this Wednesday past. It was a 28mm scrum, using Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles. I used the "Counterattack at La Fiere" scenario from one of the SkirmishCampaigns scenario books. It takes place at 1315 hrs on 06 June 1944, and involves the German counterattack on Cauquigny (located across the causeway from La Fiere).
Gene played the US airborne forces. He had the following troops at his disposal (all rated as "veteran" in FFol:BB):
Patrol, 507th PIR (deployed hidden in and around the church in Cauquigny (see map below)
Patrol Leader
Patrol BAR team
Patrol MMG team
Patrol rifle team
Reinforcements, 508th PIR (these chaps had to advance along the causeway from the east board edge)
Platoon Leader
Platoon Sergeant
Bazooka team
2 parachute infantry squads
They also had access to 14 smoke rounds fired from off-board (up to 6 could be fired per turn).
Ted played the Germans. He had the following troops at his disposal, all of whom could enter from the west board edge, or the western 2' of the south board edge:
100th Panzer Training Div.
SdKfz 234 Puma
StuG III
1057. Infanterie Regiment
Platoon Leader
2 full squads
2 reduced squads (less their MG42 teams)
Mortar FO
I acted as umpire/GM. The only change I made to the scenario was the Puma and StuG. It was supposed to be 2 Sumoa 35Rs, but I don't have any of those. The StuG and Puma I did have.
Also, for the smoke, we used the regular off-board arty rules from FFoL:BB to land them (with a 5" diameter for each round). Then, at the beginning of each turn, the US player had to pass a medium task roll for each round that had landed in previous turns to keep it. Several ended up dissipating due to that...
And, for hand grenades, we used regular to-hit rules, using 6"/12" as the range for them. We used a deviation range of 1/2 d10.
The game worked out well. I'll post Part 1 of the AAR later this evening...
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And now, on with the show!
The German objective was the church. As such, the Germans came on from the west, concentrating their effort on the north side of the main east-west road. They advanced 3 squads abreast with the 4th squad, the LT, and the mortar FO behind. The StuG came on in front of the center squad. The US had deployed their patrol units with the MMG in the church tower, the patrol leader and the BAR team in the lower level of the church, and the rifle team in the house just southwest of the church. Meanwhile, the US reinforcement platoon began crossing the causeway, one squad on each side of the road, with the platoon leader, platoon sergeant and bazooka team interspersed among them.
First blood went to the Americans. Their M1919 team in the church tower opened up on the Germans advancing through the fields to their west, causing casualties and shock. The Germans kept going forward under fire from that MMG, which had a commanding view of their approach. The German Puma moved up ahead of the advancing infantry. Meanwhile the US reinforcements worked their way further west along the causeway. And American smoke rounds began to fall in the village between the Germans and the US reinforcements.
Second blood went to the Germans. One squad dealt with the US rifle team in the house, while the rest kept up their advance, all under fire from the US MMG in the church tower. But the Germans kept up their advance, with the StuG and the Puma beginning to work on the church tower with HE shells. The Puma, however got too close to the church, and ahead of its infantry support. The US BAR team, who had AT grenades, close assaulted the Puma from the church. Two of the 3 assaulting US troops fell in the assault, but they still managed to KO the Puma. That KO'ed Puma would later flummox the German StuG, as it blocked its path through the village. Back to the east, the US reinforcement platoon approached the west end of the causeway, and prepared to get into the fight. Some of the American smoke rounds dissipated, while others fell anew.
Things were heating up in Cauquigny...the US patrol was still (barely) hanging on, and both the Germans and the US were closing in on the church in force. The US patrol was down to a few men, but the Germans had also already lost several men and the Puma.
Stay tuned for Part 2...
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The WI 'freebies' are an excellent way to glean some very nice Squads for FFofL games. Your German Infantry look excellent Cap'n.
:-*
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Sounds like, and looks like fun, using FFOL BB.
Nice to get the figures to the table.
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Thanks, chaps! Now on with Part 2...
At the end of Part 1, the German platoon, supported by a StuG and a Puma, were advancing from the west toward the church in Cauquigny. They had taken several casualties (mainly from the US MMG in the church tower), and had lost their Puma. The US patrol was still holding on, but had lost a few men, as well. And the US reinforcement platoon had advanced across the causeway from La Fiere to the east.
The Germans continued to press toward the church, taking casualties as they went. But with the StuG blocked from advancing through Cauquigny any further by the KO'ed Puma, it simply supported the grenadier's assault on the church by firing HE rounds into it. And German small arms fire finally silenced that US MMG. Meanwhile, the US reinforcements entered Cauquigny, with the LT, the Plt Sgt, 1st squad, and the bazooka team angling right toward the church, while their 2nd squad angled to their left to try an end run on the German's right flank.
Too bad for the US 2nd squad. The Germans mortar FO had gotten himself set up on the upper floor of the house to the SW of the church, with his eyes on the US 2nd squad. German 8cm mortar rounds began to fall with some accuracy on the US 2nd squad. Between their shock and casualties, that pretty took them out of the fight.
Back at the church, things were coming to a head. The US reinforcement 1st squad had beat the Germans into the church. The Germans had parts of 3 squads lined up to assault the church. Grenades flew in both directions, with some accuracy. The US paratroopers pulled back from the windows. A German squad went in. A deadly struggle inside the church ensued. Several men, wearing both khaki and field grey, fell. But in the end, after a valiant struggle, it was the US paratroopers who had to beat feet out of the church.
Then, it was over. The US paratroopers (what was left of them) retreated back to the east, toward La Fiere. The Germans, at great cost, had retaken Cauquigny.
Interestingly, the result of our fight pretty much mirrored the historical result, albeit just a bit more deadly for the Germans. In the real battle, the US paratroopers did take out one of the German AFVs, and did indeed end up retreating back to La Fiere having inflicted and taken some serious casualties. The Germans would go on to attack La Fiere across the causeway, and once I paint up another Puma and a US airborne 57mm AT gun, maybe we'll play that battle (it is included in the same Skirmish Campaigns scenario book we used for this fight).
This is the 2nd time we've used FFoL:BB for a WW2 battle, and we think it works quite well. I will say that the casualty dice were hotter than usual for both sides this game, with more W/KIA then shock being inflicted.
Hope you all enjoy reading about the game. We sure enjoyed playing it!
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Great report. Thanks for posting. I get lots of people asking about Fistful of Lead Bigger Battles for WW2. I just don’t have time post anything.
The great part is you can use use regular scale FfoL for small raids and thrn up the scale for latger battles, even using same characters.
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Thanks, Jaye. I don't (yet anyway) do FaceBook, or I'd post something on Wiley games' FB page...
But feel free to lift any of the text or photos here and post it.
Please not that this was our 2nd foray into WW2 with FfoL:BB. See here: https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=131835.0
Also, for anyone interested, here are the US and German scenario sheets and maps, FfoL:BB'ized. Please note again, to give credit where credit is due, that the original scenario came from the SkirmishCampaigns Normandy "44 First Hours scenario book.
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Excellent, thanks!
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Great work, across the board. Excellent poses (something I really need to improve on) with your Germans. Outstanding battle report information. There is a certain…. “tone”… to what you present that sort of reminds me of how much I have forgotten over the years. Hoo-ah!
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Excellent, thanks!
You're welcome. Glad to help! :D
Great work, across the board. Excellent poses (something I really need to improve on) with your Germans. Outstanding battle report information. There is a certain…. “tone”… to what you present that sort of reminds me of how much I have forgotten over the years. Hoo-ah!
Thanks! I do try to make my plastics in realistic poses. That's one reason I like working with them. And I'm glad you noticed that "tone" in my reports. I do try to make them sound appropriate for their genre.... ;)
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Working on some odds and ends for my WW2 stuff. Got done up some dismounted STuG crew, some squad-filler US airborne, and a German MG42 MMG team. Pics to follow, hopefully Wednesday.
Left to do (all prepped and primed):
A German sniper team
US bazooka teams (both regular and airborne)
Dismounted USMC tankers
A US 57mm AT gun, with both regular and airborne crew
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And here they are. 1st two pics are the dismounted STuG crew (Wargames Atlantic Panzer Lehr guys). 2nd two pics are the German MG42 team (Artizan Designs). And the 3rd two pics are US airborne squad fillers (BAR guy is Battle Honors, and the riflemen are Warlord plastics). All 28mm.
More pics to follow as I get more done...enjoy!
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Excellent stuff. That board looks great as well! It's got a nice impression of 'height' to it with the trees and buildings and so on. Big trees and nice undergrowth make for an attractive impression.
What do you make of the Panzer Lehr figures by WA?
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Looking good (painting, figures, board, everything)!
We've been playing a similar La Fiere campaign with the Chain of Command rules. It's interesting to read how this plays with another set of rules. I do own FFoL BB, but haven't played a game with it yet.
T.
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Looking good (painting, figures, board, everything)!
We've been playing a similar La Fiere campaign with the Chain of Command rules. It's interesting to read how this plays with another set of rules. I do own FFoL BB, but haven't played a game with it yet.
T.
Thanks. I saw your AAR, and posted a comment. These odds and ends (well, most of them, anyway) are getting ready to do a scenario based on the German counterattack across the causeway to seize La Fiere and its bridge. I'll post the FfoL:BB scenario when I have it done up, and before we play it. Of course, I'll post pics of the added odds and ends as I paint them, and I'll post pics of the game after we play it!
Excellent stuff. That board looks great as well! It's got a nice impression of 'height' to it with the trees and buildings and so on. Big trees and nice undergrowth make for an attractive impression.
What do you make of the Panzer Lehr figures by WA?
Overall, I quite like them. As you can see (and as was intended by WA), they can be used for dismounted panzer crew. The only 2 quibbles I have are...
1. Their kit is a bit light. Bread bag, canteen, and ammo pouches. No e-tool or gas mask canister.
2. The pistol holsters are a bit large. I used some spare Warlord holsters on these chaps.
Otherr than that, they look good - nice dynamic poses and plenty of head and weapon choices.
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Looking good mate, as usual! 👍
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Thanks! :)
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I really like SkirmishCampaigns scenario books. Much better than playing point based games. Excellent terrain and figures.
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I really like SkirmishCampaigns scenario books. Much better than playing point based games. Excellent terrain and figures.
Thanks! And I'm more of a scenario man myself. Points-based stuff never did it for me.
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Okay - more odds and ends, all 28mm. USMC dismounted tank crew (Brigade Games), a German sniper team (Warlord plastic), and US Airborne (Artizan Designs) and Regular (Empress) bazooka teams.
Next up is a US 57nn AT gun, with both Airborne and Regular crews...
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Next up is a US 57mm AT gun. One gun, 2 crews - airborne and regular infantry. The airborne crew are Warlord metal, except for the standing chap - he's an old Battle Honors guy. The regular infantry crew is kit-bashed Warlord plastics (mostly the 2 US boxes, with the arms with the binos coming from one of their German boxes).
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Good work matey. The insignia / badges really work….something I’m always afraid to do.
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Good work matey. The insignia / badges really work….something I’m always afraid to do.
Thanks, Digits! Yeah, I try to paint rank and unit badges on some of my figs. Especially my WW2 and Vietnam stuff...
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I love your figures! Once again, great poses! Thank you for sharing!
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I love your figures! Once again, great poses! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! I appreciate your comments... :)
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Just noticed the Atlantic panzer Lehr above. How do you find them? I have been considering getting a box to mix in with my Artizan and Warlord Lehr.
Any chance you could put a few alongside some Artizan / warlord Germans please?
Cheers
David
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Just noticed the Atlantic panzer Lehr above. How do you find them? I have been considering getting a box to mix in with my Artizan and Warlord Lehr.
Any chance you could put a few alongside some Artizan / warlord Germans please?
David
A. As for the Wargames Atlantic Panzer Lehr chaps - these are the only 3 I've built so far. I do like how they came out. The rest of the box is gonna be done up as Panzer Lehr infantry. Overall, I like 'em. Just a few quibbles. First, as with all the WA figures, due to how they mold their necks and heads, any head swap with non-WA heads will take just a bit of shaving on the WA neck and the other head. Second, their kit is a bit light. Essentially, just ammo pouches, bread bags, and water bottles. No gas mask cannisters, bayonets, mess kits, or e-tools. I'll probably add some Warlord bits to them as I build them as infantry. And (and this is really picky), their holsters are a bit big for my tastes. But overall, I like 'em. Nice dynamic poses, and plenty of weapon and head choices.
B. Please see the attached pics for comparisons. In each shot, left to right, it's WA, Warlord, and Artizan. Hope they help... :)
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Excellent, thanks for that mate.
I’d already figured they were light on clutter. Luckily I have quite a useful bits box so I am going to order a couple of sprues from eBay me thinks.
They look a little thin by comparison with the others, but I’m struggling to collect enough variety to do my Lehr fully in metal. Between the two boxes, Artizan and Warlord, I think nearly half seem to be carrying panzerfausts! Having enough MG42 teams was going to be an issue but i notice on the sprue there are two alternate MG42 arms and a spare gun, so lots of opportunity to sort that out.
I look forward to seeing your Lehr infantry.
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I look forward to seeing your Lehr infantry.
So do I! Not sure when that will be though. My painting queue is long and winding, and I never know what's next until I get to sorting a batch out for prepping...too many periods to game, I guess... ;)
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Don’t I know it fella!
Well, as I said, I’ve ordered a pair of sprues so I can make a few of the missing lmg teams I need, so I may beat you to it I suppose. The airborne are practically finished and I’ve had metal Lehr based and primed for a while now……
The biggest issue I face is there are simply no supports available (vehicles aside) for them so a little limiting…..
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Hmm. I suppose you could use metal support weapons (mortars, tripod MG42s, AT guns, etc.) and use WA chaps to make up the crews. The trick may be finding a Panzerschreck... but with all those Panzerfausts, you may not need one... :D
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Yup, I ordered a pair of tripod mounted mg’s and a couple of panzerschrecks from the assault group……will give it a go……
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I did find this, Panzershreck-wise...
https://www.wargaming3d.com/product/panzerschreck-and-rockets/
And Rubicon's "German Stowage 2" set has a Panzerschreck in it, as well...
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I've finished doing up the follow-on scenario to the Le Fiere Counterattack game, shown earlier in this thread. This one is titled "Tank Attack", and sees the Germans attacking Le Fiere across the causeway from Cauquigny, after seizing Cauquigny from the US paratroopers. I've attached the US and German scenario sheets and maps below, should anyone be interested. My regular gaming group plans to play it out at one of our next few weekly gaming sessions. A couple notes, though:
1. This scenario is based on the scenario of the same name that is included in SkirmishCampaigns' Normandy '44 - First Hours D-Day scenario book. I've translated it into Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles format.
2. All the units included in the scenario are straight from the scenario book mentioned above, with the exception of the German armor. In reality, the 100. Ersatz Panzer Abteilung used mostly captured Renault R35s, with a few PzKfw III's. I don't yet have any of those, so I substituted what I have in my collection (2 Pumas, and StuG III, and a PzKfw IV). If you play the scenario with R35s, I would rate them in FfoL:BB as medium vehicles with light guns.
3. This scenario could be a tough nut for the Germans. These is some disagreement among scenario designers on whether to rate the US Paratroopers as Veteran/Elite, or simply Regular. Based on the scenario book on which I based this scenario, and my own understanding of how the US Paratroopers performed on D-Day, I gave them the Veteran trait in FfoL:BB. You could downgrade them to Regular (d10s), which could make this a bit less of a challenge for the Germans.
As usual, I'll post an illustrated AAR once we do in fact play this out.
Also, I'm almost done with that 2nd German Puma. Pics of it will appear here upon completion.
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Just finished this today. A German SdKfz 234 Puma, done up from the Panzer Lehr Division, more or less (inspired by the good Mr. digits' WW2 thread and his Panzer Lehr stuff).
EDIT: The model is a Warlord 28mm plastic kit.
That completes what I needed to paint up to do the above scenario. As previously mentioned, my gaming group will play that scenario out at one of our next few gaming sessions. Of course, an illustrated AAR will follow...
As to what's next - who knows? The leading candidates are some Panzer Lehr infantry (once I get the Artizan Panzer Lehr chaps I've ordered....), and some generic modern(ish) Central/South American policia. Stay tuned to this thread, or my thread in the "Conflicts That Came in From the Cold" section here at the LAF, to find out!
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Very good! Despite there really not being many of them produced, one my absolute favourites.
I’d best get painting my Lehr minis then hadn’t I! Looking forward to seeing yours come together.
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Looking good mate! 👍
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Thanks, Gents!
And I've decided I needn't choose! I'll start working on BOTH my Panzer Lehr fellas and those Policia... 8)
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Got my first Panzer Lehr squad prepped yesterday. Priming will happen this afternoon. 3 each of Warlord and Artizan metal, and WA plastic. Painting to follow...
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Very nice! I like your camo!
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Looking forward to seeing the Lehr…
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can't wait to see the Lehr figures
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Lovely looking Puma.
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Lovely looking Puma.
Very nice! I like your camo!
Thanks, fellas! I don't own an airbrush, so on vehicles like this one, I use the "stippling" technique. I did discover that my stippling brush (itself a retired paintbrush) needs to ne re-retired. Once I retire another suitable brush, I'll do so.
can't wait to see the Lehr figures
Looking forward to seeing the Lehr…
They are now all primed and ready to go. Since I've been tasked by Higher HQ to help with her family's garage sale this weekend, they have been put on next week's painting schedule! Pics to follow, of course...
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And here they are - my Panzer Lehr 1st Squad (or 1. Gruppe, to be nationally correct). All these guys are 28mm. The Squad Leader is a Warlord metal, and the MG team is Artizan. In the 3rd and 4th pic, we have (left to right) a Wargames Atlantic plastic, an Artizan metal, and a Warlord metal. In the 5th and 6th pics, we have Wargames Atlantic plastics on either side, and a Warlord metal in the middle.
I did add a few bits of spare Warlord kit to the Wargames Atlantic chaps. Also, as you can see, the metal and plastic rifles differ a bit in size. But as you can also see, that difference is way less noticeable in the pic of them together on the table. So I'm good with them being together in the squads.
I plan on 2 or 3 more squads, plus a Platoon HQ. And perhaps Panzerschreck and tripod-MG42 teams. All in due time, though......
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Yup looking good mate. Particularly like your helmet covers.
Looking forward to seeing your take on the supports…….did your panzerschrecks arrive?
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Great work Cap'n! 🫡
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Beautifully done!
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Love 'em 8)
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Cheers, chaps! :D
Digits: Haven't ordered them yet. I'm in the States and TAG is not. I'll be on vacation in a couple weeks, so I plan to order upon my return.
My plan right now is to use 2 figures from the Warlord PL set (prone SMG guy and MG loader) and the kneeling WA guy to man the tripod MG42. I think my P-Schreck team will be up and on the move...using WA chaps.
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very nice indeed
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That's the thing about the Lehr, we can all learn something from it. ;)
Now for the Panzer Lehrer, a balding maths professor with glasses and an armoured piano or, as the man would have it himself, an armoured '88 string guitar'.
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Thanks, Tom. Appreciate it.
And it's a good thing I get your sense of humor, Carlos....oy..... 8)
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Well, my gaming group played the "Tank Attack" scenario we adapted from a Skirmish Campaigns book (see page 3 of this thread). It is the first German attack across the Le Fiere causeway and bridge after taking Cauquigny from US paratroopers on D-Day. We played the lead-in scenario (the German attack on Cauquigny) several weeks back (see Page 1 earlier in this thread), and the Germans did indeed push the US Airborne boys back across the causeway (as happened historically).
As with the first game, Gene played the US Airborne chaps, and Ted played the German fellas. Gene had a Plt Ldr, Plt Sgt, 2 reduced-strength airborne squads (a result of losing the 1st battle), 2 bazooka teams, and a 57mm AT gun. For his reinforcements, he rolled a mortar FO (which he would use to very good effect...).
Ted had 1 StuGIII, 2 SdKFz 234 Pumas (I don't have any French R35s, so these stood in...), a Plt HQ, 3 grenadier squads, a MG42 MMG, a mortar FO, and an arty FO. For his reinforcements, he rolled a sniper team.
The German mission was to attack east across the causeway, seize the bridge, and try to grab as many buildings as possible. The US mission was to prevent all that.
Gene set up with his Plt Ldr, a squad, a bazooka team, and the AT gun dug in just east of the bridge on the north side of the main road, while the Plt Sgt, the other squad and bazooka team, and the mortar FO dug in south of the main road.
Ted deployed his AFVs along the road in Cauquigny, with the StuG leading, with his 3 squads lined up ready to dash across the causeway. His Plt HQ was right behind the center squad. His arty FO and sniper team were up in the church tower, while his MMG and mortar FO were in the wood-line lining the west bank f the river's floodplain.
Again, we used Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles. Ted started things off by beginning his advance across the causeway, the StuG in front, then a Puma, with a squad each coming up along the tree-lines on each side of the road. Then the 2nd Puma. The 3rd squad and the Plt HQ brought up the rear. It was quiet at first...
To be continued.....
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nice!
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Thanks, Jaye!
And it did indeed start out pretty quiet, with the Germans cautiously advancing along the causeway. They got about halfway across when all hell broke loose!
The US mortar FO quickly established comms with his FDC, and called in very accurate fire on the Germans on the causeway. The initial fire mission of the US mortars took out several Germans from the advancing squads, and even(luckily) took out one of the Pumas (which now blocked the road for the 2nd Puma...).
The Germans tried to respond in kind, with their mortar FO calling in fire on the Americans north of the main road, and their arty FO doing so on the Americans south of the road. While the Germans fire missions did cause a few casualties, it was nowhere near as accurate as the American mortar fire. And the German MG42 tried to put down covering fire, but it jammed... :(
The Germans kept up their slow advance along the causeway, however. But another US mortar mission put paid to that, taking out more German infantry, effectively taking out both the leading squads. And the Germans kept up their artillery fire as well. Again it was not as accurate as the US fire.
The US bazooka team nearest to the bridge had to back off as the StuG advanced across the bridge, and the German Leutnant brought his 3rd squad up to try to keep the attack going. A US bazooka team hiding in a barn near the Manor took a risky shot at the StuG, hitting it but not doing much damage. Although dust and debris poured out the now-broken windows in that barn from the bazooka shot, the team was luckily not hurt. This time, the US mortar fire was not quiet as accurate, while the German mortar fire KO'ed the US bazooka team in the barn.
While the German infantry was sorting itself out after the murderous US mortar fire, the 2nd German Puma managed to push the KO'ed Puma out of the way, and the StuG had by now advanced the bridge. But it drew fire from the now-regrouped US bazooka team, as well as the US AT gun. A few hits later, the StuG was a smoking wreck. And that was that. the German Leutnant pulled back to Cauquigny to wait for further orders and to see to the wounded. The US paratroopers had held the Le Fiere bridge. For now anyway...
As with our previous fight, this battle had similar results as its historical counterpart. But unlike our previous fight, which played out very similarly to the historical battle, this one was really decided by strikingly accurate US mortar fire. The German infantry really never had a chance to get in the fight. That StuG, without infantry support, really stood no chance of holding the bridge it had taken.
Once again, Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles played a WW2 fight very well. We all had a good time. And this is one of the scenarios I plan to run at HMGS-Great lakes' convention Advance the Colors in Springfield, OH Oct. 6-7. FYI, the other one I plan to run is my "Prisoner Swap Gone Bad" scenario covered in my thread on the Pulp Board.
One note - this was the first outing for my Panzer Lehr 1st squad and one of my Pumas. Neither fared well, I'm afraid...
Hope you enjoy this AAR. Comments, of course, are welcome!
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Glad the rules worked for you, and gave you a good game.
We always enjoy them, whenever we play them.
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Newly painted troops always get it first.
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First off, your tables are amazing!
Second, just a couple weeks ago I decided the best size scenarios for BB are those found in the skirmish books. So I was pumped to see your AAR using them.
Third, a friend and I are working on a project and I will be reaching out.
Fourth, keep these reports coming.
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Todddddd!
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Todddddd!
After reading this series of posts I had to join the forum and start posting.
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There's some good stuff on here.
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First off, your tables are amazing!
Second, just a couple weeks ago I decided the best size scenarios for BB are those found in the skirmish books. So I was pumped to see your AAR using them.
Third, a friend and I are working on a project and I will be reaching out.
Fourth, keep these reports coming.
First, Thanks!
Second, I agree. We think FfOL:BB works best for WW2 and "modern" stuff at the reinforced platoon level. Which is the level at which the Skirmish Campaigns books generally work.
Third, waiting for your reach out. ;) Looking forward to seeing what you have in mind.
Fourth, we play several periods, most of which are done with the FfOL family of rules. Mind you, Black Powder, Gettysburg Soldiers, and a few others get played from time to time, but FfOL comprise our go to rule sets lately, and WW2 is one of the periods we like to play. So just stay tuned...in fact I have another squad of 28mm Lanzer Lehr all primed and ready for painting...
And welcome to the LAF. Great stuff here, on all the boards...
Newly painted troops always get it first.
Ain't that the truth... :)
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Well, I ran the Le Fiere Bridge Tank Attack scenario at Advance the Colors in Springfield OH, USA this weekend past. 28mm, using Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles. I had 6 players, 3 on each side.
The US had the same OOB as the playtest (see above), except that they rolled for 2x6" of trenches instead of a mortar FO for reinforcements. The US side set up with a squad, a leader, a bazooka team, and the AT gun north of the road, and the rest of the troops south of the road. All dug in or in buildings.
The Germans also had the same OOB as the playtest, but rolled for the Company HQ in a Kubelwagen instead of the sniper team for reinforcements. And they would need him...
The Germans began their advance east across the causeway, with the Pumas in the lead, followed by an infantry squad and Plt. HQ, and the StuG. A squad each worked their way along the trees lining each side of the road. The Co HQ brought up the rear.
The Americans waited till the lead puma got almost all the way across the bridge before they opened fire. The AT gun knocked out the lead Puma, blocking the bridge. As the German infantry moved up to the river, a general firefight broke out along the US line. Both sides took casualties, and the AT gun and bazookas took out the 2nd Puma. German mortars and artillery fell among the US positions, taking out quite a few paratroopers.
The German squads on each side of the road were in positions at the rivers' edge, while the StuG shoved the trail KO'ed Puma out of the way and moved up behind the lead KO'ed Puma on the bridge. The 3rd German squad followed it. All the while, the German Leutnant and Hauptmann encouraged their men forward, the Leutnant on foot, and the Hauptmann from the comfort of his Kubelwagen.
Then 2 things happened that sealed the deal. First, German artillery took out the AT Gun, while a German squad got across the bridge and stormed the US trench south of the main ford near Le Fiere Manor. That got the game to the turn limit, and what remained of the US paratroopers beat feat east out of Le Fiere.
Both sides took heavy casualties, but the German officers did yeoman's work in keeping their men moving forward. And, the Germans FO's were way more effective in directing their fire in this game. And the Germans pulled off a costly win.
These 4 pics show the battlefield:
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And these pics are from the battle...
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Well, after a lull in my painting (induced by other stuff taking up some of my time...), I finally got brush to figure again. This time, It's my Panzer Lehr 2nd Squad. Like 1st Squad, it's a mix of Warlord and Artizan metals, and Wargames Atlantic plastics. The 1st 2 pics are the NCOs and the MG42 team, the 2nd 2 pics are the riflemen, and the last 2 are the whole squad together.
At some point we'll see if they fare any better in their 1st battle than their brothers in the 1st Squad did... ;)
Hope you enjoy!
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Great work Cap'n! 🫡
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Aye they look good!
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Thanks, fellas. Only a platoon HQ, 3rd squad, MG42 MMG team, 2 SdkFz 251s, and a Pazerschreck or 2 to go.... :D
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Inspired by Ash and his group shots of his minis, I've begun to do the same. My Vietnam and Modern minis are already up in my relevant threads in the "Conflicts That Came in From the Cold" Board. It's now time for my WW2 minis. Allies first.
And in them, US Army first. These shots are my mid-war US stuff. Figures are Warlord plastic and metal, Black Tree Design metal, Perry plastic, and a couple Empress metals. The tanks are Rubicon and Warlord kits. The dismounted tankers are Warlord and Artizan Design metals. Of course, the tanks can also go with my Late war US Army boys, whom you will see in the next post.
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And these shots are my late war US stuff. Figures are Empress metal and Wargames Factory plastics (and a Warlord metal).
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Now, for my US Army airborne boys. There are some Warlord metals and plastics, as well as Artizan Designs and a few Battle Honors. The AT gun is Warlord (it's the same gun as the mid-war US guys - I just did up 2 crews...).
To be fair, I purchased the guys with darker bases and 82rd shoulder patches already painted...the rest I did.
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And here is some miscellaneous US stuff. The vehicles are diecasts. The Major is a Wi Giants in Miniature, and his driver/radio guy is a Warlord metal. The medics are one each Warlord plastic and metal.
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Next up are my US Marines. Mostly Warlord metals and plastics, with a few Gaddis Gaming guys in there. The Platoon Sergeant is a Wi Giants in Miniature.
The tank is a diecast, and its crew are Brigade Games metals.
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The last of my Allied troops at this point are British Paras. They are a mix of Warlord plastics and Battle Honors metals. The chaps in the darker red berets came painted that way - I did the rest. You'll notice there are extra Bren and PIAT teams, as well as a couple extra PIAT gunners...
Next, I'll have pics of my Axis forces - Germans and Japanese. Later this week, I would imagine...in the meantime, I hope you enjoy these group shots!
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A great collection here. My favourite is the little pickup truck, so weird to see in army colours.
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So many great pieces! 👏🏻
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Great collection.
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Thanks, fellas!
A great collection here. My favourite is the little pickup truck, so weird to see in army colours.
Yeah, it's a neat little truck. It hasn't appeared in any battles yet - I gotta come up with a scenario in which to use it!
And with all those Allies, they need somebody to fight. Thus, I have some Axis troops to show you all.
We'll start with the Germans. First up is my Heer grenadier platoon, with some supports. The infantry figures are Warlord metals and plastics, and Wargames factory plastics. The dismounted Panzer crew are a Warlord metal and some metal figs whose manufacturer I don't recall... :? The StuG crew are Wargames Atlantics plastics.
The bigger Panzer IV is a 1/48 diecast. The smaller one is a toy I got and tarted up. It scales in at 1/52. The Stug is Warlord - my wargaming bud Ted gave it me painted up like that! The Puma is metal, and I don't know the manufacturer - -I got it painted as such at a Convention years ago...
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Here are some more Germans. They are parts of 3 different platoons, which as you can see are works in progress. We have panzer grenadiers, Panzer Lehr, and SS troops in there. They are a mix or Warlord metal and plastic, Artizan Design metals, and Wargames Atlantic plastics. My ultimate goal is to have a full supported platoon of each... :o
The left SdKfz 251 is a Rubicon kit, and the right one is a diecast. The Puma is a Warlord kit.
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Here are the last of the Germans. The figures are HQ types, a mix of Warlord and Artizan Design metals. The vehicles are all diecasts.
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And, finally, the Japanese. They all all Warlord, both metals and plastics.
That's it for my WW2 stuff. I think my US 1920s/302 gangster stuff will be next, up in the Pulp Board.
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Super stuff. I like that gaming matt as well, which make is that one?
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Yeah, it's a neat little truck. It hasn't appeared in any battles yet - I gotta come up with a scenario in which to use it!
Seem like something they used on the airfields and depots. A whatif German raid in England maybe? Or simply the Japanese attack on the Pacific.
Btw, nice work on the Axis forces :)
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Seem like something they used on the airfields and depots. A whatif German raid in England maybe? Or simply the Japanese attack on the Pacific.
Btw, nice work on the Axis forces :)
Thanks, Freddy.
I'll come up with something in which to use that truck....
Super stuff. I like that gaming matt as well, which make is that one?
I picked it up at a convention in '21. Not sure 100%, but I think it's a Deep Cut Studios mat...
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Okay. So I got a copy of the Xenos Rampant rules. While they are designed for various Sci-Fi/Weird War settings, I think they could be used for conventional fights from about 1900 up to now. After my first read-through, they seem to cover all the bases (standard infantry combat with various troop types, suggested WW2 "national" characteristics, vehicles, flying vehicles, civilians, night fighting, stealth, random events, etc.)...I would just ignore the sci-fi stuff.
I think I'll come up with a WW2 scenario which with to try them out. Then my weekly gaming group will play them. Of course, I will then post an illustrated AAR here, along with our thoughts on how it went. That may be as early as this Friday, if I get my stuff together... :D
As usual, stay tuned...
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It seems like it would work pretty well. I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts about how it plays.
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I also plan to use them for WW2 Sicily, though goodness knows when that will be.
Following with very much interest!
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I use them for my Vietnam war games. Works quite well.
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Thanks for the comments, fellas. The more I read through these rules, the more I like them. The Sci-Fi stuff notwithstanding, it looks like they cover just about everything you'd need for 20th and 21st Century combat. And I'll do my best to use them in this Friday's game.
My initial idea is a British Para raid (with just a bit of help from the local resistance) on a small French town during the early morning hours of June 6, 1944. Maybe to capture/kill the local Gestapo Chief and/or a Nazi "Dignitary". There's a scenario in the book that covers that kind of action...
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just give us an after action report on how the rules worked out for you, please
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As you wish. It shall be done. :D
My plan is to work up the scenario and units stats tomorrow/Thursday. I'll post that stuff here, as well...
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I got a copy of the play test Xenos Rampant a couple of years ago and immediately used it for Modern Africa. It worked great.
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I got a copy of the play test Xenos Rampant a couple of years ago and immediately used it for Modern Africa. It worked great.
Good to know. Thanks.
And without further ado, here are the scenario sheets for Friday's game. Holler with any questions...and as I mentioned, an illustrated AAR will follow...
1st 2 pics are the British Para info. 2nd 2 are the German info.
Please note the disparity in points for the forces. The Paras have 50% more then the Germans, and it could still be quite the trick for them...
If you want to play this (with Xenos Rampant or any other rules), any small village set-up should do. Just place the target building ("A") at or near the center of the board. The board pictured is about 3-1/2'x5'. But a 4'x4' board would work just as well.
And I'll have a resistance member in my British Commend Group, and Gestapo and Collaborator figures in my German HQ group. Be sure to have more pistols/SMGs in the Command and HQ Groups, due to the Close Quarters Doctrine rule. If your figures in those groups are predominantly rifle-armed, ditch that rule for them.
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That looks really good. what computer program do you use to write the orbats?
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Nice prep - all saved for future reference 8)
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Nice prep - all saved for future reference 8)
That looks really good. what computer program do you use to write the orbats?
Thanks, fellas!
As for the program I used for these sheets, I built the OrBats using Microsoft excel spreadsheet. I also dolled up the scenario maps in Microsoft Paint. Then, I imported both into Microsoft Word documents. Hope that helps.
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Here is our brave Paras' target building, where everything is all quiet and peaceful...for now anyway... ;)
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Very atmospheric…
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Thanks for the info about the spreadsheets. Nice target you have there, hope it doesn't stay that quiet for much longer ;)
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Thanks for the info about the spreadsheets.
You're welcome!
We did play this scenario today. Here's the set-up (please refer to the map below):
The scenario takes place at night (technically early morning...), so we used the Night and Stealth and Raising the Alarm rules. Furthermore, it takes place on 06 June 1944. That date ring any bells? 8)
We used the Fog of War rules, which stated that if any unit failed an activation check, the offending player would roll on the relevant chart in the book, with the results being applied immediately and appropriately. This so-called Fog of War would have a dramatic effect on our little affair here (cue dramatic music)...
Ted played the Germans. He had 2 5-man patrols out (both rifle groups), at the points marked "P". Using the stealth rules, he had to do activation tests for them until the alarm was raised. The German HQ group (with its dastardly Gestapo Chief and cowardly collaborator...boo, hiss...) was in building "A" (the target building). A 3rd rifle group and a MG group were in building "1". A MG group each was in building "2" and "3". The German units in the buildings had to wait for the alarm to be raised before they could act, and (as reinforcements) they had to roll their activation on their 1st turn after the alarm was raised.
I played the Paras. My weapons group deployed on the west side of the church. My rifle groups deployed in the SW corner, and my Command Group (led by one Maj. Dodsworth, 3rd Earl of Neavher-on-Thyme and a fine specimen of soldierly virtue...) started in the woods just south of the target building. My cunning plan was for Maj. Dodsworth and his group to get in and grab their quarry, supported by the rifle groups. The weapons group would keep on eye on things from across the street by the SW corner of the church. Then the lot of them would melt away in the night. That was the plan, anyway. Quick and easy, right? What could go wrong?....
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And now, on with the show. And what a show it was!
Getting in Should Be the Easy Part...
And it certainly started out that way. Maj. Dodsworth's Resistance Guide had informed him about the 2 patrols the Germans had out. One was on the street next to the church heading north, while the other was standing around near the shops on the corner of the road heading out of town to the southeast. After the jump, he had collected about 20 men, including himself and their Resistance friend. He had himself, his Sergeant Major, radio man, and batman, and that Resistance chap in his little command group. He also had 2 5-man rifle groups led by Sergeants, who would support his approach on the target building from the woods south of town. He also had a weapons group, led by a Sergeant and with a Bren team and a PIAT team. He sent them around the west of the Village, to set up at the southwest corner of the church to watch over the target building and their quarry's vehicles parked outside it.
It all started out well enough. His group, with the rifle groups to his left, moved cautiously up through the woods and the back gardens of the target building and some houses next to it. He hoped his weapons group was getting into place. They were. So far so good. What the Good Major didn't know was that the German patrol by the church was heading north, away from them, and the patrol to their east was confused as to what to do, unsettled perhaps by all the aircraft and Flak noise (Fog of War). At this rate, he should be upon the target building without his lads being spotted. Oh well. If only that were the case...
Out of nowhere...well, out of the church, actually...gunfire erupted, disturbing the steady drone of aircraft overhead and the distant booms of Flak (and alerting the Germans that something was afoot...). That gunfire, coming from either a confused band or Resistance fighters, or perhaps some ne'er-do-well collaborators, rang out from the church windows and was directed at the British weapons group. Well, that gunfire was inconsequential, except in incurring the wrath of said weapons group. After they returned fire, nothing more was heard from whoever desecrated that church by firing from it.
But the damage had been done. The Germans would now be aware that something untoward was going on and Maj. Dodsworth's plan was scuppered. The fight was on! And what a fight it would prove to be...as you'll see in Part 2: Achtung! Fallschirmjagern!... - coming soon...
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Nice map, great set up fella.
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Yeah, that’s a great looking table for the game! It should be quite an immersive experience.
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Thanks, Fellas. Here's....
Part 2: Achtung! Fallschirmjagern!"
Once the cat was out of the bag, the first German contact was in the back garden of the houses just west of the target building. A German MG group stumbled out the back door, right in front of some Paras. Of course, frenzied shooting took place, wounding Germans and Brits alike.
The German patrol by the church took position by a car parked nearby, and traded fire with the Paras' weapons group. Those Germans would take the worst of it. The other patrol collected their wits, and headed west through the back gardens. And more Germans showed up. A rifle group came out into the street from the buildings just west of the target building, while another MG group came out the back door of the commercial buildings by the target building (unfortunately for the Germans, an officer from a different German unit burst out of the woods, and ordered them off to the south to deal with some other threat (Fog of War)).
Meanwhile (unbeknownst to anyone else, and a Fog of War event), another group of fighters (perhaps a less-than-stalwart group of resistance fighters) gathered their weapons in the uppermost floor of the buildings west of the target building. They then looked out the windows, saw all those Germans, put their weapons back away, and went back to bed...
Meanwhile, outside, as the one Para rifle group dealt with the first German unit contacted, the other Para rifle group headed down the alley next to the target building toward the Germans HQ vehicles, while Maj. Dodsworth and his chaps skirted around the east side of said building. On the German side, an MG group had come out the back door of the residence catty-corner from the target building, and was making their way toward the church. And another came out the front door of that building, and headed west down the street toward the fight. And the German HQ men had come out onto the street, and headed east up the street, away from the fight toward the MG group heading toward them.
Stay tuned for Part 3: There he is! Get him!.....
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And now,....
Part 3: There he is! Get him!
By now, our brave Para lads had gotten themselves into quite a pickle...
Both sides have taken casualties, and one German rifle group had been grabbed and taken away by some other German officer. As the German HQ guys cowered - er, I mean led from - behind an MG group up the street from the target building, the Germans were slowly pressing our lads into a defensive position in the street out in front of the target building. Too bad for the Germans that they were driving the Paras right toward the German HQ group.....
Things got very confusing. Men went down, shot dead in the street in the dead of night. Bayonet crossed with rifle butt, and in the middle of it all, a Der Spiegel reporter appeared from a the commercial building across from the target building to record what would surely be a brilliant Nazi victory (Fog of War).
By now, the German HQ men had retreated through an alley to the back gardens at the northeast corner of our little village. Maj. Dodsworth had temporarily taken refuge behind a car parked at the curb, trading shots with a MG group shielding the German HQ group. But at this point it looked grim for our Brave Para chaps. They were losing good men, and were stuck in an ever-lessening perimeter out in the street. And it looked like their quarry was getting away. But isn't it darkest just before the dawn?
Indeed it is. Maj. Dodsworth dropped several Germans from behind the car where he had taken cover, and one of his rifle Sergeants exercised some personal initiative, improvised and kicked some ass. He spotted their quarry in that back yard across from the target building, order his lads to fix bayonets, leapt across the garden wall, and charged screaming into the German HQ group. By now, that Der Spiegel reporter was near enough to witness this spectacle. But what he saw dismayed him. The German Hauptmann grabbed the Gestapo Chief, threw him at the charging British Sergeant and riflemen, and stepped back to the fence at his rear. Then he heard that sickening "click!" when you step on a booby trap (Fog of War). The good Hauptmann froze. He was in quite the spot. He had just sacrificed the Gestapo Chief to save his own ass, right in front of a German reporter. And he had just stepped on a booby trap that his own men had probably set. Again right in front of that reporter. He froze, indeed, trying desperately to figure out how not to get blown up...
Meanwhile, the Paras could see the body of the collaborator lying on the ground, inert and already apparently lifeless. Oh well...at least they had one of their targets, and now they had to make their escape...Maj. Dodsworth, who could make out the gist of what happened looking down the alley from his position at that car, yelled at his men to "Run! Get that man out of here! I'll catch up!"...
Stay tuned for Part 4: "Maj. Dodsworth Runs Into Infamy", the final part of our AAR. You'll get the answers to these questions:
1. Will that Para Sergeant and his riflemen bundle their prisoner off to safety?
2. Will Maj. Dodsworth indeed "catch up"?
3. Will the German Hauptmann get out of his sticky wicket?
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What an awesome and visually appealing after action report! It sounds like it was a fun game!
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What an awesome and visually appealing after action report! It sounds like it was a fun game!
It was a fun game. And thanks for your comment - but wait, there's more! And with that, it's time for:
Part 4: Maj. Dodsworth Runs Into Infamy" (the final part).
Our hero, Maj. Dodsworth, crouched behind the car with his Sten Gun at the ready. Those Germans blokes they were there after had slinked away down that alley across the street from him. Next to him, his Sgt. Maj, radio man and batman were down on the sidewalk next to him (their resistance friend had been shot several minutes earlier). He was still trading fire with a few Germans in the street in front of their target building and a couple more in that alley, and he could see bodies lying in the streets, both his men and the enemy...things had gotten a bit dicey...
Just then, from the back of that alley across the street, he saw what he was sure was a scuffle and a few shots. He then heard Sgt. Lyckett-Upham's booming voice "We 'ave 'im, Sir!". The good Major shouted back: "Run! Get that bugger out of 'ere! I'll be along shortly, lads!"...
And run Sgt. Lyckett-Upham and Lance Cpl. Gridley did. They headed west, through the back gardens toward the street. They ducked north along the sidewalk behind a big lorrie parked their. And they needed that lorrie. For cover. Several Germans at the head end of the street, as well as one on the other side of that lorrie, opened fire on them as they ran. They could hear rounds hitting steel and glass, but they kept going. The Germans would fire a few rounds, and then chase after them a bit, fire a bit more, and so on - always seemingly hot on our boys' heels. And just as it looked like the Germans were on them, they got away, slipping off into a nearby woods in the night, dragging their prize along with them. Those intel chaps should be able to have a chat with him, for sure...
But what of Maj. Dodsworth? With the Germans out in the streets now distracted by going after Lyckett-Upham and their Gestapo Chief, Dodsworth could have easily slipped away toward the southeast, and circled north to link up with his lads. But that was not the sort of man Maj. Dodsworth considered himself to be. He decided he had to make a break for it alright, but he would follow along after Sgt. Lyckett-Upham, and catch up to them in those woods north of the village. So, he put a fresh magazine in his Sten Gun, pulled the bolt back, adjusted his helmet just so and steeled his nerves, and took off north across the street toward that alley, zig-zagging as he went.
As he entered the alley, he could see 2 Germans waiting for him. He must have surprised them, as they fired wildly into the night at very close range. Maj. Dodsworth did not fire wildly. At point blank range, he leveled his Tommy Gun, and squeezed the trigger. One German went down. He butt-stroked the other on his way up the alley, and when he emerged into the back garden, he saw the German Hauptmann and a civilian standing in the corner next to the loo. He never even lifted up his Schmeisser. Why?, Maj. Dodsworth would never know...
Maj. Dodsworth also cut west, out toward the street by the church. Right out into a street full or the Germans who were chasing Lyckett-Upham. They saw him, and a new chase was on.
Dodsworth deked along the sidewalk, keeping that lorrie between him and the Germans. He then ducked back east through a machine shop area. By then, the German Hauptmann had grown a pair, and had thrown himself and that reporter off and away from that booby trap. And absolutely nothing happened. A dud! The Hauptmann got up, brushed himself off, and headed toward the sound of the chase. The reporter followed along behind him.
It now looked as though Maj. Dodsworth had made a mistake ducking into that machine shop yard. He could hear German footsteps getting very close. He wheeled around, just as some Germans were on him. He fired...which must have surprised the Germans, as they backed off just a bit. And just enough. Maj. Dodsworth got around the corner of the shop building, hoping to see a gate in the yard wall....
....and he didn't see any. He turned around, his back to the wall now, and there were several Germans closing in on him all just several feet away. And he could hear what he presumed to be that Hauptmann, barking orders in German. And with that, it appeared as if Maj. Dodsworth would spend the rest of the war in a German POW camp. Or worse. But would he?
No! Our good Major pointed with his index finger, screamed "Look over there!", and scrambled over the wall at his back. He dashed into the woods just north of town not looking back.
Maj. Dodsworth, 3rd Earl of Neavher-on-Thyme and a now even-finer specimen of soldierly virtue, had done it. He and his men had successfully grabbed a Gestapo man in the dead of night an scarpered off with him. He did find Sgt, Lyckett-Upham, Lance Cpl. Gridley, and their Gestapo prisoner in those woods, and were able to find their battalion CP. Whereupon the delivered him to the Battalion Intelligence Officer, who likely would give that Gestapo chap a taste of his own medicine.
Maj. Dodsworth and his hastily-assembled little force had indeed done it. With some flare and with a vary dramatic ending, as well. But at a very steep cost. Maj. Dodsworth started out with himself, 18 more Paras, and that Resistance fellow. Out of those 20 men, only 3 made it out (Maj. Dodsworth, Sgt, Lyckett-Upham, and Lance Cpl. Gridley. But they gave better than they got. Their foes started out with 35 men. Only 7 remained fit for duty after Maj. Dodsworth made good his escape (and, they had nabbed one of their 2 men).
I will provide out thoughts on how well Xenos Rampant worked for WW2 in my next post, but suffice it to say that we thought that it worked very well, and certainly made for a very entertaining and dramatic little fight....
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Impressive! Outstanding figures and terrain! Thank you for sharing!
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Yes, that's a rather pretty little village you are shooting up there.
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Outstanding pictures and a super report
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Great report - looking forward to your insights on how the rules played 8)
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Yes, that's a rather pretty little village you are shooting up there.
Yes, well, thanks. But it had to be done...
Outstanding pictures and a super report
Impressive! Outstanding figures and terrain! Thank you for sharing!
Great report - looking forward to your insights on how the rules played 8)
Thanks, fellas. Our thoughts on using these rules for WW2 area s follows:
Using Xenos Rampant for WW2.
Units
First off, Mr. Mersey and Co. already had rules for pretty much everything up to about 1900. Despite their groove toward Sci-Fi settings, these rules can indeed be used for engagements from about 1900 up to, well, today.
These rules provide for several types of units, from "Militia Rabble' to "Elite Infantry". Each type of infantry has a few inherent traits, and several more that can be "purchased" (especially if if you are using points - we don't, but we figured up the points anyway...). In addition, there are "Xenos" rules that can be "purchased" to further buff up units. The myriad of unit types that one can come up with is impressive. Even ignoring the Sci-Fi stuff, we couldn't think of a unit type that couldn't be represented with these rules. Heck, even some of the Sci-Fi stuff would have non-Sci-Fi equivalents, with a little imagination applied...
One note here. Units have an "Armor" value, which dictates how many hits a unit has to take before a figure is KO'd. This can be adjusted for the firer's range and cover. We decided that it didn't necessarily indicate the level of their personal armor, but (at least in this period) it was more a function of their tactical competence in terms of movement and their use of available cover and concealment. In periods where units would have personal armor, that goes into the mix.
There are even vehicle rules, each with their own traits and buffs (one of which is "Flying", so UH-1s, UH-60s and the like can be represented). As it turned out (since the Paras got between the German HQ dudes and their rides, we ended up not needing to us the vehicle rules. So, I can sense another run at these rules, WITH vehicles in the mix.
Units have several characteristics, used for movement, firing, HtH combat, defense, and "Courage". Each unit type has specific scores that need to be equaled or exceeded to activate, but each unit type also has at least een free type of action that doesn't require rolling to activate. In our fight, the Paras (as Heavy Infantry) didn't need to roll to activate to fire their weapons. The Germans, on the other hand, didn't need to roll to activate to move (unless they were moving into HtH). That would come into play, and provide some very tense and dramatic moments in the final phase of our fight, as the Paras were hustling their prey off the Board, and our Good Major was making his heroic escape...
All units start out with 10 dice to fire and do HtH. Once they get below 50% strength, they then use 5 dice. We only used the base 5-man units. Larger units (10 men, and is a few cases 15 men), still use the same 10 die/5 die, but their chances of scoring kills increase a bit. We may toy around with 10-man units, but we think 5-man groups feel right for WW2 - a squad/section would then be a rifle team and an MG team, with the appropriate buffs. We'll see...
The basic infantry unit, at least for the 2 unit types we used, assumes the average soldier is rifle-armed. For units with a preponderance of pistols/SMGs, we applied the "Close Quarters Doctrine" trait, which reduced their firing range. And for the MG groups, we used the "Heavy Weapons" trait, which increased their effectiveness. And for our Paras' Weapons team and their PIAT, we used the "Armor-Piercing" trait (but restricted using it for anti-vehicle fire).
Movement
This was pretty straightforward.
Combat
Based on the above comments, this was pretty straightforward too. As would be the case in real life, our groups with MGs fared better in taking out enemy troops, and once groups got below 50% strength, it was harder to kill folks. Not impossible, however, as Maj. Dodworth demonstrated... ;)
Morale
Again, pretty straightforward. Both in terms of becoming Suppressed, the effects of being Suppressed, and becoming un-Suppressed.
Optional Stuff
These rules have "National Characteristics" for WW1 and WW2 units. We used them, as they made sense. We also used the Fog of War rules, which came into play when a unit failed an activation roll. Out of almost 20 turns (we lost track...), this only happened 7 times, and 4 of them had a direct impact on the game (one of the German sentry patrols getting spooked early on, the gunmen opening fire on the Para Weapons Group from the church (which raised the alarm), a German MG group getting re-tasked away (taking them out of the fight), and the German Hauptmann stepping on that booby trap). A 5th one saw a German reporter show up (just in time to see the Paras snatch the Gestapo man, get away with him, and Maj. Dodsworth's escape). I wonder how he wrote that up? :D
The other 2 Fog of War events involved another group of gunmen. The appeared, and blew their very first activation roll, and wound up getting spooked, taking them right back out of the game. We're not sure any of the active combatants even knew about them...
We also used the Night Fighting and the Stealth and Raising the Alarm rules. Too bad those stupid gunmen in the church mucked things up for the Paras...
All the optional rules we used added to the enjoyability of the game.
Conclusion
While intended for use if various Sci-Fi settings, Xenos Rampant is a perfectly usable set of rules for small unit combat from about 1900 to now. Between the myriad of unit types and sizes the game can handle, the ways you can use optional buffs and Xenos Rules to customize units, the movement, combat, and "Courage" rules, and all the available optional rules, one would be hard-pressed to find something not covered by these rules for that period. Heck, the rules even state that if you can think of a reasonable Xenos rule the authors didn't include, to go ahead and do so (we did that with the Paras' Smoke rule, which was based on one of the included Xenos rules).
Verdict: These rules will indeed go into our regular rotation. And not just for WW2...I can see some Vietnam and Modern action being played out with them...
I hope our game, its AAR, and these thoughts on Xenos Rampant being used for a non-Sci-Fi setting are helpful. It was sure fun providing them... :D
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So, I went to a Menards (a big-box home improvement store here in the States) in Toledo, OH yesterday. They had a couple aisle-bins with bunches of diecast cars in them. In one bin, they had a good number of 1/48 US WW2 deuce-and-a-half trucks. They were $3 each. So, I got 3 of them. They actually look pretty good, as you can see from the pics below. And especially for the price...and they do indeed measure out to 1/48 scale.
I'll eventually tart them up a bit (repaint the winch cables and reels, paint the windshield wipers, repaint the tarps, and weather them up a bit). Once I do that, I'll post pics of them tarted up.
The first pic shows one of the trucks in its package, and the 2nd pic shows the back of that package.
The 3rd and 4th pics show a truck, out of the box, from a couple angles.
The 5th pic shows the truck with a few of my GIs, for scale comparison. It works for me...
Now a platoon of my GIs can ride to battle in style...
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A Captain in Toledo? Inquiring minds must know.
COLONEL KURTZ "Where are you from Willard ?"
WILLARD "I'm from Ohio, sir."
KURTZ "Were you born there ?"
WILLARD "Yes, sir."
KURTZ "Whereabouts ?"
WILLARD "Toledo, sir."
KURTZ "How far were you from the river ?"
WILLARD "The Ohio river, sir ? About 200 miles." lol
Nice looking truck, never knew Bob Denver drove 'em, just boats. Can't have been John, he just flew planes..... not so well as it turned out. ;)
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Great find! 👍
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As soon as i saw your post I ran out to Menards to find these. The good news: I was successful! The not so good: they were in the $5 bin at my store, not the $3 one…. Still a bargain, though!
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A Captain in Toledo? Inquiring minds must know.
COLONEL KURTZ "Where are you from Willard ?"
WILLARD "I'm from Ohio, sir."
KURTZ "Were you born there ?"
WILLARD "Yes, sir."
KURTZ "Whereabouts ?"
WILLARD "Toledo, sir."
KURTZ "How far were you from the river ?"
WILLARD "The Ohio river, sir ? About 200 miles." lol
Nice looking truck, never knew Bob Denver drove 'em, just boats. Can't have been John, he just flew planes..... not so well as it turned out. ;)
A. More like a Captain FROM Toledo. I grew up there, and currently live in Michigan a few miles north of the state line...and I was a Captain of Armor/Cavalry, not SF. And IIRC, BOB Denver couldn't drive a boat that well, either... :o
Great find! 👍
As soon as i saw your post I ran out to Menards to find these. The good news: I was successful! The not so good: they were in the $5 bin at my store, not the $3 one…. Still a bargain, though!
Yeah, a great find indeed. The ones I got were in the $3 bin, but rang up at $5. Once the cashier realized they were mis-binned, she changed it to $3 each...either way, as you pointed out, a bargain...
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Thanks for the heads up on the trucks. Will be heading to Menards today to pickup a few. Just in time for our upcoming K47 campaign!
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Nice looking trucks for the price. I'd gladly trade a Home Depot for a Menard's
any day.
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Thanks for the heads up on the trucks. Will be heading to Menards today to pickup a few. Just in time for our upcoming K47 campaign!
Hope you found some!
Nice looking trucks for the price. I'd gladly trade a Home Depot for a Menard's
any day.
Yeah - Home Despot ain't my favorite store...
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Well, it's back to WW2 for my weekly gaming group tomorrow (Friday, the 17 Nov). As I wrote the 82nd Airborne Hold Until Relieved! scenario for the Cold War Gone Hot supplement to Force on Force 2 , I decided to tweak it, using the Fistful of Lead: Bigger Battles rules) for the days immediately following D-Day in WW2. It now involves a US Army platoon (reinforced with tanks) trying to relieve a unit of US paratroopers and some French partisans holed up in a French village. Of course, they are being attacked by Germans...
Here are the US scenario sheets:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-161123190745.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-161123190727.jpeg)
And here are the German scenario sheets (forgive the "Soviet/Polish" labeling in the German set-up zone - I imported that image from my copy of the CWGH proof...):
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-161123190706.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-161123190642.jpeg)
We play at 11am tomorrow. I'll do up an illustrated AAR after the conclusion of hostilities...
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Excellent
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Thanks, Jaye!
And, now on with the show!
Part 1: The German Attack, and the Arrival of the Relief Force.
First off, a couple shots of our quiet little Normandy Village. Here it is, looking from the north.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123171043.jpeg)
And here, from the south.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123171023.jpeg)
The 101st boys, with a few mis-dropped 82nd guys thrown in, set up mostly along the stone wall at the south and southwest edges of the village. Their Bazooka teams were immediately east of the bridge to cover that, while their .30 cal team was in the upper floor of the house by the road at the south edge of the village. The French partisans were in the farm at the southwest corner of the village (maybe one of them owned said farm).
The initial German platoon was in the woods south of town, while the 2 Pumas came up the road from the south. This is where things started.
The German infantry moved out in the woods, heading north, while the Pumas headed up the road. Things were quiet so far, until one of the Pumas fired on the partisans in the farm.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123171008.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170954.jpeg)
The other Puma fired at the Paratroopers along the wall, forcing a rifle team back. The partisans in the farm also pulled back a bit.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170938.jpeg)
The Airborne LT tried to talk some French civilians into joining the cause, but they thought better of it. The civilians in the cafe stayed there, while those out in the street began to find somewhere else to be.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170921.jpeg)
Then, good news! The US relief force's 1st Squad came on west of that farm where the partisans were.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170854.jpeg)
And, an M4 Sherman came up from the southwest. Right into a Panzerfaust. Luckily it didn't do too much damage. And it returned fire.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170831.jpeg)
As the Germans slowly made their way north through the woods, the US relief force 2nd squad came up from the south and got into a firefight with some Germans in the woods. Both sides lost men.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170812.jpeg)
West of the Village, the US relief force LT and his RTO came on, and led the 1st squad toward the Village. He tried to get his on-call artillery, but it wasn't available.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170754.jpeg)
Then, the US 3rd squad and a 2nd M4 Sherman came up from the south. The 3rd squad's rifle team got mixed up in the 2nd squad's firefight, losing a few men, while their BAR team skirted northeast around some trees. The Sherman and a Puma fired at each other, with the Sherman getting the upper hand.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170739.jpeg)
Then bad news for the Americans. The German 2nd Platoon's 1st squad came on, on a hill just southeast of the bridge. They fired on the Airborne's bazooka teams along the river, killing a man.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170721.jpeg)
I'll leave it there for now. Stay tuned for Part 2: The German 2nd Wave.
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And now: Part 2: The German 2nd Wave.
What with all the shooting going on, the civilians in the street opted to be somewhere else, and headed for more secure environs.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170704.jpeg)
Meanwhile, while the US relief force and the Germans were having at it in the woods south of town, the US airborne LT ordered his men to shift left a bit, to cover the approach up the road from the south.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170647.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170631.jpeg)
Near the farm at the southwest corner of the village, the partisans were taking a beating. The US relief force LT had 1st squad's BAR group move to back them up, while he sent 1st squad's maneuver group toward the village to try to link up with the paratroopers. The LT kept trying to raise their arty on the radio, to little avail.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170615.jpeg)
The Germans had eyes on that farm too, and rifle group moved up to it. The few remaining partisans had already bugged out.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170557.jpeg)
Back in the woods, a PzKfw IV came up, surprising the Sherman there, who had been focusing on those Pumas. The Sherman was now in a bad way.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170538.jpeg)
Speaking of those Pumas, the US airborne LT had reached TacAir on the horn. The unmistakable sound of the big rotary piston engine on a P47 could be heard overhead. So could the sound of that bomb detonating next to a Puma, knocking it out. The other Puma wasn't in much better shape. And, a BAR group from the US relief force worked its way around the burning Puma. The Germans and the US relief force men kept up their firefight in the woods south of town.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170440.jpeg)
In town, the airborne boys had finished their repositioning, and exchanged fire with the German 2nd platoon squad on the hill by the bridge. This little fight forced the 2 airborne bazooka teams back away from the river.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170422.jpeg)
The firefight in the woods continued, with both sides taking casualties.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170401.jpeg)
The maneuver group from the US relief force moved toward the west end of the village, in an attempt to find and link up with the airborne units in town.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170345.jpeg)
Now, more bad news for the US relief force. A StuG III came up behind the Sherman near the woods southwest of town. This Sherman was ready, though, and got a good solid hit on the StuG.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170330.jpeg)
Back at the farm, the US BAR group had gotten into the bigger of the 2 farm buildings, and that German squad brought up its MG42 team to the farm's wall. They exchanged fire with each other. That P47 did a 2nd pass, and dropped its other bomb on the German squad on the hill by the bridge. That US BAR team moved to take up that German squad's former position.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170315.jpeg)
That's it for now...I'll post Part 3: The US Final Push (the final part) here in a bit. Stay tuned, and I hope you're enjoying the story thus far...
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And, in a grand finale, I present Part 3: The US Final Push!
While the US relief force's 1st squad's BAR group was having it out with that German MG42 team at the farm, their maneuver group made its way into the village from the west road. Their, the US airborne LT had re-repositioned a squad back to their right to effect the link-up.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170259.jpeg)
Back in the south woods, another German squad came up to support the Panzer IV (which was effectively dealing with the Sherman there).
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170238.jpeg)
Soon enough, that Sherman crew bailed out and abandoned the Sherman. The Panzer IV took advantage of the situation, and moved forward. The US BAR group on the hill by the bridge took up a position facing the Germans. And the crew of the 2nd Puma had had enough, and they too abandoned their vehicle.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170221.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170202.jpeg)
With the arrival of the US relief maneuver group on their right, and the BAR group on the left, the US airborne troops in town had an even stronger position.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170148.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170101.jpeg)
Meanwhile, in the firefight in the woods south of town, the German weight of numbers was beginning to tell. The US relief force LT felt the pressure. But the LT was able to finally get through to higher HQ and call in light artillery on the Germans in the woods (even though his RTO was down, at his side).
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170046.jpeg)
Another German 2nd platoon squad came up from the southwest, and helped the Germans press closer to the village. By now, the US BAR group at the farm was down to just the man with the BAR, but he had taken out the German MG42 team.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170031.jpeg)
The Sherman southwest of town had forced the StuG II crew to abandon it, and pressed deeper into the woods. It was in a tough situation though, as the woods still had several Germans in it. And, the German commander had made his way to the north edge of the woods, and called in heavy mortars on the US paratroopers in town, causing a couple casualties.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123170012.jpeg)
The Panzer IV and a few German grenadiers stayed put by the abandoned Sherman. The US paratroopers had got their bazookas back up to the river, covering the road and bridge. By now the road south of town was littered with burning and abandoned vehicles.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123165956.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123165939.jpeg)
And, while the Germans had more or less cleaned out the woods south of town, they had taken heavy casualties doing so. And the US still had a formidable defense set up in the Village.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/60/16550-201123165923.jpeg)
With a Sherman tank and a couple small pockets am American infantry still in the woods, and a stout defense set up in the Village, the Germans didn't have the strength left to crack that nut. The firing died down, and both sides licked their wounds...
And that is where the battle ended. The Americans had effected a link-up with the Paratroopers, but at the expense of a Sherman tank, almost 2/3 of the relief platoon, and the partisans. Only 4 paratroopers were down at the end of the fight.
The Germans didn't fare much better. Their initial platoon was gutted (losing about 2/3 of them), and the 2nd platoon lost a squad, as well. And, they had lost 2 Pumas and a StuG. So, while the US had effected a link-up, the Germans won on points with the butcher's bill. It was an expensive win for the Germans, but they failed to block the link-up.
All in all, we got through 15 turns in about 4-1/2 hours. Ted played the US paratroopers and French partisans, and I played the US relief platoon. Gene played all the Germans. It may have gone a bit quicker, if we had a 2nd German player. Gene had to keep track of 2 hands of cards. But it worked out OK, and we all had fun. Although Gene did say that, even though he won, it didn't feel like it with the casualties the Germans took...
Thanks for reading all the way to the end, if you did. Hope you enjoyed it... :)
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And, Happy US Thanksgiving to everyone!
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Nice report and a lovely looking game.
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Nice report and a lovely looking game.
Thanks! It was fun to play in, I can tell you that....
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Great report and pictures.
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Excellent looking game and superb AAR!
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Thanks, fellas!
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Great AAR and a lovely looking game. :-*
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Great AAR and a lovely looking game. :-*
Thanks, M'Lord!
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Now that I'm back, and recovered from, vacation, and I've done the additions to my modern forces I wanted to, It's time to switch gears.
Wargames, Soldiers, and Strategy, Issue #128 had a series of scenarios set in late WW2, involving US and German troops. I will be painting some additions to my WW2 collection so we can play these scenarios out. It'll take some time, as I'm getting into 28mm ACW stuff at the same time. But, I'll be posting pics of these additions as I get them done. Stay tuned...
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Yippeeee lol