CoC - Western Front - Martlet Map 3 Game 6 report

[has.been]

Keep us all informed, please.

[Digits]

 I worries! 😉

So, same table as before, again Jamie rolls high giving him four free movements in the probe phase and as you can see, has three jump off points well up the table.   You can’t see my third…but it’s in the copse on the right.



So it would appear Jamie pulled out all the stops with his disinformation campaign…..genius!

We had been discussing what happened in the previous game and that in reality he had pretty much a couple of options only.

With the extra point available this time around, he could take the mighty Pershing, or he could max out on the bazookas in case I pulled the panzer two from up my sleeve again and trust to his FOO and blow me to hell.  We exchanged notes on the subject and this meant I thought I had just two options.

Either stick with the panzer two, running the risk of a Bazooka shot or three, but giving me some respite should the mortars start up, or max out on panzershrek……my four points buying me two above the one I already have.

I was convinced he was going to field the Pershing to be honest.   I’d seen it on his painting table on my last visit, and it’s probably what I’d have done….push it down using hedge cover off the road but supported by infantry.

I rolled slightly higher starting morale so got the first roll of the dice.   Got a five…so started the rush for the CoC dice.   However, I had initially started intended to stay quiet…….making him sweat and drawing him into closer ranges…..so I didn’t do anything else.

On Jamie’s first roll, he also bagged a couple of fives…..(oh oh), deplored his command section into the wrecked house in the middle, and a section into the yard area to the back and side of the left hand farm house.





I couldn’t believe my luck…..Jamie doesn’t make many mistakes, but had he really just popped a section mostly in the open …..with a solitatary tree trunk to protect them?

This threw me into a minor dilemma.     Instead of sitting and waiting, could I not simply deploy a section and let the lead fly, hoping to whittle him down?  We both need to leave this table with the minimal of casualties should it go to another map.  Or, was he being cunning and drawing me onto the table in order to hit me with the inevitable mortar battery…..?

Oh well, you only live the once and the aggressive side of my play style took over immediately and I deployed TWO sections to punish him.

Jamie declared there was a pre game barrage in place, but I rolled high to bring both on.  This also meant I was wrong!    Jamie couldn’t afford a Pershing too, so it wouldn’t be long before that searching round came down…



Admittedly I couldn’t get all four mg’s on them but I did a few casualties and a heap of shock, initially clipping the junior leader.   Had I over committed?     Already half my force was arrayed on the left and they were grouped awfully close should the FOO pick on me….



He tried to move the section into cover behind the house, but left the Bazooka team exposed…..which I then duly punished, killing them and finishing off the junior leader!

Jamie then brought on his first senior officer, who rallied a heap of shock off the remainder of the section.

He also brought on his third section near to the right hand house with greenhouse.

.



TBC

[Digits]

Then Jamie rolled a double six…..oh no.   Here comes the FOO and I’m thinking he may just hit both my squads in the open.     Not only would I loose the game, but my casualty count would be awful meaning I’d be on the back foot in the last map.   I felt a little deflated.   My over aggressive attempt to deal with the one section was going to cost me.

But, in a stroke of sublime misdirection, Jamie suddenly scared the crap out of me.   His second senior leader turned up in a jeep at the road entrance.   Wheeled vehicles move double distance on roads…..and rolling flat out he moved 24” straight down the road…….and on his second phase, obviously before I could get a go, he moved another batch of dice down the road, and an M8 greyhound joined the race down the road…….Jamie was looking to race along the tarmac to exit and take the game!





I failed to get a panzershrek onto the table and was only able to bring on one mg team into the wrecked house to try and deal with the jeep.   I did manage to score a minor wound on him, but the jeep kept coming!

My middle section also took shots at the jeep and scored a second glancing wound on him!  This was looking dire…..

Mortar fire and small arms fire poured into the roof section where my mg team were sited and duly pinned them in place.  Bugger!




Now, yes, I had fallen completely for the subterfuge.  But I forgot to say, when debating my choices, I discounted taking three panzershreks as I thought I wouldn’t roll enough ones to use them all……..and I thought each of my sections also carries a pair of panzerfausts……so I had indeed decided to take the humble little panzer II again, and needing to roll to get him on, finally I managed to do so!   I duly popped him blocking the end of the road, knowing the jeep couldn’t jump though hedges, and opened up on the jeep….missing it! 🫣

Jamie rolled to jeep as far as he could….there was a chance the bugger could jump out and still get the victory!

But on my next, the tank opened up at point blank and the heroic driver was killed!




Jamie’s ploy had very nearly succeeded……it was brilliant, but it wasn’t quite over…….the greyhound was still coming.  Jamie was almost out of morale, and on my final command roll, I got my last five, giving me a chance to ambush it with the schrek.   As you know, my favourite piece of kit, and once again, it didn’t fail me! 7 net hits 🤓



Game won, campaign won…..just!   That was so close, but thoroughly enjoyed it.  Jamie’s tables and hospitality throughout were top notch.   Good ebb and flow and my guys survive to draw out the war for another few weeks maybe! 😉









Looking to our next adventures….we will be having a go at operation Martlet.

Jamie will be the Brits, I will have command oth the 12th Hitlerjurgend.   

[has.been]

Congratulations David. Commiserations Jamie.
Entertaining &, as usual, pretty.
I have played against 'commanders' who when given two options choose a THIRD!
Frustrating ain't it?

[Digits]

Mightily! Lol

Just goes to show how easy it is to confuse me! I fell for it!   It didn’t even cross my mind and yet with the long straight road, it makes perfect sense!   We have never used the jeep like that before so it wasn’t even in my mindset.   The game also came down to the luck I needed to get the tank on the table.  The pre game barrage was still in play so the game was won on a 50/50 in the end, the jeep would have raced off into the sunset!   The campaign would then hinge on the next map which we didn’t really fancy…especially Jamie as it was too busy a table! Lol

After this though….I’m buying a kubelwagon!

[has.been]

Schwimmwagen David. It can cross rivers too.

[Digits]

Good call!

[PrivateBuzz]

Awesome write up. Really captures the excitement of the game.

[flatpack]

Well done chaps.
Very entertaining.

[CapnJim]

Great report.  The figs and terrain look good, too.

Of course, the US boys will just pull back, and blast the place with artillery....

[vodkafan]

I saw that fast race move (with a kubelwagen) in one of Tactical Painter's Chain of Command Games....it didn't work there either 

[CapnJim]

I call moves like that "cheese moves".  As the good Captain found out, that joy-ride in his jeep was a good way to get KIA'd...oh well - he can get his Silver Star, and his wife or mother will get that dreaded telegram...

[Digits]

To be fair….it’s in the rules so all fair and above board.   In any case, I struggle to come up with many other ideas how to use the jeep as it happens.

[CapnJim]

To be fair….it’s in the rules so all fair and above board.   In any case, I struggle to come up with many other ideas how to use the jeep as it happens.

Yep!  I didn't say we didn't do stuff like that.  That's only what we call it! 

And had the good Captain been successful, a DSC might have been in the cards for him, and no need for that telegram.  Sometimes the difference between bravery and stupidity lies in the result! 

[TacticalPainter]

Depending on the circumstances it could be worth the gamble, but it's a heck of a gamble and the occupants of the jeep are very vulnerable. Chances are you have a leader plus a team in the jeep, so losing them plus a support (the jeep itself) would make a dent in your force morale.

As Vodkafan pointed out, my opponent tried a similar move in one of our Bloody Bucket campaign games. He got much further than I thought he might, but it too ended badly. Had he pulled off the coup de main it would have gained him a very cheap and easy victory, so it's easy to see why you might try it.

Not to hijack Digits thread here, but anyone interested can follow that game here and see what happened:

https://thetacticalpainter.blogspot.com/2021/03/bloody-bucket-campaign-turn-6-scenario_26.html