What a Tanker! Somewhere in France.....

[Digits]

So, myself and Jamie (PrivateBuzz on here) have just very successfully played an enjoyable few hours of What a Tanker!

First time playing for me, we led with a one on one tank game for me to pick up the rules.   Needless to say, his MkIV tore my Sherman a new one!



However, game learned (very straight forward) we decided to have a pucker two on two tank game, Jamie taking two MkIV’s and me having one regular Sherman and one Firefly.

The table looked brilliant.   Jamie is a very talented individual, the houses coming up a real treat, but also on show, his first go at Teddy Bear fur field, door mat crop, and various hedges, bocages and wire fences.    As usual, a great setting makes for a most agreeable game!

Set up for the gaming, an overhead iPad in a fixed table position.  Jamie then used the camera on his phone to get down and show me views from my tanks should they be needed, points of interest and dice throws etc.

I won’t put a blow by blow account...but was fun watching hit after hit banging into his commanders front facing, and only slowly whittling down his command dice instead of dealing decisive knock out shots with the Firefly!  Didn’t think I was ever going to finish him....his last half dozen activations only having one command dice!

I didn’t even get the satisfaction of blowing anything up....his wingman bailing out before anything cooked up.  I think I need to look at this bloody ammunition!

However.....a very enjoyable few hours, the perfect game for remote gaming, great setting and a great sport to play against!  Looking forward to the next one.

[fred]

It is a good looking table.

Glad you had an enjoyable remote game.

We were excited about WAT as a game, but found it turned into a bizarre game of chase, as seemed much easier to move than to shoot. Seemed nothing like WWII tank actions. Would have been good with WWI aircraft!

[Digits]

I’m not saying it’s the most accurate portrayal of tank warfare.....far from it, but as an easy remote game or even multiplayer, it has its place I’m sure.

Cheers Fred

[WuZhuiQiu]

It's a fun system. Rules for AT guns and infantry AT might dampen the chasing aspect.

[has.been]

Guys, guys! 
What happened to our invites??

[Digits]

We were testing it out!   

Besides....expect an invite shortly for this Saturday.  Jamie setting it up.

[bluewillow]

Nice looking little game. Not played the rules but the idea of playing remotely is attractive.

Cheers
Matt

[gamer Mac]

Great looking table
Not sure I fancy the rules?
But two fat lardie rules are usually good and realistic?

[Ballardian]

Very nice lookig game & lovely painted tanks.

But two fat lardie rules are usually good and realistic?

The WaT rules could be regarded as a bit Marmite - some in my gaming group enjoy the game, while others not so much. You need to have a tolerance for a significant amount of random - at the beginning of each turn, after the initiative phase, you roll six 'order' dice for each tank. 1's give a movement allowance, 2's are 'Acquire' (essentially corresponding to situational awareness - did your crew notice the enemy tank behind that copse?), 3's are 'Aim', 4's are 'Shoot', 5's are reloading and 6's are wild. this can mean, if your dice hate you, that you roll no movement, or Acquire (your crew simply don't notice that Tiger), or shoot.. you get the idea.
 This can be an annoying aspect to the game (& I've had streaks of immobile or clearly blind crews), but I've generally found the game to be fun - take more than one tank each (it'll support up to 12), that way you won't usually have a turn where you do nothing. The list of vehicles is decently comprehensive, and the progression if you decide to play it in a 'campaign' fashion (your crews can acquire more skills untill they move on to a better tank - at which point they begin again) is entertaning (shall I keep the red-hot crew n the PzIV, or turn them into virtua newbies in a Panther?).