CapnJim's WW2 stuff (Some more 28mm Germans...Page 13...22 Nov 24).

[CapnJim]

They look great!

US Army was mix n match till the very end, so its a good combo.

Thanks, carlos.  And yeah - mixing the 2 uniform types ain't a problem.  I can field a 2-platoon rifle company now...

Those G.I.'s look great

Thanks, Tom.  Appreciate it.

[warburton]

Very nice work 

[CapnJim]

Very nice work 

Thanks!

And, between posting pics of my painted minis, we're gonna play a WW2 game tomorrow (Friday).  We plan to use a set of Sci-Fi rules we played at a convention in September.  These rules, called Fictioneers, are designed to be used with older sci-fi models.  We liked it so much we WW2-ified them, and will try that out tomorrow (Friday).

The scenario I chose has a bit of everything in it.  It's the Grandcamp scenario from the Skirmish Campaigns Heroes of Omaha and Lanzer Lehr scenario book.   However, due to the contents of my collection, I flipped the script.  The book's scenario calls for US troops from the 29th Infantry Division attacking German troops from the 352nd Infantry Division.  In our game, it'll be German troops coounter-attacking US troops.

Here are the troops involved:

US Forces

Platoon HQ (SMG, 2x Rifles)
Bazooka Team (Bazooka, Rifle)
Infantry Squad (2 SMG, 1 BAR, 7 Rifles)
57mm AT Gun (4 Crew, Medium Cannon)
MMG Team (MMG, 3 Crew)

Reinforcements (roll d20)
• 1-10   BAR Team (BAR, Rifle)
• 11-14   Composite Infantry Team (SMG, BAR, 4x Rifles)
• 12-18   Recon Team (SMG, Rifle), and BAR Team (BAR, Rifle)
• 19-20   None

German Forces

PzKfw IV (Medium Vehicle, Medium Armor, Medium Cannon)
Platoon HQ (Pistol, SMG, Panzerschreck, Rifle), with Kubelwagen (Light Vehicle, No Armor)
2x Infantry Squads (2x SMG, LMG, 6x Rifles), with SdKfz 251s (Light Vehicle, Light Armor, MMG)
Infantry Squad (2x SMG, LMG, 6x Rifles)
Mortar FO (SMG, Rifle, Radio) (2 tubes)

Reinforcements (roll d20)
• 1-5   None
• 6-13   MMG Team (MMG, 3 crew)
• 14-15   Sniper Team (Sniper Rifle, Rifle)
• 16-17   StuG III (Medium Vehicle, Medium Armor, Medium Cannon)
• 18-20   Heavy Mortar FO (This unit is off-board to the east, but has LOS to the entire board - 3 tubes)

Here is the map:



As you can see, the board is criss-crossed with bocage.  The Germans have 2 objectives - to seize the farmhouse, and/or to exit 18 individual troops off the west board edge.  The Americans' mission is to prevent those.

As a note, the German Panzerschreck and mortar FO teams are newly painted.  This will be their first fight.  Once I finish some dismounted panzer crew (likely next week), I'll post photos of them all here in my thread.  US bazooka teams, a US FO team, and dismounted US tankers will follow the German tankers.

Also, I got a copy of V For Victory (by Studio Tomahawk).  Frankly, they look quite intriguing.  We'll be taking them for a spin soon, as well.  Maybe we'll use this same scenario.  Once we play them, I'll post a report and some kind of brief review here, as well.

SP is 1100 hrs. tomorrow.  Report to follow.

[CapnJim]

Well, we did indeed fight this fight yesterday (Friday).

I played the Americans.  My reinforcements were a BAR team.  The scenario allows the defender to begin hidden and on Overwatch, so I recorded my units' positions on a map.  The Germans would be able to spot my units under these circumstances:

     1.  A US unit moves.
     2.  A US unit shoots.
     3.  A German unit gets close enough to a US unit (2" for hard cover, and 3" for light cover).

The scenario also lets the defender begin dug into the bocage, in a deliberate defense.  Since I flipped the script, with the Americans defending, I decided not to let the Americans dig in, as they would be conducting a hasty defence.
 
Ted and Gene split the Germans between them.  Their reinforcements were the MMG team.

All units in this fight are "Regular" troops.  No "Veteran/Elite" or "Green" troops here.

The Germans had 12 turns to accomplish their objective(s), and the table is about 3' (north-south) by 4' (east-west).

Before I get into the battle report, here are a few notes on the WW2-ified Fictioneer rules we used.

All dice used are d12s.

Initiative

All players roll a d12 at the start of the game, to determine action order in each turn for the rest of the game.  The turn order ended up being Gene, Ted, then me.

Movement

Infantry moves 6", while light and medium vehicles move 12".  We did not have any heavy vehicles.  Movement can be modified due to the moving unit's circumstances and terrain.

Firing

Each figure or weapon system rolls a die.  There is a base target of 7 to roll at or under for each die.  There are modifiers to the target # depending on circumstances (pretty standard).  The firer can designate individual target figures.  Otherwise, the defender decides which target unit figures are hit.

For each hit, there is a saving roll.  The target number depends on the weapon firing, and the target's "armor" level.  For infantry, any unsaved hits cause a casualty.  For vehicles, any unsaved hits penetrate the vehicle's armor.  The firer rolls a # of d6 (determined by the firing weapon, with a d6 added if firing into flank/rear/top/bottom armor).  The total rolled equals the number of hits a vehicle takes.  Of course, vehicles can only take so many penetration hits (called a Damage Rating, or DR).  In our game, the Kubelwagen's DR was 2, the half-track's DR was 5, and the Panzer IV's DR was 10.

Hand-to-hand Combat

We didn't have any hand-to-hand combat.

Morale

Once a squad or team takes 50% casualties, or a vehicle takes 50% damage, they must do a morale check on a d12.  The target number is 5 or less, modified by circumstances.  Pass this check, and the unit is good to go.  Miss it by 1 or 2, the unit is Shaken.  Shaken units suffer penalties in the game, and can fire, but not move.  They lose their Shaken status at the end of their next turn.  Miss the Morale Check by 3 or more, and the unit is Pinned.  Pinned units do nothing in their future turns, but may take Morale checks until they pass (or are destroyed).

That's it in a (very brief) nutshell.

Now, on with the show.

I (secretly) deployed my units as such:

     1.  Platoon HQ:  In the front yard of the farmhouse.
     2.  Rifle Squad:  Lining the bocage immediately east of the farmhouse.
     3.  MMG (M1919):  Upper floor of the farmhouse, oriented east.
     4.  57mm AT Gun:  At south end of bocage immediately east of the farmhouse, covering east down the road.
     5.  BAR Team:  At the NE corner of the bocage, across the road from the AT gun.
     6.  Bazooka Team:  In the eastern end of the light woods. 

     I didn't have enough of either infantry or AT weapons to adequately cover all the possible avenues of approach the Germans could use.  Their infantry could come up the north, central, and/or south fields.  Their armor could use the road, or use breaks in the bocage to come up the central field.  I tried to position my troops to cover, or be able to move to cover, all these avenues of approach.  The MMG up in the farmhouse, did have good lines of sight and fields of fire across much of the board (especially the central and north avenues of approach).  As it turns out, my positioning worked out OK.

     The German vehicles moved west up the road, led by their tank.  The dismounted grenadier squad advanced north of the road through that eastern-most field.  The Americans held their fire.  I didn't want to show my hand too early.



     My AT gun took a bead on those German vehicles from its hidden position.  I hoped they would continue down the road, but was afraid they would veer into the fields through a break in the bocage.  And, that's what they did.  The American AT gun opened fire at the trail half-track.  And missed.  Quite an inauspicious beginning...



     The German armor moved through the field, still led by the tank and partly covered by the light woods (where my bazooka team was patiently, quietly, waiting).



     The bazooka team opened fire at the tank.  It hit but didn't penetrate.  More inauspiciousness...   The bazooka team retreated further into the woods as the Panzer IV's coax MG raked those woods.  The lead halftrack's panzergrenadiers dismounted, and the grenadiers advanced into the next field.





With the German AFV's moving through the central fields, my American AT gun crew worked to trundle their gun to a position where they could fire effectively in the center.  As the bazooka team and Panzer IV played their cat-and-mouse game in and near the light woods (with neither doing much), the remainder of the Americans held their fire.



The Germans crept forward, with one panzergrenadier squad remaining mounted.  The American AT gun, now re-positioned, fired at the German tank, damaging it and shaking the crew.  Unfortunately, the bazooka team was now "rounds complete", and moved back toward their line.



Then, another 57mm American AP round KO'ed the Panzer IV.  The American M1919 in the farmhouse opened up on the Germans in the field.



The grenadiers and a tripod-mounted MG42 team at the bocage return fire at the American MMG, while the panzergrenadiers advanced.



"Now, Maitland.  Now's your time!"  I don't know what the US squad leader's name was, but the quote fits the circumstances.  The US rifle squad opened fire.  Both dismounted german squads were taking casualties.



It was decision time for the Germans.  Their infantry had taken casualties, and their tank was a burning wreck.  The remnants of the grenadier squad at the bocage, along with the MG42 team, kept up a steady fire on the Americans.  The panzergrenadiers mounted back up.  And the other panzergrenadiers' half-track backed out onto the road, and headed west up the road.  And the german platoon Commander came on in his Kubelwagen, while their mortar FO tried to find a good position, from which to call in fire on the Americans.



He found one.  Mortar rounds began to fall among and around the US positions.  Rifle and machine gun fire peppered their row of bocage, and raked the upper floor of the farmhouse.  Now, Americans were getting hit.  And they had a German half-track fast approaching down the road on their right flank, and another still in the fight in the center.



The German Platoon Commander and the panzerschreck team dismounted the Kubelwagen.  Things were hanging in the balance....and something had to give...



Things did indeed hang in the balance.  The Americans had taken out the German tank, as well as several infantry.  But, their bazooka team was out of rounds, and they themselves had taken a few casualties, most notably from the M1919 team in the farmhouse and the AT gun crew.  And, halftracks were headed for them, up the middle and down their right.  Things were by no means decided yet...

...but they would be, in Part 2 of this report.  Which I will post soon enough. Stay tuned.

[carlos marighela]

Nailbiter huh?

[CapnJim]

Nailbiter huh?

Yep.  Part 1 covered the first half of the fight (about 6 turns out of the 12).  At that point, it was anybody's ball game.  But now it's time for Part 2, in which the matter is decided.

With the German Platoon Commander on the scene, the stalled German attack got going again.  The MG42 and the mortars would try to suppress the Americans, while the remaining grenadiers would advance through the light woods...



...and the panzergrenadiers in the central field would press the attack there.  They didn't get far.  The lone remaining US AT gun crewman frantically worked to effectively service his piece.  Another German AFV fell victim to a 57mm round.  The half-track burst into flames.  There were no survivors.







The other panzergrenadier squad sped up the road.   There, the American Platoon leader played his last remaining aces, so to speak.  The BAR team across the road from the farmhouse and the Platoon HQ (both heretofore uncommitted), along with the now rocket-less bazooka team and some rifleman, traded fire with the half-track and its occupants as it drove by.  Small arms fire rang out, grenades flew, and men on both sides were hit.  The half-track managed to get through the gauntlet, and escaped to the west.





By now, the American defences were running a bit thin.  The German machine guns and mortars were taking a toll on the US troops, and the remaining men in the rifle squad at the bocage line were now pinned down.  The Americans were holding on, but just barely.







Fire from the Americans slackened.  The German grenadiers worked their way through the light woods, while their machine gun and mortars covered their advance.





But, the Americans had held on just long enough.  Their Lieutenant ordered his survivors to fall back.  He stayed behind to rally his pinned down squad, which he did just in the nick of time.  The last American casualty would fall as the BAR team crossed the road to join the other Americans and escape.





The Americans had done it.  They had held up the Germans attack just long enough.  But it was an expensive win.  The Lieutenant would only escape with 10 of his men.  But they had made the Germans pay.  They had inflicted about 60-ish% casualties on the Germans troops, and had taken out a tank and a half-track.

And that was that.  The fight was over.  After our post-battle discussion, we came to 3 conclusions:

     A.  Our WW2-ified version of Fictioneers provided a satisfying game with the appropriate "WW2" feel to it.  We may make the initiative order a bit more random by squad/team/vehicle, with colored dice/chits drawn for a bag/cup or perhaps cards.  Other than that, all the various rules worked out well, and it just felt "right".

     B.  This scenario did a great job in showing the tactical challenges in attacking through the bocage country (especially with a frontal assault), as well as defending it with limited resources (I couldn't sufficiently cover every avenue of approach, but ended up guessing right).  We all enjoyed it a lot!

     C.  We enjoyed the scenario so much, that we will play it again this coming Friday (15 Nov).  Only this time, we will try out the new V for Victory rules by Studio Tomahawk.  Of course, i'll post a battle report afterwards, along with our thoughts on those rules.

That's it for now.  Thanks for reading!

[carlos marighela]

Thank you! That was a most enjoyable read. Hard fought game and yes it does seem to have caught the difficulties involved in close terrain. Well done mate!

[CapnJim]

Thank you! That was a most enjoyable read. Hard fought game and yes it does seem to have caught the difficulties involved in close terrain. Well done mate!

Thanks, carlos.  Appreciate that.

I plan to post the scenario in V for Victory format today or tomorrow, in preparation for Friday's game.

[Ash]

That was great Jim; well written, and beautifully illistrated.

[CapnJim]

That was great Jim; well written, and beautifully illistrated.

Thanks, Ash.  Appreciate that.

And, now, here is the scenario info for our V for Victory game scheduled for tomorrow (Friday the 15th).

As a refresher, here's the map:



Here is the US Information; modified for V for Victory (The Platoon Special Rule has been slightly modified from the book to suit the scenario from the Skirmish Campaigns book.

US Forces

Platoon HQ (Commander w/rifle; HQ Team w/SMG, rifle)
Bazooka Team (Bazooka, Rifle) (d6 Fire Actions ______ per game)
Infantry Squad (Fire Team w/SMG, 1 BAR, 2 Rifles; Maneuver Team w/SMG, 5 rifles)
57mm AT Gun (4 Crew, AT Gun - Medium)
MMG Team (3 crew, MMG)

Reinforcements (roll d20)
  1-10    BAR Team (BAR, Rifle)
  11-14  Composite Infantry Team (SMG, BAR, 4x Rifles)
  12-18  Recon Team (SMG, Rifle), and BAR Team (BAR, Rifle)
  19-20  None

The US player marks his units on a map.  US units begin the game Camouflaged.  They are put on the Board when they move, fire, or are Spotted.

Platoon Special Rule

Support:  While you set up the game, roll a d8.  On a success, you may roll a 2nd time for Reinforcements.

National Special Rule

Fire at Will:  Once per turn, after revealing and playing one of your Activation Cards, you can roll a d12.  If you get a success, you can resolve a Fire Action with a Deactivated Unit.  This Fire Action has to be resolved as Suppressive Fire.

Mission

Your platoon must both of these missions within 12 turns:

1.   Hold the farmhouse.
2.   Prevent the Germans from moving 18 or more non-pinned or panicked figures off the west board edge.  Remember, a vehicle counts as 1 figure for these purposes.




German Forces

PzKfwIV (Armor 3, Primary Weapons: Turret AT Gun – Medium, coax MMG, Secondary weapon: Hull MMG)
Platoon HQ (Commander w/Pistol; HQ Team w/ SMG; Kubelwagen (Armor 0))
AT Team (Panzerschreck, Rifle (d6 Fire Actions _____ per game)
2x Panzer Grenadier Squads (each with Fire Team w/SMG, 1 LMG, 2 Rifles; Maneuver Team w/SMG, 4 rifles; SdKfz251 (Armor 1, Primary Weapon: Pintle-front MMG))
Grenadier Squad (Fire Team w/SMG, 1 LMG, 2 Rifles; Maneuver Team w/SMG, 4 rifles)
Light Mortar FO (SMG, Rifle, Radio) (5 Light Mortar Fire Actions per game)

Reinforcements (roll d20)
  1-5      None
  6-13    MMG Team (MMG, 3 crew)
  14-15  Sniper Team(Sniper Rifle, Rifle)
  16-17  StuG III (Armor 3, Primary Weapons: Hull AT Gun – Medium, coax MMG, Secondary weapon: Hull MMG)
  18-20  Medium Mortar FO (2x Rifles, Radio) (2 Medium Mortar Fire Actions per game).  Off-board to east with LoS to entire board.

Platoon Special Rule

Mechanized: Teams from this platoon can disembark from a vehicle while resolving an Assault Action.  Vehicles listed as part of squads/teams are integral parts of those squads/teams.

National Special Rule

Tactician:  Once per turn, you can roll a d12 after revealing one of your Activation Cards.  If you get a success, you can choose to ignore one of the Order Icons on your card and instead resolve 1 Order of your choice (Move, Engage, or Tactical).  If the roll fails, resolve your card normally

Mission

Your platoon must accomplish one or both of these missions within 12 turns:

3.   Seize and hold the farmhouse.
4.   Move 18 or more non-pinned or panicked figures off the west board edge.  Remember, a vehicle counts as 1 figure for these purposes.


That oughta do it.  The Germans hit the SP at 1100 hrs. tomorrow.  Report to follow.  Out.

[MaleGriffin]

Brilliant AAR with lovely terrain and figures!

[HerbertTarkel]

Great narrative game!

[Utgaard]

Very interesting BatRep with nice terrain and miniatures 

[CapnJim]

Thanks, fellas!

We did play that scenario this Friday past, using Studio Tomahawk's new V for Victory rules.  First, let me provide a mini-review of the rules.

V for Victory

Anyone who has played Congo, from Studio Tomahawk, will find similarities with these rules.  Here a couple universal mechanics of the rules:

A.  The game uses 3 die types, d6s, d8s, and d12s.  Whenever a roll is needed to decide something, 1 or more dice, of various types are rolled.  A result of 5+ on each die is the target for a success.  That target number never changes.  What changes are the die types.  Modifiers, called "burns" (which reduce a die's type) or "boosts" (which increase a die's types), are applied to the die type's to be rolled.

B.  Measurements are by rulers, of varying lengths.  There are 4 ruler types - Very Short (VS - 2"), Short (S - 4"), Medium (M - 6"), and Long (L - 12").  Movement rates and weapons' ranges are measured in X Ruler lengths.  For example, rifles have a range of 2L.  Infantry can run for 2S.  That sort of thing.

Unit stats are fairly straightforward.  There are unit ratings (Raw, Standard, and Veteran), weapons they are equipped with, etc..  The basic unit is an infantry platoon HQ, 1 or 2 squads, and a selection of extra squads, support weapons, and vehicles.  Extra units (teams, support weapons, and vehicles) besides the basic unit, are purchased by a point system, governed by the scenario to be played.  In this scenario, I used the OOB's and reinforcements used in the scenario book from which i adapted it from.  The rulebook has unit organizations for US, German, British, and Soviet units, and are based on the later war period ('44 and '45).  Each force has Special Rules, some of which which can be used once each turn.

The system uses cards to activate units.  Each side has a hand of 8 cards - 7 cards which allow units in the force to do a certain number of certain types of actions and with assigned initiative values of 1 thru 7, and a Special Rule card (which allows the force to use one of their Special Rules (this card can be played at any point in a turn the Special Rule allows).

Each turn consists of each side picking one of their activation cards, showing them simultaneously, with the card with the higher initiative value going first in that phase, followed by the other side.  That process is done 7 times each turn.

When a players uses his/her activation card, they are allowed to complete the actions listed on the card.  2 things here:

A.  There are 3 types of actions - Movement (Advance and Run), Engage (Fire and Close Assault), and Tactical (Rally, Withdraw, and Unlimber (which includes actually unlimbering a gun, as well as setting up a support weapon, like a MMG or mortar)).  Each activation cards lets a force perform a set # of one of more of these Action types.

B.  Units can be activated by either: a single team/vehicle, or teams from a squad within 1L of each other, or any team/vehicle within 1L of the Platoon Commander.  Teams/vehicles may perform 2 actions each turn, and they may be from different activation cards.  If a team/vehicle has not used both its activations in a turn, it may perform reaction fire on an enemy unit that performs an action except Rally. 

Movement, shooting, and close assault (for small arms and anti-vehicle combat) are pretty straightforward.  Keep in mind the comments about rulers, die types, and the never-changing target # mentioned above.

Units may take casualties from combat, but likely will take Street Points (similar to shock in other systems).  As a team/vehicle takes Stress Points, they advance (degrade?) through a sequence of Morale Levels.  The best is Confident, then Shaken, then Pinned, and the Panicked.  Panicked units are in trouble.  Stress Points may be removed and Morale Levels improved by either Rally or Withdraw actions.  When a force takes 50% casualties, they Break and lose the game.

The rule book has 11 scenarios in it.  Most game tables are said to be 4'x4', and most game lengths are said to be 4 turns.

That's the gist of it.  I'll cover our thoughts on the rules after the AAR, which starts now...

Bocage Combat, 2nd Game Battle Report

We had 4 players this time.  We had a guest player (David, with whom we've played at various conventions over the years).  He and Gene took the Germans.  They split the German force between them, and played their activation deck each turn by committee.  They ended up with the StuG for their reinforcements.

Ted took the Americans.  He ended up with the composite squad, a BAR team, and a Recon team as reinforcements.

I acted as GM.

The Germans tried tactics different from the previous game.  One panzergrenadier headed went west down the road mounted in their halftrack.  The 2nd panzergrenadier squad, also mounted in their halftrack and followed by the StuG, went right, and attacked up that central field.  The dismounted grenadiers went left to attack up the southern field, supported by the Panzer IV.  The Platoon HQ led from behind in the center left, and the mortar FO set up to support the attack in the center.  Once again, the Germans did not move up the northern field.

First blood went to the Americans.  Their bazooka team, set up at the edge of a bocage row directly across the road from the farmhouse, knocked out the 1st panzergrenadiers' halftrack as it began its advance down the road.  One shot, one kill.  Well, actually, more then one kill.  4 panzergrenadiers died when the halftrack went up in smoke and flames.  The rest quickly dismounted, a bit stressed about the whole thing.



The 2nd panzergrenadier squad moved up into the center field, and began unassing their halftrack...



...while the grenadiers and the panzer IV went left.



Then, all Hell broke loose.  The Americans knocked the other halftrack out with their AT gun, and riflement lining the bocage row opened fire on the panzergrenadiers.  4 more panzergrenadiers went down, in and out of the track. 



OK.  So far, not so good for the Germans.

The Panzer IV was able to grind its way through the bocage, with the grenadiers close at hand.  The StuG and the mortar FO showed up, and went right to support the battered panzergrenadiers. 





Meanwhile the 2nd squad's panzergrenadiers and the Americans by the farmhouse traded rifle and machine gun fire.  And a few HE rounds from the StuG.  The German troops in the open next to the burning halftrack were beginning to panic, however.



When Americans came out of the bocage on their right flank, those panzergrenadiers in the central field finished panicking and bugged out.  Apparently, they had had enough.



It wasn't all going the Americans; way, though.  The German mortar FO was calling in light mortar fire on the American positions near the farmhouse.  And, as previously mentioned, the StuG was now on the scene.



Over on the German left, the grenadiers and the Panzer IV had worked their way up on the American right flank.  They opened fire on the Americans, who now had a new threat to which they needed to react.





And if that wasn't enough, the Stug moved up through the central field, to support the remnants of the panzergrenadiers.  German mortar rounds kept falling among the Americans.



The fight on the American right continued, with the grenadiers getting set to begin the final assault on the farm.  The American AT gun and the Panzer IV traded fire, with the AT gun betting the shorter straw on that deal...



The remaining panzergrenadiers moved against the American center, supported by that StuG.  Things were coming to a head. 





Unfortunately, this is the point we ran out of time.     We had gotten 4 turns in, as recommended by the rule book.  But folks had to head home. 

The Americans still held the farm, but they had taken several casualties, particularly (once again) from the AT gun and the MMG team.  The Germans had lost both halftracks and about 2/3 of their panzergrenadiers, but still had a few panzergrenadiers, both the Panzer and the StuG, along with a fresh grenadier squad.  The Germans were pretty much ready to commence the final assault.  If we had had the time to play another turn or 2, we likely would have come to a final tactical conclusion.  At this point, it was still anybody's game.

Our Thoughts      

Of course, it took a fair bit of time to play these 4 turns.  I was the only one who had read the rules, and we played the first turn or 2 very slowly, to work through the very interesting turn sequence and game mechanics.  The game was really designed for one player vs. one player, with a platoon or so each side.  While Ted decided which activation card he would play each phase of a turn pretty quickly, at times it took Gene and David some time to decide which activation card they wanted to play each phase.  If it were just Gene or just David, that may have gone a bit quicker.

We enjoyed the rules.  It didn't take long to wrap our heads around the turn sequence or game mechanics (although one of us took a bit longer that the others - no names though).  We found the game interesting and intriging, but would likely not run it at any conventions.  Both Ted and I run multi-player participation games, and we thought this was not suited well for that kind of game.  We may, however, play it from time to time at our regular gaming sessions. 

The rules did produce results that felt "right" just as the other rules we used did.  They just both went about their business differently.

There were, however, a few nits we picked with V for Victory.  The rules, as written, do not permit vehicles to close assault infantry.  That tactic was definitely used in WW2, so we may scheme up a house rule for it.  In addition, there was no rule for smoke.  Again, another house rule may be in order.  Last, I disagreed with a few of the ratings they gave some vehicles.  Since that is pretty much a matter of personal and/or professional opinion, I just tweaked the Panzer IV stats a bit for this scenario.

All in all, we enjoyed the game.  We would have liked to go another turn or 2, but things happen.  And using either set of rules, I was able to adapt the scenario from its original format.  As with the other game, the scenario demonstrated the tactical challenges, for both sides, of fighting in bocage country.   



 

[Pan Marek]

A question for CapnJim!

I've played original FFoL many times for Old West.  I've used BB a few times for ACW.   A while back, I tried BB for WWII.  I found it worked quite well for infantry.
But we also had one tank per side.  The rules seem to treat AFVs like units, with tanks accumulating hits until they get knocked out.  Between this attrition mechanic and
the ability to take off shock, it seemed like the tanks were impossible to kill.
Did you notice this in your games too?  If so, did you try a work around?  If not, do you think we played the vehicles wrong?

Thanks, Mark