I sometimes wonder if gamers realise the versatility of the Battlegroup system, especially in relation to the smaller 'Platoon' sized games that can be played. These games can be fitted easily on a 6 x 4 table and provide some of the most exciting and tense gaming situations the rules can provide you with.
At low points levels, you have to be very careful in what you choose. You need to maintain a good core of infantry in your force, and this will often force a player to go light on tanks and supporting arms. That said, the 350 point level still allows a good choice of units for a fun game. The other key at gaming at this level is the low 'Battle Ratings' of your force. This means that mistakes must be kept to a minimum and unpinning units can have a dramatic effect on your force as you take chits to do so. Finally the single D6 for orders (plus officers) makes the choice of what you do each turn vital with no room for error. I find that these games offer a very different experience to larger games, and with playing time at around two hours, they give a wonderfully exciting evenings entertainment!
With my new table at home, myself and Garry have indulged in a short narrative campaign based on these 350 point games. We are playing through all the generic scenarios and as part of the campaign we have to maintain an infantry platoon and a Forward Headquarters in each game, though we can vary other attachments. Our first scenario was a meeting engagement, with the two platoons quite literally blundering into each other as they make their way through the Normandy countryside... and with neither of us taking any recce assets, it really was blundering around in the dark!
It was a bright morning in Normandy and Captain Carstair had his men ready to move out into the close terrain in order to probe the German lines around Beny Bocage. As the troops arrived in the area from their foxholes of the night before, the far off sounds of vehicle engines could be heard...British troops move up to the area...
Our game began with both sides arriving piecemeal with no recce elements already on table. The Germans got off to a better start, with more arriving, and their commander set up his headquarters in the ruined farmhouse and some of his infantry began to arrive. The British on the other hand, arrived slower, and as the solitary supporting Chunrchill lumbered on to the table, the British commander took up residence in an old ruined barn with the Communications Team for company, while a modest forward defence was thrown out consisting of a PIAT Team and a Vickers MMG Team... All that was available till more troops arrived. In the first few turns the Germans had virtually their whole platoon on-table along with its three supporting Panzer IV Ausf Gs. The British, with a larger force, were still bringing troops on to the table as the Germans began to probe forward through the fields. Luckily this was slow going due to the hedgerows and the terrain gave the British sometime to get more troops on. One of the British Corporals also detached his Bren Team from the rest of his section and they sprinted off to secure one of the objectives.
Leutant Tiemann moves his HQ into the old Vallins Farm...
The initial attacks were both from the respective sides supporting mortars. The German mortars slammed into the ruined Chateau, managing to score a direct hit on the British Vickers team and wiped them out. This left a gap covering the British right flank and allowed the Germans infantry to move forward unmolested. In response the British 4.2" mortars came in and scattered to come down around one of the German Panzer IVs. By a piece of luck, one round scored a direct hit. Hoping to atleast pin the Panzer IV, the British rolled a double six and took out the tank with a fluky piece of luck... The poor German commander must have had the round come down through his turret hatch! Both sides now pushed towards each other but the Churchill would fail to spot anything (indeed it failed to spot anything for the whole game!) and the German Platoon HQ took up a position among the hedgerows with a stone wall protecting their flank, ready to call in more fire.
Corporal J. Hengist tends to the survivors of the Vickers team after a direct hit from a German 120mm mortar bomb...
The Germans kept up mortar fire, but doing so cost them alot of their actions for their turns, and while they stonked the area, the British held fire and slowly but surely crept through the fields and hedges. Luck remained on the British side with a morale chit causing a breakdown and immobilised result for the second German Panzer IV which shuddered to a halt after forcing its way through the bocage... The strain must have been too much for the poor old engine. With one remaining Panzer mobile it surged forward to support the German grenadiers. Little did it realise that waiting in a nearby ditch were two British Tommies with a PIAT... With a pop and a bang, the PIAT bombed slammed into the Panzer IVs side armour and with a big bang, did little! The only effect was to pin the tank crew. The German commander now used his 'Tactical Co-ordination' rule to withdraw the Panzer IV (a risky move in small games as you have to take a morale chit to use it) and this gave the two German MG Teams a clear line of sight to the PIAT Team. In seconds the two brave Tommies were lifeless corpses. However on the other flank, the British got a section into position and began to pour fire onto German infantry moving up, dropping a couple of unfortunate Germans and pinning the rest. Even better was the next British mortar attack. Direct hits are only scored on a roll of six, and with four shots the british managed to roll four direct hits! The German commander shook his head and readied himself for the inevitable slaughter of two of his squads. At that point the British luck left them, and they managed to not cause a single casualty with all four direct hits! Such is the vagaries of war!
British Tommies lay down fire on the German troops from the right flank...
As the German commander breathed a sigh of relief, he now put in a major attack. His remaining Panzer IV managed to get a hit on the Churchill, immobilising it in a bloody awful position where it could see little, and German mortar fire caused several casualties and pinned down several sections of men. It looked rough going for the British. Indeed it got worse in the British turn as they rolled a '1' for actions, and with only one option they called in the mortars on the ruined farm in the hopes of pinning down some of the troops around it. Once more though, lady Luck changed sides and two direct hits were scored. The first killed the entire German Forward Headquarters and the second landed in the back of their Sdkfz 251D! To add insult to injury the British also managed to kill off the remaining German Platoon Command squad, thus leaving the Germans with only one unit capable of calling in mortar fire... The immobilised tank commander in his Panzer IV! The British now raced forward their Carrier Section that had been held in reserve and they deployed in a forward position, briting 2" mortar and Bren guns into action on German grenadiers trying to rush from cover to cover. Once more several Germans fell and the rest went to ground.
Captain Carstairs sends forward the carrier Section, held back as a tactical reserve...
With a poor role for actions, and few Officers still alive, with most of their troops pinned, the German player had to draw a morale chit to unpin some units. Sadly for him, this chit was a '5' and push him over his Battle Rating and the Germans withdrew from the battlefield handing victory to the British...
Was a great fun game, very exciting and tense for both sides, that could have easily gone either way. A real attraction of the Battlegroup system for me is that it allows you to play any size game with one set of rules, and whatever size you play, they all have different challenges. I must say though, Im really enjoying these small close-in-encouters.
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April 29, 2024, 11:55:52 AM
February 19, 2013, 08:39:28 PM