AAR: Eastern Front Action with Rate of Fire

 Mark and I got together on Saturday afternoon to let the 1/72 toys out for a spin. I set up a very simple "capture the crossroads" scenario and put together two force lists from my Soviet and German collections using the excellent Rate of Fire rules from Crusader Publishing. The Soviets started a bit closer to the crossroad so they felt a bit more like defenders, fitting given the 1942 date I assumed when I put it all together. 

Pregame... the junction sort of in the center is what we're both attempting to control at the end of 10 turns.

The blown out building near the crossroad became a target for me. It was bloody tough to shift those reds once they'd taken up a position in there!

Oh God... the KV moves to threaten my Panzer II!

I had my little tank pull back, but both the KV and BT-7 could both still see it! The BT's shot missed but the big 76mm shell from the KV got the tank's attention! The shot went wide and the German crew all thanked their lucky stars. The Panzer peppered the infantry in the central ruin, it's little guns unable to do much at that range against the green tanks.

Finally, some German reinforcements arrive, in the shape of a Panzer III. Still basically ineffective against the KV, but it could at least challenge the BT. Mark must've though it was more of a threat because the KV pulled back instead of forcing the issue.

I moved the Panzer II out again, trying to keep fire on the infantry in the middle, Mark's big tank peek around the building at it. Not this again! This time the tank found its mark but it was a glancing hit that only caused a morale test which I of course failed. Panzer II, suppressed. Not terrible though, it just is unable to advance towards visible anti-tank threats.

Now that's an anti-tank threat! Some REAL reinforcements arrive. I need to get this thing set up and hope it doesn't get wrecked while vulnerable.

The Panzer II continues harassing infantry, this time some SMG troops in the woods. At this point, Mark was violently cursing and spewing hate at the little tank that could. 

Time to put up or shut up! The halftrack drops the Flak36 and the crew start prepping it right away. The KV watches. It takes a shot.... weeeoooooooowwww.... boom. The shot sails over the 88, it was a bit high. Won't get that lucky next time!

The BT advances to trade more shots with my Panzer III using the woods for some protection. Our shots missed each other.

The BT bursts out of the woods, screaming towards the 88! My Panzer II took its opportunity fire shot and A HIT! Not a great hit, but it caused crew survival checks for the Russian crew... survey says, dead driver! Fantastic for me, the fast Russian tank was immobilized. Sucks for me that :

1) it has a fully functional gun 

2) it is perhaps seven meters in front of my tank

3) the rest of the crew is screaming for vengeance

The 88 and KV trade shots, both missing. Hmm. At least my 251 filled with infantry survived the quick dart across the gap! 

Yeah, there you go. Mark rolled a 12 to hit. That gun against that "armor" and Ze Schnellhund was done. At least the BT was now just a turret. Unfortunately it was in a really good spot to cover the middle of the table.

The dudes from the halftrack and the squad that had been in the woods to the right side of this picture crept towards the ruined building of death and destruction. The Panzergrenadiers had gotten pasted by mortar and small arms fire, thus the few troops you see here. 

My final spite attack. The Panzer III get in position to take a pot-shot at the KV. The 88 had just hit it and killed the commander. The Soviet mortar rained death on the 88 and killed four crew! My Panzer takes the shot which I really really really needed to hit the tracks. I forgot to aim the shot, but it's a good thing I didn't because I got the hit and hit the tracks anyway! If I had aimed, I'd have missed altogether. Just a "track damaged" result reducing the tank to Slow speed and forcing a morale test. It failed. Heh. Scram, Commie! That was 10 turns and we had ourselves a draw. We'd both been mauled, I think I took more of a beating, but that'll happen to an attacking force in this sort of engagement. Either way, it was a darn entertaining few hours of dice and toy soldiers. Thanks Mark!

AAR: The Crunge*, A Barbarossa Skirmish

 * Apologies to Led Zeppelin

 Ziggy and I got together for a game of Rate of Fire on Saturday evening. It's been a while since it's been on the table but it's always a good time. My early war Barbarossa vehicles haven't made it on the table yet so this was to be their rookie outing. 

The Germans (Ziggy) had to advance down the road and secure the bridge while the Soviets (me) had to prevent its capture. The Russians started with three infantry squads and an AT rifle while the Germans started with two infantry squads and a light infantry gun towed by a truck.

In the early couple of turns we both just advanced into position as safely as possible. The truck towing the gun made haste up the road and the gun was deployed quickly.

A good view of the early going. I needed to get the AT rifle into a better spot.

One of my reinforcement units showed up in the early goings, a BT-7.

But it was not alone, a Pz38t also made an appearance.

It wasn't long before the German tank shot up the wooden farmhouse I had run a squad into! Eight of the ten guys were knocked out in no time!

Elsewhere on the table, our infantry groups exchanged fire and generally speaking I came off better, nickel and diming the invaders with one kill here and there.

A general downturn in mood for the Soviets as a second Panzer arrives. Not pictured: a halftrack with an additional infantry squad also arrived.

The BT is going to have to make a mark.

Like knights in a tournament, the tanks square off.

My shot sails past the near Panzer while both return shots connect, exploding the BT!

It doesn't improve much when the German squad in the woods and trailing Pz38 get some quality hits on my squad in the back. They immediate bolt! On the plus side though, the AT rifle gets a good hit on the tank, killing the driver!

Finally I get the rest of my reinforcements, a second tank and assault engineers. I probably should have brought the engineers in sooner since they have demo changes and could have blown up the bridge. as it was, they would be doing a lot of late-game running!

I had to contest the bridge, so the nearest squad threw caution to the wind and moved close. The Germans had a pile of infantry on the other side!

A good view of the battlefield. Not many Russians left!

They're all kicking it over here in the Dead and Injured box.

German accuracy is on point and the infantry gun and one of the tanks makes quick work of my squad by the bridge.

The BT actually hits the Czech tank but it does no damage and the crew's morale remains steady. The AT rifle gets a good hit too, bu ti also fails to damage! The Panzer's shot however brews up the second BT. Curses!

After nine turns, all I had left was the assault engineer squad and they were content to leave the same way they arrived. The battle was a solid victory for the German side.

That was enjoyable evening's gaming. Win or lose, it was a lot of fun. I really should have pulled the assault squad as my first reinforcement, they might have been able to pop the bridge. As it was, I was lured by the promise of armor and guns and it did not pay off. For my other two reinforcements to arrive so late in the game was a real killer for me. Ziggy played well and I don't think he made any mistakes that mattered. Looking forward to the next for sure. Be well and good gaming!

Eastern Front Fun - Rate of Fire AAR

Ziggy and I got in that game of Rate of Fire on Saturday evening. I had put the scenario together a week or two ago, to be used at our Tanksgiving game day at the end of November. I needed a balance play test and this was my opportunity.

The engagement is set in mid 1943 with the Germans pushing forward to capture a crossroad. The Soviet defenders are deployed hidden. The Germans have two recon elements, an 8-rad and an Aufklarungs fireteam that they can use to probe the defenses before committing the rest of the forces. The Soviet side has some reinforcements that will show up as the game progresses.

I played the Soviet side and Zig commanded the Germans.

The view from the German side of the table. The crossroad intersection is circled, but pretty obvious.

One of the advance recon elements, a 232, noses out around a rise. I take the opportunity and reveal a 76mm field gun which takes a pot-shot down range. The round connects and the armored car is taken out! One of the crew manages to bail out of the wreck.

The recce team on my right has gotten into place and start trying to reveal my hidden markers over there. Towards the center of the battlefield, a StuG, Panzer IV and halftracks have arrived.

Knowing I wasn't likely to get very many opportunities, I reveal my Zis-3 ATG and again get a fantastic result on the shot, taking out the StuG. Of course, now the three Panzers next to it are going to exact a heavy toll, but hey, what was I expecting?

And there you are, two of the gun crew are killed in short order. That gun's going to have a terrible time making anything happen now!

Over on the right, an infantry squad is picked up by the German recon and a short firefight breaks out. My Russians came out the better losing just one of their group to the two German losses.

I got a reinforcement! A T-34 and it arrives in a very useful position. It begins working on the rest of the recon team.

The Germans continue to slow-roll the center. I'm in deep trouble though with two guns that effectively cannot move and a single tank way off the the right working the flank.

Oh come on. The last snoop calls in 105 fire on my tank! The running gear is fouled and it's reduced to slow-speed only. That really sucks for a fast mover like a T-34 that's trying to get behind the Panzers!

My Zis-3 is taken out. Boooo!

Slow movement be damned! My tank does manage to get its sights set on a loaded halftrack, though the shot misses terribly.

The gunline sets up shop in front of the just-revealed infantry squad nearest the objective. That's a lot of machineguns!

More artillery on my tank! Another hit on the tracks immobilizes it. Feh. At least it's in an OK position.

With all the smoke, dust and cursing from my tank, it's no wonder the Panzer's shot missed. Whew, that was lucky!

Meanwhile in the center, I'd gotten another couple of tanks on the table. This one lasted about 45 seconds as a well-aimed 75mm shell hulled it out. The machineguns from the tanks and halftracks continued to batter the infantry just forward and left.

And they've had enough... they flee off the table. The other T-34 does manage to destroy a halftrack though while keeping a close eye on the objective.

By that point we'd gotten through ten turns. The Germans we successful in dealing out casualties but still short of taking the objective. A Russian victory! Ziggy had a couple of opportunities to push hard in the center when I had nothing on the table that could challenge him. Acting slowly instead of taking advantage of my lack of anti-tank gear ended up costing the Germans this time around. Ah well, next time, right?

It was a damn entertaining game and I think it's pretty well balanced. I'm tempted to replace one of the reserve infantry squads with a solo AT rifle guy. He'd  be useful against halftracks, the 8-rad and the truck. I'm initerested to play this out again at Mike's in a few weeks to see how it goes next time.