Regular gaming last night at The Last Square. My dad was in town and came along for the ride. He has joined us in the past and does like to watch the games. My father and I played Squad Leader when I was younger, so we have dropped a number of dice against each other. Unfortunately, he really doesn't want to play a game since he doesn't know the rules and doesn't really want to learn the rules. Anyway, he came along and watched the proceedings.
I ran a MW Brit Para list that I am thinking about using in our upcoming tourney. I think the benefit of playing the list before vastly outweighs anything learned about the list from others. It is all good, clean fun!
We rolled off to determine matchups and I "earned" Mike (Mr. Best German General at LW Nats). He wanted to play a "fun" list, so he brought SS Panzers, with a platoon of captured T-34 (42). Here is what I recall of his list, but I may have him with an extra tank or two:
1 Platoon Panzer IV (4 tanks)
1 Platoon Panzer III (4 tanks)
1 Platoon Captured T-34 (3 Tanks)
HQ - Panzer III (2 tanks)
All Fearless Vets - Midwar
I think that is about right.
I placed the following Brit Paras (Italy) list:
HQ + 3 Piats
Full Para Platoon
Full Para Platoon
Full Para Platoon
Mortar / HMG Platoon (chose HMGs)
Para AT Gun (4 6pdrs)
8th Army Arty (8 25pdr - 2 gun troops)
We decided to run No Retreat since it will be a mission in the tourney and I had actually never run the mission before - go figure.
So Brit paras defended. Since this is a "lite" AAR and this was my first try at this list, I will just jump to the "findings" (btw - 6-1 win for the Brit Paras due to Company Morale):
1) Fearless Vets are AWESOME!!! I am so used to Confident Trained US Armor, that I never really got to experience Vets. Concealed, Gone to Ground and in Bulletproof cover is a new experience for me. And I like it very much! It absolutely makes the attacker have to get within 16" for armor even to stand a chance. And even that needs a 6 to hit plus firepower to kill failed saves.
2) Brit Paras rock in assault against tanks. I was told they did, but when you actually expereince it, well it was a sight to see. Reminded me of stories when I was 16 years old about [CENSORED - THIS IS A FAMILY BLOG]. It was so much better than the stories! Ok, back to the game. At TA 3 and TA 4 (piats) and top armor of 1, I just need 3 hits to kill one tank (armor save of 1 kills and 2 bails, which in assaults can basically be a kill). Yes, I need to pass motivation to assault, but Fearless helps that! For the game, I killed (either outright or captured due to bailed) 6 tanks in assaults - 2 T-34s, 3 Panzer IIIs and 1 Panzer IV.
3) Taking learnings from EW, I tried out one of the 25pdr gun troops as AT guns and not arty. Tactic was sound, the dice were not. But 8 shots of AT 9 coming at FA 6 are decent odds.
4) Smoke works for the Brits just as well as for the Americans. Smoke and assault. Just like Salt and Pepper (the spice, not the female rap group, errr - not the spice girls either, but you know what I mean). My last assault into the Panzer IVs and the CiC was in smoke.
5) Don't be afraid to move at the double. I had to do it twice. Took shots once, but I survived just fine.
6) Don't leave you platoon commander picking his butt in a field when he should be back inside that building 4" away. Dumb a#@ move of the game for me.
7) TAKE PICTURES!!! We have great terrain and everyone does a good job painting. We should be showing off our boards and battles!!
The midwar Brit Paras are a good list. It now puts a lot more pressure on me to finish the painting!!
No comments:
Post a Comment