AAR: Doing the Tank War Twist.

 

 

 

    Out to test out a new mat and just to play, Kalissa and I met up with our fellow gamers at Hobbytown USA. Though, recently, a few have been sidetracked into the newer Kings of War game, we were happy to see our friend, Danny. He decided not to play, but be an umpire to our corky Bolt Action Battle.

What made it different, you may ask? Well, unlike the normal depolyment of choosing sides, we rolled for corners. The corners were labelled one throught four on a six-sided die. If you rolled a one, the corner labelled one would be where your tank came on. Same with the other corners with a five and six being rerolls. After your rolled locations, your tanks can come in 16" either way from that corner. Here was the catch: the first tank can come on in either place, otherwise you have to roll your number to get your tank on the table in said corner. Kalissa gained the number six to choose whatever corner of hers she wanted. I got five. If you roll your opponents number, your tank went down and could not come on the table. It was very different, since you may never get everyone on.

      How this game went was nothing short of a brutal Tankfest against my wife. To start, she was running eight Cromwells, four Sherman Fireflies, three M-10 Tank Destroyers, and a Daimler armored car. She had 16 armored vehicles to kill or kill me with. I was a little outnumbered being the Germans. Historically, that was fairly accurate in most combat situations in WW2. I had four Panthers, one Jagdpanther, one Jagdpanzer IV L70, two Sturmgeschultz III G's, one Puma armored car, and Sd Kfz. 222 armored car. The 222 was like bring a knife to a gun fight! Why not?

    Danny had us roll for corners are random. Kalissa gained corners one and four. I got two and three. I think Danny was hoping for some more chaos in the game to make it more interesting. It still was, but we still ended up with forces coming on the same side. Otherwise, most of the normal Bolt Action gaming continued. Kalissa brought on a Cromwell as her first tank. I decided to use my Jagdpanther. The first turn saw a lot of Kalissa's tanks come on. Mine, not so much. I started out with nearly no one on and Kalissa dominating the board. It took a couple of losses before my Germans started taking this threat seriously. I ended up winning with a large amount of devestating hits. It could have gone either way. Only one tank did not make it on the table, which was one of her Cromwells.

   Below is the picture rundown of the events of the day. Pictures tell better stories, I think.

Corner One and Four. One was on the top.

Corner Two and Three were to the right side of the river which was rated impassible to Armor. A natural defensive line.

The only way to cross.

An interesting formation for armor. They might have needed a traffic cop!
 

My one Jagdpanther scanning the field.

A Panther take aim as the Jagdpanzer IV takes a hit disabling a track.

A long range shot glances the upper Cromwell tank shocking the crew with one pin.
 

The Daimler runs up the road as a speedy little target to scare someone?

Taking the high ground around the farm house, an Achilles M-10 Tank Destroyer sends loving shots to it's target.

More Tank Destroyers!

A Sherman Firefly tried to get a side shot on the Jagpanther across the river. A Panther tank showed up in response with a glancing blow across the turret.

The German tank river defense.
 

The death of some fellow Panzerwaffe brothers stirs the Panzer nest.
 

British advance through the farmer's road.

The Diamler found the enemy in an unconventional way.

The M-10's continue to advance under fire.

The reserves start to weigh in. Now there are three Super-heavy guns.

An Panther tank was hit from a long range Firefly.

Same said Firefly buys the farm!

An Firefly drives to a concealed position.

The Puma crests the bridge to take pot shots at incoming British armor.

A drive through the woods.

Another Stug III arrives on turn four.

Smoke on the armor!

More Cromwell advance to save the day!

Over the bridge, we go!

The 222 is now in the fight......sort of.

A daring move across the field.

Disabled Cromwell. Now, it is a pillbox.

Another late arriving Cromwell tank.

The Stug III become a smoking 23 ton road block!

Jagdpanther's  point of view.

British survivors.