AAR: Iron Cross: Quick Like A Puma!

    I am not much to toot my own horn, but I am a professional at this wargaming trait: Losing. I tend to lose a good  and healthy 90% of my games. I sometimes even get that song "Lonesome Loser" by the Little River Band time and again. Of course, this does not apply, since I am married and surrounded by various wargaming friends throughout the week, despite losing to all parties. But the reality of the situation is that I am not that competitive by nature. Sure, I will do a good job by nature and try to excel in what I do for myself and others, but I am not a "Win all type player". I am more of a painter and terrainiac that likes to play.
     However, I do have a slight distaste for the fast-tracking a quick loss. Everyone has had these games were you roll bad, get screwed by a rule, or someone is just "on fire" with dice rolls to the point of taking a road trip to Las Vegas! Which brings me to a recent Iron Cross game I had against my friend, Danny. At one point, I was thinking of correcting and finishing the Iron Cross rules fixing the lack there of  for the infantry, such as a damage chart. I wanted to possible use this for a convention game in the future. This was until the game that transpired.
    Danny decided to run with the Germans. I gave him three Panther Tanks, a Tiger Tank, two Stug III's and one Puma Armored Car. Part of this was that I was outnumbering him. I had six Cromwells, two A30 Challengers, and a Dailmer Armored Car. At first glance, the forces are uneven based on the type of tanks we were used. But with Iron Cross, half of those advantages you get from other game systems hardly seem to matter. If it is too out numbered, it turns into a slaughter-fest for the outnumbering side. At least, that is how most games go.
    Danny and I's game was different. The first hit I had against one of his Panthers turned up the hatefulness of the dice. Not only did it survive, it, along with a Puma, destroyed every tank of mind on the board in about three turns. The third turn was really not a turn. It was a finish me turn. The only thing that died on his side was a Tiger killed by a Challenger tank. The rest of his force, never saw action. I guess I learned that my rule of thumb is to at least loose after four turns.

Board View 1

Board View 2

Board View 3.

The first of many Cromwell tanks to buy the farm.

Add caption

Look at the burning traffic jam to the left.

All but the Challenger tank is dead.

The game was so quick, that these were the only shots of it. I think it was a 35 minute game, maybe!