Vets Neuter Big Cats

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Played Scenario 4 from the IABSMv3 rulebook, A Canadian VC, tonight.

The objective was a crossroads near the south end of the map. The Canadians enter from the north, there are two roads forming a V shape that meet at the crossroads, all Canadian forces enter by the eastern one. Both these roads have buildings along them for about half the map.

The first Canadian force of one Platoon of Infantry and one Troop of tanks (three Shermans and a Firefly) engage the German section and MG guarding the north end of the buildings on the east road. Two Panzer IVs reveal their position at the south end of the open area the tanks have moved into, killing the lead tank in the column. The other three form line abreast, and kill both panzers.

Then a second Sherman brews, and the remaining Sherman hastily switches target from the MG to the infantry with the panzerfausts! As the Firefly has no HE, it goes on AT overwatch. The tank and infantry pour fire in, and the PIAT gets a critical hit on the building, forcing the remaining infantry to abandon it: it must have hit a joist/lintle on a weakened building!

Great, finally making progress: about to commit 2 Platoon and 2 Troop along this axis of advance, with two dummy blinds moving along the western road, pulling Germans into defending those buildings.

And then the Tiger and Panther move into a field just next to the objective, and reveal themselves.

Luckily the ammo seems to have been sabotaged by Czech forced labour, because despite three hits between them, neither the remaining Sherman or Firefly brew, though both have their gun put out of action. The Troop leader reverses at speed, while the Firefly crew just bail and run!

I'm now bogged down. The Tiger/Panther combo dominate the eastern approach, supported by the MMG. As I try to work the remains of 1 Platoon down the buildings a lucky shot from infantry stationed on the objective destroys the PIAT without hurting its shocked two-man crew.

There is a wood between the roads, level with the end of the buildings. I work 2 Platoon through this, engaging the Zug on the western buildings. 2 Troop is behind them.

This attack is going nowhere fast. While the big cats are dominating the east, the only option is to attack down the west – the densest buildings. Then another Panzerfaust from this area kills the Troop Leader ('Big Man'). I'm running out of options, and running out fast.

Earlier today at work I pinned a copy of IF by Rudyard Kipling above my desk. I "risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss," and drive 2 Troop at high speed (using 3 of their 4 Actions - they are Veterans) between the two lines of buildings, and using the last one to try to take out the Cats.

However the Panther had relocated, and got one shot off, but only damages the optics on the first Sherman (-1 on 2d6 to hit roll). It returns fire, hits but the shell bounces. The Firefly has a poor line of sight, and misses. The last Sherman ends up on the wrong side of the Firefly: no shot. Then the Tea Break card comes up: end of turn.

This is the tense moment. IABSM is card driven. If the German Big Man or Tank activation card comes out first on the next turn, the Shermans are dead. I have no Big Man, so only the Troop card in the pack – one chance versus his two.

Imagine it as the tank crews furiously reloading, trying to get their shot off first. Sunjester shuffles the pack, and then, because it is such a pivotal moment, walks across to another table and asks a player there to cut the pack, to ensure it is completely fair.

The first couple of cards are for dead Big Men, so need to be removed, or something that has little effect on the game, and then…

A Panzerschrek fires from among the buildings…

And fails to hit the rightmost (behind the Firefly) Sherman.

My heart is almost past my tonsils at this point. Next card is…

Allied Armoured Unit 2.

The closest Sherman fires, shaking the Panther crew, corrects for the damaged optics, fires again, and the Panther's gun barrel becomes scrap metal. The crew bail and run for the Fatherland. The Firefly crashes past the Sherman, over a hedge, turns sharply to its left, and parks a 17lb shell square in the flank of the Tiger. BANG. The final Sherman pivots right and repays the 'schrek team in kind, killing both.

2 Platoon then join in against the section in the nearest building. 1 Platoon are finally besting the MMG.

Unfortunately we had to stop at this point (it was almost 2300hrs). Some discussion about whether the Canadians could have taken the objective, given there were 2 sections sitting in buildings on it.

Axis point of view

Still had two 'faust armed sections out there, in a town. 1 Platoon had lost most of a section early on (that's how I found the MMG!) another was at half strength.

Allied point of view

Two tanks capable of HE. Most of 2 Platoon intact. Plus Canadians were veterans, Germans were poor regulars. IABSM assigns action points based on troops left. Veterans need to lose more men before losing Actions, and start on four. Plus using the British rather than generic stats meant that they still get four after losing a man. The Germans start on three Actions, and lose one with their first casualty. For regular troops reducing to half strength pretty much takes them out of the game, with Veterans they could still be supportive.

Conclusion

Draw tending towards Allied Win depending how long they took to force the last Germans out.

The card mechanism meant the game swung one way, then back, then back the other way: one minute your troops are obviously frozen in fear (run of cards for the enemy) then they obviously 'got their spunk up' and start acting before the enemy. The sight of the Shermans rushing forward in a do or die moment was amazing:  Sunjester hoping to kill two, me wondering where the next Panzerfaust was coming from (though obviously this is the scenario, rather than the rules). Then whose crews are quickest at reloading?

IABSM does rely on players knowing what is feasible: going 'I think I should forgo that bonus, because in this situation it is obviously silly' or 'Do you think it is reasonable I do this?' Our last game was the only time I have know two wargamers argue because they were both trying to claim the loss! The first Firefly shot against the Panther was subject to a discussion of was it partially obscured or heavily obscured.

Last Hussar

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