or That Didn't Go Very Well...
Scott was available to play on Saturday, a rare treat. We opted for WW2 to get the Russians I painted last summer on the table. I opted for mid-war to get my Marders out.
We played the Counterattack scenario from the back of the rule book. Scott had 2 rifle platoons holding the village and the wood to their left. His right was secured by the company HQ with their 2x Maxim guns and 2x 45mm AT guns hiding on a wooded hill. A platoon of T34s, another of SU76s and a third rifle platoon were coming on as reinforcements with the fifth turn of the 'special' card.
I was attacking with 3x platoons of infantry, the company HQ with 2x MG42s supported by 3x PzIVHs and 3x Marder IIIs.
The panzers and MMGs would shoot my infantry in while the Marders secured my left from whatever threat lurked on the wooded ridge.
2x platoons of infantry proceeded to get cut down in front if the village losing a Lieutennant in the first volley. The Russian AT guns hiding on the wooded ridge drew my Marders into a long range duel. The Marders getting the worst of it. One was a mobility kill and bailed out, the 2nd was damaged.
My 3rd rifle platoon did remember to go prone at the end of their advance saving them grief. The Panzer IVs started shelling the village, eventually setting half of it on fire. This was my high point.
More Russian fire killed the other platoon commander and the company commander who was trying to get my 2nd platoon moving. Both platoons were reduced to less than a section each now. The Special card had flipped 4 times now so Scott's reinforcements were close.
Time to accept defeat.
I should have shifted everything to my right so I could take those woods in isolation and then the village, eating him piecemeal. I also should have taken some mortars in my company HQ and replaced the 3rd platoon with a MMG platoon. I also shouldn't have committed a complete n00b error and used an action at the end of my move to get all my guys prone. Stupid of me, really.
But the flame markers Dan gave me last summer looked super cool.
So there's that.
James Mantos