Cold War 1986 British Vs Pact first game (using Tank Wreck)

Introduction
When 15, a friend and I in 1980 got a little interested in playing with modern forces.  My interest was from this book that I read a lot (and still have), even though it was a reference book:

I ordered some 6mm British, he ordered some Soviets.  We both painted up some forces and played a few games.  And that was that.  My Chieftains and FV432s have been stored away since 1981. Internet mate Just Jack recently shamed me in that these figures had lain unplayed for 35 years. It was just wrong.  I put some searches into eBay and waited for some reasonable minis.  Eventually I acquired some Soviet enemies, and some British infantry as the 6 stands I had really show they were my first 6mm paint job - shocking!

Some of the Chieftains I painted when I was 15. My first outing in 6mm,

Rules
I have various rules for Cold War (there may be more):

• WRG 1950-1985: The ones I played with, twice I think, back in 1981 or 1982.
• TankWreck!: acquired this about 5 years ago to see if I could use them for WW2.  Seem fast and fun
• Challenger: Acquired these in 1990 while in the UK. 
• Close and Destroy: 1:1 modern rules that seem fine
• Third Generation Warfare: 1:1 rules
• FiveCore company command: I like these, got them for WW2 but would fine with modern
• Dunn Kempf Training rules: The US military rules used for training (a streamlined version of WRG 1950-1975)
• Contact!: The Canadian military rules used for training loosely based on WRG 1950-1975.
• Irregular Miniatures Mechanised Warfare Rules: Too simple and no command and control.

I chose for my first game…TankWreck! It will not strain the brain, fast,looks like it will work with small forces on the table but provide the feel of long range tank battles and hard to kill infantry in Europe in the 1980s.  We shall see.  My close runners-up were Dunn Kempf and FiveCore.

TankWreck! is by Martin Bourne who also wrote ShipWreck!.  Not much out there as a review, other than the short TMP topic.  There is a yahoo group with QRS and more vehicle info than in the rules.

I will be playing on my small board in the map drawer (as usual) and will convert inches to cm.  If I have to, I will double the move of infantry (the rules have them quite slow compared to other Cold War rules). I say if I have too, as mostly infantry will be mechanised.

Scenario
I was feeling lazy and so just looked for some small cold war scenarios.  Could not find many, but have gone with heavily modifying the first scenario in the Force on Force First Clash - a Cold War Gone Hot Campaign (I downloaded a copy via the Guild).  Changed Canadian to British and upscaled the infantry.

A force of British infantry guard a village with armour support on rear hill. More armour is expected as re-inforcements.  Soviet armour and mech infantry objective is to take the village and hill in ten turns. Victory points are obtained by causing casualties and taking objectives.

The table with starting positions marked.

Troops
Soviets (start offboard)

4 T-80s
6 BTR80 each with infantry stands (in two companies)
BRDM2 artillery observer
2 offboard heavy mortars

British

(in village)
8 infantry stands (in two companies)
6 FV432 (part of above companies)
2 FVV432 with Wombat (part of above companies)
Landrover with artillery observer stand
(on ridge)  
2 Chieftains (one company)
(reinforcements on beginning of turn when d10 <= turn number)
2 Chieftains (one company)
(artillery)
2 offboard 81mm mortars

Deployment

British infantry in the village, chieftains and artillery observer on the ridge.  Artillery will be placed at the edge of each respective edge but is only there so I remember about it!  They are really both off-board.

British deployment - Chieftains and Artillery observer on the hill, infantry in the village.  The infantry are actually in the building if they are behind it.

Game
TankWreck uses an opposed roll to determine initiative at the start of a turn.  Players take turns activating companies. Units either fire, or move and fire, or call artillery (if they can), go on reserve (aka opportunity fire), or do nothing.  For the first turn, I just moved on the Soviets and assumed the British would be on reserve fire.  The range is quite long to hit anyone.

The Soviets enter.  Tanks in front, BTRs to the rear. I used this formation as Phil Barker wrote about in in the back of the WRG 1950-1985 :-)

The T80s continue to move,the Chieftains fire and miss. Russian observer call artillery on the left of village. The BTR80s move on the left flank and dismounts infantry.  No casualties on either side anywhere.

View from the British side.  The Russians continue to advance.  The BTRs to the centre and right in this picture dismount their infantry.

The BTRs move closer to the British infantry.  It is really hard to kill infantry unless you are within 5.  All infantry dismounts close to the enemy.  Chieftains miss again.  All infantry fire misses.  All artillery misses.  I think I rolled about 50% 10s! (Low rolling is good in this game). Very poor rolling by both sides.  But that means the next turn may be better. Oh, and the end of turn roll for the Chieftain reinforcements is a success.

Soviets dismount the infantry into the village. One way to tell the difference in infantry is the Soviets have some green flock on the base, the British do not.

One British infantry stand is destroyed.

 A different view after one British infantry base destroyed. The right half of the British infantry are broken.

The British second company has 3 elements suppressed and at the end of turn the company in the main village rolls badly for morale and is broken (will run away next turn).

The Chieftains on the hill.

TankWreck! uses a to hit (on a d10) followed by a to kill (on a d10).  There are no spotting rules, this being taken into account with the to hill probabilities.  The rules had suppression occur if the to kill roll was two more than required.  I was playing with the revised QRS from the yahoo group where if a unit is hit it is suppressed (similar to the early WRG WW2 rules).

Two T80s are hit - one suppressed and the other destroyed.  The morale test at the end of the turn sees all company suppressed. The Russians wanted to lay smoke in front of chieftains but failed the radio roll.

The chaos that is the village.  The retreating British infantry can be seen at the top left and a destroyed T80 top right.

The British first company infantry is still in village, while the second company is broken and running.  No other damage anywhere.  The Soviet mortars successfully lays smoke in front of a Chieftain.

Note: I have been taking off the FV432s as I assumed they were not needed as they have no armament.  I should not have.  Retreating infantry would have boarded the carriers rather than run.  It is a learning game after all.

Successful smoke in front of a Chieftain. British infantry still retreating

Turn 7 was a death turn.  The broken British infantry company continued to retreat but recovers at the end of the turn.  The other British company had its two remaining infantry units destroyed.  Another T80 destroyed. The Soviet infantry unit loads up onto the BTRs.

Some Soviet Infantry has loaded up in the BTRs and is heading for the retreating British infantry.

The Soviets control the village.

The village is now under Soviet control.

Next turn the remaining British company have some units suppressed.  The Chieftains change targets to fire on the BTR80s and destroy two of them.   I am not sure that the Russians can take the ridge in the two remaining turns.  Note the other Russian infantry in the village did not move in case the (formerly retreating) British infantry made a counter attack.

The British infantry (the 4 bases in the centre) surrounded by Soviets (flock on bases).  But two BTRs are destroyed by Chieftain fire from the hill.

And then we have another death round.  I think it is because the vehicles are decent tank range (less than 20 the to hit is about 3 or 4, not much but twice as many hits as when the chance was a 1 or 2 when further out). The Russians unload the infantry to attack the British infantry for no damage but the British infantry manage to kill a Russian infantry unit. In a big break for the Russians, a T-80 manages to KO a Chieftain.

One Chieftain on the hill KO'd (centre top).. Lots of smoke around ! 

Another Chieftain down (two gone). but another Russian infantry stand is destroyed and the unit breaks.

Followed shortly after by another Chieftain destroyed.

The Chieftains destroy another two BTRs.

While one British infantry base is destroyed, the Chieftains destroy another two BTRs.

The last turn and the Soviets cannot take the ridge and the British cannot retake the village.  But there are victory points to be had for destruction.  The only KO is a Russian infantry stand that then also causes the already broken unit to break again and so is routed.  It was only one infantry stand left anyway.

One Soviet infantry company broekn and routed.  The BTRs of that company are all destroyed so stay on the table...

And the game ends.

Game ends.  Remaining British forces circled in red.  2 Chieftains, artillery observer and part of an infantry company.

Victory points
Soviets: 20
killed 5 infantry (+5), say 4 APC even though I took them off (+8), 2 tanks (+6)+village(+2)
British: 17
killed 3 infantry (+3), 4 APC (+8), 2 tanks (+6)

Close enough to call it a draw.

Verdict
I was not enjoying the game for the first few turns.  The infantry fight in the village just looked messy and seemed it would go on forever.  but then I remembered that cramming 6mm infantry onto a small table and in a village fight looked messy in all my other games!  I felt a little better.  I also did not seem to have much of a plan for the Russians. The rules were also new and have a few nuances I realised when looking some stuff up.  But about turn 4, I was started to get a handle on how the rules worked, ranges etc.It did seem to have a more modern fell than the WW2 I was used to (longer ranges, mechanised infantry playing a bit part).  And thought up a plan for the Russians.  From then on I enjoyed the game a lot.  I did not even mind using d10s, much preferring d6s. and I forgot to use the LAWs that the British would have been armed with against the BTRs.  TankWreck! is a fun ruleset.  I am very tempted to play another game (if fact I did and a write-up is coming).

6mm WW2 Russia 43 Holding Back the Tide scenario with Fields of Honor

Introduction

This is my second battle in a series to use the Russia ’43 Red Guards at Kursk Skirmish Campaign book and use a different ruleset for each scenario.  I am going to scale the scenarios up from skirmish to the level required by the rules and then scale the measurements down from inches to centimetres to play on a small board with 6mm figures.

I am using Pinnacle's Fields of Honor WW2, available from DriveThruRPG.  A boardgame that is really a miniature game in disguise; I got it as a PDF many years ago and the concepts seemed OK - combat activation, some subtlety in the combat rules - but they never really seemed to get much traction.  Each base is a squad and a vehicle is a single vehicle.  This boardgamegeek page has some info, particularly this boardgamegeek review.

See this page for information on my replaying of WW2 scenarios with different rules.

Scenario

I am using HOLDING BACK THE TIDE the fourth scenario from the Russia ’43 Red Guards at Kursk Skirmish Campaign book.

Soviets are trying to breakthrough across a river and German units are rushed to stop them.

Game is 8-13 turns, end game is checked at the end of each turn starting with turn 8.  Soviets win by putting two tanks on the other side of the stream, a T-70 counting as 1/2 a tank (most unfair - I like the T-70!).  

Table overview

Troops

German

German forces

Force HQ

     1 Infantry HQ base

     2 infantry bases
     1 Kubelwagon

1^st Mechanised Infantry company

    1 HQ base

    8 infantry bases

    3 Sdkfz 251/1

4 x PzKpfw IVg

2 x PzKpfw IIIj (enter on turn 1)

The PzKpfw IIIj was the variable attachment to enter on turn d4

Soviet

Soviet forces

1 x T-34 Command
3 x T-34
3 x T-70

1^st Tank Rider company

    1 HQ infantry base

    8 infantry bases

2^nd  Tank Rider company

    1 HQ infantry base

    8 infantry bases
1 x SU-152

The SU-152 was the variable attachment.

Note the Soviets only have 4 T34s and 3 T70s that can make it over the stream to contribute to the victory conditions of 2 tanks crossing (and the T70 counting as 1/2 tank).  The SU-152 cannot count as if it attempts to cross the stream it will be bogged.

Deployment

The scenario calls for an 8’ long table that I am scaling to 30”. 

No units begin on the table - Soviets enter on the left of one side and Germans from the other end.

The stream is not fordable along the woods.  It is also soft and impassable to the wheeled vehicles and causes a bog check to AFVs and the half-tracks for each bank crossed.  The ford will cause only one bog check for all vehicles.  The SU-152 was a very heavy tank so I will rules that it will automatically bog entering the stream or the ford.

Tank riders may enter on or off the tanks.

Game
All the units move on the table.  Soviet infantry is riding on the tanks

Russian entry

German platoon is in the half-tracks.  The first few turns are moving up into range.

German entry

T-34s move to the edge of the woods to either side of the woods and unload tank riders.  German halftracks reach the woods and unload as well.

Russians dash for the woods on either side of the ford and unload the tank riders

The Panzer IVs are positioned just behind the crest of the hill with a commanding view of the ford. One of the T34s is in range of all the PanzerIVs.  6 to hit (long range), one hit but no damage.  The T34 subsequently moves into the woods for cover.  The T-70s continue to go for the small gap at the edge.

PanzerIVs on the dominating hill; the PanzerIIi on the left will continue up the right flank.

The T70s are going towards the small gap at the edge.  Hopefully they make it.  The PanzerIIIs are moving to intercept.

The PanzerIIIs continue to move towards the gap on the German right flank.

The Russian infantry moves up into close combat with Germans but fails to hit anything.  The German retaliation also see no effect.  Hard to destroy infantry when it is 5+ (5+ to hit, +1 short range, -1 soft cover) and then a 4+ will save!

The melee in the woods.

Next turn the Soviets get a run of cards.  The Germans realise that the game could end at turn 8 - all the Soviets need to do is drive all the T-34 across, hope only one bogs and at least 2 survive the fire (likely) as to hit will be 5+ for long range from the PanzerIVs, and then another 6+ to KO.  The Germans need to block the stream.  But then I remember you get two d6s to hit if you don't move, so the 4 Panzer IVs can roll 8d6 when attempting to hit.  Not bad.  So they will stay on the hill.

The melee in the woods sees a German gruppe gone.

The melee still going; Looked much the same at game end.

The PanzerIV roll 8d6 to hit the SU-152 and roll 4 6's for 4 hits.  And one of those hits is they roll a 6 and the SU-152 is gone.  1 is always a fail on any roll 6 is always a success.

SU-152 is KO'd

Overview at turn 5.

A 3.5 month gap in playing here due to distractions (all good ones, no bad ones). Playing in a map drawer proves itself once again!

Start of turn 6. The Russians have a least 3 more turns before the possible end of the game.  It does not seem like much.  At the rate the infantry battle is going, it may be another 3 turns before the T-34s will be able to move in the open.

The Russians get another run on the activation cards.  The infantry inflict nothing again and the Germans do nothing in return. 2 T70s make it to stream at the far side of the table and pass the first bog check. But the PanzerIIIs move around the woods, spot the 2 T70s, to hit roll is both 6s (auto hit) then both KO the T70s (!).  The T70 tank riders are also destroyed (its the rules).  So not much point getting the third over - it is only 1/2 a point.

PanzerIII destroys two T70s

In a subsequent turn the Panzer IIIs fire on last T70 before it can move and KOs it too.

The three destroyed T70s

Turn 7 sees one German infantry destroyed in melee. That took time. As turn 8 might see the end of the game,  the T34s rush the ford and also fire on the PanzerIVs. 2 hits! At long range will only kill one a 1 or 2.  rolled a 1! one down.

The T34s charge across the ford.

Panzer IVs fire on the T34s  and kill 2. Things not looking so good for the Russians.

..and 2 T34s are destroyed (the KO'd SU-152 at the back)

Turn 8 and the Panzer IVs activate first and fire on the T34s again.  And KO the last two.

All T34s gone.

All Russians tanks are out of the game and so they cannot win.  Game over and a win the Germans.

Game end. All bar one of the KO'd tanks are the Russian vehicles

Verdict
I think Fields of Honor is an underrated game system. It has the card activation, the infantry combat mechanisms is fine as it vehicle combat.  It is a simple game system and is fast and gives decent results. It is similar-ish to my rules for WW2 so I am completely biased!

The double shots for the PanzerIVs really slowed the Russians down, especially with no penalty for firing at moving units.  I am not sure what else I could have done as the Russians to increase their chances of winning.  Anyway, a fun game and glad I am getting to use my 6mm collection.