WW2 6mm game East Front 1942 testing out my own platoon rules (game 2)

Introduction
This is the second game in trying out my own 6mm WW2 rules.  I converted all the dice rolls to be on a deck of cards (so draw a card to lookup the result).  For more detailed see this previous blog post. The first game went fine and I have now glued the paper sized deck onto actual cards.  I did mention in the previous post that the cards could be improved, but decided the hours invested in doing that were better spent just playing!

Scenario
I have used a modified version of Platoon Forward to generate the forces, terrain and objective (in a spreadsheet).

The table is about 50cm x 50 cm; the figure scale is 1:300 (6mm size) the ground scale is 1:700 so the table is representing about 350m x350m.

The battlefield.  German may deploy anywhere.  Russian enter on the bottom, their objective is the centre top building.

The Russians enter on the bottom of the map and have to take the building in the top centre.

Troops
Russians

Russian forces, 81mm (at the rear) are off map.

Enter bottom of the map:
1 platoon leader (Aminev)
4 Rifle Squads
2 T-70 (Vodyanov)
2x 37mm AT gun + tow + leader (Gorskov)
plus
2x81mm in offtable support

(Russians were supposed to have the second leader with the 4 squads but I bought him on with the 37mm guns so have reflected it here in the list!)

Germans

German forces - on table at start on the left; reinforcements on the right.

Deployed anywhere except near the Russian entry edge

1 Platoon leader (Hahn)
5 Green Gruppe
1 50mm AT gun (Beck)
On a random future turn, enter any side but the Russian entry edge.
1 Stug IIIE (Bergmann)
1 Platoon leader (Horn)
2 Green Gruppe

Germans have better command and control than the Russians.  This means they will get slightly more activations but being Green they are less likely to recover form pins and suppression.

German deployment.

The Germans  deploy the majority of the Gruppe and the AT Gun centrally on the objective.  To the right is a forward defence to slow down that flank.  On the top left is the reserve of two Gruppe that may also act as flank defence for attacks via the woods.

Game
An interesting dilemma.  The Russians have only 4 squads of infantry to take the objective.  Backed up by a few tanks and AT guns, but these latter don't take buildings!  I will move the squads on first to see what may be there and then use the tanks.A bit more risky than normal but they must be able to take up some of the slack from the small number of infantry squads.  The AT guns will come on quickly too - possibly add a little more firepower where they can but also need then in case there are German tanks around.

Russians move 2 squads and Aminev on the right and two squad in the centre for support.  The Germans in the building fire for no effect and the Russians return fire and pin them.

Russian entry of 4 squads.

Close up of right most squads and Aminev.  Just looked good while I was lining up a picture so took it.

One of the squads in the woods catches eye of some gore and is pinned (random event).  The Russians bring on the T70s under Vodyanov's direction to fire on the Germans in the house. The T70s suppress the Gruppe in the house and then Aminev leads 2 squads to assault them and defeat them, losing one squad in the process.

The T70 fires and suppresses the Gruppe in the building, the Russians then assault. 

Beck directs the German AT gun to fire at the T70 and destroys it.  Lucky it was not the one with their leader, Vodyanov.

Russians are in the building (right centre).  Bottom right T70 destroyed.

Vodyanov's T70 decides to stay in the battle (passed morale check for half the tank squadron gone).

Beck's AT gun fires at the remaining T-70 and it is suppressed.

The remaining T70

The Russians in the building fire at the AT gun and pin it. "Heads down." Beck says calmly.
Being pinned, the AT gun will have to fire at closest target (currently the Russian infantry) rather than the T-70.

The pinned 50mm AT Gun and supporting Gruppe.

German infantry next to AT Gun fires at the building and suppresses a squad.

The Gruppe fires and suppresses a Russian squad in the building.

Aminev calls in some 81mm support on the AT gun and the Gruppe.

The off table  81mm mortar support

...and pins the Gruppe.

The AT Gun and supporting Gruppe are pinned.

Beck attempts to unpin the German AT gun attempts but fails.  Vodyanov's T70 unsuppresses and fires at the AT Gun but for no effect; but fires again and suppresses the adjacent Gruppe

The T70 supresses the Gruppe but in return the T70 is suppressed.

AT gun unpins - "Fire at that tank!" screams Beck - and suppresses the T70 again!

Aminev and the Russian squads in building unsuppress but their fire does no lasting damage to either the Gruppe or AT gun at the objective.

The German squad unsuppresses, fire at the Russians in the building for no effect and is suppressed in return!

The Germans unsuppress, trade fire with the Russians and are suppressed again.

The Russians at the rear centre move up and fire for no effect.

The centre Russians move up and fire.  No effect.

With nothing to use, finally it is tie for the reserve to act.  The Germans retaliate with the reserved Gruppe in the woods and suppress both the advancing sections.

The Russians that moved in the centre are now exposed to the unspotted reserve Gruppe in the woods and are suppressed.

Finally, a chance for the Russians to bring on Gorskov's 37mm AT guns!

It is time!  Gorskkov and two 37mm AT guns arrive in the Russian centre.

Vodyanov's T70 unsuppresses and pins the AT gun.

A bit of suppression, pinning and rallying occurs in the centre.

Aminev turns to his sqauds "Get up and go comrades!".  He and the squads (Russian right flank) charge the AT gun and adjacent Gruppe.  There is likely never to be a better chance!

Aminev and 2 squads charge the pinned and suppressed AT Gun and Gruppe in front of the objective.

Beck and crew retreat.  The Russians have cleared the objective of the AT gun and the accompanying Gruppe but are down to one squad now.

The AT Gun is taken and the Gruppe retreat.  Aminev is down to one squad.

The German reinforcements arrive.  Most timely and crazy times ahead!

But then the German reinforcements arrive at the objective an charge in!

Horn and the two inexperienced Gruppe assault and only just manage to succeed, they do lose a Gruppe and need to check morale and are fine.  Aminev managed to achieve a great deal before being forced to leave the field.

Aminev and his remaining squad are routed.  Horn and one Gruppe remain.

 The T70 fires on the Stug and suppresses it.

The T70 fires across the battlefield and suppresses the newly arrived Stug.

The newly arrived Gruppe under Horn fire on the squads in the centre and return fire pins them.  The Russians take this opportunity for Gorskov to call in the 81mm mortars on them (this was one reason I to put the Gorskov here so could call in fire), suppressing them.  And then the centre Russians followup with a close assault!

Horn and the Gruppe are suppressed by mortars and the centre Russian squads charge in!

The Russians win but lose a squad in the process, the remaining Germans under Hahn (on the objective) close combat to push them off.

The Russians win, but then the last Gruppe (and Hahn the leader) charge at them  The Germans lose and the survivors rout.

And lose! Oh dear.  The Russians are the only infantry next to the building, but there are other Germans in the woods ready for a counter attack!  The whole reason they were deployed in the woods was as a reserve for just this sort of contingency e.g. a counter-attack.  They move into close combat with the lone Russian squad....and lose both squads! So unlucky for the Germans.

The two reserve Gruppe in the woods charge in.  How can they lose?  But they do.  The lone Russian squad is next to the objective and the German armour retires from the field.

The Germans now fail their force morale and pullback from the board.  They have only the Stug left.

The Russians win!  They were very lucky - they passed a few force morale tests and should really have lost both the last two close combats.

Verdict
I really like these games with a small number of bases per side (this game was 8 Russians and 9 Germans).  The low density means ever decision and roll of the die (or draw of the card in this case) is critical.  It does remind me of the 20mm games Operation Jupiter scenarios I was playing (will get back to them once renovations stage 2 completes in a few years). More to come in the next few months -  I already have another game scenario generated, just needs to be setup.  I have also added some soldier names to the narrative.  This in to get me used to naming some troops in preparation on running a small 6mm East Front WW2 campaign.

I am also quite liking these rules, even if they are mine!.  Last year I put them together to play quick lunchtime games on a 12x12 grid but they are flow just as well ungridded, the cards are working well and I like the narrative.  They will likely work almost without change for my skirmish 1:1 games (with one base being one soldier) and am thinking on how to use them to play with 20mm company level games (when I have a table to play them on).