WW2 West Front 1944 Campaign game 06 (last) on a A4 3x4 grid with 6mm forces

Introduction

This is mission 6 in a campaign following a British company through 1944 France.  I am using 6mm forces and playing on a 3x4 grid on a A4 page.  I did a similar East Front campaign in 2017.

Rules

I am using my own rules.  I have modified the ones I used in 2017 to be 1d6 for all rolls, rather than 1-3 per attack.  They are likely to change slightly as I playtest them on the games.   I am using Platoon Forward to generate the missions.

The rules are here:  ww3x4 Advancing Companies V2.0d.pdf 

In summary, most units move 1 square and can fire out 1 square and non-firing units are seen at 0 or 1 square.  Stacking is 3 units of one side per square.  Each turn normally has one square activated (random side but a chosen square) and units in that square can fire, move or rally.  Then the other side activates a square.  After each side has an activation there is a special melee phase where opposing units in a square fire at each other. Play another turn and keep this up until one side's morale fails.

Mission 6

It is 1944 and a UK infantry force is attacking a German infantry force. The UK mission is a screen.

The force is tasked to provide a screen to protect engineers working nearby (just off table from entry point).

The terrain is hills:

Open | Wooded Hill |Hill

Brush | Open |1-3 buildings

Open | Hill |Woods

Hill | Open |Crops

 

Victory is to hold off the attackers until engineers are done. Lose if do not hold off the attackers.

The UK force enters in zones 10-12. The German force Enters at right of 3 zone.

Note: At the end of each turn roll 1d6 and add to previous turn roll.  Once the total of 20 is reached the engineers are finished and you may withdraw.  For my games, I will use 1d3 as the turns are shorter.

The UK has regular morale for its five sections and one leader. Support includes Carrier Platoon.  The Carrier platoon is an LMG team, PIAT team and 2” mortar team.  I will treat is as a section with PIAT and 2” mortar attachment.  If carriers are lost, they will be dismount and be suppressed.

The German has veteran morale for its three sections and one leader. Support includes 2xMMG.

Troops

British

Co HQ Hodgson (Regular)

1 Plt HQ Cole (Regular), 1 Plt 2 Sect Knowles (Regular), 1 Plt 2 Sect Davies (Green)

3 Plt 1 Sect Manning (Regular), 3 Plt 2 Sect Hanson (Green), 3 Plt 3 Sect Williams (Regular)

 

Germans

Germans (1 Zug + 2 MMGs)

 

Deployment

The British need to both hold off the Germans and stop them getting through.  The woods are a good defensive point, and the hill is a good place to hide against.  The buildings are too far to get to and the Germans will get there first.

The Germans will move on the MMGs as a defensive base first and then advance down both flanks to probe for weaknesses and attempt to get though.

Game

The British move 3rd platoon into the crops for hopefully next turn moving into the woods.  There is no much in the way of cover on the British side other than the woods.  Then again, the German have to get past the British so it is not just a case of hiding in the woods.

The Germans move their two MMGS on board at the hill on their right flank, going for the buildings and wooded hill for both probing and good fire bases.

Opening moves

D3 roll = 2.

The British continue to advance with 3^rd platoon into the woods.  The aim is to stay there and use the crops as a fallback position.  Next turn will bring on 1^st platoon on the left to prevent the Germans advancing down that flank. The Germans bring on their Zug on their right flank (note – they should have come in from the left as per the scenario. Ah well).  Hopefully can advance using the MGs -one or both may advance to assist with the Zug advance.

Turn 2

D3 roll =1. +2=3.

The British advance the 1^st platoon (two sections) onto the hills. Could be a dangerous move.  The CO, Hodgson, advances into the crops to provide rallying point for 3^rd platoon.

The Germans Zug advance into the brush and spot the 1^st platoon.  They do not have the range to shoot.  May be time to swap places with the MG.

Cautious advances

D3 roll = 2. +3=5.

The British bring on the carrier platoon into the shelter of the hills and dismount.  I did not show the carriers as they are not really useful for the battle.  The  Germans move one Gruppe to the rear hill ready to be able to move an MGs in.

D3 roll  =1. +5=6.

The British do nothing but the Germans move an MG from the hill into the brush with the 2 Gruppe, and move an MG and a Gruppe into the building.  I should have done the town approach with all the Germans.  The building is hard cover, and the Germans are all vets.  The British can only activate one square so the Germans will be able to fire at something regardless of what the British do.

The Germans do a pincer move.

D3 roll = 2. +6=8.

The British in the woods attempt to spot the Germans in the building – yes (needed a 5+).  Now to fire or assault.  Assault would be bad as the British are advancing into an MG (3 dice).  Firing is also poor as the Germans are in hard cover.  The British fire and miss with all shots.  Oh dear.

The Germans fire back with 4 dice.  Lucky shots see 2 sections rout off the table.

Two gone from the 3^rd platoon

D3 roll = 2. +8=10. Halfway.

The British need to retreat out of fire to delay the Germans. The single section from the 3^rd platoon retreats into the crops.

The German MG in the brush fires at the 1^st platoon on the hill.  One section destroyed, the other suppressed and retreats to the carrier section.

1^st platoon loses a section

D3 roll 1. +10=11.

The British rally 1^st section platoon, the Germans move out of the safety of the brush into the open between the hills.  There is no opposition – the British last stand is being made on the edge of the battlefield.

The Germans advance into the open

D3 roll 2. +11=13.

The Germans advance on to the hill.  Risky but if they can advance off the table they have won.

Germans advance to the edge of the battlefield.

D3 roll 2. +13=15.

The British have no choice but to advance into the square, the Germans fire back and force the British to retreat to where they came from and both British sections are suppressed.

British assault the Germans on the hill.

The Germans advance some sections off the road.  The engineers are disrupted and the Germans have manage to win.

The Germans advance off the battlefield and so win

Verdict

The British really had no chance facing 2 MGs and none of their own.  The MMG has 3 dice that is equal to that of 3 sections, and a longer range.  The only way to remove them is suppress them and the close assault.  This would have been difficult to do in this game.  The reason the Germans took as long as they did was the cautious (and I think probably correct) approach in trying to find the weak spot and exploit gaps. The British should also have maybe not put the 1^st platoon section on the hill but I don’t think it changed the game much.

Last notes

This is the last game in the campaign.  I like the generation of the battles and playing them out but find I am not really invested in following the status of the units themselves.  I think I could handle tracking 4-5 units/soldiers, but not 10.  I will definitely be playing more of the 4x3 games though. I really like the tactical challenges they provide.  I am also tempted to try out converting some scenarios to 4x3 to see if they still are good to play when moving to a small grid. This  will have more variety for both sides as I will not not be locked into following the same infantry company  If I do this long enough I may even be tempted to scale up to A3 or actually create permanent terrain squares.

Update: The original inspiration for the 4x3 grid was MiG Tank Commander. A fan update provided rules for scaling up to 5x4 or even a bit larger. So I will take the activation rules from the update and apply then to my own rules.   6x4 is a really good size as it also maps onto a 6’x4’ table.  I have dozens of scenarios I have collected over the years and my goal (as of today anyway) is to work through at least some of them using these rules.   I know I will never get to play all these scenarios with 20mm anyway so this will give me an opportunity to play some of them.  Never fear, I still will be playing 20mm WW2 but for a variety of reasons have not the ability to set up my half a table tennis table (my sweet spot size playing area for 20mm WW2).  I have tried a 6’x3’ (dining table) but just doesn’t work for me.  Yes, I know, get a different dining table J

Battle of Carrhae 53BC using Ancient Battlelines Clash - Gridded

Introduction

This is game 58 in play testing my ancient rules by replaying historical battles.  But there are a lot of changes in my rules between game 57 a few months ago and now.  In summary, they are new rules! With the major changes being a)  plays on a 12x12 square grid b) no disorder so no markers c) Still 1d6 rolled for movement, missile and combat but results are framed similar to  DBA combat outcomes, compared to my old rules that has a list of die modifiers.  This produces a game that flows much better as there are fewer exceptions in the rules.  I have a very dense 1 page QRS and am in the process of writing up the rules. I have playtested them over the last month or so on about 15 (historical battles) games so far.  This did generate some changes but they were unchanged for the last four games so think it is time to continue playing the Peter Sides replays.  The rules are called Ancient Battlelines Clash Gridded (ABCG). Still aim for a less than 30 minute game. While not the same as the old ABC, they aim to produce similar results with similar command and control constraints and missile/melee outcomes.

I have attempted gridding my own previous rules a few times always unsuccessfully.  For grids, I found I needed to use the retire/overlap mechanisms from DA to make it work so I started with those rules and them changed them so much they only have a passing resemblance to DBA.  No PIPS – roll to move a group/unit, overlaps work differently, units are a bit different in combat values and combat outcomes, and combat is a single d6 rather than opposed rolls. 

For this game, I bought a 50cmx50cm square carpet tile and divided it up into 12x12 squares.  This produced 42mm squares that are great for my 40mm base for 15mm figures.  I did not want to mark up my 60m tables in case I decide to go back to non-gridded rules.

Battle of Carrhae

Crassus and his Roman legions are trapped in Parthian territory against a very mobile Parthian enemy.

Troops

Roman

6 legions, HI

2 Auxilia, LI

4 Allied cavalry, LC

1 Baggage train/Camp (movement 1)

1 leader

Breapoint: 9

Parthian

1 Cataphracts, CAT

10 Light Cavalry, LC

2 leaders

Breakpoint: 7

Scenario changes

All I really did was scale down the forces so they will fit on a 2’x2’ table.

Deployment

Deployment

Game

Note: The Light Cavalry will be at a -1 disadvantage Vs the legions but will force the legions to retire on a 6, else the Light Cavalry themselves retire or recoil. The Cataphracts are at +1 to the legions and will rout them on a 4, 5, or 6.

The game begins and the Parthians all successfully charge in.

All make contact

The first combat sees a legion recoil, the second sees a Parthian Light Cavalry flee.

The Cataphract destroys a legion.  All the 2:1 Parthian Light Cavalry Vs Roman Light Cavalry sees the Roman allied cavalry rout.

After the Parthian turn.

   

The Romans do a bit of reorganising but there is not a lot they can do in the short term.  The Light Infantry turn. They do manage to get an overlap on the Cataphracts and force it to retire.

Roman legions (and Crassus) Vs the Cataphracts.

The Parthians move to get as many overlaps as possible.  One Light Cavalry also manages to break through a gap and end up behind Crassus.

Crassus is surrounded.

Overview at end of Parthian move

 

It was never going to end well, Crassus’s legion routs in the subsequent melee.  Crassus is captured or killed.  The entire Roman army reaches their breakpoint and rout 

Rule changes

None.

Verdict

Well, fast.  But it was never going to be a draw out affair with these rules and also a very one-sided affair.  The Light Cavalry rules worked better than I thought.  I do like them do far and so will hopefully write them up properly and play some more. Other games with heavy infantry on each side will last longer Note: I do have some 6mm historical Early Middle East games lined up using the same rules so hopefully will get even more testing.