Sunday 23 February 2014

School yard Bullies.

So I've long had a love affair with German Heavy armour. I've written a King Tiger Tactica, I have another for Tiger 1Es that I'm still pushing my way through, and well, to be honest I think they look cool and love that people say they can't win. It gets me pretty fired up to do some damage with them.


But I have another love affair, with Junk German units. Back when German reluctant units bucked the curve, I was signing up to do business with them. And few things make me happier than pulling out my Sperrverband and having at someone with them.


So with Desperate Measures coming out I think I was more stunned than overjoyed when a junk German Heavy armour list came my way. It's like there was a block in my brain, not letting me even see the list somehow. The more I was having fun with Desperate Measures the harder my mind hid the list of blundering titans from me.

It wasn't until my friend Duncan basically berated me for it that I noticed the list and started putting pen to paper. He quite honestly repeated himself over and over again "dude why aren't you running that list? It's like all your favorite stuff all rolled up perfectly" Somehow I managed to miss it the first half dozen times but somewhere in there I took notice and have been playing around with some ideas.

So out of it I've come up with my two basic lists. I'm not quite sure which I'll start running, but I'm pretty pumped about the both of them.

List #1
  Confident    Trained   Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500
Replacement Heavy Tank Force
German Late-War
Tank Company
PlatoonQtyUnitPoints
Headquarters
Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 HQ p.81
1Ausbildungs Königstiger (Porsche)235
Combat Platoons
Panther Ausbildungs Platoon p.78
3Ausbildungs Panther A or G405
Schwere Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon p.81
3Ausbildungs Tiger I E415
Schwere Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon p.81
3Ausbildungs Tiger I E415
Leichte Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon p.81
4Ausbildungs Panzer III L or M180
Company Points:1650
www.EasyArmy.com Source document: Desperate Measures book

List #2
 Confident    Trained   Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500
Replacement Heavy Tank Force
German Late-War
Tank Company
PlatoonQtyUnitPoints
Headquarters
Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 HQ p.81
2Ausbildungs Panther A or G290
Combat Platoons
Panther Ausbildungs Platoon p.78
3
3
Ausbildungs Panther A or G
Assault Rifle Tank Escort
450
Schwere Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon p.81
2Ausbildungs Tiger I E280
Schwere Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon p.81
2Ausbildungs Königstiger (Porsche)445
Leichte Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon p.81
4Ausbildungs Panzer III L or M180
Company Points:1645
www.EasyArmy.com Source document: Desperate Measures book

Alrighty then denizens of the internet, help me choose my list. Its in the poll at the top of the page. And leave some constructive criticisms cause I may be in way too deep on this one.



Until next time.

Friday 14 February 2014

A really cool video, or two.

I found a couple of cool videos of vehicle painting that I thought I'd share. Sure they're for larger scales but many of the principles and techniques are the same.

I was pretty spellbound and watched them back to back. The wife was less amused.


Enjoy.

Until next time.

Saturday 8 February 2014

Desperate Measures Batrep 3.0

Our third round of games playing with desperate measures.

We're really liking the changes in how the forces play and match up. After a stint at the mess we decided to have a bit of a shoot up.

I wasn't really in the mind set to run a new list so I was running what I had before.

 Confident  Trained Panzer Kampfgruppe (Trained)German Late-War
PlatoonQtyUnitPoints
Headquarters
Panzer Kampfgruppe HQ (Trained) p.69
1
1
Panzer IV J
Assault Rifle Tank Escort
85
Combat Platoons
Panzer Platoon (Trained) p.70
4
4
Panzer IV J
Assault Rifle Tank Escort
330
Panzer Platoon (Trained) p.70
4Panther G575
Weapons Platoons
Panzer Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon (Trained) p.71
2Ostwind (3.7cm)100
Support Platoons
Heavy Panzerspäh Platoon (Trained) p.85
1
1
Sd Kfz 234/1 (2cm)
Sd Kfz 234/4 (PaK40)
95
Grenadier Kampfgruppe Platoon (Trained) p.87
1
2
2
Cmd Panzerfaust Rifle/MG team
Panzerfaust Rifle/MG team
Weapons team
140
Armoured Rocket Launcher Battery (Trained) p.90
1
2
1
3
Cmd SMG team
Kubelwagen
Observer Rifle team
Panzerwerfer 42 (5+ crew - counts double)
140
Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel p.95
5Hans-Ulrich Rudel in Ju 87G Stuka175
Company Points:1640
www.EasyArmy.comSource document: Desperate Measures book

Duncan had changed things up a bit and is still trying to find his optimal DM Soviet list.


 Confident  Trained  Motostrelkovy Batalon (Red Army)Soviet Late-War
PlatoonQtyUnitPoints
Headquarters
Motostrelkovy Batalon HQ (Red Army) p.13
2
1
Cmd Rifle team
Komissar team
40
Combat Companies
Motostrelkovy Company (Red Army) p.13
1
12
2
Cmd SMG team
SMG team
Panzerfaust SMG team
260
Motostrelkovy Company (Red Army) p.13
1
6
1
Cmd SMG team
SMG team
Panzerfaust SMG team
140
Motorised Anti-tank Company (Red Army) p.15
1
4
4
Cmd Rifle team
57mm ZIS-2 gun
Truck
150
Weapons Companies
Tankovy Company (Red Army) p.9
7
7
T-34 obr 1942
SMG Tank Escort
345
Support Companies
Guards Heavy Assault Gun Company Fearless  Trained   p.25
5
5
ISU-122 with .50 cal AA MG
SMG Tank Escort
650
Transporter Platoon (Red Army) p.27
7Truck10
Anti-aircraft Platoon (Red Army) p.11
3DShK AA MG on truck55
Company Points:1650

The battlefield.


We rolled up Encounter. We hadn't played this one in a while and were actually thrilled to get to play it up. Having delayed and scattered reserves in a strait up fight makes for a quick fun game. 

We each had a central objective and then flanked each on the opposite side, this ensured we'd use the whole battlefield, instead of cutting it down to a 4x4 table. The clock timer was set to 1:15 a person and away we went. 

Duncan won the roll to attack and picked his side. He went with his 2 platoons of Infantry and set up his ISU-122s behind the hill in a reverse slope position.

I had placed my Panzerwerfers centrally first. It was predictable and flexible. Kinda a moot point. I placed my PzIVs next, I put them out in the open, though obscured by the buildings and terrain at range, I wanted to make them the bait that I hoped the 122s would go after. He had placed his 122s last behind the hill opposite them and I then placed the Panthers behind them ready to move and counter punch against them.


Duncan won the roll to go first having rolled a two to my one on both the attacking and first turn roll. 
As he turned to look at the table I then said "Oh here comes the predictable moves, dig in, dig in, move to shoot."
His response, "Really?" Actual quote.

At that Duncan rolled for both platoons to dig in, with the central platoon failing. His 122s swung around the hill and in a hull down position fired on the PzIVs, shots hit the building the field, the road, but not the tanks.  


Great position, poor rolls plagued the big beasts.

In my turn the PzIVs rolled to the left and the Panthers took up firing positions while Rudel swooped in from above.

The results saw two down (Thanks Rudel) two bailed, as I can't ever make a firepower roll and a single tank remaining. The Pl Comd went down in the attack but they made their morale with ease.


I stormtroopered away and got ready for the next turn.

Duncan remounted one of the 122s, the second platoon dug in and with that the firing began. The distance the cover made the 122s firing ineffective as the OC and the 2IC came to try and issue new orders, he was just out of reach this turn.

In my turn, the Panthers and Rudel finished off the 122s while the PzIVs continued to position against the Infantry. Panzerwerfers kept raining down and were slowly doing some real damage. Almost halving their strength, with the help of the PzIVs.


In Duncan's turn, the T-34s showed up. And not being in a location to his liking they booked it double time behind the hill. Not much in the way of shooting it went to me.

In my turn the PzIVs pulled back, a little gunshy of the mob of tanks. Rudel swooped in and dropped a couple. PzWerfers continued to rain down on the Inf but to no effect.


Duncan turn saw his reserves show up. The Zis-2s showed up with shots on the PzIVs, bailing one, while the T-34s doubled again to an attack position behind the hill.

In my turn I got Rudel again, he was really feeling showing up in this game. Panzerwerfers and the PzIVs eradicated the ZIS-2s and a couple PzIVs and Rudel did in all but one T-34.


At this point Ducan called it. Not seeing enough combat power to take out my armour we decided to avoid seeing how long it would take to push the infantry off the objective.

Our hot wash looked at army list cohesion and the use of forces. One thing we focused on was using Infantry offensively to help shape the enemy.

Can't wait until the next one.

Until next time.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Desperate Measures Batrep 2.0

A quick text and a phone call was all of the arm wrenching I needed to be convinced to play another Desperate Measures game with my buddy Duncan. He had just got back into town and was itching to throw down with his Soviets. 

As per the norm I set up the battlefield prior his coming over and rolling for mission. Dice were thrown and it came up Counter Attack. 

A small town along the service road in the rolling hills. Farm fields and some forests. Nothing special but terrain rich enough for us.

 Confident  Trained Motostrelkovy Batalon (Red Army)Soviet Late-War
PlatoonQtyUnitPoints
Headquarters
Motostrelkovy Batalon HQ (Red Army) p.13
2
1
Cmd Rifle team
Komissar team
40
Combat Companies
Motostrelkovy Company (Red Army) p.13
1
12
2
1
Cmd SMG team
SMG team
Panzerfaust SMG team
Maksim HMG team
285
Motostrelkovy Company (Red Army) p.13
1
6
1
Cmd SMG team
SMG team
Panzerfaust SMG team
140
Support Companies
Guards Heavy Assault Gun Company Fearless  Trained   p.25
4
4
ISU-122 with .50 cal AA MG
SMG Tank Escort
520
Medium Assault Gun Company (Red Army) p.21
4SU-100310
Transporter Platoon (Red Army) p.27
7Truck10
Tank Destruction Company (Red Army) p.26
1
4
4
1
Cmd Rifle team
45mm obr 1942 gun
Truck
PTRD anti-tank rifle
90
Anti-aircraft Platoon (Red Army) p.11
3DShK AA MG on truck55
Air Support p.31
5Limited Air Support Il-2 Shturmovik200
Company Points:1650
www.EasyArmy.comSource document: Desperate Measures book

Being a mobile reserves game Duncan had to chose what to keep on table, he picked the ISU-122s and dismounted the DShKs from the trucks, leaving his SU-100s in reserve. After the game we talked about that and had things been different he would have switched the 100s for the 122s but we'll get to that. The 45mm 1942s were in ambush.

My set up, and list.
 Confident  Trained Panzer Kampfgruppe (Trained)German Late-War
PlatoonQtyUnitPoints
Headquarters
Panzer Kampfgruppe HQ (Trained) p.69
1
1
Panzer IV J
Assault Rifle Tank Escort
85
Combat Platoons
Panzer Platoon (Trained) p.70
4
4
Panzer IV J
Assault Rifle Tank Escort
330
Panzer Platoon (Trained) p.70
4Panther G575
Weapons Platoons
Panzer Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon (Trained) p.71
2Ostwind (3.7cm)100
Support Platoons
Heavy Panzerspäh Platoon (Trained) p.85
1
1
Sd Kfz 234/1 (2cm)
Sd Kfz 234/4 (PaK40)
95
Grenadier Kampfgruppe Platoon (Trained) p.87
1
2
2
Cmd Panzerfaust Rifle/MG team
Panzerfaust Rifle/MG team
Weapons team
140
Armoured Rocket Launcher Battery (Trained) p.90
1
2
1
3
Cmd SMG team
Kubelwagen
Observer Rifle team
Panzerwerfer 42 (5+ crew - counts double)
140
Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel p.95
5Hans-Ulrich Rudel in Ju 87G Stuka175
Company Points:1640
www.EasyArmy.comSource document: Desperate Measures book

The opening Recce move saw the 8 Rads use the road to go full out up table. The troops in the forest were out of line of sight and 8".
The Panzer horde(term used loosely) pushed forward. My Panthers aren't done and I apologize for their state but with the temps around here lately spraying them just isn't an option. I left the tracks off to try something new, so for this batrep I'm using German Grav tanks... Fear the Grav tank?

The opening salvo from the Panzerwerfers took out the Soviet Commisar, to which Duncan gleefully stated "And Soviet Morale rose sharply" and the game was on. Some Panther shots rang off hulls with one finding it's way home and destroying a 122.

Duncan Pulled back the 122s not wanting to get in a gun duel with the Panthers while outnumbered.  The Infantry shifted behind the forrest, in an attempt to be able to threaten the second objective while also opening up space for the Aircraft to come through. A single plane came down and with some good and bad luck respectively only managed to bail a single Panther. MAN ARE THEY TOUGH TO SHOOT DOWN! Even the Ostwinds only managed to scratch the paint.

Rude who failed to show up for the opening shots makes an appearance on turn two diving down onto the ISU-122s but a hail of DShK fire causes him to waive off. So much for that idea.


But where the plane failed, the Panthers succeeded. It took two turns and I lost a Panther in the process but in the end it worked.

My PzIVs had moved up to threaten the small Inf Pl, and well, with MG dice like this, it could be grim.


But a combination of Shurzen and tank riders makes for quick work of a small pl. The 5 tanks moped them up and then braced for what they assumed would be an ambush from the corner of the table. It was gonna hurt.

Rudel flies after the 100s but was chased off by the Soviet airforce.

End of the turn PzIVs circling around with Panthers and Ostwinds backing them.
Oh, yeah, apparently that's not where the guns were. They ambushed from the copse of woods I had passed, with rear shots on, well, everyone.

Two of the three Panthers go up in flames and the third is bailed. Enjoy the war kept him around but wow did that hurt.

In return the Panzers assaulted the Infantry and saw them off while the rest of the force tried to do in the guns, and well kinda failed. 



Let it never be said Duncan isn't a vengeful man. He knew he couldn't take the objective back, but he was going to make me hurt for it. Russian guns wiped out the Ostwinds,
Final positions

View from the starting line. 


Near the Obj, the OCs hoping he can get those tank hulls working again, and soon for the next soviet push.

It was a fun game and playing confident trained Germans is a ton of fun. Panthers still being a new thing, I'm still not really sure of how best to use them but maybe a few more games will help solve that.

We talked over the ambush and the choice of reserves in our personal AAR. The hotwash came up with two main things, one the SU-100s would have been a better choice to be on table with their ability to reroll at long range and their better AT value. Second, they should have been in Ambush, it would have allowed them to ensure the greatest amount of opening shots, and allowed the guns to start on table where they would have been valuable in taking out the Recce and the AAA.








Duncan's thinking of trying out a Hero Tankovy list next. I can't wait to see what they can do.

Until next time.