"O" Group - With a Real Opponent

 After a couple of solo efforts to learn the rules I've now graduated to a real opponent. I played a game this weekend against fellow Nunawading Wargames Assoc. member Michael at our Croydon venue. He has 15mm kit and I have 20mm so I supplied both sides of the argument. Michael chose British (attackers) and I played the defending Germans.

We organised this game via email and to save time (because our club's annual AGM was scheduled for the middle of the game) we decided on 20 points for the attacker and 12 for the defence and sorted our forces beforehand.

This isn't a battle report just a report about what we learned from the game. We both had two games under our belts so we were still learning. One thing to be said right off the mark is that after a couple of turns we really got into a groove and the game motored along. 

A few interesting observations: The pic below shows the first Germans deployed. This was due to apair of encroaching Combat Patrols. The patrols were approaching an Ambush point and, as a result, had to be dealt with. That meant deploying the platoon and MMG. The recce potential of the CP's were really highlighted.

The initial turns were really a game of maneuvering our CP's. I found that in defence getting my own CP's into good positions could really hamper Michael's deployment options. This lasted right up to the final moves of the game.

We both found out the hard way that CP's are good for hiding your intentions but if there are limited viable targets on the table then everyone who can see those targets can fire on them. My first platoon was a victim of this. An artillery stonk, fire from a platoon on the adjacent hill and then HE from a M4 Sherman platoon saw them supressed with one section KIA. Then a failed rally test saw them retreat back into the fields.

The platoon on the hill that shot at them up, then became the only visible target. Mortars, machine guns and platoon fire killed 2 sections. Fortunately for the Brit's the final section passed a Morale Test and hung on to the hill for the remainder of the game.

We had a few Close Combats. Michael really pushed his troops using Company and Battalion Orders. The tactic paid off and my center got thrown back and I received a FUBAR.

We talked about Close Combat and declared that the only way to win is to make sure the defender is Supressed. In the combat below the Brit's assaulted a farm with a platoon and an MMG. They were supressed but both sides inflicted two Shock. I lost a section KIA so I lost the combat and was forced to retreat. But there's more to come...

A couple of times my artillery failed to arrive which made life difficult. In the pic below my big guns arrived right on target with the idea of breaking up the attack. It worked and the leading platoon was hurled back and Supressed. The following platoon escaped with 1 Shock but the stonk gave my troops time to fall back and try to reorganize.

Thinking I was about to be overrun on my right I deployed my final Ambush unit: A Marder III. The Sherman platoon was advancing up the road having spent several moves shelling my infantry so the little Marder tried to stop them.

It's first shot was a good one but the Sherman's armour saved it from destruction. Return fire saw the Marder gain 2 Shock. This tank v's tank duel continued for the remainder of the game with horrendous shooting by both sides with no more hits after the first two.

Did we decide the way to win a Close Combat was to supress the defender? Fire from an MMG and HE from the Marder saw the Brit's in the farm Supressed. Fire from my assaulting unit killed a section. The charge saw my Germans inflict 1 Shock. The Brits inflicted 2 Shock. The Brits had another section KIA on a die roll of 5. But the rules read: The side that inflicts the highest amount of Shock is the winner. KIA results are only counted to break a tie. So a dogged defence from the Brits saw them suffer heavy casualties but the Germans were hurled (13") right back to their second defensive line. A odd result but very satisfying like something you read about in true accounts.

My troops trying to fall back to their second defensive line. Mortar fire and tardy movement made it difficult and we ended the game at his point. Before I tried to re-take the farm Michael consolidated on that objective and had started to bring on C Company with Combat Patrols starting to make their way around my right flank. I had the Marder there to bolster the defence but a second troop of Sherman's were moving up in support. I doubt the little tank killer could handle four M4's.

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Conclusion: 

I enjoyed my solo games but playing against an opponent was really great and took it up another level (or two!). There were some rules that I had totally overlooked and some I forgot. Likewise Michael was unsure on some rules. So we were able to both have some input into better coming to grips with the game.

There's plenty of deception and second guessing to be had with using Combat Patrols and Ambush units. Those first, probing CP's forced my hand earlier that I would have liked and turned my ambush into a farce. The platoon and MMG never really recovered and played little part in the game other than to divert mortar fire away from other units and waste Order chits trying to rally and get them moving again.

You can't be sure what's going to happen. Twice my artillery failed to arrive and twice Michael's mortars reported Low on Ammo. At least when my big guns did fire I called in the Divisional guns and got a Heavy Battery. A nebelwerfer fire mission would have been nice!

Overall, an even better game with a real life opponent. We've agreed on a rematch in a fortnight. Possibly some Eastern Front action if I can get my Soviets re-based in time.