Over the X-mas break, I managed to get one and only one game of FOW into the books. It's a myth that the holidays allow plenty of time for gaming. Wrong! Shopping, Family, more Shopping, Decorating, Cooking, and again Shopping are very large gremlins who feed on a gamer's spare time.
However, C and I got a game of Encounter. Or should I say I lined up my tanks and he mercilessly shot them to pieces.
Fair Warning: Numerous pics to follow....
Ger-Mans (boo! hiss!)
HQ 2x StuG's
Plt 3x StuG's
Plt 3x StuG's
Plt 3x StuG's
Plt 4x Hornisse
Heroic Liberators of Mother Russia
HQ - M4 (Nevsky)
Co 8x M4
Co 8x M4
Co 3x ISU-122
Plt 1x Spetsnaz
7-dice of Sturmies
Forces are at 1,750 pts.
Left flank of board
Right flank of board
Nevsky, a Sherman company and the ISU-122 company are deployed.
A platoon of StuGs and the CiC
Hornisses are the other half of the deployment. Sturmies show up, get 2 Hornisse under template, bailing both and they remount. Le Sigh.
StuGs shift to the right flank
Shermans double up the right flank
ISU's wary of the Hornisse, one lumbers into the village, keeping in command
Hornisse hide in the village - Er, to counter the Sherman threat!
They are promptly spotted by the Russian air force again. Hooray Priority Air!!
StuGs move into the village to watch the ISU's
Shermans double again behind a hill and contemplate their next move
Hornisse dies, the other is bailed (he remounts)
2nd co of Shermans show up. StuGs kill 1 and bail 2.
Eye level view of the Evil StuGs
Angry Sturmies get a juicey StuG sandwich. (all get under the template. I hit 3, C saves 2 and I fail FP on the 3rd. Cries)
2nd Co of Shermans double behind the forest
Company commander in his stylish BF tank, encourages his men in their Old Glory vehicles
Yes, 1st company sees the objective. Nevsky is shouting "Stay back you fools!
StuGs shuffle back to the right flank
Awww, crap!
1st co is decimated. Nevky and 2 bailed tanks survive
I wonder if this will be the cover photo for the next issue of Der Adler
StuGs move on looking for better targets
No problem. No Problem. 2nd Company doubles to contest the other objective. I mean, all the Ger-Mans are over on the right flank. It's unprotected!
Nevsky heads into the forest to stop from auto-failing batallion morale check
Don't worry, sir. I can take 'em!
Die you Fascist Scum!
A Hornisse sandwich! ((it's bailed and remounts. Sigh))
Ah, crap! (C's other reserves arrive)
The lone Sherman succombs to overwhelming odds
This isn't looking good
Ouch!
Now, the Soviet Air Force does something by killing all the Hornisse
Nevsky is hunted down like a dog...
Whew, what a 2-5 beat down to absorb.
11 StuG's isn't a good match up for my 75mm Shermans. Still, I made plenty of mistakes and deserved to lose.
Big mistake was charging. Why was I in a rush? Just because I'm playing Soviets doesn't mean I have to charge headlong into StuGs. I played the Ger-Man game. He kept in cover and shifted his forces and destroyed my tanks from range with their better guns.
C's reserves showed up right when he needed them. No excuse though for me to double towards the objectives when there was a good chance for those reserves to show up. This is the 2nd Encounter game I've played where the lure of naked objectives cost me dearly.
I was happy with the Sturmies. They showed up consistently. C was lucky with his saves and I had poor Firepower rolls. Luck will even it out.
ISU's weren't presented with any good targets - - because I FORGOT they being Guards ISU and don't have HEN & CHICKS limitation! Mea culpa, mea culpa!
Another HUGE mistake I made and this should be filed under KNOW THY FORCES - I didn't have Nevky's special attributes on my army sheet. Nor was the Soviet PDF loaded onto my smart phone. Luckily the LGS had the Hammer & Sickle book. I had to wade through a crowded store, look up in the info and get back to the table - - then did it again!! Made my opponent wait. I apologized and was embarrased.
That night, I updated my army list and put small notations at the bottom margins of the key Special Rules or Abilities of any Warriors or Units that I may not remember.
The 2-5 loss and tactical errors didn't sting as bad as making someone wait while I look up what my Warrior does for my force. Big time, D'oh!
Good game, C! Hope to give you a better game next time.
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