Part Three: Irresistible Forces and Immovable Objects Germany and United Kingdom

 Impenetrable Steel and Heavy Guns

 Almost every nation involved in World War Two identified the need for a type of tank that was one of two things: Heavily armoured and heavily armed. Some nations managed to deliver on these ideas better than others. Some sacrificed one aspect at the expense of the other. Tanks that ended up sacrificing armour for a heavy weapon and in some cases improved speed are usually referred to as 'Tank Destroyers'. These tanks we will look at in a later entry, but for now we will look at the heavily armoured beasts, some carrying weaponry as fearsome as their appearance, and others sadly under-gunned.

 Naturally, if we looked at every tank that fell under this category, we would be here all day, so to save on time each nation will have at most three of their most famous heavily armoured and armed tanks. Should you feel aggrieved that I have missed out your favourite armoured fighting vehicle, I may do an additional post at a later date to highlight those more popular than others.

Germany

 Panther A, D, G / Jagdpanther

 Making its debut at Kursk, the Panther was a highly successful tank. Combining heavy frontal armour that included a shot deflecting angle, the Panther could easily take on any other tank of the war.

 The Jagdpanther is the assault gun model of the Panther, mounting the same gun as the Konigstiger and being armoured approximately the same as the Panther, the Jagdpanther terrified Allied tankers from D-Day onwards, taking a heavy toll on the Scots Guards Churchill squadrons during the D-Day breakout.

 Both the Panther and the Jagdpanther have an indomitable Front Armour of 10, making them impervious to anything less than a 3" gun, and even then at long range they will most likely resist anything that size thrown their way.Their Achilles heel comes from their extremely vulnerable side armour of 5, Panthers and Jadgpanthers need to be very wary of being outmanoeuvred by superior numbers, which in most cases will be highly likely.

 Whilst the Panther mounts a slightly weaker gun than the Jagdpanther, that weakness is relative, as the Anti-tank of 14 is more than enough to take out Churchills, T-34s, and make the basic model Pershing consider its options. The gun on the Jagdpanther is going to go through almost anything thrown against it, with the tanks most likely to resist the shot being other German tanks in the form of Konigstigers, Jagdtigers and the like.

 With both tanks lacking the 'German-standard' protected ammo, it is worth keeping in mind that dropping to 'Reluctant' to save points may result in a bailed out tank spending the majority of the game inoperable.

Tiger I

 Quite possibly the most recognisable tank of World War Two, the Tiger cuts a fearsome sight with it's box-like structure, thick all-round armour and heavy gun. While the reports of Tigers being unreliable in the field, their gearbox failing, their tracks unlinking at a moment's notice and the engine simply cutting out because of the wrong type of weather is first in mind when discussing the failing of the tank, the Tiger will always keep it's fearsome reputation, especially when commanded by the famous Obersturmführer Michael Wittmann, and his spree outside Villiers-Bocage.

 The Tiger is a model heavy tank, combining very good armour all round, with a gun that will take out most medium tanks without issue. Despite having a point of armour less on the front than the Panther, the Tiger has no weakness on the side, with 8 being enough to fend off most medium guns, the Tiger can afford to get stuck in more when outnumbered. With the retention of 'Protected Ammo' and 'Wide Tracks', the Tiger will usually stay in the battle longer, making it highly useful.

 The famous 8.8cm KwK36 is strong enough to put paid to most other tanks in the field, unless up against other heavy tanks, and then the slight weakness of Anti-tank 13 gets shown up. The gun being unable to penetrate a Jumbo, Churchill VII  and struggling against both models of IS-2, the Tiger will sometimes find itself in a slow slugging match which it may or may not triumph from

United Kingdom

 Churchill III / IV / VI / VII

 Named for the wartime politician of the same name, the Churchill was a tank that found its uses despite being designed for a different type of war. The Churchill is a slow-moving infantry support tank, and was initially designed to help fight a war akin to World War One, where trench fighting and no-man's land meant that only direct assaults would work. Despite early failings such as the Dieppe raid, the Churchill was greatly appreciated by its crews, who agreed the major disadvantage to the tank was lack of punch. With early models mounting the standard 6pdr, and later models mounting the 75mm of the Sherman, the Churchill was a heavy tank with the hitting power of a medium.

 The introduction of the Churchill VII upped the tanks survivability incredibly, with a front armour that could stop a Tiger round, the Churchill VII was much needed in the later days of the war, when the Big Cats prowled the French countryside.

  The Churchill, regardless of model, is a tank with amazing survivability. The standard front armour of 8 allows it to shrug off most medium rounds at range, and with the addition of  'Applique' armour, which increases the front armour to 9, gives them even more survivability. Add into this equation the presence of 'Protected Ammo' and 'Wide Tracks', the Churchill is a workhorse that will keep in the fight until the end. On top of this the Churchill VII takes the field with an almost impenetrable Front Armour of 13, which can shrug off shots from Tigers, Panthers and even has a sporting chance against the dreaded Jagdpanther and Konigstiger. With all models of Churchill having an impressive side armour, these tanks are almost the epitome of 'Immovable Object'.
 The armament is where the Churchill is disappointing. The Mk VI and VII armed with the same 75mm gun as the Cromwell, giving it the 'Semi-indirect Fire' rule. While the re-rolls to hit at range are advantageous, the reduced anti-tank rating leaves a lot to be desired.
 The late model Churchill IV takes the field with the improved 6-pdr. The increase in rate of fire, and anti-tank is let down slightly by lacking 'Semi-indirect Fire' and having a disappointing Firepower of 4+ means that on the whole a mix of Churchills does well.


Comet

 Arriving at the very end of the war, as the British Army was crossing the Rhine into Germany itself, the Comet was the last in a long line of Cruiser tanks that had served Britain throughout the years. Carrying the Rolls-Royce Meteor engine, this tank had a very impressive top speed for a tank its size. Official records have it reaching a top speed of 32mph, however some crews reported that when given the open space of a German Autobahn, the tank could tear along at higher speed with the throttle fully open. The tanks wasn't just fast on its tracks, it also mounted an impressive 77mm gun, which fired a similar round to the 17pdr, but the cartridge case was from the older QF 3 inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft gun loaded to higher pressures. The resulting round was completely different from 17-pounder ammunition. It had a lower muzzle velocity than the 17-pounder, but the ammunition was much more compact and more easily stored and handled within the tank.

Out of the tanks discussed so far, the Comet has by far the lowest armour amongst them. But still has an impressive front armour of 7, matching that of the T-34/85 and M4A3 Shermans. Unlike its peers though, the Comet has the speed to outmanoeuvre most other tanks. The inclusion of 'Protected Ammo' also means that should the Comet be caught out by medium fire and ends up bailed out, it will quite likely remount immediately to get back in the fight.
 The reason the Comet is on this list for the British is the 77mm gun. With the same Anti-tank rating as the Panther's main gun, and being a point higher than the Tiger's, the Comet combines speed and firepower in a very effective way, as long as it doesn't have to receive fire as often. Finally, should the Comet be cornered, the 'Semi-indirect Fire' rule means that the heavy fire it throws it has a higher chance of finding and taking out its target.

Tomorrow: Irresistible Forces and Immovable Objects United States and Soviet Union

Tank Aces Again (Part Two: United States and Soviet Union)

More Tanky Goodness

Today we cover the other two major nations of the war; The United States of America, with it's heartland industry powering it, and the Soviet Union, with their ahead-of-their-time designs that lead the way in tank shape.
 I tried to keep the tanks mentioned unique to each nation, however, the Sherman was widely used by the British and the Soviet Union through the 'Lend-Lease' programme, so unfortunately the United States only has the basic models mentioned, with the more interesting upgrades, and the powerful Pershing coming later on.

The United States of America

 M4, M4A1, M4A2 'Sherman'

 One of the most recognisable tanks, and the one used by most nations during the war, the 'Sherman' has always received mixed reviews from crews, historians and wargamers. Some would call it the best tank of the war, while others would say the high sides and rumoured 'explosive' tendency made it an underpowered death-trap. Regardless, the Sherman will always be one of the first tanks that spring to mind when the word 'tank' is mentioned.

 The Sherman, much like the Cromwell has a very middle-of-the-road statline. With front armour 6 giving it a hint of a chance in long range engagements, but against Panzers the 75mm gun always feels slightly underpowered, and against StuGs is lucky to get through, unless you sneak them round the sides. As for special rules, there's no 'Protected Ammo' to see here, so tankers will have to pray for decent dice rolls to remount. The addition of the 'Stabiliser' rule allows the Sherman to keep up a high rate of fire on the move, but at the penalty of +1 to hit.

M4A1 (76mm)

 The American forces recognised the need for a heavy gun on the Sherman to deal with Panthers and Tigers, and so the M4A1 (76mm) was produced, and was so successful that it also found its way into British and Soviet tank companies. The 76mm gun was spread to other models of the Sherman, but they will be discussed at a later date.

  The M4 (76mm) is usually mounted on an uparmoured Sherman chassis, to give it more survivability. This extra point of armour puts it on a better footing than its Panzer counterpart, making engagements between the two more likely to come out in favour of the Sherman, Another upgrade for the 76mm is the addition of 'Protected Ammo' meaning if the tank is bailed, the reroll to remount will get it back in the game quicker. The gun retains the stabilizer rule, giving it a good output of fire. The anti-tank for the gun above is the earlier model 76mm, later models go up to anti-tank 13, making it an even more fearsome opponent in the field.

The Soviet Union

T-34 obr 1942

 With almost 35,00 T-34's produced wielding the 76mm gun, this model was the most produced tank of the second world war, far outstripping any model of Sherman, Panzer and even it's upgunned comrade the T-34-85. The T-34 was well made, decently armed when it first entered service, and had a design which introduced the concept of sloped armour to the German command.

 With front armour to equal most other medium tanks, slightly improved side armour and a throttle that can send the tank 32" at the double, and wide-tracks to keep it moving through rough terrain, the T-34 obr 1942 is able to hold its own on the field for the most part. The downsides to the tank are firstly the gun; with an anti-tank rating of 9, the gun will struggle to trouble Panzers and Shermans at range, and will most likely leave StuGs untouched. Secondly, limited vision is going to add an additional +1 to hit, should the tank need to rotate its turret beyond 90°, thankfully this is not often, and if need be a coupla can be purchased to negate the rule completely.

T-34-85 obr 1944

 Much like with the American Sherman, the Soviet command realised that the gun on their main battle tank would need an upgrade to give it a fighting chance against Panzers, Panthers and Tigers. So, they equipped the T-34 with an 85mm gun, welded more armour to it, and sent it out to battle once more

 The upgraded T-34 gains an additional point of front armour, but at a cost. The additional weight means the engine can no longer reach the speed of the T34 obr 1942, and all that weight counteracts the tracks ability to pull the tank through mud. Therefore the T-34-85 loses 'Fast Tank' and 'Wide Tracks', The main difference though is the gun; a massive jump from anti-tank 9, all the way up to anti-tank 12 allows the T-34-85 to put the fear into Panzers as even at long range the likelihood of a penetrating hit is high.

 The main issue with both T-34s mentioned above is not the tank itself, but rather the crew. The best skill rating one can hope for is 'Trained', unlike every other nation where  they can call upon a 'Veteran' core, however this will be counteracted by numbers, so more poorly trained tanks, or less better trained? We shall see.

 Next issue: Irresistible Forces and Immovable Objects

Tank Aces Again (Part 1: German and British)

G3 launches back into Tank Aces

Tank Aces again?

 That's right, we at G3 will be running Tank Aces again, due to the influx of newer players and the smashing success of the last time it was run about three years ago. Cromwells. Tigers. Shermans and the like all clashed over one summer, which culminated in a massed tank battle at the end.

 Sadly, I don't seem to have any pictures from the original Tank Aces campaign left, so I have no lovely images to share of it.

 This time round, the turns will be well documented and tracked on this here Blog. With full colour pictures to accompany the reports.

Why are you writing this now?

 Why write this now instead of when we launch? Simple; the last time we played people took very strange and interesting lists, which though seemed like a laugh, turned the game into an unfun slog. So this time I will be introducing this campaign with a run down on the various Armoured Fighting Vehicles that prospective players might wish to use throughout the campaign.

 To start with it only makes sense to cover the Main Battle Tanks of each of the four primary nations; Germany, United Kingdom, United States and Soviet Union. Each nation has at least two tanks associated with it, and we'll take a look at their strengths and weaknesses.

Note: The opinions expressed below are my own and may not be reflective of the more common line of thinking.

Germany

Panzer IV Ausf. H & J

 The Panzer IV holds the distinctive honour of being the tank which served the entire war. Armed with the effective 75mm cannon, the Panzer IV easily goes toe to toe with any other medium tank of the war.

 With a front armour of 6 and 'Protected Ammo', the Panzer IV has good survivability in a long range fire fight with other tanks in it's weight class. Mounting the Anti-Tank 11 gun means it has a slight edge over it's peers such as Shermans, Cromwells and T-34 obr. 42.
 A tip for saving points it to downgrade (yes, it is a downgrade) to the Panzer IV J. With the addition of 'Slow Traverse', you save a whack of points for a rule which only comes into effect sometimes, so point for point the J seems like a better investment for Tank Aces.

StuG IV/G or StuH 42

 The StuG is a very effective Assault Gun, and usually the more commonly used support tank for German armies beyond the Panzer IV due to the increased front armour in exchange for not having a turret.

 StuGs tend to be equal points to the Panzer IV H, as the increase in front armour is equal to losing the turret. With the same 'Protected Ammo', armament and being German, the StuG is a very common and popular choice for German armies.
 The StuH 42(Sturmhaubitze) is identical to the StuG in terms of armour and protected ammo, but the armament change offers up a few more interesting choices;

 The gun loses a point of Anti-tank in exchange for improved firepower, meaning any tank unlucky enough to be penetrated will most likely be knocked out by the 10.5cm Howitzer the assault gun mounts. The other interesting point to note is the ability to fire smoke; meaning that the StuH can force other tanks to move to get shots off, giving it's comrades cover.

United Kingdom

Cromwell IV

At one point the fastest tank of the war; the Cromwell IV gives the British armoured columns some much needed speed and mobility to get round onto the softer sides of the fearsome German assault guns and heavy tanks.

 The Cromwell has a similar armour profile to the Panzer IV, with slightly improved side armour, and retaining 'Protected Ammo'. The advantages to the Cromwell is the mobility of 'Light Tank' allowing it to travel cross-country at 16", rather than the usual 12". And with 'Semi-indirect Fire', should the Cromwell wish to engage at range, it re-rolls misses at targets more than 16" away, allowing it to suppress those sneaky Panzers. The downside, much like any Western Ally tank, is it's armament; the 75mm gun is slightly weaker than the Panzers, with only Anti-tank 10, at range this gun will struggle to trouble Panzers and StuGs will probably face it down without fear.

Sherman Firefly VC

 The heavy hitter of the British Army for the latter half of the war. The Firefly was rightly feared by German tankers, as a shot from it's powerful 17pdr gun could pierce through even the thick front armour of a Tiger or Panther.

 Though it lacks the speed of the Cromwell, the 17-pdr gun is what gives this tank the edge over it's opponents. The statline featured above is for the early model Firefly, but later on it gets a boost to AT 15 as the Firefly gets armed with APDS shells, combine this with the ever useful 'Semi-indirect Fire', and the Firefly makes for a perfect covering tank. The standard armour of '6' on the front leaves the Firefly open to fire from most any tank on the axis side, so keeping this tank hidden in cover is a must.

Tomorrow; United States and Soviet Union tanks!

Experimental Weaponry

A look at some of the lesser used units for the British

Weird and Wonderful Weaponry

 In my 10+ years of playing Flames of War, I've always been fascinated by the lesser seen, and lesser used units that appear in some of the books. I would be happy enough trotting out the same list week after week; British Rifle Company with the two platoons, 6pdrs, mortars, artillery and some form of armoured support. But I like mixing things up a bit, and getting some of the stranger units on the table. So, the purpose of this is to have a look at some of the lesser used* units for the Brits 

(*in terms of my own experience, these units are not used often, if at all here in Scotland).

Collecting them all in one place

 The first thing to do was to have a look at the British armoury and see which of the units I could get a hold of, and which ones I wanted to use. There were a few I really wanted to try out, and these were:

• Land mattress rocket launcher
• Wasp PPP flame carrier
• Churchill Crocodile
• Archer 17pdr SP
• Commando platoon

 To many of you, the choices above might be a common sight, or you even use them yourself, but in my own experience I've only had the pleasure of seeing the Churchill Crocodile being used by another player, and have used the Archers myself in a single game.

 So, which list would allow me to take all five in one place? There's two choices; Canadian Rifle Company or 52nd Scottish Rifle Company from Market Garden. I opted for the latter, as it allowed me to take more core units to support my experimental corps.

 I took all Canadian support for this list to give my experimental corps more survivability, except the Wasps, who had to remained trained.

 With the list written and the models painted up, it was time to get them onto the table and see how they performed

Churchill Crocodiles - No target, withdrew

 The unit that most commonly appears in other lists are the Crocodiles, with almost every late-war British infantry list having the option to take a unit.

The Crocs hold out for an infantry target, to no avail

 My opponent was fielding a Panzerkompanie, and sat a platoon of Panthers in their way. With neither unit able to deal with the other effectively, the Crocodiles sat back waiting sadly. They were eventually withdrawn after a StuG got around the side and put a round through one of them.

 With the flame-thrower rules as they are, the Churchill Crocodile has the potential to be one of the best flame units in the game. Not suffering from the Fuel Tanks rule, the extended range, higher rate of fire and once used is still a Churchill VII, I would definitely field them again, hopefully with greater success.

Wasp PPP Flame Carrier - stunted by targets and mobility

 Much like the Crocodiles, the Wasp PPP appears in almost every British infantry list in late war; with the option to take up to two patrols worth. They are let down slightly by their stunted mobility through rough terrain, short range and lack of armour, with regular MG shots being able to take them out.

The cute, but deadly little Wasp Carriers

 The Wasps were just as ineffective as the Crocdiles; but that was due to bad positioning during deployment, and then getting themselves stuck in a wheat field, limiting their ability. Their only action in the game was to attempt to bail out a lone StuG, but with the firepower tests letting me down, the Wasps left the table disappointingly.

 With the potential to wreak major havoc amongst infantry and gun teams, as well as being utterly devastating to Gepanzerte Panzergrenadiers, they could do a lot more. I'll give them another go sometime in the future.

Land Mattress Rocket Launcher - a decent heavy mortar equivalent

 The Land Mattress Rocket Launcher is one of the most unique items in the British armoury. With the option to take it only appearing in the Market Garden book, and only for the Canadian and 52nd Scottish lists. The weapon itself has a very similar design to the German Heavy Rocket Launchers.

Land Mattresses, fully loaded and ready to fire

  The Land Mattress has a stat line similar to the British 4.2'' heavy mortar, with a slightly extended range, but with every weapon firing with the power of four, it makes for a more compact weapon. They are an excellent pinning weapon, but with the potential to fire as sixteen weapons for a full battery, their effect can be utterly devastating. I only fielded two weapons, with the firepower of eight heavy mortars.
 The mattress rule requiring a skill check to fire, or forego a turn to reload can make them a little unreliable, but with the unit only coming as Veterans, it is common to have at least one firing every turn, if not both. My unit was firing fairly regularly with one weapon, and two every few turns. Early in the game, they bailed out a few unlucky panzers, but proved their worth later on as they dropped a salvo on some pioneers racing across the table in their trucks, dismounting them and knocking a few teams out.

 If I were to field these fearsome weapons again, I would most definitely invest in another two guns to round out the battery and drop the devastating bombardment template on some unsuspecting units.

Archer 17pdr Self Propelled Anti-Tank - Glass cannons!

 The Archer is the only one of these weapons I've fielded before, and in the game I used them, they performed admirably, even though they had to turn into mobile pillboxes later on as infantry started getting too close for comfort. Archers appear in the Market Garden book for the Canadian lists and in Nachtjåger as the self-propelled anti-tank support for the British Rifle Company.

Panzers and StuGs don't stand a chance against Archers, but return fire is deadly

 The Archers are most useful when sprung from ambush, as they did during my game. Being armed with the very effective 17pdr, they tend to destroy almost everything they hit aside from the heavier big cats. Their lack of armour means that any return fire they receive will most likely take them out, and their 'Awkward layout' means repositioning is a slow process should they survive.
 But, as you can see from the picture above, the StuGs which were on the receiving end of their wrath were left smoking wrecks. Their fate was sealed later on, as the remaining StuG and a Panzer friend rolled out and sniped them off.

 The Archer is turning into one of my most favourite Anti-Tank weapons. I used to only take the M10C, but coming in at around 50pts a piece cheaper, for a unit that will probably not move any way, the points drop is worth it.

Commandos - Swift, deadly, efficient

 I almost never take troops of any rating other than Confident Veteran, so this list was a massive swing from the norm for me, but Commandos were an upgrade. With so many special rules for this Fearless Veteran strike force, and the flexibility to switch out PIAT, light mortar and LMG teams, these were the ones I was looking forward to the most. Naturally, with so many tanks on the other side, I only opted to switch in the PIAT team, while keeping all other teams Rifle/MG.

Commandos take the train station, a good central position.

 The Commandos spent the first few turns of my game camped out in a train station, before springing on a chance for some action. One of my opponent's Panthers bogged down in a building, and the Commandos seized the chance, rushing from the building and straight into combat. They put a PIAT round through the top hatch, before one of the Panther's squad mates wheeled round to teach the pesky marines a lesson. But swinging and missing didn't do it any favours as the fearless troops once again popped the tank with a well-placed PIAT round.

The Commandos do in the pair of Panthers, one having gotten stuck in the shop.

 Would I take Commandos again? Heck yes I would, in fact, I would love to give them a try out as a full Company. The Fearless rating keeping them in the fight, with the hard hitting combat abilities and flexibility making them very effective against a variety of targets.

What else to use?

 I have been looking at other weaponry that I could try out in these lists and there are a few. One of which only appears in three lists across the entire war; the 3.7'' Heavy Anti-Aircraft gun. This weapon is the British equivalent to the German 88', but only comes as Confident Trained and lacks a gun-shield.

The British '88', picture from Battlefront Miniatures

 The final unit I fancy trying out is the PIAT Battery Launcher. This universal carrier packing a row of PIATs on the back fire as a standard medium mortar battery, with a rule similar to the 'Tip & Run' rule for Portee mounted weapons.

A PIAT battery carrier of the Canadian 3rd Division

 I'm always interested in trying out new units, and the stranger the better. So, if anyone has any ideas for weird and wacky units, let me know.
 That's it for now, see you next time.

A New Year; Same Old Points (23rd January)

A long break and returned again

 As you'll no doubt notice, the last post on this blog was away back in May of last year. This is mostly my fault. With University studies getting me distracted, and working a full time job over the summer, it didn't leave much in the way of time for writing up events. But that all changes now, I have returned with a vengeance and will get out a full report on time, every time.

The Flames of War Scotland team return to Common Ground Games

 All change, except not

 Battlefront announced at the end of last year, that the points for Late-War Tournaments would be changed to a rather intriguing and controversial 1420. (You can read the full article here). With this new points value expected to test the resolve of players who have a list set in stone, I was excited to try out new and interesting forces. But, alas, the Scottish players are a fickle bunch and didn't want to be dropped in the deep end straight away, so we put it to a vote, and the old fashioned 1750pts won out, but only just.

 So, with the points and date set, we were all ready for a new year of gaming.

Again, apologies for lack of pictures from the late game, but when I get playing the camera is set aside for a little while.

New Faces

 Originally, we had a prospective ten players lined up for this Late-War Tournament; but unfortunately, the weather, call-offs and no-shows dropped this to five. But, never one to be put off by low numbers, we ploughed on regardless.

David Forrest is the first of two players to make their debut into the tournament scene this year. David has been ever present on the Flames of War Scotland Facebook group, but work and life had kept him away in the past, so it was a pleasure to finally see him along this time round.

David is using a Schwere Panzerjagerkompanie from Bridge by Bridge.

 David's force consisted of a Panzerjagerkompanie from Bridge by Bridge, with StuGs being the mainstay, while the hitting power of Jagdpanthers, 88's and Artillery rounded out his force.

 Gavin Turner was brought along by David. Being a completely new player, he wasn't given the harshest baptisms of fire, but with a few experienced players around to assist, we ensured that Gavin would be taught this time, rather than ground into the dirt.

Gavin was using a 101st Parachute Division list from Market Garden

 Starting out with a Fearless Veteran list might be a wise choice, to give the army more survivability on the field, but we'll see if it holds out for him. Add in a platoon of British Shermans packing Fireflies, it should be a daunting force.

 Michael Byrne is slowly becoming accustomed to the tournament scene, and returns with his US 9th Armored from Bridge at Remagen. The mix of Easy Eights, Jumbos and a small platoon of 105 Shermans gave this list a look of balance as it seemed to have all it wants to take on a variety of targets. With a singular Super-Pershing kicking about to add some fear factor.

The mixture of Sherman types always makes for interesting results

 Greg Fyfe is now an old hand at tournaments, having attended them for a little longer than I have, and almost ever-present at the ones now being run at Stirling. A common gripe from Greg over the years was the lack of Veteran lists for the Soviets, despite the addition of 'Hero' lists from Desperate Measures, the Soviets still went the entire war without true Veterans (Ignoring Spetznaz Platoons), until Berlin Digital treated us to Veteran cavalry, Engineer Sappers and a Recce Company. So, with these new lists, he fielded a Hero Cavalry Regiment.

Veteran Cavalry charging in with T-34 support makes Greg's list

And finally, yours truly. I always love trying out new toys, and for this event I had in mind some really fun little toys to use in the form of Wasp PPP carriers and Land Mattress Rocket Launchers. Alas, I had ordered them a little too late, so they weren't available for the day. Instead, I went with another unit type that I've only fielded once in a friendly game, and only as a supporting platoon. Comets...

The firepower of a Panther, the speed of a Cromwell and the armour of an Easy Eight make this tank amazing.

Round One: Surrounded

Bye: Me

 With five players, naturally someone was going to have a bye. Usually, I would have stepped aside and allowed a round robin between the other players, but I wanted to get some games in with my Comets. I did however elect to take the first round bye to allow the others to get settled into gaming.

Greg vs Michael
Gavin vs David

 Greg took on Michael, while David and Gavin faced off against each other to allow the two a softer start to the tournament. I spent most of the time sitting between the two tables, glancing either side and manning a rulebook.

Michael's Shermans await to attack on Greg's dug in troops

 In the game between Michael and Greg, the US tank company were attacking dismounted, dug in cavalry. With the presence of a daunting hill in the middle of the table, Michael had a tough job of getting to Greg's lines. Early on, a vineyard made for tough going on the platoon of 105's to the north, bogging a couple down, while the others navigated towards the hill. To the south, the recce slipped into the forest, but alas a bogged down M8 made the platoon a target, while trying to sit and lift Gone to Ground on some of the softer targets.
 A brutal use of 120mm mortars blunted the armoured advance, in a horrible display of dice-rolling, two Easy Eights were knocked out by the light artillery, and with the SU-85M's rolling up to the edge of the forest to put some hurt on the rest of the platoon, the south flank attack from the Americans crumbled.
 On the other side of the table, the Stuarts came rolling in, ready to assault into the mortars to extract some vengeance, but some sly positioning from the T-34s meant the defensive fire drove them back and sent them fleeing.
 It was looking pretty grim for the Americans as each attack broke down and units broke off, while the dug in Soviets held on for dear life, denying an important platoon kill.

 The game was called as the Americans were forced into a company command check, and the CiC was no longer on the field, with the 2iC also out of action. And that was that, a 6-1 to Greg and a strong start.

Dismounted cavalry assaulting Recce? Sure!

 On the other table, Gavin and David were still getting to grips with some of the ideas of the game. But with me sitting out, I was more than happy to offer advice to both sides. give them ideas of how to use certain units and get the game away from an old fashioned 40K shoot-em-up.
 The start of the game involved a heavy gun line of StuGs and Jadgpanthers pounding away at the dug in Paras, while the Wirbelwinds tore into anyone foolish enough to raise their head above the foxholes. With the instruction on how to fire smoke, the US troops started making the Wirbelwinds and Jagdpanthers less effective, but there was  still an imminent threat.
 On the other side of the table, the Paratroops broke out and went after the Artillery. The 105s almost caught short by the advancing troops, losing a few of their number to light mortar and machine-gun fire.
 As time was called, the Germans hadn't made enough ground to take an objective, so the game was called as a 5-2 win to Gavin.

++Lunchtime++

It's hungry work commanding and fighting

Round Two: Dust Up

Bye: Michael

The old favourite, Dust Up, was rolled for round two. The mission always gets a groan of dislike from veteran players, but it's not a bad little mission.

Me vs David
Greg vs Gavin

So, with me now in the gaming, I had less time to look over the game between Greg and Gavin barring the very end. So it'll be a little stunted, I'm afraid; but first, my own game with David.

 Dust Up is one of the few mission in the game that can be won in the first turn. It's not fun for either player when this happens, but I can guarantee that if it happens to you, you will probably never suffer the indignity of it again, knowing what you know.
 Unfortunately for David, he wasn't aware of this, and so began the lesson. I placed an objective as close as I could to my own deployment area, on top of a hill, within 4" of the flat land, so my Comets could immediately jump the 16" onto it first turn. David's closest until was about 15" away, leaving him high and dry to contest first turn, and the presence of the hill blocking line of sight to my attacking force.

 I did immediately extend the hand for a game well played, but I didn't just pack up and walk off. Despite teaching the lesson of watching your objectives, I still wanted a game, and it wouldn't have been much fun to David if I'd done that and then buggered off for a coffee.
 So we carried on, ignoring the taken objective and playing out the game as normal.

 My Sherman OP managed to bog itself down, as I was silly enough to try to roll it through a forest, despite it being gone to ground and concealed if it had just sat slightly behind the front of the woods. More the fool, I.
 The speed of the Comets showed as a platoon of them rushed down the side of the table a speedy 32" to take position behind a forest and out of line of sight of all nasty guns, while the commander led the other one forward from the objective. My two platoons of infantry and Daimler Recce were held off table for some immediate effect when they show up.
 The German artillery got off some shots onto my Comets, but they only managed to bail one out. I rolled a platoon of them through the woods to the south of the ruined monastery and fired off some rattling machine-gun fire across the walls to little effect.
 Finally, David brings in some reinforcements in the form of a pair of Jadgpanthers. The fear of these weapons made me wary. Despite the slight increase of armour on the Comets, the shots go through automatically at short range, and the one-in-six chance of a bailed result at long range was not worth the gamble.
 Ignoring them was the best option, as the Sextons threw a repeat bombardment into the monastery knocking out the observer and pinning down the infantry, as my CiC rolled himself into the artillery huddled in the corner. The failed counter-attack roll and with nowhere to escape to, the guns went down and at that point, we called it a game.
 The Jagdpanthers were mostly disappointing for David, only managing to knock out a pair of Comets, and being rather ineffective against the Sextons, bailing two and doing not much else. But, the list is promising and David has the makings of a good player; good humoured and a really good sportsman.

The Jagdpanthers make an appearance, tickling the Sextons for little effect

On the other table, Greg's cavalry were put into action against Gavin's Paras. In this case, the cavalry went on the attack, I only caught it from the last few turns, but what I did see was cavalry doing horrible things on the charge, bazookas reminding tanks not to get too close and an objective being hotly fought over.

 There was a ring-around-the-forest going on near the objective that would finally end the game.

The cavalry assault into the Paras who knock out a couple of T-34s

 The Paras nobly try to hold back the assaulting Cavalry, but to no avail as they over-run the objective and take the day without a lost platoon. A convincing 6-1 to Greg, but signs of good gamesmanship from Gavin.

Round Three: Hold the Line

Bye: Gavin

 The final round put Greg up against myself and Michael's armored were put up against David's Heavy Tank Hunters. Unfortunately, there are no pictures from this round, as I was heavily involved in my own game, and didn't get much chance to see Michael and David's game.

 With my own force being tank heavy, Greg's cavalry were smart to leave their horses behind and dig into defensive positions for this one. At the start of the game, Greg was a little down on the set up, claiming that it would be over very quickly, with my Comets ready to poise and run straight over his defensive lines. Luckily for him, he was fielding a pioneer platoon and slapped down a minefield across the main approach, bordered by the table-edge and a large hedge.
 First turn, my recce moved up to the hedge to spy on the dug in dismounted cavalry, lifting their gone to ground and allowing the Sextons to put some pinning on them, a platoon of infantry charging down the middle to prepare for a second turn assault.

 That decision to charge infantry at the double almost proved to be a costly one, as a small platoon of 45mm guns popped up from behind a wall and let loose into them. With their AT 8 not going to trouble the Comets much, the infantry bore the brunt of the fire, pinning them down with a torrent of hits. Luck must have been on my side, however, as only two bases failed their saves and the infantry breathed a sigh of relief... for now.
 My assault went in, but a few lucky round reduced the effectiveness of the attack, with only a single hit on the defenders, who rose up and wiped out the platoon in return. Not quite what I had in mind, maybe I'll take Commandos next time, because there were an awful lot of '2's' rolled in that assault.
 Regardless, the 45mm guns were crushed beneath Comets as they rolled over the walls and into position, the other platoon coming round atop a nearby hill to offer supporting fire. 

Greg's SU-85M's and dismounted cavalry from his first game against Michael

 The game was still there to be won, but with the appearance of the 85M's, it looked a little bleak as they opened fire into the Comets... for no hits, and the subsequent return fire knocking them out and sending them packing for the hills, I had once again been spared a horrible fate.
 By now, things were getting desperate on both sides as assaults went in, were beaten back and units were whittled down. A brave attempt to assault through a building (avoiding Faustnika defensive fire) resulted in an impressive three bogged Comets. Sensing the capture of these, I positioned my other infantry platoon to within counter-attack distance and awaited the assault.
 And it did come. A platoon of sappers throwing themselves in, but the top armour of the bogged down Comets proving too much for them, as they held on and the infantry poured into the fight, beating back the sappers and chasing them off. Then came some dismounted cavalry, causing havoc amongst my men, but again I held on, with British Bulldog keeping my forces in the fight, as they too were chased off. Subsequently passing the platoon morale checks to keep them on the table added insult to injury for Greg.
 A final, last ditch attempt from some cavalry to get my Comets off the initial objective failed as the assaulting platoon fell completely to defensive fire.
 A very hard fought 5-2.

 On the other table, alas, I didn't see much, but it sounded like a fun game as Michael ended up eventual 5-2 winner there too.

Michael's Stuarts from game one left burning from their assault on the heavy mortars

Final Scores and closing points

The StuGs roll off, with their job done for now.

 And that was that for the first Scottish Tournament of 2016. With a very big thanks to Gavin and David coming down for the first, and hopefully not the last, time. The final scores for all were:

1= Me - 14

1= Greg - 14
2= Michael - 9
2= Gavin - 9
3- David - 5

*- Players with a Bye are awarded the best losing score possible (3 points)

 We come to the end, and with plenty on the schedule for this year, including Team Yankee, Great War and the Nationals again, I'll have plenty to talk about. So thanks for reading, and see you next time.