US Heavy Armour finally

Well with the Remagen book finally bringing the Pershing and not to mention the Super Pershing to life i could finally use my old Pershing models i had bought when i was playing V1 of FOW. The Pershing is very much like the panther in game terms but with 1 extra side armour and a .50cal on the roof. But the Super Pershing gives me a bit extra punch and staying power with front armour 13 side 6 top 2. The man gun is 100cm/40'' which for an American player finally means you can out range some targets for once. And with ROF 2 AT 16 and FP 3+ there isn't too much that can stand up to it very well it also has the .50cal as well what doesn't in the US armoury. Both tanks have the tank telephones and smoke ammunition the Super Pershing is over loaded though but this only effects bogging rolls so not to much of an issue.

I have been working on one of my old Pershing's and converting it to a Super Pershing with the hope that if i am to play Late war at Natcon I would be using it. Having last used these models about 15 odd years i hope they haven't forgotten how to fight.

Before

After

The stabiliser springs on top of the spaced armour should of been off centre so i had to take them off and reattach them.

The Platoon coming to get you at a table near you!

Valleycon 2015 Armies on parade

My US Armoured Tank Division

Mathew Collet's Germans

Germans with a captured KV-1

Warren Hart's Panther company.

Daniel Wilson's Hungarians.

Russel Briant's Brits

Bryan Thompson's German's

Some Soviet Armour

Bede Baily's Germans voted Best painted.

Bede's Germans

Some Italian infantry.

Valleycon Day 2 games 4 and 5

It was another beautiful day in Upper hutt even hotter then the day before. I was feeling a little worse for wear as i had been invited by 2 fellow war gamers for some games of SAGA and other board games and was up all night playing games and having a good time. But i would not let that get in the way of another good days war gaming.

Game 4 - Pincer

My first game of the day was VS David Kinzett playing British Rifles he had 3 Churchill's in his army so my Lack of high end AT was to be tested. Being pincer and the defender having half his army off table i knew i had to strike hard and fast before any reserves arrived.

Same as before all or nothing AA half tracks are on the other side just in case an opportunity presents itself.

First move M4's plus the 2iC and CO all move up to assault range thanks again to General Harmon and killing 1 stand of infantry. While the mortars go to work on the Churchill's keeping them under a thick layer of smoke.

David's Churchill's move out from the smoke and he springs his 6pdrs from ambush ''This doesn't look good''. luckily only 2 M4's are killed and 2 bailed.

With Gen Harmon's Get moving rule the M4's are back in action and the infantry quickly dismount before the AT guns can bear down on them. But the other M4 platoon makes short work of the 6pdrs killing all of them. And the mortars again smoke the Churchill's.

The Churchill's manage to bail the 3 tanks again but the infantry move up to gain a foot hold and go in for assault.

The defensive fire causes some casualties but i get through JUST and kill a stand in reply.

The second M4 platoon had assaulted some troops up the middle luckily i won the assault as a tank got bogged going over a wall could of been a loss there.

David gets his first reserves on and sick of my mortars keeping his Churchill's covered in smoke he brings his carrier platoon on with their At rifle and .50cal MG and guns strait for my mortars.

My AA half tracks see a gap and exploit it hoping to race to the rear and cause some problems.

With my mortars defending them selves i couldn't lay smoke anymore so i pulled the M4's from the center of the table and massed fire power on the Churchill's hoping 1 or 2 shots would get through. Well that went well didn't it.

My 2 AA half tracks went in for an assault and failed badly both Armour saves from the defensive fire I rolled double 1's and he mad both firepower tests on his rifles '' Oh No''

My M4's finally got a Churchill in the end but as time ran out my forces where falling to pieces so I don't think i could pull a victory out anyway once again a good hard fought battle and a 6-2 win to David.

Game 5 - Dust up

The last mission of the weekend was Dust up and i would be facing a German grenadier company commanded by Mathew Collet.

I started with both Armoured rifle platoons on table dismounted and platoon of Sherman's. Mathew started with his 2 88's and 2 platoons of infantry and a 3 stand platoon of HMG's as the other 2 had been combat attached.

First turn Mathew moved his infantry to the field and barn for cover then took up firing positions.

I meanwhile moved at the double out of LOS of those 88's till i could get guns to bear on them my infantry just sat tight on the objective knowing there would be action soon.

My first turn of rolling for reserves and i got some so i bought on the mortars so i could smoke some 88's. But the first turn as they moved i couldnt bombard so i direct fired at the barn killing a stand of men.

My next reserves roll netted me some M4's so all i needed was smoke to keep them alive.

And right on que the mortars delivered.

While the 88s where occupied i gunned the Sherman's up the road toward the objectives. And just in the nick of time as Mathew got some StuG's on and they where snipping at my heels.

My shooting didn;'t net any dead 88's so in reply Mathew killed a Sherman with his 88's. And the StuG's killed one also.

The next turn things started to turn for me the AA came on and kept the infantry busy. the 2 M4's killed one 88 gun and pinned the platoon. the other Sherman's couldn't knock out the other one though.

My CO went back to keep the StuG's at bay if i lost him i still had Harmon for company morale checks. Which i hadn't had to make all weekend.

Rightly so the 88 spun around and killed the 2 Sherman's at point blank range after unpinning.

Waves of Mathews reserves where starting to come on I better hurry.

My CO still held the StuG's back and the infantry readied for the coming battle.

The second platoon of M4's was too late to save the other from the 88 but still knocked it out all the same. No to move that infantry of my objective.

My CO finally gave in to the pressure the StuG's put on him.

0ne AA Half track was killed in assault the other forced to break off.

He was racing back to his deployment to save the objective but in the end he was saved by the bell time was up. Another game timed out so it was a 3-2 Draw in favor of Mathew.

I haven't had so many games time out before and i don't think it was from a lack of me pussy footing around trying to stay alive some games deployment took far to long and some was because rules where being looked up but what can you do. It was still a very enjoyable weekend and my next event ill be attending will be Natcon in Auckland most likely late war but may switch to early war. The late war points are 1450 and early war is 1550. Hope to see you there.

 The results

1. Simon McBeth
2. Alex Martin
3. Bede Bailey (Best Painted)
4. Ken Camel
5. = Warren Hart
    = Russell Briant
7. Joe Kelly
8. = Bryan Thomson
    = Callum Martin
10. Daniel Wilson
11. David Wilson
12. Simon Taylor
13. Paul Waechter (Best Sport))
14. David Kinzett
15. John Fletcher
16. Matthew Collett

Valleycon Day 1 games 2 and 3

Game 2 - Breakthrough

My second game was with Bryan Thompson he was using a German Grenadier company. I would be attacking in this one which was what i had designed my army for so her goes.

Setup I had everything but a platoon of Sherman's which were in reserve set to push onto the weaker of the 2 defensive lines my tanks only had 2 Pak38's to deal with. How hard can it be?

First turn i moved up and with General Harmon's 4+ extra move dismounted the troops ready for assault. My 37mm AA had their hands full of Luftwaffe fly boys shooting down 3 planes in the first turn.

The next turn my armoured rifles regrouped from a failed assault and tried again along with the 2 command Sherman's. Even though i had pinned and smoked the Pak38's the 2 shots they had in defencive fire hit and killed both Sherman's. Bryan's lines held strong.

The second armoured rifle platoon readied for an assault on another rifle platoon in the second row of houses. Bryan's StuG's where getting closer to the action i needed to breakthrough before they got there or it would be too much to deal with.

I had secured the houses in the town but now there was quite a bit of open ground to overcome. Luckily my reserves came on with the second roll. this caused Bryan to pull his StuG's away to deal with them.

The tanks engaged in a Brief firefight i killed one StuG he killed two Sherman's in replay and they ran.

Back on the main front another Sherman had died another had been bailed since turn 2 and wasn't getting back in any time soon. and the one that was left was to be picked off the next turn.

I had managed to get across the open ground with out too many casualties forcing one of Bryan's squads back off the objective.

On Bryan's next turn he recaptured the objective right on turn five and at full time. So with time being up i had no chance as the objectives were not hot till turn 6 so it wasn't to be. A 6-2 win to Bryan.

Game 3 - Counterattack

My next game was Vs Daniel Wilson I had played him before at Valleycon 2013 it was early war then and i think from memory he bested me on that occasion. He was running Hungarian Infantry company once again  would be the attacker.

The setup was simple as once again try and force my way through. First turn General Harmon and his armoured rifles moved towards Daniel's artillery.

My 2 platoons of Sherman's and the CO blasted the 3 defending Panzer 4's to pieces.

Meanwhile moving at the double the 2iC, AA and the second infantry platoon raced around the edge of the table towards the rear objective. The road wasn't an option it had been Mined.

My mortars and infantry made quick work of the artillery forcing them to flee the battle.

French House design leaves a lot to be desired. It wasn't until turn 3 that Daniel decided to reveal his ambush from behind where his tanks had died. I think i had out stayed my welcome.

The armoured rifles where making good progress to the objective at the rear while the 2iC and AA tried to slow the advance of he troops trying to get back to the objective.

Yes i had defiantly out stayed my welcome. luckily only losing 2 tanks to the PaK40's

The 2iC and AA guns tried to knock out some of the PaK's but failed and when it came time to vacate the area the 2iC got stuck on the hedge and one AA got Bailed.

Daniel's pioneers had decided that enough was enough an took the fight to my armoured rifle that had earlier caused the artillery to rout. Flaming and assaulting them causing quite a few deaths.

The rifles and Gen Harmon fell but the armoured mortars wouldn't let them get away Scott free

Mean while the AA where killed off by the PaK's and the 2iC wasn't going anywhere.

I had set up a fire base around the objective and a hail of MG fire killed off 5 stands on the first round of shooting .

Daniel tried one final assault on the half tracks but failed to get through. Unfortunately Daniel had to leave for work at 5pm so he called it there he was happy to give me the win as he thought he would lose it the next turn anyway. So a5-3 win to me and the first one of the weekend again another hard fought battle but well worth it.