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