Natcon AAR Day 3 Games 7 & 8 + Final standings

The final day dawned I felt I was doing OK as I was bringing points away from each battle even though I wasn't winning which i felt stood me in an alright position.

Game 7 was vs Russell Briant A person I had fought at many tournaments and from past experiences I knew it would be a hard battle. We would be playing encounter on what was to be a pretty open table even for a desert.

The set up both infantry platoons with attached 45mm AT the KV-1 and the 76mm guns on table. Russell started with 3 Matilda's one infantry platoon and 25pdrs on table.

Russell had first turn but had nothing to do so it was my turn. Everything moved at the double first turn I was hoping to swamp him before the reserves arrive.

Russell's artillery hit my 76mm guns and killed 2 of them they would be pinned for most of the game.

Russell's turn 3 and he got some reserves on and as i had just moved at the double I would be in trouble.

My first reserves came on so I bought on the Katyusha's to start pinning his troops.

Luck on a few stands died from the previous turns shooting as Russell had moved his men back knowing I would assault this meant I would spend another turn in the open.

Mean while the advance on this flank was slow as i kept getting pinned by artillery but causalities were low at least for now.

Progress was slow from here on with un-pinning becoming a problem.

The Katyusha's this turn had killed one of the 25pdrs and pinned all around it. This is the moment to strike.

A failed assault on this flank really took its toll not only did my men take a battering my KV was bailed right in front of his men.

With the KV dead and Russell getting his next reserves on the bren carriers moped up some more of my men. All I could hope to do was dig in and wait for help.

On this front though an over ambitious assault with me moving too many men in meant I dragged the Matilda's in as well which was the death of my men.

The remnants of my platoon dug in but with more reserves coming on for me meant that the carriers just went for some juicy gun teams instead.

The only thing stopping Russell claiming the objective a few stands of men left behind to guard it.

My AA guns showed up but with it being random reserves they came on at the wrong end. At the other end they might of been able to kill the marauding Bren carriers.

I was lucky time was up because another turn and I would be broken. It ended in a 3-1 draw in Russell's favour. Attacking a dug in infantry army that is gone to ground is almost imposable on a table this open as you just take fire from everywhere. And I didn't travel to Auckland to just sit there and do nothing. I felt i left nothing on the Table but I don't think I could of done much differently.

Game 8 would be Vs Steven Falconer who I believe had won every game so far so a tough ask to knock him over. In this game we would be playing pincer he was running a German Grenadier army with lots of pioneers. The only wheels in his army was 2 supply waggons so no armour to deal with at least. Steven made the comment that who every won the roll to defend would most likely win the game I agreed.

I lost the roll to defend and with a line of barbed wire across the width of the table I would be going anywhere in a hurry.

I moved was quick as i could to the wire so I could begin the what would be a likely slow process of gaping it.A few stands of infantry were lost but nothing of note.

My second turn I lost a lot of men although I kept pinning him he was able to un-pin all the time. I lost quite a few man this turn as well as my AA guns 1 At guns and a few mortars.

By turn 3 my Katyusha's where down to a single truck although that still counts as 4 guns so keep firing. Steven's mortars were doing a lot of damage to me.

While the KV can game wine no prob my infantry cant so I would have to survive a turn of shooting so i could try and gap it. Hoping my KV would stay alive long enough to give them a chance.

Well my KV didn't really draw much attention away from the infantry as he still managed to kill all of them. The KV was killing a few people in assault but not enough to take the pressure off.

More infantry swarmed the KV while the rest of my army looked on pinned and helpless

With The KV dieing that took me past break point and with my CO already dead that was game.

And that was the final game over a well fought defence by Steven and a 7-1 win to him. Having to play play the 1st and 2nd placed players in the last 2 games really buggered me for a good finish but with there only being 12 other people playing the swiss chess system doesnt really work. I still had a great time played a few new people and had a few rematches as well.

And now for the points table

You might notice Issac isnt on the list as he was running the comp he was playing the bye round.