Fracas 2015 Report Part 1

With Fracas over for another year its time for my after action report on the event. As 5 games of pics would be quite a lot ill split this over 2 posts. Very early on Sunday morning Warren and Myself left for Upper Hutt at 4.45am to pick up Mark and Andrew Stanton who would be traveling up with us. And after collecting Mark and waking Andrew up lol we where on our way with a detour to Pick up Bob Pearce from Shannon. We arrived in Wanganui just on 8.30am ready for the off there would be 19 players this year. Was meant to be 20 but there was a late withdrawal. So there would be a bye round  this is the armies that were attending.

Book Nationality Force  Market Garden Britain 11th Armoured Reconnaissance Road to Rome Britain 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade   Blood, Guts and Glory USA 4th Armoured Division Blood, Guts and Glory USA 7th Armoured Division Bridge at Remagen Germany 512 Heavy Tank Hunter Desperate Measures Germany Panzer Kampgruppe Bridge at Remegan Germany 512 Heavy Tank Hunter Bridge at Remegan Germany 510 Schwere Panzer   Bridge at Remagen Germany 654 Heavy Tank Hunter (Ruhr Pocket) Bridge at Remagen Germany Schwere Panzer Nachttjager Germany Kampfgruppe Wallenberg Bridge at Remagen German 510 Schwere Panzer Desperate Measures German Panzer Kampfgruppe Bridge at Remagen German 510 Schwere Panzer Devils Charge German SS-Kampfgruppe Peiper Red Bear Soviet Union Tankovy Desperate Measures Soviet Union Hero Serdniy Samokhodno-artilleryeriyskiy Polk (Regular) Desperate Measures Soviet Union Serdniy Samokhodno-artilleryeriyskiy Polk (Red Army)
Game 1

Player - Julian Emmett
Army - US 4th Armoured
Mission - Hasty Attack

My first game was vs Julian Emmett a Wanganui player I had played Julian the last 2 years at Fracas and he was a great guy to play he was running a mix of US Sherman's.

The set up I had just my two Panzer 4's off table Julian had a platoon of 3 Sherman's off table

Julian moved you in his first turn then in response I moved to engage.and with the first shoot killing his Jumbo Sherman.

Julian got his reserves on 2nd turn and his other Sherman's took cover from the KT.

After my KT bogged trying to move the next turn my Pz4's came on so I used them to give my KT time to free its self. Killing a Sherman in the process

The Sherman's however other plans killing one tank and double bailing the other forcing it to run. My Tiger was now in danger of side shots killing it.

Luckily my KT got free redeployed and killed Julian's CO and the last tank from his first platoon after they had spent the last 2 turns peppering my volkssturm with MG fire.

With Julian Having only his 2 tanks left he charged the Volkssturm hoping to get another point out of the game but it wasn't to be.

With the final 2 tanks destroyed that was game a 5-2 win to me but a good go at it by Julian had my KT died when his Sherman's got around the side it could of been a very different game.

Game 2

Player - Julian Harkness
Army - Russian medium self propelled artillery company
Mission -Free for all

Game 2 would be vs another Julian. Julian Harkness was new to Flames of war he had only played a hand full of games prior to Fracas but was keen to get strait into it. He was running SU-100 and 85's so I had to be more careful this time with flank shots that would be coming from much more powerful guns.

The 2 KT's and volkssturm in the middle and the 2 Panzer's and 2nd volkssturm on the right flank while Julian deployed most of his forces on my right with his AT guns and AA trucks on my left.

The SU-100's and 85's stalk the KT

The Su-100's move out hoping to Bail my tiger to give his forces time to get around my flanks. But in return I kill 2 of his tanks. While his CO sneaks around the flank ready to pounce on a KT's side armor.

My panzer' 4's where to race up the flank and knock out some AA trucks but got killed in the end I managed to kill his 2 SU platoons and his CO but not quite forcing his company to a break test. And after that we where out of time.

So in the end it was a 3-2 draw to me Julian played well for someone who hadn't played too many games he got the turn order mixed up a bit but I helped him out a bit and we got there in the end. I'm sure he will do well with Russians as he had an aggressive play style which suits them

Game 3

Player - Andrew Karl
Army - 4th New Zealand Armored Brigade 

Mission - Cauldron

Andrew was my next opponent he was actually running the event as he had in the past as well he was running an NZ tank army from the road to Rome book. I knew I would be up for a hard fight with defending in cauldron having the enemy coming at you from all sides.

As before in reserves missions I had my Panzer 4's off table and Andrew had just A Sherman platoon and HQ on table.

In my first turn I kill 2 of his 3 Sherman's in the platoon forcing a morale test before Andrew has even had a turn. If he fails it it would mean a company morale test before his turn one. Andrew passes and gets his M10s on first turn.

After surviving the first volley from the M10's i just sit still for full rate of fire and shoot but miss and pay the price dearly.

A few turns later my Panzer 4's arrive turn 5 to be exact only because they turned up automatically. And instead of just ignoring the firefly that cant move because i killed the platoon commander I sit there for 2 turns shooting and missing losing a tank. Silly me.

My panzer 4 moves off to engage Andrews CO and that fails badly as well. My men must of forgotten to load ammo before battle.

Andrews Air support pounds my volks sturm which at this point the 2 platoons of them are all that's left  for me.

I sat there for another 5 turns weathering the fire until one platoon finally fell breaking my army.

Andrew's cool custom objective's

So a sound beating from Andrew handing my my first loss 6-1 while it started well for me not another thing went right. But that's just how its goes some times.

Games 4 and 5 to follow tomorrow thanks for reading.