Bolt action and Star wars armada at Natcon 2019

Next year the Kapiti war-gaming club is hosting the annual Natcon event held over each Easter weekend. Being a 3 day event I decided to run two competitions over the 3 days. On the Friday and Saturday I will be running A 1000pts Bolt Action tournament consisting of 5 rounds.
For Sunday I will be running a 400pts Star wars Armada tournament consisting of 3 rounds.

More details can be found on the Kapiti war games club website --- HERE

 Natcon 2019 Bolt Action

When - Friday 19th April and Saturday 20th April.
Where - Kapiti College sports and recreation center, Margaret Rd, Paraparaumu.
Games - 5 x 2hr games 3 on Friday 2 on Saturday. Played on 6x4 tables.
Registration - $40 if paid before 1 February 2019, $50 thereafter. Payment details                                                       will be sent once you have registered. Fill out this form to enter.
Event TO - John Fletcher. Email - marine_nz@hotmail.com.
Opening  times - Venue doors will be open from 6pm on Thursday 18 April and from  7.30am on Friday 19th April for table setup. Doors will open at 7.30 each morning of  the tournament and close at 10pm each day.

Terrain - Please let me know what terrain and base cloth you can bring.
Missions - Will be from the second edition rule book. TBA

Armies - Lists to be submitted to the TO by Friday 22nd March 2019.
⦁    No more then 1000pts.
⦁    No Armored Platoons.
⦁    12 order dice Maximum.
⦁    Multiple companies are not allowed.
⦁    All armies are to be from Warlord games official books and PDFs prior to 22/3/2019. Easy army  can be used to build lists.

Game Scoring - Win 3pts, Draw 1pt, Loss 0pts.

What to Bring
⦁    Order dice, Tape measure, Dice, Pen.
⦁    Rule book, army book and army list.
⦁    Terrain, objective tokens, etc
⦁    Your painted army.

Prize Support - Dependent on player numbers.

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Natcon 2019 Star wars Armada

When - Sunday 21st April.
Where - Kapiti College sports and recreation center, Margaret Rd, Paraparaumu.
Games - 3 x 2hr games on Sunday. Played on 6x3 play area.
Registration - $20 if paid before 1 February 2019, $25 thereafter. Payment details                                                    will be sent once you have registered. Fill out this form to enter
Event TO - John Fletcher. Email - marine_nz@hotmail.com.
Opening  times - Venue doors will be open from 6pm on Thursday 18 April and from  7.30am on Friday 19th April for table setup. Doors will open at 7.30 each morning of  the tournament and close at 10pm each day.

Terrain - Please let me know what play mats you can bring.

Fleets
⦁    No more then 400pts.
⦁    All the latest FAQ apply at the time of the event
⦁    No Super Star destroyers. Until more is known about them.
Game Scoring - Standard Fantasy flight games Star Wars armada MOV will be used.

What to Bring
⦁    Your ships and all cards required for your fleet
⦁    Rule book and copy of FAQ, A pen
⦁    3x3 or 3x6 Play mats

Prize Support - Dependent on player numbers.


Hope to see you there !!!

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.

Natcon AAR Day 2 game 6

The final game of the day was vs Peter Black he was using A British tank company full of Cruiser tanks and Vicker's light tanks not a Matilda in sight. We would be playing Dust Up for the final game of the day.

My set up covering the two objectives would be 1 infantry platoon my 76mm guns the KV and AA guns these would be in an AT role.

Peter's set up with all his tanks main guns having no HE and his highest AT value at 7 my KV and infantry would be fairly safe unless i did something stupid.

First turn I moved the KV at the double towards the objective to put the pressure on early.

The vickers high tail it out of there knowing they cant hurt it.

Peter then uses his close support tanks to smoke the KV. ''This could be a problem''

My turn 3 and reserves turn up so i bring on the infantry hoping their shear size will keep them alive

Peter gets his first reserves on but wont go into town with all the AT assets there until he has to. With my KV having to move from the smoke all the time hitting anything is almost impossible.

turn 4 not much happened but turn five i have my whole force on and with all these gun teams in the open and not dug in his vickers move in for the kill.

I move my infantry to assault one one platoon and kill one forcing them back. Luckily the vickers didn't  get anyone that turn but would you please dig in.

The vickers tanks from the centre of the table move in to help with the swarm of infantry killing quite a few.

Meanwhile my KV is in a target rich environment and cant hit the broad side of a barn mainly because of the content smoke screen being put on him each turn.

My make a move to get my KV behind the forest where i can see the vickers but out of sight of the smoking guns. Although he is too late to help the infantry.

At last the KV killed something finishing off the first vickers platoon. Hold on katyusha's.

Sadly the KV is too late the Katyusha's are gone and the mortar platoon is down to a man who flees in the end.

Now that my army is at a point where another platoon would break it he moves into the city for the final kill.

A hail of machine gun fire kills one AA gun but not before they knock out 1 cruiser tank and the 45mm At gun kills a whole platoon at the other end of the road.

The vickers move in to finish off whats left of the platoon that is left this puts me an break point.

Lucky for me I pass but time is up before we can inflict anymore kills on each other.

In the end it was a 3-3 draw but i think if we had gone on much longer i would of broke before Peter did. At the start of this battle i saw all the No HE notes on his army list and lack of AT this just goes to show you should never underestimate you opponent. Well it was a decent haul of points for day 2 which would hopefully stand me in good stead for a strong finish on day 3.

Natcon AAR Day 2 game 4 and 5

A new day dawned and after some late night board gaming with the Stanton brothers I arrived ready for the days battles although a little tire from the lack of sleep.
The first game for the day would be Hold the line and I would facing Noel Black who was one of the 3 players to make the trek up from Invercargill in the deep south. He was running a Japanese infantry list I had my work cut out for me as i knew i had to kill every last man to break his army.

My defensive formation dug in and ready for what would be a hard fight

The Japs are coming the Japs are coming. Noel decided to attack at night.

Under the cover of darkness he moved his troops up on my undefended flank.

his second turn he continued the advance by this time my KV moved across to slow hos advance. In the process killing one tank and bailing the other.

Mean while his observers where able to spot my men in their trenches and called in his heavy 150mm artillery killing a few men in the process. But more importantly pinning me as he was prepping for an assault.

Managing to unpin though i was able to light up some tanks with some well placed volley fire from my 45mm AT guns. Killing 3 was enough to rout the platoon. Noel's infantry would go so quietly though.

As his second platoon advanced my KV had to pull back as that infantry was full of tank busting infantry although I had picked off a few men by now.

Noel's other infantry were not so lucky the had go close enough and i opened up with the katyusha's and infantry then assaulted wiping then out but not before taking massive losses myself. Those Japs know how to fight in hand to hand.

 

Mean while this platoon of infantry just wouldn't go quietly I through everything at them.

Noel's Flank attack was working well they now mowed through my 76mm guns and towards the objective. And being turn fire i finally got my first reserves so on came the HMG's and it was still night fighting.

His infantry managed to get the KV in the end as he got to the objective and i had to contest and he killed it in assault which was the straw that broke my army as the C.O had died already.

Another Bloody battle but a well deserved win to Noel and his forces a 5-3 win to him. I think having the 76mm Artillery guns on table wasn't needed I should of gone with the HMG platoon to cover the other flank but it was a good game all the same.


Game 5 would be vs Issac Henderson he was sporting some Soviet T-34's T-60's and some unarmed sappers we would be playing counter attack and as I was infantry and Issac was tanks I would be defending. With my previous encounter with Issac i was expecting and hard and fast battle and this one would be no exception.

The setup my troops ready to move to the objective on the right had side of the table. my katyusha's where off table in reserve. Issac's forces where deployed for a full frontal assault.

Issac's first turn the T-60s get into assault but i bail one and in defensive fire and he only kills 2 teams I hold me ground fend them off and kill the bailed tank. The T-34's kill one 76mm gun.

My Katyusha's also arrive first turn on the far side of the table.

I spring my 45mm guns from ambush an knock out 3 more T-60's my 76mm guns bail 2 T-34's and my mortars kill over half the sappers forcing a platoon morale check.

With the sappers failing their morale test the T'-34's Kill another 76mm gun the T-60's try their luck again in assault.

I fend off another assault from the T-60's this time inflicting a kill forcing a platoon morale test and forcing them to run. Now all Issac has left is the T-34's.

Before Issac can knock out the last of the 76mm guns they take 2 of his T-34's with them. But his 57mm T-34 is causing my KV-1 some problems.

My AA guns fail to knock out both of Issac's aircraft that come in with one getting through and knocking out the KV-1. with only 3 tanks left I decide to charge my infantry at them to go in for the kill.

Mean while my other platoon moves at the double to get the objective and dig in on it should it be needed to win the game.

I charge the lone T-34 as one had pulled back.

Defencive fire only kills one team I get a hit and it goes through. This causes Issac's company to collapse and the game to end.

Yet another bloody battle But i held on for a 5-3 win I must admit i was a little thrown off by the direct and maybe a little reckless approach that Issac took but he almost pulled it off and it did make for a great game. Roll on the next one.