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.

Natcon AAR Day 1 game 2 and 3

The second game of the day was vs good friend and fellow room mate for the weekend Andrew Stanton. He would be using a Romanian tank company and we would be playing free for all.

The set up I'm on the left Andrew on the right.

Andrew got the first turn not much in his turn to report but in my turn i moved my KV-1. My katyusha scored a hit on both of his infantry platoons causing enough kill in one to break the unit.

Andrew presses on with his attack on this flank with his AT guns and a tank platoon.

Out of my AA guns sight my KV was taken out by Andrew's air support.

Andrew moved up his tanks and with my AA guns not digging in and wanting to get revenge on my katyusha killed 3 out of the 4 of them. This would cause them to run.

My 45mm AT guns Bailed a few tanks as they advanced up the table.

Andrew assaulted in with his tanks and i would have none of it fending them off and killing one.

Another round of AT fire and I bailed the other 2 tanks in one platoon. So with out a moment to lose I move in for the kill.

With that assault complete I looked to move on to the objective just ahead knowing these marauding tanks would break my army soon.

Mean while on the far left flank the next wave of tanks moves in towards my mortar platoon killing half of them in a lucky round of shooting.

With my mortars dead i was now making company morale tests and with my first roll i failed.

 At the end of the battle Andrew had earned a hard fought 5-3 win there where a few bits of the battle i had forgotten to take snaps of where my 76mm At guns died and me killing the 2nd tank platoon for my second point. But it was a fun battle none the less as all ways with Andrew.

The Third Game was No Retreat and this would be vs Adam Trapski. He was using a German grenadier company we rolled off and I would be defending.

Adam's infantry moved up through the field and his armour used the woods for cover as they moved up with infantry support.

My first turn I got infantry reserves. And the second turn they continued their advance.

Meanwhile the T-34 tried to bait the KV-1 out for the bunker flak to kill.

My 76mm At guns open up on the 2 StuG's killing them with volley fire.

The bunker Flak waits for its Prey.

The T-34 pulled back from the KV but I got one shot off with my AT guns and bailed him out.

The lucky T-34 survives to fight another turn.

Its a stalemate on this flank with a few rifle shots being exchanged.

Adam decided to make a move and assault but i fended him off in defencive fire. He took quite a few casualties.

At the same time he charged on his other flank but i countered with my KV killing a few and pinning them. He very quickly dug in to stay alive and in my half of the table as turn 6 was fast approaching.

In my turn i fired a few more shots and caused a few more deaths.

With Adam managing to dig in his troops I decided to charge in with my masses.

My turn five i decided to move in and evict the Germans from their foxholes and push on to the still bailed T-34.

And on this flank I move in to finish the last bit of the German resistance and consolidated into a position to stop him getting into my half of the table. This forced one of the end conditions to the battle which was if the defender started any turn from turn six onwards he would win the battle.

So after a good go at it Adam fell at the final hurdle handing me a 7-1 win. I think the amount of pricey units in Adam's army played against him creating a small force in where any losses would be hard to recover from. It was a great game none the less.

Natcon AAR Day 1 Game 1 and army Parade

After a flight up on Thursday night and a good nights sleep I arrived and my 4th Natcon Event this time in Auckland. It was an early war event with a points limit of 1550 and a field of 12 people for the Flames of war event coming from Invercargill, Wellington, Hamilton, Auckland, and even 1 from Australia.

My first game would be vs Rob Sadler who was using the British LRDG ( Long range desert group ) Lots of men mounted in Jeeps accompanied by some commandos. We would be playing Hasty attack first up.

As i was infantry and Rob was Mechanized i was defending so I had half on half off. I kept on my 2 Big infantry platoons. HMG platoon and the Katyusha rocket trucks.

Rob makes his recce moves with his whole army on one flank.

Then makes his first move I managed a well placed devastating katyusha bombardment but failed to hit any one.

I also started to move everyone on the left flank to the other side of the table to help as soon as possible.

Rob's 2nd turn of shooting pins me and kills the Katyusha platoon then he charges in for the assault killing about 7 stands of men. In reply for the assault also drawing my men out of the building into the open I do manage to kill 5 of his jeeps from 2 different platoons.

More Jeeps arrive for the second and final push into my lines this assault didn't go well as he pushed me off the objective. In my turn i failed to unpin and not getting some reserves at the right time meant i couldn't contest the objective and lost the game in 4 turns.

Rob got a well deserved 7-1 win ( A bonus point for all wins this weekend ).
Not a good start to the event but it can only get better. I hope.

Here's some of the armies that where attending.

My Soviet Masses.

Sir we have thrown a track.

Russell Briant's British infantry company.

Noel Black's Japanese.

Mark Stanton's Soviet Tankovy. ( Best Painted )

The monster KV-2

Andrew Stanton's Romanian Tanks

Look both ways when crossing the tracks you never know when an armored train might come.

Peter Black's British Tank company.

Steven Falconer's German Infantry. The only list to not bring any tanks or transport. the only wheels these guys had was some supply wagons.

Rob Sadler's LRDG ( Long Range Desert Group )