TundraCon-15

Jan 10th was TundraCon up in Appleton WI. Chuck and I made the trip up on Friday thinking we’d be facing iffy roads a good portion of the way given all the joys of winter we’ve been experiencing over the past week but thankfully no, it was a pleasant (and long) drive. ~5 hours for me, was it worth it? Heck ya!

It was a good collection of games from Flames of War, Bolt Action, Johnny Reb, John Bull Wings of War, and a number of others that I didn’t catch. In my case I went up to take part in my very first Flames of War tournament. I completely expected not win a single game but there were lots of surprises…

Bright and early Saturday morning, Chuck and I arrived. Last year I had been in this same spot for a refight of Gettysburg using Johnny Reb III. The Legion Hall is a great locale (tho a bit dark!) with onsite food and plenty of space. For all the tables running and all the people there it was a perfect venue.

Before getting onto the Flames of War AAR here’s some pictures of just a few of the other games. I missed a 28mm WWI game with a gorgeous set of terrain. That was one game I wish I could have taken part in and darn it I didn’t snap of picture!

Wings of War.

Bolt action.

So for the Flames of War Tournament the Battle Badgers and Ranger Rick in particular organized a great event with really awesome support from Battlefront and Adventure games. It was a midwar swiss style tournament. 1710 point armies from one of 3 books was allowed, Eastern Front, North Africa or I think it was Burning Empires. I used Eastern Front.

There wasn’t a single wrinkle the whole day save for one poor gamer who dropped his army on the floor. Poor guy! Trays people! Get a good one!

The prize table was full of lots to oo and ah over. With all the games, many that weren’t taking part could see Flames of War in person and get a good sense of the game. Often had several people watching and fielded questions by people interested in how the game worked.

For my force I put together a German Schnellschwadron rated at Confident Vet. I initially thought long and hard about putting together a tank centric force but in the end either didn’t have the lead or just couldn’t get the math to work out with either a Panther or Tiger centric force. Kinda wished I had the North Africa book as I would have considered playing with my Italians.

I went in with:

• CinC + Panzerknacker, 2CinC
• MG42 section
• 2 Squad Schnell Platoon
• 3 Squad Schnell Platoon
• 7.5 lelG18 Platoon
• Priority Air Support with a JU-87G
• 10.5 leFH18 Artillery Battery (4)
• 2 STuG G Assault Guns
• Looted Panzer Platoon with a KV-1e + cupola
• 3 Marder IIIH

First Game

Lee was my first opponent for my initial debut of my first ever Flames of War Tournament. He fielded an American armored infantry formation with tank destroyers. (Hates! Hates! Me Hates! SSSsssssss!)

The initial scenario was a dust up , so we each had to pick half of our forces to deploy and  enjoy the challenge of waiting for our delayed reserves to arrive.

I formed a platoon around my 2CinC and then performed my split for what I could field:  4 platoons –  STuGs, 105s, 75 lelG18s and then last an infantry platoon where I attached one MG42 from the company HQ with each infantry platoon.

Lee setup next to the two objectives in his initial setup corner. He brought on the security team of his tank destroyers, and 2 of his infantry platoons, one in halftracks and the other deployed around the objective.

I moved up and peeked my STuG noses through the tree line taking a few shots at his infantry in half tracks. Brewed up 2 but otherwise didn’t get much accomplished this very first turn since I didn’t have my air or artillery I should have dug in. I didn’t. This was stupid on my part. N00b mistake that I wouldn’t repeat.

Another angle of turn 1. In a bit of foreshadowing this is where I point out Lee’s reserves would be coming from the left table corner in this picture and mine would be coming from the far right corner. duh-duh-dum!

Over the course of the next couple of turns Lee would bring on his tank destroyers and he brewed up one of my STuG. I would respond with my 105s and fire back with the long survivor slowly taking them out one by one or bailing.

Closer in the Americans that were in the half tracks, immediately bailed out and ran through the forest to attempt to assault through my lines. It was some pretty high drama and I was able to put on 5 hits and turn them back.

Meanwhile my air was coming down again and again trying to root out the Americans on the objectives. They were good for a pin and sometimes take out a stand or two but without also being able to concentrate fire, they were a “problem” that was going to have to wait as I had to take out the tank destroyers and push off the infantry.

With the first turn of reserves I made my roll and immediately put on my Marders. I pulled back my STuG until I could get the Marders into place and used the 105s to continue to pin down/bail out the tank destroyers.

Lee didn’t make his turn 3 reserves rolls (whew) so over the course of the turn, more luv from the luftwaffe which continue to plink away but the Americans continued to hold.

Finally with my Marders in place, my STuG and the Marders all poked their noses through the woods line on turn 4 and with reasonable dice and some more artillery, the tank destroyers were gone. Now could I throw off the American infantry?

At the bottom of turn 4, Lee made his reserve roll and on came his Sherman platoon and this is were my plan completely came apart. The only thing I had on the far side of the table was my 105s and 75s. The 105s you’ll recall are immobile. So they couldn’t exactly turn to face and the entry and travel was such that Lee could just come rolling onto their flank unabated. Worse remember I didn’t dig in any of my artillery. Here, please stab my soft underbelly, you know you want to! Gar!

Here we are top of turn 5 and the very last we would play before victory would go to Lee. My air couldn’t come down on the Shermans molesting my 105s since I still had friendlies within 16″ of the Shermans. I had counted on the air being able to swoop in and save the day. Critical error on my part. Lee took out my 75lelG18s and the 105s couldn’t come to bear.

2-5 Loss. Very good game.

Second Game

For the second action it was a Fighting Withdrawal. Rolling, I was the Defender playing against (Ron? or was it Ken? … or?) Hungarians.

It was an interesting force as he had anti-air (Nimrods), Pz IV Fs, artillery, a platoon of light tankette thingies that seemed to be every bit as fun as Pz IIs with 20mm and MGs, a platoon of armored cars also with 20mm and MGs, a mortar platoon, an HMG platoon, sporatic air, 2 pak40s and 2 infantry platoons. All in all I thought we were very well matched.

With the setup having to cover the length of the table, I put the larger of my two infantry platoons and the 105s on the left flank starting dug in. The left flank was also where 2 of the 3 objectives that the Hungarians needed to take.

The 3rd objective was on the right flank up on top of the hill were I also put the smaller of my two infantry platoons with the 75lelG18s behind and the KV1e also in support.

I put the STuGs to cover the center right flank and then held my Marders in ambush.

The Hungarians decided my right flank looked the juicer of the two options so thats where their forces stacked up and you can see the Hungarian first turn in progress.

With my first turn I sprung my ambush and completely took out the Hungarians PzIVs.

Unfortunately throughout this entire game my air just wasn’t effective. I had to burn air support dice to counter the Hungarian sporatic air (I had zero AA) and even when I could bring it in successfully the nimrods would chase them off. (sigh)

Thankfully however the 105s and the 75s would pick up the slack.

Most of the game was a sort of armor duel to dislodge my STuGs and Marders. One of my STuGs would get brewed up, and the KV1e would spend most of the game bailed out (and failing the roll to get back in!) due to a turn 1 air attack.

The Hungarians would throw their tankettes at me but largely keep the left center flank of Hungary infantry in once place. On my right flank a platoon of Hungarians would push forward, and then dig in just sort of my line of dug in infantry. It would take about 2-3 turns but I ended up whittling them down and they would fail their morale when they dipped below 50% and disappear.

Next in the middle we had a pitched battle between the Pak40s,  the platoon of Hungarian tankettes and the armored cars. I would end up brewing up the platoon of tankettes and taking out one of the three armored cars before the Hungarians would do their last thunderbolt to try and tank the objective on the right flank.

Having to pull off a platoon each turn starting on turn 3 was a real, royal utter, complete, tactical pain in the ass. I would first take off my 75 lelG18s (and really miss their smoke), then the Marders which given they were down to one I would have to roll and fail which would result in a destroyed platoon for me. Then I took off the 105s.

Here you can see the turn just prior to the last turn where the Hungarian cars would head towards my right flank with the intent of assaulting and taking the objective. They would smoke my KV1e which I had just recovered from it’s bailed out status.

So the armored cars drove for the infantry on the hill to assault and my KV1e needed 5s to hit, 2 shots …..  hit and hit! I brewed up both and that was game.

Had we played one more turn, this would have been the objective I would have removed.

5-2 Victory.

Third Game

For the last game, Chuck and I would end up playing. It’s pretty funny as we both had compared lists the day before.

The last game was an Encounter with delayed reserves, nothing starting out dug in and only getting 1/2 of our respective forces.

Chuck decided to put out his AA, Katy, 76 battery and a platoon of Russians. On my side I put out my larger infantry platoon and this time assigned both MG42s to that platoon not knowing when or if reserves would be coming on, my 105s and last my STuGs.

I rolled up as the attacker and dreaded it given there were 2 objectives on both sides so not only did I need to pretty forward but I also needed to defend the long side of the table. I was amazingly spread out but the terrain helped out quite a bit. Then of course there’s there is the far part where Russians just always have tons of stuff.

Here you can see Chuck deploy his line of battle with infantry in front and all the guns set with the 76 guns more on my right flank and the Katy on the center left and AA spread out to cover the two.

The huge area of woods on the left flank gave a really nice place for my 105s to hide and then the town was just such that my infantry line could spread across occupy buildings and then again more on the opposite side. I placed the two MGs on the right flank and the STuGs too. It would have to be the focus for the attack.

First turn I dug in my artillery this time and with the STuGs immediately started to target the 76 guns at nearly 30″ of range. Thankfully this allowed me to attack them piecemeal and take them out one by one instead of having to face fire from the whole battery.

Bottom of turn one in the above picture. The Russian infantry didn’t dig in but advanced! I was really surprised by this and really had the infantry come down through the woods I would have had to abandon my position and attack in the woods to counter, otherwise my 105s would have been dogmeat. That was as far as they would advance for the course of the game.

With Turn 2, my MG42s opened up on my left flank at the Russian infantry in the open and took out a few stands. Given the 12 shots at over 16″ of range that was enough to stop Chuck from moving forward. Likewise I kept up the combo of 105s, STuGs and attempts at air to concentrate on the 76 guns as well as target the AA and Katy to keep them pinned or take out a stand. Luck was generally with me tho air was a constant variable, getting them wasn’t hard, but keeping them on target with the AA was difficult.

We essentially stayed in this static position, as I hammered and slowly tried to develop a chance to take the objective on the right flank.

For my first reserve roll I brought on my 75lelG18 guns with the thought that I would use them for smoke and I needed to in order to be able to cut off the Russian 76s without them getting my STuG. While the frontal on the STuG is a 7 and the antitank on a 76 is a 9 and the +1 frontal for over 16″ helped when the Russians are bowling with dice at some point my luck was going to run out. (and it sort of did losing one of them)

Next reserve roll on turn 4 I would bring on my Marders and using the same tactic, fire on the 76s at rang with the help of my one STuG. Chuck would fail his reserve rolls on turn 3 and 4. Turn 5 I would bring on my KV1e and he would bring on his SU-76s and then SU85s. Given the variable entries of reserves, I was oddly consistent and always getting the right corner. Chuck for the SU76s had those enter on my left and then right side.

With time running down both Chuck and I tried to score that one set of hits which would result in a destroyed platoon. Neither of us were successful and I couldn’t quite get to a point where I could get enough whittled down were a rush towards an objective would make sense.

For me this was the best game of the day with lots of drama and a high point to end the day.

Tie 2-2.

All in all I was pleasantly surprised that my force did ok through the course of the day and that I was able to eak out a win. A die roll and I could have won the first game or even the third. This is why we roll dice!

Chuck won the “best painted army” award. It was well earned in my opinion. I call his paint jobs as “museum quality” and I really think it was great recognition for what he’s created.

For the over all winners they were able to go up and pick a big and small item from the awards table. The folks at Battlefront and Adventure Games really put together some nice items for everyone.

Chuck picked the Battlefront Bastogne Church and that’ll see lots of table time in LaCrosse without a doubt!

When I was called I picked up a set of dice and tokens as well as an 88 nest, pretty cool and much appreciated on my part.

Hats off to Ranger Rick and the Battle Badgers, excellent job for running such a good tournament!

Thanks to Battlefront and Adventure games for supporting a first run Con. It sure advances the hobby.

Likewise, hats off to the Dan, Michael, Tod and I’m sure many others that I’m missing for putting together TundraCon. It was a great first time event and I look forward to next year! Given all the people there it sure looked like a roaring success.