Over on wwpd.net they have started a Flames of War Great War campaign using the Firestorm campaign for Villers-Bretonneux which was the first tank on tank action of WWI.
With the campaign starting, groups basically sign up for and play out one of the squares where action is taking place. We picked C3, which is a 1250 point a side game with the Germans getting an A7V and an infantry platoon in addition to their points. On the Brits side, they also get an infantry platoon in addition to their 1250 points but that infantry platoon is at 1/2 strength due to gas being used by the Germans and the Brits may not purchase armor.
I put to use my terrain mat for the first time. For the Great War battles they are just on 4×4′ tables so the 6×4 area is a bit too big, but who cares! With the first game in the campaign it’s a “Big Push” game so the landscape is supposed to be cratered and any infantry team that is stationary automatically gets bullet proof cover.
I played Brits and Ian played Germans. He bought 2 confident vet infantry platoons, added 3 flamethrowers, a HMG platoon and an further A7v.
On my side, I picked up an artillery detachment, 2 infantry platoons, 1 full strength, the second 1/2 strength, a 3 tube stokes mortar platoon and a 3 gun vickers platoon. All confident vet so alas those points go fast. Wishing I had just 20 more and I could have picked up a sniper.
So for the Brits, everything starts out pinned. I placed my artillery and selected to have my machine gun platoon off board instead of deploying it as a nest. I then deployed my first strength and 1/2 strength platoon and left my 1/2 strength firestorm bonus troops off.
Ian deployed a bit further back then I expected him to. In the big push you can start as close as 10″ to the trench line. His choice! But it’s pretty easy to see what he was thinking. Pepper my right flank with tanks and machine gun fire, maybe rush the left but the right or center right would probably be the object of the assault… least so I was thinking.
Ian kicked the game off, moving up a bit, his tanks rolling forward and proceeded with a hail of bullets that didn’t do a thing….
Bottom of turn 1. No success as far as reinforcements. And the unpinning roll for each platoon…. 1 …1 ..1 … well crap.
I figure even with reduced fire should be able to do at least a little something, so firing away at the tanks with my guns … miss. Fire back at the infantry coming in on my left flank and at the HMG platoon peppering me on my right … no effect…
Top of turn 2, Germans make it to the wire on the left flank. Otherwise fairly ineffective fire across the line resulting in no Brit losses. If the Brits had unpinned they would have been repined on both flanks anyway.
As it happens at the middle of Turn 2 I fully expected the Germans would assault, they didn’t. Only 4 team made it across the wire. Besides who wants a fair fight?
So once again I roll for reinforcements … nope. (sigh) Then I roll to unpin. Very, very critical rolls this time. And what do I roll?
Son of …. yes that right, there are cold dice and there are cold dice, these dice were aspiring to be ice cubes.
So given the +1 for the rifle teams to hit while pinned, and the lower rate of fire for the MG teams, and the artillery, not much happened. I once again used the artillery to attempted to knock out the A7Vs. No luck. With the rest I couldn’t get enough hits to pin much less cause a stand loss.
Top of turn 3 .. surprise surprise the Germans flowed into the trench for the assault which went about how you would expect. While I was able to knock out a team, the Germans on the other hand were able to completely take out a platoon.
The company commander at this point was thinking it was high time to move back down the communications trench.
Bottom of turn 3, now for the counter attack and push them out of the trenches, certainly a slight possibility as I know I’ll get reserves still, things looking pretty desperate … rolling for reserves and I do get one… just one, so I pull in my HMG platoon, roll for where it’ll arrive.. and crap they’re coming up the wrong communication trench.
So I try and unpin which thankfully the infantry are successful but my artillery isn’t. I shift the remaining platoon of infantry over, and really it’s just two teams that can get into position for an assault to at least put the objective back in contention or maybe optimistic case throw the Germans off.
I take a few shots at the A7vs once again, I do score a hit, but fail the FP roll. Fire a few small arms shots that are ineffective.
With the two teams into position for the assault, they go in, and survive the defensive fire. I take one German team out in the first round but on the counter attack they take one Brit team out. I again attack, take out a team, but then lose my last team in the counter. No one misses any motivation tests so that’s that in 3, game Germans.
Final score:
German losses:
- 3 Rifle teams
Brit Losses:
- 1/2 strength infantry platoon (Not the firestorm one, that never made it on table)
- 4 teams from the full strength platoon
6-1