Churchill on the attack?

 Today we had a game of 'What a Tanker' at the club. I had finished 3 more tanks this week, and decided to use them against an equal points of Germans.

We used the most common 1944 variant, the Mk VII Churchill, with better frontal armour than a Tiger I, and the gun of a Cromwell!

To match them we had 2 Panthers and for the first time a Nashorn! an eclectic mix to be sure! (These, as usual were run by my solo system )

The table for today, mostly provided by Lawrence with some of my fields.

The Nashorn, obviously a transfer from the Russian front from the paint scheme!

The Panthers, G variant, so quite good!

We were playing 'Angles' so deployed 12" apart from the centre line.

How would my new Churchills do?

Both mine and Lawrence's tanks failed to move first turn.

Rhod, on our right, managed a short move!

The Nashorn probed forward.

The Panthers moved in support.

The nearside Panther moved forward, spotted me and fired, fortunately he missed!

The second Panther was trying to get round our flank.

I was stuck in a hedge corner, having moved 6" in two moves, and I was acquired by both the Panther and the Nashorn!!! Things looked bad!

I radioed my team and suggested they try to deal with the Nashorn first, as it was thinly armoured, but had a gun that could crack even the Churchill like an egg!

A high velocity 88mm round almost hit me!

Lawrence tried firing back, but missed.

Both Rhod and Lawrence were having movement problems!

The Germans had no such problem, the second Panther moved on my left flank, down the tarmac road.

The Panther shot me and hit, fortunately the shot bounced off!

Unfortunately the Nashorn didn't, but even his big gun only panicked my crew 

(2 Temporary damage dice lost I could at least get them back, in time)

Now, Rhod finally got in a position to shoot the Nashorn...

...The fearsome beast was dead!!!

Could my friends help with the Panthers too, while my tank was out of the fight?

More Panther rounds bounced off my wounded Churchill!

I couldn't shoot back, so just had to sit and take it!

Then, the flanking Panther went quiet!

He had rolled 3 extra aims on his shot but rolled double one! His tank had an electrical fault and he lost his aquisition, aim and shot!

Rhod again took advantage of the situation...and hit the silent Panther.

3 hits from 6 dice...I hoped this would cause damage?!...

The Panther failed to get ANY armour saves!

A killing hit!

The Panther exploded!

The last Panther managed to get away though!

There are advantages to being 'Fast'!

A good game, I was amazed how well my Churchill absorbed damage, but I was lucky, (as was Rhod with his shooting!)

Sumer time!

 Today we had a different type of Midgard, as I got my two Sumerian armies out to fight!

I did a copy list with different Hero names to avoid confusion, but otherwise we had identical armies! The Akkadians can wait for another day, and my Lullubi aren't painted yet!

Phil and Lawrence fought on the same side, as the Army (ERIN) of Lagash, or more properly of the cities patron deity NINGIRSU.

I had Tony as my AGA-USH (professional ally) and I acted as LUGAL (King/Big man) of the great city of Umma (who we decided had the moon god NANNA)

The Lagash army got to be attacker, but both sides cast lots for omens, and Lagash did badly, losing 1 Rep - while NANNA smiled on the army of Umma with favourable omens, and a +1 Rep.

The armies organised into 3 commands and deployed so...Umma on the nearside. 

On my right, my Battle carts, NIM (Flies, an appropriate name for light infantry!) supporting them and 2 units of Spearmen (LU-GESHGIDA)

The centre of the army was 4 units of Spearmen under Tony.

On the left, he also had more spearmen and a NIM slinger unit.

Facing me, Lawrence put an Identical force to mine opposite me!

Their identical centre, supported by their LUGAL.

...and their Identical to mine Right wing!

At first, to protect my GISHGIGIR (Battle carts) I moved my NIM into line. I kept back as the enemy had their NIM in cover.

The forces of Lagash advanced.

Tony's NIM slingers beat their enemy.

Tony won against Phil in the first spear fight, the Omens were coming true!

On my flank, Lawrence charged his Battle carts at my archers, who evaded, unfortunately, my javelin armed NIM were hurt by their opposite numbers.

In the centre, my UGULA (General) lost his fight against the enemy, but not too badly, but the next door unit beat their enemy convincingly.

Our centre started losing ground as casualties mounted.

My infantry on the right routed the weakened enemy spear unit!

Tony managed to rout a single spear unit on the flank with two of his.

On my right wing, my slingers failed to hit the enemy slingers, but killed the Champion attached to them!

OOPS, where is our leader?

Lawrence's Javelinmen charged and routed my already weakened unit, just as I had turned my Battle wagons to threaten the enemy centre, (Lawrence had withdrawn his Battle wagons earlier as they were getting surrounded!)

My retreating spear unit routed.

In the centre, one of Tony's beaten units routed, but the other, despite being at half dice, won! - Reserve units began to manoeuvre to fill in potential gaps in the lines.

A disaster! Tony had a spear unit and his slingers routed by a single Lagashian spear unit!

In the centre, the other front rank Umman unit routed

My spearmen routed the unit facing them, the Lagashian LUGAL looked on helplessly!

My archers had advanced to engage the enemy mounted troops, and my Battle carts crashed through the new space and destroyed the enemy spears who had broken through my line.

At this point, and again much to my surprise, Umma was declared the winner!

We won at +6 rep against Lagashes -1!

The omens proved right! and I am pleased to say we all enjoyed the game, which is the most important thing!

Edit: As requested, here are my friend Lawrence's close up pictures of the Umma army:

These are all Museum miniatures 'Z-Range' Sumerians, which are lovely castings!