Today, my friends kindly agreed to help me test the newest version of my WW2 skirmish rules.
I had been asked (after introducing a new system for generating enemy forces in my Star Wars skirmish rules) to put the same system into my WW2 rules.
Easier said than done, I thought! - but after a lot of thought and fiddling, I produced a set to try.
The scenario would be a simple one, a British platoon in France 1944, detailed to take a farmhouse. I placed several randomised event markers and Portal markers strategically around the battlefield, and we were off!
I was randomly chosen to be the commander, with a PIAT team and a 2" mortar, Lawrence, Phil and Rhys took a section each. I decided the best way to attack would be to split in 2 and head down the road and track directly towards the farmhouse...
I had been asked (after introducing a new system for generating enemy forces in my Star Wars skirmish rules) to put the same system into my WW2 rules.
Easier said than done, I thought! - but after a lot of thought and fiddling, I produced a set to try.
The scenario would be a simple one, a British platoon in France 1944, detailed to take a farmhouse. I placed several randomised event markers and Portal markers strategically around the battlefield, and we were off!
I was randomly chosen to be the commander, with a PIAT team and a 2" mortar, Lawrence, Phil and Rhys took a section each. I decided the best way to attack would be to split in 2 and head down the road and track directly towards the farmhouse...
The table from the German side, the farmhouse is in the foreground.
The table from the side.
Lawrence led the way down the track...
...Phil advanced down the road, almost immediately ducking as a pair of mortar rounds whistled overhead (exploding off table) - had we been spotted?
A good view of the counters, the square one is a random event, like a sniper, the black one is a value 2 Portal marker, the more of these that can see any of our troops, the greater likelihood of a German unit appearing at one of the Portals in LOS of our men.
Rhys now appeared, following Phil up the road.
My command section followed Lawrence up the track.
Lawrence's Bren team probed forward, but attracted no attention.
Phil split his section up, sending some men on a wide flank sweep.
He kept a few men 'on mission' though!
Lawrence reached the curve in the track towards the road, where I had ordered our forces to meet before assaulting the farmhouse.
Phil put his Bren team behind a wall far out on the right.
Rhys followed him up the road.
Lawrence suddenly cam under fire from a German patrol...
...the Lance corporal of the Bren team was killed.
The Bren returned fire, but failed to hit anything.
The rest of Lawrence's section took cover and opened a blistering fire into the hedge over the road...
...2 Germans were wounded and they all ducked back.
A further German force now appeared to their left...
... and opened up on Rhys' men.
No hits were scored, but the Bren team was forced to hit the ground!
Rhys's other men and Phil's returned fire, killing a German.
Lawrence had, meanwhile, completely suppressed the German patrol.
A new German force, supported by a tripod mounted MG34 now appeared on Phil's right.
They spotted the men on the road and opened up.
One of Phil's men was killed, the rest dived for cover.
Lawrence's men were held up finishing off the patrol, so couldn't help.
Some of the Germans got so confident they advanced, covered by their LMG team.
Phil's men managed to kill one of the MG team, but thing were getting 'hairy'.
Lawrence's Bren killed another of the German patrol, and wounded the last, but again, he passed his morale and stood his ground!!!
The attacking Germans were halted by fire from all sides.
Lawrence had brought up his riflemen on their flank, unseen.
A German officer appeared at the farmhouse (a Portal response meant all bypassed Portal markers were moved back to better positions).
The last man of the patrol fell, what a hero!
My 2" mortar laid smoke, to mask the value 3 Portal marker, so there was a lower total to dice against next turn!
Lawrence tried to get his men up to assault the German patrol's right flank, under cover of my smoke, but 2 of his men were cut down...
...by that cursed Tripod MG34!
The attacking Germans had fallen, Rhys and Phil's men had overwhelmed them.
My command section mortar was still stoking the cloud obscuring the 3 Portal!
Lawrence's men advanced through it, eliminating the 3 Portal, which had nowhere it could move to out of sight of the Allies.
He forced the survivor of the German platoon to surrender, I brought my men up in support.
Rhys now entered the field with the Farm house in it, but one of his Bren team was killed...
...by a German sniper!
That was their last gasp though, Lawrence had driven most of the Portal markers out of sight of him, allowing me to move in and secure the objective!
I was delighted how well the in-grafted portal system seemed to work. Phil was lucky, though, 2 more sections with MGs had appeared on his right, but they never saw his men as Phil's men withdrew back towards the farmhouse!
The new version rules are on our club website now, if anyone wants to give them a try! or just e-mail me at the address on the Blog header, and I will send them on!
