BHGS FoW Challenge - Herd of Nerds - a gaming site for gamers

BHGS Challenge - Ascot 4/5 April 2009

Ok so second tournament. Have we learnt from the first tournaments lessons?

Well.....ish!! DID take Hammy's advice - extra 250 points upgraded the Panzer IV's from F1's to F2's. Got 3 Panzer II's as recce platoon. Great.

Next stop....try and remember Stormtrooper. Try and read the scenario properly so you understand the victory conditions! If you pay for a special character for gawd sake remember to use his abilities!!! By game 3 I was starting to get the gist as I was losing!!!! LOL!!!

Anyway - fabulous scenery - great people - great gaming - highly recommended!!

Game 1 versus Jason Farleys British Light Armoured

Well I managed to really get this wrong! Failed to read the scenario (HTL) closure rules and as a result did not quite realise the time pressure I was under until Turn 4!! This battle didn't start well when the first thing I had to do was cross the river without bogging!!! No chance!!! Bog, bog, bog!! You get the picture. Really didn't get this right at all and as a result it was a resounding defeat at the hands of the Brits. Well done Admiral!!

Game 2 versus John Mumfords Kazachya S'ya (Cossacks)

Cripes......lost this which was crazy. Cauldron. TT had some rubbish dice bless his cotton socks but I failed to take proper advantage of it. The key thing that lost me the game was not assaulting into a building one turn earlier with my Panzer II's. Simple as that really. At the end of the game I was on both objectives....one of which was uncontested but we were out of time. Fair win to TT and that will teach me to be over cautious. The highlight of the games was when the Cossacks charged through the forest ready to assault my Panzergrenadiers only to be pinned by his own mortars which were trying to pin me!!! Great fun and a smashing chap!!

Game 3 versus John Walls British Rifles

Finally a battle in the desert where my troops feel at home!!! Up against the Brits in Fighting Withdrawl and its time to play hide from the Churchills!! Managed a win this time by feinting an attack on the right front to force a reveal of the Churchills ambush then doubling back to attack the two objectives on the left flank. Really great game with the result going right to the wire!! Literally!!! At the end the Brots were chcking everything they could at the Panzers holding the objectove on the far left having removed the one slightly to the right of it but to no avail!! Too many Panzers in the vicinity!! Nice opponnet and good fair game!

Game 4 versus Andy Wallace Ostfront Panzergrenadiers

OK - so finally got the camera with me instead of the cameraphone! Anyway fantastic terrain on whihc to play amongst the Italian vineyards! The first of two blue on blue games resulted in me against some very heavy opposition in Encounter. Literally. Panzer Iv's, mortars, infantry and a Ferdinand no less. Blinkin' Nora - it was play hide the Panzer time.

With all this hiding with the little we each started with on the board I nearly managed a chance of an early win with the Panzer II's who having recc'ed at the start then advanced and shot at the infantry on the right hand objective who had not as yet managed to dig in! Unfortunately the reserves arrived and even though scattered rushed over to support his left flank. Meanwhile the Ferdinand having failed to find a target amongst the cowering Panzers decided to hot foot it over the fields towards my unguarded objective on his left flank. Then a couple more Panzers came on to protect it...but they were not going to stop that behemoth so he tried to hot foot it again......and broke down!!! Putting the loo roll to one side the Panzers could not believe their luck and charged after the objective on my left flank.

After a brief tank battle the Panzers won the day having dealt many blows. Aninteresting battle and one which I was very lucky to win!!!

Game 5 versus Colin Brights Grenadiers

The second blue on blue game (FFA this time) with some fearsome opposition by way of warriors with pioneers with flamethowers and anti-tank stuff!!! Jeeze!! Wasn't sure where to put myself. Bottom line was that my left flank ended up being a stalemate and I had to charge over to the right flank where my best chances lay. My air came in but proved very ineffective versus the dug in German anti-tank and infantry so made little impactl. The British anti-air proving their worth as the game progressed.

Eventually after some very harch assualts tanks verus infantry and then pioneers as well as an infuriating infantry gun that refused to die the panzers JUST managed to overwhelm the British forces and claer them from the objective. A very tough game with a knowledgeable opponent.