545 - Playing Catch-up: A Cornucopia of Posts (Pt 2: Bolt Action Practice Game 2)

Hullo again!

Here are a few more shots from the second of my practice games at my new club. It was a brilliant game: 2 German players against a combined British force of three players; my 4 KSLI platoon, 1000pts of Commandos and 1000pts of paras, for 3000pts per team.

It was close-close-close-close-close until the last turn we played (turn 4), but in the end, the Commandos soaked up the fire on the right whilst the Paras my third section advanced up the middle and the rest of my force swept up from the left flank. In the end, the crossroads objective was taken by 3 Section and a smattering of paras after my AEC rolled along the road and gunned down those Germans still clinging to it (pic above).

A very cinematic ending.

(and an cinematically lush setting to boot!)

Lessons learnt included the following: 

• the optional aeroplane rules can be brutal, but they re expensive...and not for me.
• Incoming artillery strikes can really change players' manoeuvring...including me!
• Cromwells cannot drive through rock-based hedges. Fair enough!
• Leaving two vehicles, a PIAT and a 6pdr to guard a flank against two outflanking large German tanks is probably a bit much...especially when they rock-up on the opposite flank! Oops.
• Don't be scared of units with six pin markers. Even if they pass an order test to shoot, they'll still be at a -5 penalty!
• Vaping makes for some absolutley brilliant smoke effects in photos!

...and here - predictably enough - are some more photos...:

My lot

The first outing for my AEC III

The heroic 3 Section, my PIAT and the eternally useless (but beautiful) 6pdr.

Some of the veteran SS opposing us.
In addition to these, we also faced inexperienced Volkssturm.

SS? Volkssturm? Can't remember. 

Definitely SS. Definitely nasty. Definitely not arriving on my flank.

The left flank. Paras in the foreground;
4KSLI at the road; Arty FOO lurking in the trees!

The objective: the central crossroads

More smokey fun

My Subaltern urges 2 Sect forward from the left flank

Red Devils!

My allies pop the third (and very camouflaged) German tank

Endgame: the AEC III makes it to the road...

...whilst the Cromwell loiters behind a heavy hedge-line and rakes away a sniper. 

Thanks, Recce Troop!

Slightly incongruous air support from a Hurricane MkIIC;
in the house and walled yard are the brave lads of 3 Sect.

Higher up. There's a Spitfire there, too.
We found out later that we shouldn't have had two...

A cracking second game at my new club. Yay!

Next up...X-Wing! 

- Drax.