Doyle Motes
Dec. 2 saw Alan King and I square off in a battle of large tanks and Infantry (SP 74 The Last Tiger).
Alan was the Jackbooted Germans and I was the Red Dogs of War the Russians. Object was for the Russians get infantry and tanks inside a set area controlled by German infantry and the cream of the Panzer forces (a tiger, a Nashorn, and a SPW 251/22). Simple task you say -- I think NOT! The Russians have several tanks in there force form the IS-2, T34/85, ISU 152, and M4/76a - but will this be enough to meet and beat the Jackbooters. O yes the Germans have the height advantage and the Russian tanks must cross some open ground. The task is grave for the Russians and SPEED and Lady LUCK has to be on your side.
Russian's have to have there troopers as riders to be able to get enough infantry across the board to offset the Germans holding the high ground, woods, and town buildings. The Russians move out and quickly encounter the Nashorn on the hill and his fist shot miss no rate, but Alan decides to go for an IF shot. You guessed it the tank rolled to at stop dead. The rider breaks and then reduces to bailing out. But, the crew did escaped. The SPW 251/22 pick out a tank and shoots bing a hit but does not destroy it. He now shoots again due to rate and misses. The Russian tank is now protected by the woods. The other Russian tanks move into position to address the two German vehicles on the hill. Infantry moves up. The Advance Fire phase turn 1 - saw the Russian's shoot at the Nashorn from behind a stone wall --- Load --- Fire and hot metal rang out form the T34/85 and as the dice slowly stop it was 1,1 (Snakes Eyes) the song of death for the Nashorn. It erupted in a blaze of glory for the Russians and Alan's smile left his face. The next tank to shoot upon the hill was the ISU 152 (crew exposed) its target was the SPW 251/22. A TH 3 was need and a three was rolled. The shell left the tanks and hit the SPW 251/22 ht the to kill roll was a 12 (Dud). That tanks was able to escape and soon to slap the Russians again. The other 251/1 ht was hit by a M4/76a -- that ht was turned into a burning mass of metal. Turn 2 saw the Russians moving for position but the HIP Tiger as not to be found. The Germans now started hitting the infantry as they press for position. But, again the Germans roll a 12 with there MMG and a key position had to be surrendered to the boys from Moscow. Turn 3 was a turning point for the Germans they were able to break some Germans in a stone building and the flood was on for Stalins hoards. A T34-85 moves in for the kill on the SPW 252/22 only to be sighted by the --- He fired and missed the Russian had little choice but to move closer to the tiger (open ground and no cover). Alan's tiger decided to IF and belched another couple of hundred pounds of hot metal and misses again. The T34/85 decides to move between the SPW252/22 and the Tiger. But, before the Russians can even get off a shot the German's in a building decide to go for a PF. Yes, after facing the cold blooded Tiger the PF form a building does him in(he does not burn). Two more Russian tanks move into position to cross swords with the mighty beast. The new IS-2 move up on a hill over looking the SPW 251/22, Tiger, building full of infantry and leader. A T34-85 after moving and being CE fires on the Tiger (from hell) and BOOM it was now dead and the crew escapes. The other tank shoots at the units in the stone building and Snakes are rolled. German units break due to cannon fire. Infantry now move into position to be in the victory locations by end of game. Russians try to use a PSK to fire on the IS-2 on the hill and decided to eat the back-blast. They missed and broke due to back-blast. As turn 4 rolled around the Russians decided to shoot the Infantry in the house just below the IS-2 that had used the PSK on them. Load -- -Fire--- Boom again 1,1 belches from the 122L gun -- that group died in a blaze of glory of Iron Cross. At this point Alan decided the Germans had - had enough and surrendered.
This game was fast and deadly for both sides. I would rate it about 9 on ROAR. Play it you will like it.
Alan, I enjoyed it. As Jay Harms says it is better to be lucky than good. The number of snakes you and I rolled made for a deadly game.
Doyle Motes
