Saturday 20 September 2014

MOAB City Board - Playtest 1 is a success

Click the comic for a larger version
Today we were able to play test our city board.  I needed 6 players with 600 point armies to get a feel of how this board would play. So 1800 points per side would be a good set of the board and our paired dice bag technique.
With 3 dice bags in play we still completed the game in 2.5 hours. And what an exciting game it was.

Germans:

Germany 1:

1 x Officer(2nd Lt + 2men )
1 x Medic
1 x Heavy Mortar(Spotter Off Board)
2 x Heer Infantry(NCO (SMG),LMG,8 rifles 2 x Panzerfaust each)
1 x Volks Grenadiers(NCO + 4 (Ass Rifles) + 3 rifles + 2 Panzerfausts)
1 x Sdkfz 222(Light Autocannon, Coax MMG Recce)

Germany 2:

1 x Officer(2nd Lt + 2men )
1 x Sniper(2 men )
1 x Heer Infantry(NCO (SMG),LMG,8 rifles 1 x Panzerfaust)
1 x Heer Veteran Infantry(NCO (SMG),LMG,8 rifles 1 x Panzerfaust)
1 x Panzer III J
Click the comic for a larger version

Germany 3:

1 x Officer (2nd Lt + 2men)
1 x Heavy Mortar (Spotter) - Off Board
1 x MMG (3 men)
1 x Heer Regular Infantry (NCO (SMG),LMG,8 rifles)
2 x Volks Grenadiers (NCO + 4 (Ass Rifles) + 3 rifles)
1 x Sdkfz 234/2 Puma (Med AT, Coax MMG)

Allies:

US Marines (as seen in our post here)

HQ - 2nd Lieutenant with 2 henchman/assistants (70 pts)
3 x Regular Marines - NCO with SMG, BAR and 6 Riflemen (88 pts each)
1 x Regular Medic (23 pts)
1 x Regular Sniper team (52 pts)
1 x Sherman M4A1 (195 pts)
Total 604 pts (7 order dice)
Click the comic for a larger version

British:

1 x Officer (2nd Lt + 2men)
1 x Infantry Squad (NCO (SMG),LMG ,8 rifles)
1 x Airborne Squad (NCO (SMG),LMG ,8 rifles)- Veteran Stubborn
1 x PIAT (2 Men)
1 x Artillery Observer
1 x Cromwell (Med AT, Coax MMG, MMG)

US:

1 x Regular 2nd Lt with 2 guys
3 x Regular Squad x 3 - NCO (SMG), BAR, 8 Rifles
1 x Sniper
1 x M24 Chaffee

Summary:

This was a classic Bolt Action game.  The first few turns saw the German heavy mortars roll 6s for their first targeting hits, immobilising and then next turn destroying the Cromwell and Sherman. At this point the infantry count was definitely on the German side.
This is ours! Until turn 6 ...

The Marines were doing very well holding the centre while the US left flank was failing badly.
In Turn 4, the Marines captured the Bridge control box and in turn 5 their "Fire" order was to raise the bridge. Our house rule is that units on the lifting bridge have to firstly stay together and then every man rolls.  Any roll of a 1 or 2 means the figure is removed. No pins, this just reflects the fellow is out of the game via injury or separation.  The unit that is on the bridge has to run until it is on a level surface.  The bridge lifts 45 degrees per turn.
The German squad on the bridge lost 2 guys on turn 5 and none on turn 6. But the important thing was they couldn't fire for 2 turns.
At the end of turn 5 the Germans controlled all 3 objectives. They were not even contested.
Then on the British flank (in the photo above) the unit on the left rolled FUBAR and ran away. Then the HQ unit advanced next to the Puma and fired at the British in the building. And the Puma fired too.
At this point, being turn 6, the Airborne Veterans passed morale and charged the HQ unit, wiping it out and contesting the flag. Then the British HQ unit charged from the building and defeated the Volks Grenadiers lurking behind the Puma. They owned the flag!  The Puma couldn't control it as it was a vehicle.
At the central objective the Marines pulled an amazing charge and defeated a veteran unit and then died to a man defending against a very effective German HQ unit.  But they had captured the flag and no German unit of 3 or more men was within 3 inches so they were deemed to own the objective.
The anxiously watched roll for turn 7 was a 1.  The game was over.
Turn 7 would definitely have ended in a German victory, but that is Bolt Action!
It was great fun and classic Bolt Action with so many coulda woulda shoulda moments.
This board will be great to share at the MOAB Bolt Action Boot Camp.

Sunday 14 September 2014

MOAB - Bolt Action Boot Camp City Board

We are busily preparing for our next Bolt Action Boot Camp at the MOAB Games Convention on the weekend of October 4 to 6.  Our games will be running on the Saturday and Sunday only and there should be 2 tables with 3 games per day.
Our first board is the City Board.  We have had great fun with an expansion of our city heights project, creating a train culvert through the town, with the Pegasus Bridge crossing the gap as well as two pedestrian bridges.  The lower level is completely playable with stairs leading down on both sides.
The boot camp is free and open to all.  Everything required to play is provided by us.
We have created a idea run through of the board:
The board is an interesting one with multiple levels, plenty of fascinating angles, lots of cover AND open areas.
The view from the Hotel end
There is room on this board for 6 players - 3 sets of 2. Lots of opportunity to concentrate of your field of action and your neighbour's too!
View of the railway culvert and bridges

A US Marine advancing into danger

A German peeking out from one of the lower tunnels

The view from the Residential edge of the board

The view from the Church tower.

A group of Germans rushing across the railway line.

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