British Light Infantry - (All Veteran and Tough Fighters - 2 close combat attack dice each):
Major Howard (+4 morale) and trooper
3 squads of 3 men
2 man PIAT team
6 Command Dice
Germans (All inexperienced and shirkers - Roll for morale every turn, double pins, -1 to fire)
3 squads of NCO + 3 riflemen
1 squad of NCO + 4 rifleman
2nd Lieutenant (+1 morale) + 2 riflemen
MG42 MMG team
Medium AT gun in entrenchment
7 Command Dice
So a very small game, 6 dice vs 7 dice with a simple objective: Control the bridge by having at least one of your men and none of the enemy on the bridge. Anything else is a draw.
Even though the Horsa is not finished we had enough to give the idea. To get out of the Horsa each unit had to roll. 1-4 means they can run or advance, a 5 or 6 means they stay in the Horsa and try again next turn.
Turn 1
All the British successfully left the glider - EXCEPT for Major Howard.
The German MMG was killed in one shot (6 to hit, 6 to kill and 6 for exceptional damage) and a British unit had one pin. The Germans rushed two units onto the bridge. The AT gun turned around so if the Germans had first dice they could fire.
Turn 2
Major Howard stayed in the glider. In the real Pegasus Bridge battle the Major's helmet slid down over his eyes during the landing and he was afraid he had lost his sight. We thought this was an amusing co-incidence in this game.
The gun wanted to fire but failed the order morale.
The unit on the German right flank kept shooting and despite needing 6s and up, achieved more hits on one of the British squads. Meanwhile, the PIAT team fired at the AT Gun. Boom! Fire, explosion, failed morale, gun out of the picture.
Turn 3
The German plan of slowing down the British was working. The barbed wire and tempting targets distracted the British.
One of the German squads raced up the stairs. The aim was to have at least one man on the bridge to make a draw.
Turn 4
Major Howard was still fiddling about in the glider while his men got on with the job at hand.
Fire is raining onto the British from all sides but all to no effect. An occasional pin but nothing more.
Finally a British unit runs close to the German unit on the bridge, firing with little result. And the Germans charged the veterans in Close Assault!
Two 6s left only one British fellow alive who failed to kill any of the Germans - even when he only required a 3+. The Germans quickly regrouped back to where they had been hiding behind the wall.
Turn 5
The British finally realised they had been dawdling too long. Major Howard finally decided to join the party and raced out to get his men moving.
Another British squad close assaulted the German unit wiping them out in one go. But there was only one turn left - or maybe two.
Turn 6
Another assault up the stairs promptly dispatched the Germans lurking above, but it was too late. The German HQ squad was defending the bridge control room and there was not to be a turn seven.
The game was really enjoyable, plenty of Command Comic Moments, a British FUBAR, and plenty of excitement.
For Cancon we will also work on a larger scale version of the game with more troops on both sides and a larger board encompassing both sides of the Bridge.
As always we learned more things about the game:
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| The Horsa will see better days ... |
All the British successfully left the glider - EXCEPT for Major Howard.
The German MMG was killed in one shot (6 to hit, 6 to kill and 6 for exceptional damage) and a British unit had one pin. The Germans rushed two units onto the bridge. The AT gun turned around so if the Germans had first dice they could fire.
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| Go Boys. I'll come when I get this helmet off. |
Major Howard stayed in the glider. In the real Pegasus Bridge battle the Major's helmet slid down over his eyes during the landing and he was afraid he had lost his sight. We thought this was an amusing co-incidence in this game.
The gun wanted to fire but failed the order morale.
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| Everybody mooove! |
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| Cheerio boys. I'm right behind you. |
The German plan of slowing down the British was working. The barbed wire and tempting targets distracted the British.
 |
| Climb before they shoot you! |
Turn 4
Major Howard was still fiddling about in the glider while his men got on with the job at hand.
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| Gentlemen, I'll be right there. I will. |
Finally a British unit runs close to the German unit on the bridge, firing with little result. And the Germans charged the veterans in Close Assault!
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| Get off our bridge Tommy! |
Turn 5
The British finally realised they had been dawdling too long. Major Howard finally decided to join the party and raced out to get his men moving.
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| This is our bridge now, boyo! |
Turn 6
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| Upstairs we go, down you go! |
The game was really enjoyable, plenty of Command Comic Moments, a British FUBAR, and plenty of excitement.
For Cancon we will also work on a larger scale version of the game with more troops on both sides and a larger board encompassing both sides of the Bridge.
As always we learned more things about the game:
- Shirkers and Inexperienced are pretty hopeless can are cheap and can do their job.
- Small units have different dynamics to the fuller units we normally use.
- Veterans are hard to kill.
- Tough fighters should love close combat!
Wow tiny units, never thought to run my commandos any lower than five ^_^
ReplyDeleteThis is scenario specific. The official rules have minimum f 5 unit squads. It was a interesting dynamic. Quick death, fast game, morale test for half strength very quickly. But the small units with tough fighter are pretty good. So long as they are against equally small units of no more than 6 men.
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