Having just completed my SAS list I was itching to try it out. So I got in touch with one of my regular sparring partners Dave M and set up a game.
We both agreed that this would be a fun, friendly game rather than a tournament practice game so we bought bought lists we’d like to try out that we never normally get the chance to play. I turned up with my SAS Squadron, all fast moving recce jeeps and Comets, and Dave took a Panzer Grenadier company from the
Nuts book.
This was shaping up to be a good historically themed bash. The desperate Germans holding off the ever more confident Allies in the final push into the German heartland. Unfortunately Dave didn't have a Jdgtiger to hand so the trusty old King Tiger had to stand if for him.
We rolled up the mission and it was Hasty Attack. As we are both mechanised lists it came down to a dice off to see who was attacking and who was defending. Dave rolled a two and I rolled a…..one, yep that would about set the tone for the game!
Dave put his Stugs, his Heavy Panzer Grenadier platoon with the mortars (as he’d combat attached the HMGs out), a Panzer Grenadier platoon and his 8-rads in reserve. On the table he’d have a Panzer Grenadier platoon with HMGs, his Jagdtiger, Nebelwerfers and a Pak40 platoon.
I put my Cromwells, Infantry, armoured SAS patrol and unarmored SAS patrol in Delayed and Scattered reserve. My Comets went into Immediate Ambush and I deployed my forces with the artillery in the centre and a SAS patrol on either flank with every platoon covering at least an objective.
Dave removed the right most objective and set up round his objective to cover it from a potential alpha strike.
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My deployment and a good view of the table that we'd be scrapping over |
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SAS Patrol covering the objective on the right flank, the placement on the road is deliberate in order to take advantage of the 24" movement on roads in case Dave decided to pull this objective, which he did the cheeky beggar. |
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25pdrs covering the centre objective |
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Another SAS patrol covering the left flank this time. |
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Dave's deployment. In there we have a platoon 3 Pak40s, a Jagdtiger, a Panzer Grenadier Platoon with HMGs attached and a Nebelwerfer platoon. He obviously wasn't taking any chances leaving his objective unguarded! |
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Immediate Ambush popped and SAS patrol making their rec. move forwards |
Dave got air support on his first turn and tried to range in on my Comets. Luckily I placed them near a wood so he was unable to range in, it could have potentially been a very quick game otherwise! He also got reserves on his first turn, the jammy beggar, and decided to bring on his Mortars.
On my first turn I pushed forward and tried to engage both the Nebelwerfers and the Pak40s with no success. I was loving how fast my army moves. I was supposedly the defender but I was already in his deployment area trying to threaten his objective.
Dave absolutely whiffed with his shooting in his next turn giving me the opportunity to set up and pull off an assault with my Comets on his Nebelwerfers. I stomp right through him and wipe out the Nebelwerfers and being Reluctant they decide to to not hang around and fail their platoon morale check. Dave was starting to look a little worried. In the meantime my SAS jeeps were generally being a nuisance and were brassing up whatever Germans they could see.
I consolidate in the wheat field which is just as well as on his next Dave gets some more reserves and brings on his Stugs to have it out with the Comets. He moves into position and whiffs again with his shooting. The PanzerGrenadiers open fire at the Jeeps and with 15 shots score 5 hits. However the 3+ rec. save comes in handy here and I lose only one Jeep to all that fire.
I move my Comets into position and have at his Stugs. I shoot 5 shots and score zero hits. Doh! The return fire from a combination of Stugs, Panzerfausts and Pak40s takes me out. Scratch one Comet platoon!
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The assault is successful and has pushed Dave off the objective. Hurrah! |
A good turn of shooting sees Dave kill both my Company Commander and Company 2i/c and that was game after a very fun 10 or so turns. A 4-3 win to Dave.
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However the return fire kills my Company Commander and with no 2i/c I automatically fail my company morale. Victory to Dave! |
Reflecting back on the game I would have been better served letting him come to me and waiting for his Jagdtiger to expose his flanks and then opening up with my Comets. My SAS jeeps would have tried to cut down his infantry as they advanced forwards.
I could also used Smoke several times to mask my assaults against the Panzer Grenadiers to avoid their crippling defensive fire from the Panzerfausts. Hey, you live and learn.
However by being aggressive I got to really give the list a good run out and see its strengths and weaknesses. The 3+ recce save is simply awesome and really gave Dave some pause for thought. However this is where we got the rules ever so slightly wrong in that we assumed that when somebody is hot by a Breakthrough Gun that they still get their 3+ recce save, it turns out that this isn't the case. Sorry Dave!
The speed of the Cromwells and Comets is not to be underestimated and being able to put in an assault in the opponents deployment area, as the defender no less, on the third turn pays testament to that.
The game confirmed my suspicions, it is a fun list to run! It gave even a seasoned veteran like Dave some real pause for thought and made him tear his hair out at the amount of vehicles racing around and machine gunning his troops. Dave commented that although it isn't a natural tournament winner it would be a lot of fun to run.
I will definitely be using this list again!
Great report, sounds like a great game! Well done with the Cromwells...beautiful roads as well, love them!
ReplyDeleteGreat battle report! The SAS men live to fight another day! I got to say, the British list is one of the coolest lists I have ever seen. Beautiful Battle report. Nice scenery!
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