My force consisted of the following:
Vet 2nd Lt +1
Reg Air Observer (For my B2M2 Mitsubishi bi-plane)
Vet 3 x 10 men with NCO smg
Vet 13 men with NCO smg
Vet Sniper
Reg Light howitzer with 5 men
Reg Type 87 armoured car
Reg Battle Bus (General Purpose truck)
Reg 2 x Suicide AT team
My first game was on the wonderful Sally 4th board, playing Demolition against Kenny Wilson's lovely highly mobile British Airborne...
Kenny had a 2nd Lt, Free Artillery observer, Sniper, Heavy mortar, 6 pdr, recce twin MMG jeep, 2 x 8 Para's with 5 smgs, 2 x 8 Para's with 5 smgs on Welbikes and 6 Paras with 5 smgs on Welbikes...
I chose to defend the more exposed side, expecting flankers and keeping my objective centre left near a building with 2 x 10 men and the howitzer nearby... I had the sniper and 13 men far right to attack the lightly held para objective (behind the hand) as Kenny had kept 4 infantry units off, with one squad near it and the heavy mortar. I planned to go straight at it, flanking with 2 suicide AT and a 10 man squad.
My sniper went far right on ambush to target the Paras near the objective, my air observer in the central yard behind the house (to target same squad when it would inevitably run into the house) and also avoid the Para sniper who was positioned to harass my objective alongside his Artillery observer who brought in.
Turn 1. Sure enough, not much happened first round, the Para sniper missed his counterpart, everyone off went down, the 6pdr went on ambush, the squad on my right ran into the house, losing a man to the sniper on ambush. The howitzer missed, my airstrike was called in on them and the British artillery came down around my objective...
Turn 2. Learned something as the Paras took 12 hits from a strafe, and I thought the building collapsed. Kenny pointed out that it wasn't high explosive, so its doesn't... Only killed 3 men, but planned to assault them with my 13 men on the right. Ken was wise to that and advanced the MMG jeep down closer to my squad, opening up and adding a pin and also meaning any banzai would be to the jeep which would recce away. I didn't banzai, but tested to run successfully and wiped out the paras for the loss of two men, and threatening the objective...Reserves from both sides turned up but two para units didnt (One on foot and the small welbike unit)
Turn 3 saw the heavy mortar hit and pulverise my squad nearest the 6pdr. The Japanese officer came on to assist my howitzer unpin. The 6pder went on ambush, and it became tense as the British didnt want to be last dice out... All reserves bar small welbike came on for the british, I kept my 10 men and one AT man off still outflanking and ran one up behind the building. The sniper ran downstairs to add his weight in keeping the Paras occupied defending... The last 3 dice were two british, both squads near the objectives and my now 11 man squad. Both British came out first, and Kenny did his best to cover the objectives, but I only had to wipeout 1 squad to end up next to it. My 11 men charged out the house at his 8, getting the first hit in... And killed two. I lost 4 back. Fanatic kicked in, but I was now on the backfoot... It ended up with only one Para left and one Japanese but I had lost the previous turn so I lost... Gutted!!!
Turn 4. Well, I had my second wave and a few single men (Air observer joined in running from a house) and threatening the objective. The odds weren't good...
This tied up a few units of Ken's, so I was still winning the initiative game... I tried to see off any advance by going after the one advancing Welbike unit with the Type 87, and risked the 6pdr down the street...
Turn 5. I was hoping for the first dice...
Ach well, time to concentrate on the defence now...
One 10 man squad, an officer and a bus v 8 paras, an officer and a jeep...
Well my guys seen off the Paras, killing 2 with point blank fire, then going in to turn 6 with 4 dice charging in with first dice. I lost the bus to the heavy mortar...
Turn 7 came, and I had 5 men and an officer who had to hold off a home run by the officer in the jeep. I put a pin on the jeep, and did my best, but Ken only had to advance the jeep and the officer could have ran onto the objective and win... Unfortunately for Ken, he failed to pass his dice due to the single pin....
Awesome game, could have went my way in turn 3, or Ken's in turn 7. He left me with 3 units and ended up coming second overall, which was very fitting as he payed exceptionally well.
Before game 2, I took some pictures of my favourite armies, Mick Wadd's all inexperienced Home guard with a bus being my favourite, along with Kenny's and Sam's whom I played in game 3.
Game 2 saw me play Leon, a fellow Japanese player in Take and Hold. I won the roll off, and decided to attack as I like to in this mission. Leon moved the objective 12" from the centre nearer the church to avoid the house to house fighting (as I had more veterans)
Second Lt
Kempetai
Sniper
Heavy mortar
2 x 8 man veteran
2 x 12 men grenadiers with 3 mortars
12 x inexperienced Bamboo fighters
2 x Suicide AT
MMG team
Kurogane with MMG
Leon deployed with his kempetai in the church yard and the bamboo fighters in the church
I deployed everything I could, with the sniper in the terraced houses covering the back on ambush as well as a 10 man squad in the bottom right corner on ambush too. Ken's forward deployers saw sniper and 2 AT guys on his right to get my Air Observer, and mortar spotter in church tower.
Turn 1. Leon put a few things down, forgetting his sniper was deployed to target my air observer so my first activation I directed him to the church squad. My whole army surge forward toward the church, bar teh sniper who took out Leons MMG team as soon as they appeared
Leon's heavy mortar came on his right near his sniper and his 2 AT guys, as did his officer.
Turn 2. The airstrike didnt come in, and never got the chance too as the bamboo sticks assaulted my veterans behind they wall. I lost two, they lost 11... My sniper slotted the heavy mortar spotter, so Leon spent 3 turns getting it re-positioned to fire. His grenadiers advanced with veterans behind them, while my armoured car came on to support my big veteran squad facing them. My unit on ambush killed one veteran up behind the church. Leon had hoped his other grenadiers squad would come on for payback but they failed to...
Turn 3. I take aim with the first few dice, and decimate the grenadiers
I also occupy the church, but the other grenadiers arrive and wipe out my ambushing corner unit
Turn 4 and 5, I have secured the church and board centre, and Leons central veterans realise they are outgunned and run into a house
I charge them with my large squad and wipe them out, while my officer's misjudge their banzai after being pinned by a sniper, and ends up assaulting 4 grenadiers rather than teh AT dude... Still, my dice are on fire and the grenadiers are slaughtered... As is Leon's officer, who die simultaneously with my sniper team when they assault. Leon's other veteran squad wipe out my officer, and then my church squad are wiped out by the heavy mortar...
Turn 6 Losing the church squad to the heavy mortar sees me struggling to try and contain Leon's last remaining squad of grenadiers, who I cannot block having used my squad on the objectives to kill his veterans. He ignores the bait I throw, and runs around to contest. And the game ends...
Another draw, and a really enjoyable game. Leon's force was a mixed bag, and the 150pts worth of knee mortars never hit... Despite some initial and 1st wave deployment issues, he managed to keep me honest with constant harassment after i had secured the objective, sneaking in to contest. Another turn would have seen him lose, but that would have been harsh given with both our forces, the most important roll was for attacker/defender... Leon came 6th overall.
Game 3
Played Sam Layton's exquisitely painted US Airborne in Maximum Attrition...
Sam's airborne consisted of 2nd Lt, Air observer, medic, sniper, LMG team, medium mortar, 3 x 10 Para's and a sherman tank...
Forward deployment saw Sam's sniper and air observer on his right, facing off against my sniper, and I kept my air observer and two AT men out of sight behind building on my right...
Turn 1 and the first waves rolled on. Sam spread his troops out centrally and on his left, with only the mortar on his right near the sniper. I countered by concentrating heavily on my right, with one squad out on the left to go mortar and sniper hunting...The tank came on centrally, not hitting anything but drawing my air observers attention...
Turn 2 Air roll came up a 1... And 13 Japanese veterans in a brightly coloured bus was too tempting not to hit!!! The squad went down and out, losing 2 men. Sam shot them up some more
However, with no decent targets, Sam ran the Sherman forward to support his left flank and the 2 squad she had there... Setting up a charge with a demolition charge, and trading my Suicide AT man for a sherman!
I ran a squad into the house, while the type 87 advanced to support the remnants from the bus..
The US sniper took out my second AT guy, and on my left I ran for a second time to threaten the mortar.
Turn 3
I got the drop and banzai'd my bus veterans at the right hand para squad, who were down to 8 men from howitzer and armoured car shots... Assaulting with nine attacks, i killed one paratroopers over two turns and was wiped out...
To make things worse, Sam then assaulted my 10 man squad in the house, clearing me out of there.
I counter-charged the house with my unit by the wall, wiping out the remaining US trooper and consodliating centrally to hunt the US one man HQ units..My light howitzer and armoured car combined to take out the remaining squad over on my right that had seen off the bus troops
On my left, the squad advanced and killed the mortar with rifle fire, while Sam swung his central squad an LMG over to support that flank.
Turn 4, the armoured car killed te eUS officer behind the house, but was targetted for an air strike. The medic ran over to teh right side near the Air observer and the LMG. My sniper took out his US counterpart, and my squad there, having been subjected to LMG and squad fire and losing 2 men decided to banzai the nearest US squad but were just out of range...
Turn 5. The US airstrike took out the armoured car but didnt put any pins out on my nearest unit. I got the drop and finally got a good bayonet charge in, losing 3 men after killing 5. My sniper took out the medic, and the squad finished off the Air observer. The LMG failed to kill any more Japanese and was bayonetted at the start of turn 6
Sam had me worried early on but losing the tank and his lack of squads meant he couldn't keep up the momentum. I had men to burn in attrition and his small HQ units couldn't get him back in the game after I had taken out the Sherman and his 3 squads... And his Airborne were very well painted.
I came in 9th of 22 with 2 draws and a win, but losing so badly to Kenny first game meant I was well down in victory points.
I did however get this, best painted as voted by my peers...
Not technically the best painted to my mind, as Chris likes to point out. But everybody likes the look of the force, so I am happy!!!
The event was well supported by Warlord, Black Tree, Sally 4th and Yorkshire Renegades put on the best buffet ever... It was a very friendly atmosphere, the boards were terrific and I hope their next event falls on a weekend I'm free. If you get teh chance to go, I'd recommend it, there was some competitive builds but also some very fluffy ones, and a good mix of Bolt Action veterans, regulars and the more inexperienced.
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