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Firestorm: Stripes

The Team Yankee Global Campaign

Jump In My Car (That's a T-72M)

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Warsaw Pact
Hoffel Roffel Woffel VII
VS British
M. Nisbet

Jump in my car (that's a t-72M)

Second game of the evening - our fellow players were still playing on the table beside us, so we couldn't get a new opponent. We decided to play another game at 35pts (why no text field entry for points on report page?) and swap table edges.

The mission is Contact, the theatre is Hanover. And so another game begins!

deployment (or, that's a bold strategy cotton)

Can you see what is wrong in the picture?

I elected to hold a 5 vehicle unit of T-72M's in reserves, hopefully the reroll on reserves would see me right. I chanced a rush up the right flank, planning to use the hill for cover from the vantage point of the building in the north west area of the map, then push on to the objective before the opposing reserves (Leopards) arrive.

The Brits reveal one immediate ambush in the form of a mechanised platoon. They also have a unit of Leopards in (delayed, was it?) reserves.

Game on!

TURN 1 attacker

They say no plan survives contact with the enemy. Some plans don't even get that far.

Yeah, so about that confidence in reserves turning up only a little bit late... so that's a no-show for turn 1 then. That'll be us on the back foot already then!

The T-72M's cautiously advance trying to stick to the plan, wary of an expected ambush from the Milan teams still skulking about somewhere.

Shilkas peel off and go for a vantage point from the woods, overlooking the objective on the western side. One makes it into the woods, the other fails a cross-check sadly and is left on the outskirts of the woods.

turn 1 defender (someone remind them they are defending!)

Oh. There's an objective there to defend. Oops.

Apologies, no overhead picture for this turn.
The recon UAV or whatever didn't get decent shots, if that makes you feel better!

The revealed mechanised platoon go straight on the offensive, rushing towards the undefended objective on the south west. Other than that, a quiet turn with no shooting.

Turn 2 attacker (aaaaannnny minute now, you'll see)

Stood up again!
CINEMATICS MAN, CINEMATIC SHOTS!
"bottle of beer says they're in that building" "You're on, lets go"

With yet another failed reserves roll (even with the reroll), the plan has gone to pot. I now need to throw everything at the south west objective, even though I know that it's guaranteed the Milan teams will pop up in the north west building in the next turn.

A blitz order from the Shilkas brings one through the woods, and the other round the side for shots. However everything misses the M113's rushing through the vineyard area.

The T-72M's fare only slightly better, bailing a single M113.

And that concludes my second turn. I wonder where the Milans will pop up?

Turn 2 defender (peekaboo, I wreck you)

As expected, the Milans show themselves in the northwest building and engage the T-72M's. Very good rolls result in two destroyed, and one bailed.

At the south west objective, the M113's disgorge their infantry on a blitz order, a little shy of the objective.

At least I am guaranteed the reserve T-72M's in the next turn... wonder where they will go!

turn 3 attacker (oh *now* you decide to show up)

Too little, too late?

FINALLY, the wayward T-72M's turn up where I want them, hopefully to at least contest the mechanised infantry approaching the south west objective.

The Shilka's are still tasked with engaging the mechanised infantry. The straggler tried to blitz into the woods, and yet again isn't able to pass a cross check to enter the woods. The lone Shilka that can get a shot off manages to completely miss everything.

The Company HQ tank moves through the woods and gets some shots at the infantry, however nothing finds the mark.

The unfortunate unit of T-72M's that were ambushed try to return fire and are rewarded with a single kill on the Milan teams.

On to the fresh unit of T-72M's, their guns open up and for all the shooting manage to take out a single stand of infantry, a Light Mortar team if I recall.

A bit of a rubbish round, but at least the objective is a little more secure now.

Turn 3 defender (the best defence... and all that)

What's that coming over the hill? It's a Gustav!

The only movement from the Brits this turn was to advance the Gustavs to try and get some shots off on the already battered T-72M's in the centre. Luckily, all their shots go wide.

The Milans turn their attention to the Shilkas, wrecking the one stuck on the edge of the woods and bailing the concealed one.

Can't quite remember what the mechanised infantry done, I think they dug in and GTG.

Turn 4 attacker

No longer in good spirits, the lone bailed Shilka crew decide to leg it off the field and retreats.

Deciding to go for the easier targets, the centre T-72M's focus on the Gustavs on the brow of the hill, scoring a hit or two, but saves were successful.

The reserve T-72M's at the south open fire on the concealed infantry, however the firing is completely ineffective and not a single hit is scored.

turn 4 defender

Unfortunately, no picture for this turn. Apologies yet again.

The Brits get a unit of Leopards arriving to the area, and they take up positions in the north centre of the map behind the hedge line. They get a good shot off at the south western T-72M's and manage to knock one out.

The Gustavs on the hill near the centre once again fired on the embattled T-72M's. The tank units luck finally ran out and the remaining three vehicles are knocked out.

The Milans cracked a few shots off at the reserve T-72M's and another one is knocked out, leaving three to protect the objective.

turn 5 attacker

Aye mate, you're just over 4 inches away. Just move closer and get it over with!

No overhead picture, but it's perhaps for the best!

With the Shilkas and one unit of T-72M's gone, the Formation morale is lost and the retreat command is issued.

Game win to the Brits.

Post-game thoughts

I'm sure a lot of my games are won or lost at objective and deployment part. In this case it was obvious as soon as the first turn for the defenders showed that I had taken my eye off the ball.

Whether it was inexperience or mental fatigue is a moot point, as soon as I saw those M113's pop out and race towards the objective I knew it would be another game of throwing units away to try and plug a hole.

The reserves getting lost didn't help matters much. Reserves seem to be the bane of my life, to the point in WWII Late War Von Sauken is an auto-include if available for the reroll.

With the Milans, I just knew they were going to be placed in that building, but I don't think I could have reached under the minimum range in one move. Perhaps with a road dash I could but it might have left me vulnerable to an assault from cover.

Not to worry. Those two games that evening were against a very experienced player who generally doesn't give much line out before reeling you in.

New NATO opposition this coming week I believe so we'll see what fortune brings.

Hoff out.

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M. Nisbet
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