Sunday, March 29, 2015

Havoc 2015



I've just returned from havoc 2015. It was a great time and I put on a chain of command game I've been testing at our club for quite sometime and I think it went great! As I was representing our CoC community I did my best to put on the best looking game possible and give the most realistic and detailed representation of the game, trying not to disappoint lard island! It was a great weekend but due to a snow storm that swept through, the turn out wasn't what was expected and of course what we want to see at these outings. But over all it was a fun time as always and it's back to the drawing board for Huzzah coming up in a month in some change in May.

Here's the write up of the COC game

It was a regular attack defend game with an American armored platoon attacking a regular German platoon. With the Americans trying the force the Germans from the table by dropping their Force Morale to zero wile keeping their own above 3.

A couple pictures of the table. It might look familiar that's because it was the same game as my my last write up with some minor changes to the terrain and support.



The Germans kicked it off with the higher force moral of 9 and the Americans with 8. The Germans deployed in the garden and took an over watch stance.

The Americans answered by deploying there machine gun squad in the bocage  firing and missing. The Germans on over watch immediately answering but also missing. 
 The next American phase brought on a senior leader and the 60mm mortar setting up a base of fire behind the bocage with the machine gun squad. Also committing the Sherman deploying it onto the road
The Germans decided to move out of the garden towards the the front of the house and at the same time deploying their tripod mounted MG42 on the second floor and firing at the Americans behind in the bocage.
After trying to shoot it out with the Americans in the bocage and taking a good amount of shock from the bocage the Germans decided to deploy one of their senior leaders (a part of their support) to shake the shock and keep  the MG from getting pinned and to keep it firing!

The next American phases the Sherman was on the move and pulled up to a hedgerow and took a shot at the building with the German MG42 failing to do any damage due to some great save rolls by the Germans.
Then deploying another American squad on the other side of the hedge. Also opening up on the machine gun with their machine gun squad and mortar killing a crew member and wounding the senior leader twice (taking fire from too different units) knocking down his command initiative from 3 to 1 and knocking down their Force moral from 9 to 7.

The next German phase the Germans rolled a double 6 and was able to pull the machine gun down the stairs and out the door to around the side of the house waiting for the Americans in the bocage and also watching the field slightly to the left of them knowing the Americans had a jump off point there. 
 The Americans now knowing there was know more firing coming from the house the squad in front of the Sherman decided to make a break for the hedge field and sent out a scout team to the left flank. 
When the German phase came they finally were able to get a chain of command point after rolling the last couple of 5s they needed and set an ambush with their panzershreck team taking a great shot At the Sherman that was carefully parked behind the hedge watching the building waiting for the opportunity to bang a shot at any German trying to reoccupy the windows. Needing a net hit of 7 to hit , the Germans rolled an exact 7 and  Rolled their 13 dice for their AP getting a whopping 9 hits on the Sherman ! With the Sherman having an armor of only 5 they were able to only get 1 save (which didn't matter with 8 hits on the tank with only 5 save rolls) the Sherman went up in a ball of smoke allowing the panzershreck team to scurry off letting the Americans take a hit on there for morale going from 8 to a 7

Finishing up their phase with deploying another infantry squad in the front of the house behind the stone wall a more favorable position to take on the Americans approaching from the hedge field with out exposing them self to the fire of the American machine gun squad camping in the bocage.
On The American phase the troops in the hedge field fired at the Germans behind the the wall inflicting some shock and and killing a machine gunner and deploying a squad in the field and dropping some mortar rounds on the Germans outside of the house in the open wounding another German junior leader and going down another point of Force Morale bringing them down to a 6. Another phase or two of the Germans exchanging fire from the hedge field brought some shock on the Americans and Germans until an unlucky roll by the Americans hitting and wounding the leader knocking him unconscious for the turn. 

The next American phase the Americans decide to make their move rolling poorly and with shock only getting over the fence and getting caught in the open.


The Germans then rolling double 6s moved a squad machine gun to the upstairs of the house then the next phase they were about to open up on the Americans when they played one of their two chain of command points and blasting away with the machine gun squad in the bocage that was waiting for an opportunity like this rolling 16 dice wiping out two of the three crew of the German machine gun. The Germans continuing their phase rolled 5 dice on the Americans now in the open and in close range scoring 4 hits on the Americans killing 2 men and wounding another American junior leader knocking down another Force morale point! The Americans were now down to 5. 


The American turn brings more fire power with their machine gun squad into the house with the German machine gun team that just cut down their comrades out in the open. Killing the last German gunner. They also ended the turn to bring back their unconscious leader in the hedge field back to the fight. The scout team has now moved into position to shut down the German jump off point. 
But were unable to end the turn due to spending their last chain of command point ending the turn before they got there to bring back their leader in the hedge field. The Germans then went on a roll with rolling 3 double 6s in a row giving them free rain to react to that scout team moving their infantry squad that was outside the house into position to fire at the scout team killing them off, Then deploying their last squad into the house that was directly in front of the scout team and firing at the Americans in the hedge field pinning the Americans and wounding another junior leader.
The American Force Morale was now buckling  taking another minus one bring them down to a 4 loosing a chain of command die. But with the Germans able to go again due to their 3 double 6s in the row decided to close assault the pinned American team in the hedge field with 7 points of shock and a wounded leader obliterating the American squad killing them all plus the junior leader! The Germans only loosing one man. That knocked the American Force Morale down to a 2
And with that the Americans had to pull back knowing there was know way to take the field even with a whole uncommitted infantry team . Plus time had ran out . 


AFTER ACTION THOUGHTS 

Overall I think the game was a success with a few minor bumps in the road but nothing serious after talking about the game after it was decided that the Americans should have spent there last chain of command point to move up there jump off point up behind the scout team that had pushed forward and deployed their last squad and that would have have them a solid power to take the jump off point in front of the scout team. But that last roll the Germans went on really took any remaining steam out of the American advance. When they were able to go 4 phases in a row. Overall I think we all had fun and I'm looking forward to putting on more Chain of Command games and spreading the lard as much as I can ! 

Here's a few  pictures of only SOME of the other games. I took some quick pics  when I had the time. 


Here was mgluteus game he put on a (PITS) patrol in the Sudan game which was also a great success! If you get the chance check out his blog!! You won't bedisappointed Mgluteus.blogspot.com

28mm Civil war game 

Some more games 
Friday night shot of the upstairs

















Another Chain of Command game put on by a fellow club member Mitch in 15mm on the eastern front.
There's me on the right hand side in the grey thermal in front right playing in the Chain of Command game. I was playing on the Russian side unfortunately it was a Russian slaughter

I grabbed a British Sherman and and Bren carrier from Warlord games for my 28mm army's I'm putting together for chain of command. 


All and all there were some great looking games and it was a good time and great seeing everyone. I'm looking forward to huzzah in May! 

Thank God for my wonderful girl friend for taking all the pictures of the table tops because I was to busy getting my game on and putting on my game! I just didn't have all the time to go around and take pictures of all the games. 

Please bare with me as this is the first convention I've covered and I'm still new to the AARs and blogging in general. I hope you enjoy the write up and please leave some feed back, its always appreciated.