After Action Report, Road Block, Jan 6th

Well Kurt and I were able to hook up and play finally. Hopefully we will get a few more games in within the next several weeks...
Great learning game for me. Kurt knows his stuff really well, so it was more for me....Thank you Kurt, I hope you had fun. I think 2 more games and Ill be gtg with the rules.

So, Kurt recommended two games and we agreed on Road Block. He offered to let me be the defender since I was FINALLY using an infantry companyinstead of my usual tank or armored infantry. I was all excited, UNTILL I realized that the attacker is really the defender and the defender the attacker! HAHAHA....oh well.

So I got to choose which unit I wanted to ambush and i chose the Shermans. I selected my Pak40s to do the job, but that only left me with 2 other units to place! A unit of HMGs and my rocket battery. That left both my infantry platoons, my mortars and panzers off the map. Kurt drove his shermans on the road followed by his 57mm AT guns and his mortars. The Paks40s got to ambush and killed only 1 sherman and bailed out another. Kurt got first go at my Germans.

No German blood was spilt in that turn of shooting, but when the Germans went, they lit the Americans up pretty bad. 2 more tanks killed, 3 of the 6 mortars, and a bunch of infantry.

Turn 2 was not so forgiving and any of the other turns after that. US Rangers made it on the map and Ran into the tree cover at the double! But they must have not seen the panzers that came onto the map and got off double shots! NOT PRETTY! 24 MG shots...The Rangers were broken and ran, but they forced the panzers to commit to the German right flank...when all the action was really on the left.

The American rifle platoon with combat attachments and HQ went after the Paks and they were able to assault them in unison with the 2 shermans that were left and killed them off, BUT NOT THE platoon commander who get the Iron Cross for his fighting success. He was able to break off and kick some butt! He spent most of the battle making a last stand a busted building.

By turn 6 the Germans had been on the table since turn 4 (you here that Scott!??! all 7 platoons on the table by turn 4!!! hahaha). They needed to make a mad dash as they were being held up by a few mortars, the last of the US infantry platoon and 2 shermans! The German hoard of 2 infantry platoons and the remainder of the HMG were trying to make it past them to the prize. The platoon commander of the Paks and the HQ, 2iC and their panzershrecks tried to make a dash to get into 16" range....THEY MADE IT, but they were out in the open with all that US firepower to hit them....something tells me it wasn’t in their favor!

Then 2 baby boys needed attention and the game was over. I have some pics I need to post later on. But it was a very informative game.

Things I learned:

1. mortars are sweet!!! All you need if you plan to pin, and pinning is half the battle.
2. Add HMG to the mix and you have SERIOUS pinning power.
3. DO NOT let you opponent be concealed and gone to ground cause 6's are a bitch to roll!
4. Infantry are BAD ASS!
5. Make sure you DIG IN your HMGs and arty. I did not have that opportunity on this objective specific mission, but its a must!
6. Kurt is an honest guy and is very helpful and patient. THANKS AGAIN Kurt.
7. Kurt says he's not going to anally rape you on turn 1, but he tries to anyway! hehe...Hey, I said he was HONEST and Patient only..... ;-)

Sounds like a good game.

Infantry really are tough. Tanks are more support, which I have to remember more.

Oh I also picked up 10 or so buildings this week. More stuff to paint.

EXCELLENT! Im glad to see you are getting super into FOW.

Certainly welcome to join Kurt and I this Friday. Though I know that might be tough with family commitments. Either way 2 places to game with terrain can only mean more games. I want to see some of these companies everyone is making.

Need to start hirst casting again.

Maybe this battle has shown you why I've build an infantry company Just as long as the scenario isn't a race, otherwise I'm happy.
Good to see people aren't stuck in the "Free For All" state of mind (the worst mission of them all, really just good for a quick tank battle or learning)

James

Oh the road block taught me alot....infantry are slow as shite, but can take a beating like no other! Unfortunetly, it was a race and I lost.

I had a great time too. I also learned a good deal, having never played roadblock before. Was a lot of fun to play with Roads (usually no one buys the roads, so we never play roadblock). Game was a good seesaw, with my infantry coming on in advantagous positions and then getting blown apart.

Bill, don't sweat it about the kids. I generally like children and yours didn't interfere at all. Heck, they didn't even make much noise. I knew we had to finish by 3 and that was cool.

Anyway, I had a great time and would love to play again. I don't think I can make next week, as I will be trying to get tickets to Carman on Wednesday morning and then flying out to Seattle on Thursday. Soon though.

Post the pictures when you get a chance, the other guys should get to see the great terrain you put down.

Start of game, AMBUSH!


Rest of US forces on the road.


US deployes the 57mm AT guns and Mortars and sends in infantry on the German Left and Rangers on the German Right.


Where most of the combat happened. back and forth for a bit, but conceleed, gone to ground troops are WAY hard to kill....doesnt help that Kurt was rolling well for his saves.


Final force, but too late as we had to stop. This woulda been cool to see pan out. What a serious assault. Too bad they waited so long to get to the board.


Combat on right flank. We did make a mistake though. The rules say you can drive through enemy infantry unless there is 2", only by enemy tanks. I drove my tanks through a 2" hole which is technically wrong. Didnt matter though as this proved nothing.

Nice drawings on the pics. Once again happy Brits don't have that level of detail.