Monday 28 April 2014

Fresh eggs anyone?

While watching a documentary of German war-reporters during WW2, I saw a scene where German troops where making a fried egg on a side of their tank in Africa. From that I got an instant idea: I want that as an objective marker for myself!

This is a good one for me as I hate to always place just one "proper" objective marker and other that is just a plain card. So here I think is a good starting plan for my second objective.

I know that my first has been made in some "European" terrain with bushes and grass, not suitable for African weather conditions and thatyou propably wont find hot enough place in Europe to frie an egg on you tank but anyway I think this is cool.

Now I know that in this video footage, it's in Africa and I know that Germans didn't have Panzer III ausf. L models in Africa but would it still be proper to use this model as I think it's the most coolest Panzer III variant in Battlefronts line. And the second question, where can I find a figure that I can use as a cook?!

Please leave a comment or idea about this!

Thanks and see you around!

29.4. EDIT: Ordered 1 Panzer III ausf. L today. LGS site tells me that it takes 1 to 5 days to deliver the product... we'll see...

Sunday 20 April 2014

PKS vs Rest of Us

Hi all and welcome to read a brief report of our tournament played at Nopat ja Taktiikka in Helsinki.

The main goal was to determine the regional champion, our guys at the capital Helsinki or us from the other parts of Finland. So Helsinki vs. Rest of Finland.

We played 4 games with 1250 points armies selected from V3 books and pdfs that were not under review.

Scenarios were randomly drawn from the pool so that first three rounds were Fair Fight, Defensive Battle and Mobile Battle and the fourth round was randomly drawn from all missions not yet played.

My army was German Lehr panzerkompanie from Panzers to the Meuse pdf.

HQ
2 PzIV J
Bergepanther aka Bergetiger (played by Tiger I hull)
COMBAT
3 PzIV J
3 Panthers
WEAPONS
3 Wirbelwinds
SUPPORT
2 Sd Kfz 234/1 (2cm)

So here are the four games I played and the results:

1. Round...

...was Dust Up versus Finnish Panssarikomppania, I was the attacker and deployed Panthers and PzIVs on the board. Finns had 1 T-26 (CiC), Stugs, T-34/85s and Jääkäri platoon on the board.

The match was close one and we had a tank hunt going on for a very long time, both of us tried to take out others tanks before reinforcements arrived. I was with more luck and managed to take out Stugs and T-34/85s but at that point I had only my 2iC to defend my own objectives and had to run all of my tanks (4 PzIVs and 3 Panthers) back to defend.

HQ
2* T-26
COMBAT
3* T-26
3* T-34/85
3* T-28
SUPPORT
3* Stugs (German)
full Jääkäri platoon w/ close def
76mm arty (2 guns)

The result was 3-1 draw as we ran out of time.

The enemy losses were Stug platoon, T-34/85 platoon & 1 Jääkäri team (killed inside a house by my Bergepanther with a lucky shot!) & 2* T-26s

My own losses were 2 Wirbelwinds and 1 PzIV

I had very much luck with my PzIVs as they bounced and bailed a fair share, they should have all been dead.

2. Round...

...was drawn to be Surrounded and I was put against a German Beutepanzerkompanie.

HQ
2* Beutepanzers (little onces)
Recovery truck
COMBAT
4* Beutepanzer platoon (1* PzIII J + 4* Beutepanzers each)
SUPPORT
3* Marder I
Heavy Arty (4 guns)
full Panzergrenadier platoon w/ faust
3* PaK40

This match was very near to be 3-4 loss for me but my 2 surviving Wirbelwinds managed to race to a safety to the other side of the board and take an objective there from the hands of a Beutepanzer while my 2 surviving Panthers took a hold of the rest of the enemy. In the end I pulled out a 4-3 win thanks to having 2/4 platoons on a board, my CiC and 2iC being long dead, when I captured that objective!

Enemy losses were: 3* Beutepanzer platoons, Marder platoon, arty platoon, Panzergrenadiers and 2 PaK40s.

My own losses were: 1 Wirbelwind, 1 Panther, PzIV platoon, 1iC, 2iC, Sd Kfz 234/1 platoon.

Again a ton of luck with Wirbelwinds as they took a hail of fire and came out victorious.

3. Round,...

...Breaktrough was rolled for scenario and I played against a German Panzerspahkompanie made out of Pumas.

HQ
CiC Puma
COMBAT
6* 2 Puma Patrols
SUPPORT
4 StuH42's
2 Nebs with transportation
Sporadic air support Stuka G

Not much killing here, only 3 Pumas from the enemy and their observer. In return I lost only one PzIV while I raced to take the objectives.

At first I was scared as hell to go for it as I didn't want those Pumas playing Puma around my back but once my recce arrived from reserve I gave it a go with my PzIV platoon and 1iC. In the end only one Puma platoon come from behind and two from the enemys deployment zone, I think this was a mistake. And as the objectives were behind a large hill he couldn't get shoots at me. In the end he tried to take my capping PzIVs out with a plane but missed the only tanks he could get under the template. So 6-1 victory for me.
 

4. and the last Round...

...was rolled to be Hold the line and I was put against Hungarians, confident veteran Rohamágyús Üteg ( Assault Gun Battery).

HQ
Zrínyi II
COMBAT
3* Rohamágyús platoon (with 3* Zrínyi II each)
SUPPORT
Pioneer platoon w/ panzerfaust and 2 flamers (CT)
Armoured Car platoon with 3* Toldi IIs (CT)
Artillery battery with 4* 149mm 14/31M

With this I had bad luck being defender. Also after the game we took a look on my play and found out that my initial deployment had few flawns in it which costed me a lot. Also I had a problem with one objective being close to a house (guess where the pioneer where going! Yeap!) so that I had to keep one team always close to that objective. But anyway a very enjoyable game that ended in 5-2 loss for me.

Enemy casualities: Zrínyi platoon + 2 Zrínyis and 2 pioneer teams.
My own losses were: CiC, 2iC, PzIV platoon, Wirbelwind platoon andSd Kfz 234/1 platoon.


It was a very nice tournament and I'd like to thank everyone taking part in it. Now for some rest and refit for the troops and onward to our next battles.

And the results are in!

Helsinki - 8 victories, 56 points
Rest of Finland - 6 victories, 50 points

Individual ranking:

1. Gorzag - 4,25 - Panssarikomppania
2. JussiV - 4,0 - Peredovoye Otryad
    A. Meaney - 4,0 - Rohamagyus Üted
3. Halkomahooli - 3,75 - Panzerkompanie
4. Suolakala - 3,5 - Önkentés Puskás
5. Sotalammas - 3,3 - Beutepanzer
6. Earnest - 2,75 - Jääkärikomppania
7. Redbirdie - 2,5 - SS Freiwillige Infantry
8. VonRichthoven - 1,7 - Panzerpäh (Puma)


Games (E = didn't play on this round)

Helsinki
Gorzag 1 - 5 - 6 - 5 Victories: 3 / 4
JussiV 6 - E - 1 - 5 Victories: 2 / 3
A. Mea 3 - 4 - E - 5 Victories: 2 / 3
VonR E - 2 -1 -2 Victories: 0 / 3
SotaL 3 - 3 - 4 - VictoriesE  1 / 3

Rest of Finland
Earnest 1 - 5 - 3 - Victories2 : 1 / 4
Redbirdie 4 - 3 - 1 - 2 Victories: 1 / 4
Halkom. 3 - 4 - 6 - 2Victories : 2 / 4
Suolak. 1 - 2 - 6 - 5 Victories: 2 / 4

So after the results are in, it was a close one. Both in individual scores and by area scores. But it was fun and thats all that matters... right?! ;)

Saturday 12 April 2014

Clash of Regions


So, we're going to have a little tournament deciding the area domination of Finland in a week. The tournament will be played with 1250 points armies and the match maker is set for 1. PKS (pääkaupunkiseutu = Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa) vs. Rest of Finland. 2. Red vs. Blue and 3. All the rest possible scenarios.

Here I'm going to take a look at the possible list options I have created so far for this tournament.

First list is from the Desperate Measures book, Hero Medium Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment:

HQ
T-34/85 obr 1944
Combat
3* SU-85M
3* SU-85M
3* SU-100
Support
2* IS-2 obr 1943 with .50 cal AA MG & Tank Escort

4 Platoons, 1250 points

This list is a bit bleak as it has no template weapons, no AA except 2 AA MGs, no infantry and no recce. This list can work only against tank companies as I can sit back and shoot everything into oblivion.

Second list is again from Desperate Measures, Medium Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment:

HQ
T-34/85 obr 1944 & Tank Escort
Combat
4* SU-85M & Tank Escorts
3* SU-85M
3* SU-100
Weapons
Assault Gun Recconaissance Platoon ( 1 cmd rifle/MG, 8 rifle/MG)
Support
Limited IL-2

4 Platoons, 1245 points

Compared to the list on top, this has more. It has recce and template in a form of IL-2. It can also handle enemy aircrafts. And with this list I can even assault infantry with the 4 SU-85Ms with tank escorts, throw in the HQ and I have 5 tanks assaulting, hopefully.

Third list has it all and it's from Panzers to the Meuse:

HQ
2* Pz IV J
Bergepanther
Combat
4* Pz IV J
Gepanzerte Aufklärungs Platoon ( 1 cmd faust/MG, 6 faust/MG, 1 tank-hunter team)

Weapons
3* Wirbelwind
Support
2* Sd Kfz 234/2
2* Sd Kfz 231
Rocket Launcher Battery (3* 15cm NW41)

6 Platoons, 1250 points

Heres some tanks, infantry, recce, AA and template. It has speed but it may still fight in defence. And it has Spearhead Deployment and Must Always Attacks.

Forth list is too from Panzers to the Meuse but it has more tanks and bigger guns:

HQ
2* Pz IV J
Bergepanther
Combat
4* Pz IV J
3* Panther G
Weapons
3* Wirbelwind
Support
2* Sd Kfz 234/1

4 Platoons, 1250 points

Some heavier tanks with medium tanks, AA and recce. It lacks templates and infantry but this list is meant to assault straight away. Though it lacks both special rules of the previous list, it can still move really fast and hit hard.

There are some other options too that I have in store but I'm not yet sure if I want to use them. I'm going to have a test game today with a friend of mine and we'll see after that which list I may be using.

So stay tuned for news on how it all went.