WW2 Campaign Games

This week and weekend I have been able to get a couple of WW2 games completed as part of a WW2 campaign. Both games took just over an hour to setup and play, a timeframe which works well for me. Both games were limited attack games for both German and Commonwealth forces with the attacking forces winning in each case.

The first game was a close run affair with the defending Commonwealth units putting up stiff resistance on a tabletop layout with a town centre being a key feature.

The start of the game had German infantry forces advancing 

Mid-game had Commonwealth forces were under pressure, but holding firm with their reinforcements

Towards the end German heavy tank (Panthers) reserves turned the tide of the battle with most AT units having been eliminated by infantry attacks earlier in the game

The second game was very one-sided and a bit of a romp for the Commonwealth forces. Both sides had thrown well for the number of units. The German defenders had scored 9 with two average dice plus 6 as the defending side. Commonwealth forces had scored 10 with the average dice plus 12 for a limited attack. The big difference was the rolling for the type of units with Commonwealth attackers getting many 5's and 6's, allowing them the field a strong armoured force of tanks and armoured infantry.

In this game saw the first use during the campaign of strongpoints and minefields (which only German forces can use). The rules for minefields are:

• Units must use all their movement allowance to move into and out of a minefield
• When attacked in a minefield the attacker gets to re-roll failed hits. 

While a strongpoint is treated as a stationary heavy tank and attacks as armoured infantry.

Strongpoint and minefield

In hindsight the minefields and strong point should have been positioned around the buildings. So far in the campaign the games gave gone with the attacker, with all out assaults required when attacking a campaign zone which increases the number of woods or rivers on the tabletop. Given most of the attacking on the campaign will be with the Commonwealth forces as they try and gain territory, we will see more limited attacks as supplies are not unlimited and the cost of an all out assault is double that of a limited attack.

This coming week will see a couple more WW2 games, but I will be switching back to Sci-Fi for a couple of games as I complete some more 40K Chaos units. An army I have been building up slowly over the last 18 months, and will want to see the completed units in action on the table. Whether I use the modified Swatters or my house OHW rules is yet to be determined.