Nail Biter in Bucks! Czech Tanks roll on KG von Throck

Hey team Throck, Rotny and I just finished up one hell of a nail biter. We've got sweeping flanking movements, heroic assaults, brave last pushes and a ton of great pic's taking you through the whole thing. It's a real barn burner, I gotta be honest, I thought I had it lost by turn 3 but... well... read on to find out what happened.

Look ma, no tracks! So, for once I decided to go at it without my beloved panzergrens, instead I went for as many fausts as one could possibly hold. A veritable faust-a-palooza. For Rotny's part, he's starting to branch out! He's got some recon, 4 freaking terrifying IS-2's and more tanks than you could shake a stick at. Here we have a hold the line scenario in Buckinghamshire with KG von Throck and the defenders against a very aggressive tank Czech force at 2000 points.

Rotny's Czech Tanks Gvardeyskiy Tankovy Batalon HQ: 1x T-34/85 w Cupola & Escorts Combat Company 1: 9x T-34/85 w Cupola & Escorts Combat Company 2: 5x T-34/95 w Cupoola Corps Support 1: 4x IS-2 w/.50 Cal AA MG Corps Support 2: 3x BA-64 4 Platoons 1965

KG von Throck Sturmkompanie HQ: 2x Commanzerfaust 2x Panzerschreck Combat Platoon 1: 1x Commanzerfaust 6x Pfaust MG Team Combat Platoon 2: 1x Commanzerfaust 6x Pfaust MG Team Combat Platoon 3: 1x Commanzerfaust 6x Pfaust MG Team Reg Support 1: Heavy AT 3x PaK40 Div Support 1: 3x Tiger 1E Div Support 2: 3x Neb 41's Div Support 3: 2x 8.8 FlaK36 w extra crew 7 Platoons 1965 Pts.

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

Quiet British country side

German Deployment, Sturm Platoons on the center and right with Tigers holding the left

Objectives at the rear crossroads and just behind the church

Sturms dig in, ready for the tank assault

The large T-34 company prepares to jump off

The 1iC and Smaller tank company set up to pressure the german center

While the IS-2's are tasked with the German left, the Tigers

UNITS IN RESERVE
Rotny's Czech Tanks	KG von Throck PaK 40's 88's Nebs 1x Sturm Platoon

DEPLOYMENT SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Tanks: The IS-2's had to go after the Tigers, their the best weapon to take them out, and Throck left one pretty much in the open. I figure I can use the smaller T-34 platoon as a mobile reserve/pressure on the center while the larger company with the tank riders flanks around the German right. KG von Throck: I'm playing for time here. I know I needed meat on the table as the AT assets are just fragile to start on the table with. My mantra this game will be "bend but do not break". I think my center will hold relatively well but that horde of tanks on my right is down right worrisome.

TURN 1

IS-2's Start rolling into town on the Left

While the small T-34 platoon trundles up the center and the BA-64's Speed around into the woods

And the T-34 Horde get's danger close on the left most Sturm platoon

IS-2's open up on the tigers scoring 2 hits, but failing to do any damage.

The Right Sturm's "bend" back into the woods. No reason to pick a fight with Tank riders if I don't have to.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Rotny's Czech Tanks	KG von Throck

TURN 1 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Tanks: This was all about maneuver. Hen and chicks mean the gone to ground, dug in, infantry were too hard for my advancing teams to hit. The real bummer was Throck's freaking French dice saving his Tigers from perfectly good IS-2 hits. KG von Throck: Bend... don't break... don't get aggressive. The Right Sturmies move back into the woods, I want him to try and come in and get me.

TURN 2

T-34 Horde moves around the woods and opens up on the two stands they can see, killing both

IS-2's Press into town, with a bit of a traffic jam

Small T-34's hold up and start firing into town

The panzerschrecks in the church open up on the recce, scoring two kills and a bail

Tigers advance (when really they should be moving back)

And score 1 Kill

While the right Sturmies move out of the woods to the fence line

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Rotny's Czech Tanks BA-64 x2 IS-2 x1	KG von Throck Right Sturms: 2x Faust/MG Teams

TURN 2 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Tanks: Slippery bastard just keeps moving away from me. I was able to score a couple of kills in the woods, but I'm being careful to keep myself 4 inches away from those prickly Panzerfausts. KG von Throck: Still bending... Except for the tigers, which I moved forward. Cause I'm a bone head. Really, I should have moved them back and taken cover. However, I did score an IS-2, which is always nice. I'm pretty sure I'm going to pay for it though.

TURN 3

T-34 horde slips around the trees to threaten the rear objective!

While opening up on the right Sturm team and scoring one more kill

And the IS-2's punish the Tiger's insolence in advancing.

With their hold on the position starting to get a little tenuous, the right Sturms dig in

And the remaining tiger bails an IS-2

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Rotny's Czech Tanks BA-64's DESTROYED IS-2 x1	KG von Throck Right Sturms: 3x Faust/MG Teams Tigers x2

TURN 3 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Tanks: I'm just going to keep pressure on that right flank. I'm pretty sure I can wear him down and break through. I really think assaulting is a non option with the fausts hanging out all over the place. Just need to weaken them a little more and then I'll strike. KG von Throck: Man, things are starting to look really bad here. Those right grens are starting to take a beating. The fear of a charge by the smaller T-34 squad has kept my Center Sturms sitting tight in their houses but I do task one of the Schreks and two MG platoons to go back up the Right Sturms. And I'm really starting to question why anyone would ever take tigers. I fail to see their usefullness. I did kill the BA-64 team though... bonus...

TURN 4

T-34's Flank around to the rear of the German line!

While the Smaller T-34 team begins to press the advantage on the center right

And the IS-2's roll up

And take out the final Tiger

T-34 Horde starts chewing up the center and left Sturm platoon

But then the Reserves Arrive! Another Sturm Platoon in assault range of the T-34's

The center Sturm Platoon moves out of the church and begins to consoldate around the farm close to the objectives

While two schreck and one faust shot score a critical kill and two bails on the T-34's

The reserve Stums Assault, out of line of sight of most of the platoon and with the ones in sight hurting, they only take 10 shots, suffering three hits and no wounds!

The ensuing melee is intense with assaults and counter assults resulting in 3 dead sturm stands and an incredible 8 killed T-34's

The reserve sturmi's stand victorious over the T-34's

Center Sturm's consolodate in the farm

Turn 4's carnage

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Rotny's Czech Tanks BA-64's DESTROYED IS-2 x1 T-34 Horde: x8	KG von Throck Left Sturms: 5x Faust/MG Teams Tigers DESTROYED Center Sturms: 2x Faust/MG Teams Reserve Sturms: 2x Faust/MG Teams

TURN 4 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Tanks: I really think I've got him. I've pushed up on three sides and his Sturmis are really starting to hurt... KG von Throck: And then the miracle happens. Man, those reserves and that assault really pulled my bacon out of the fire and turned the tables.

TURN 5

IS-2's advance deeper into the town

while the small T-34 platoon moves on up to the mansion

And frustratingly, both of the final Horde T-34's bog out

88's show up from reserve

Reserve grens dig in, consolodating their position

Center grens do the same.

The german defensive line suddenly looks much more formidable

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Rotny's Czech Tanks BA-64's DESTROYED IS-2 x1 T-34 Horde: x8	KG von Throck Left Sturms: 5x Faust/MG Teams Tigers DESTROYED Center Sturms: 2x Faust/MG Teams Reserve Sturms: 2x Faust/MG Teams

TURN 5 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Tanks: Wow... I don't... wow... Throck's turn 4 just made this an entirely different game. Now I've got to find a way to take the initiative back. I think it'll be through assault as my main base of fire has now been whittled away. KG von Throck: I'm not going to get greedy here. I'm digging in and waiting for him to come to me. No reason to be rash after a turn like turn 4.

TURN 6

T-34's move up to prep for assault

While the IS-2's do the same

The IS-2's go first, taking punishing fire from the defensive line that ends the unit

The T-34's make their push, loosing 3 tanks, failing their motivation test to stay on the table, the 1iC commands the re-roll, which they also fail, forcing command and the remaining tanks to flee!

End of game carnage

Some more of that carnage stuff

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Rotny's Czech Tanks BA-64's DESTROYED IS-2 DESTROYED T-34 Horde: x8 T-34 Small: DESTROYED	KG von Throck Left Sturms: 5x Faust/MG Teams Tigers DESTROYED Center Sturms: 2x Faust/MG Teams Reserve Sturms: 2x Faust/MG Teams

TURN 6 SUMMARY

Rotny's Czech Tanks: All or nothing time. I'm going to head into the assault here... Of course, I got crushed. The dice that had served me so well at the beginning of the game just straight up lost all of their juice at the end. Total bummer. With 2 tanks left on the table I conceede. KG von Throck: Germans win 5-2

That was a freaking close game. I really think it all revolved around the assault in the german rear. If that schreck and faust hadn't scored their hits so well the reserve sturmi's would have been facing guarenteed extinction. But clutch shots turned the tables and allowed a chain reaction that let the Germans grab victory from the jaws of defeat. Really great game, thank you Rotny!

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