A couple of weeks ago we had a small game using the
Battlegroup WWII rules system; set in Normandy, we used the BG Overlord
supplement, with around 450 points and four players involved. This was the
first time I’d umpired a game of BG at the club and for most it was their first
time using the ruleset. I confess I am an avid fan of the rules and am keen to
use them more often for club games.
We used the
Attack/Counter-Attack scenario from the main rulebook; the British had an
infantry platoon with a medium mortar and two troops of Shermans. The Germans
had an infantry platoon, three Stug IIIs and a Panther. I had originally intended
both sides to have an extra infantry platoon each, but looking at the size of
the board (6x4) we decided to only field one – which was probably a mistake. I should
either have removed the Panther and one of the Shermans instead, or brought on
the second infantry platoons as reinforcements.
Anyway, it was a fairly simple table, with a road running to/from
the diagonals, and a small group of buildings in the middle, each of which acted
as an objective. There was a considerable amount of bocage in the middle of the
table, forcing the armour along the roads. Again, with hindsight, as an introductory
game, a more open table might have been better to allow players to get the feel
for the vehicle combat elements of the rules. I think I also slightly mucked up
the bocage breaching rues for AFVs.
On to the game; the British proved slightly more aggressive
than the Germans, pushing their two troops of Shermans up the road to the first
house, while the infantry moved towards the bocage in the centre. The Germans
held back, with their Panther on Ambush Fire (i.e. overwatch) covering the road,
with the Stugs in reserve as the infantry cautiously advanced.
On the second turn the closed nature of the board became apparent
as the Shermans began to back up; one troop decided to dash across the road
into the more open left flank. This proved to be rash as the Panther activated
its ambush fire; firing twice it missed once and then hit the Firefly’s side
armour. Miraculously the hit failed to penetrate and, taking a morale test for
a non-penetrating hit, the crew scored a six, giving them a Call of Duty test,
which they passed. This allows a unit immediately to take an additional free
activation. On this occasion, the Firefly commander opted to shoot back at the
Panther, scoring a hit but failing to penetrate. With hindsight he should have
perhaps have scarpered into cover.
One the third turn the Germans again played fairly
defensively, placing the Panther on Ambush again, while moving an infantry
section up the left flank towards one of the objectives. In the centre both
sides took a house, forcing a battle counter to be taken by each side for the
loss of an objective. The British Firely in the open then tried to move out of
the way, at which point the Panther opened fire again – scoring two sixes to
hit – and, to no one’s surprise - killed the Firefly. Another battle counter
taken for the loss of a unit. Interestingly this was to be the only armour loss
in the game, again emphasising the lack of clear lines of sight.
Turn four saw the Germans occupying the house on the left flank
with an infantry section forcing another British battle counter. On this turn
the infantry had closed range and began to exchange copious quantities of fire
and casualties began to mount. One particularly rash/courageous British infantry
section decided to close assault the German section in the house on the left; a
brief but vicious fight saw the British section wiped out to a man, while the
Germans lost their rifle section. In the centre the British had reached the
bocage line, which oddly the Germans had failed to occupy and began to engage
targets across the top field and in the other houses.
At this point it became apparent that both sides had lost
the majority of their infantry and the armour was stalled along the road. We decided
to call the game and, totting up the battle counters it was a very marginal
German victory - by one point.
On reflection, an extra infantry platoon (either at the
outset or perhaps as reinforcements) would have given both sides more options,
and allowed them to exploit their successes more effectively – particularly the
British. The only aspects of the rules I found trick to run was the indirect
fire from the two medium mortars – I think we got this right but I need to
review them.
Overall, a good game – the BG rules appear to lend
themselves to a user-friendly multiplayer experience.
