What a Tanker, Russian Front

After the successful Normandy WAT game in 15mm, we decided to try the Russian front this time. Greg also had a lovely collection of Russian front vehicles to show off and a nice looking Eastern front village, so why not?
Gone were the many hedge rows of Normandy. Instead the only cover was provided by some low hills and some small woods. Eight players lined up, three Germans and five Soviets. The Germans rolled well for starting vehicles, with two Tiger 1Es and a Panzer IVH. The Soviets started with more of a mixed bag, a T34/85, a T34/76, an SU-85, an SU-100 and Tony managed to score bottom points, claiming a tiny T70!
The aim of the game was for the Soviets to get vehicles onto the roads around the strategically vital village of "Wheresatagain". They would receive 2 points for each operational tank on a road at the end of each turn.
The Soviets started with a mad dash for the village, all accept for Tony in the diminutive T70, who decided it would be fun to park on top of a hill and lock horns with one of the Tigers, with the expected result! Never mind, maybe he would get a better replacement vehicle? Nope, rolled a 4, receiving another T70!

Overall, besides the T70, the Soviets lost a T34/85 and a T34/76, just getting to the village. Things were not looking great for the forces of Stalin. However, after some prolonged chipping away, by Greg's SU-85 and friends, the Tiger on the German right flank succumbed.

This left Dave in the second Tiger, playing big Cat and many mice, around the village, but after a couple of further Soviet losses, this Tiger too fell.

The German replacement rolls were not so good, yielding a Panther and  Stug III, but it wasn't too long before the Panther was embroiled in a melee to the right of the village, managing to despatch the long lived SU-85, before dashing into the heart of the village, to avoid the unwelcome attentions of an approaching IS-2. The highlight of this Panther scrap being the little T70 snapping at the Panther's heels!

Despite amassing 22 points for road occupation, the Soviets had lost 86 points of vehicles, compared to 55 points of losses for the Germans, so a slim net win by 9 points for the Germans. However, with the loss of two irreplaceable big cats, the Soviets were still in bullish mood.