Canadian Infantry vs US Tanks in Hasty Attack

Sherry Atkinson roars "Open Fire!" As Canadian AT guns shred US tanks crested on a nearby hill

Game 1 of the Lords of War de-escalation tournament was 90 points and I was against Denis and his beautifully painted and modelled American tanks. I had decided to bring my first Flames of War Army MW Canadians (using the rules in Armoured Fist) modelled after the 1st Company of The Royal Canadian Regiment (The RCR) who landed in Sicily, 75 years ago this July. If you haven't read the story about Op HUSKY and Sherry Atkinson, the AT platoon commander, check it out here. The tournament was using the battle plans system where both players select defender, manoeuvre or attack and depending on what each player selected you roll on a different chart to determine the mission you are going to play. I elected to defend with my infantry while Denis wanted to attack with his tanks. We rolled Hasty Attack and started setting up.

Big Willie's Royal Canadians
OC and 2IC
Full infantry platoon
Full infantry platoon
4 x 6 pdrs
4 x Vickers
3 x Universal Carriers with AT rifles
4 x 25 pdrs
3 x Churchills

Denis' American tanks
3 x Lee's with OC
2 x Lees
3 x Lees
5 x Stuarts
3 x T90s
3 x Armoured mortars
1 x Stuart FOO

Set Up

Objectives are central left and top left behind the wood and central right and top centre

Lords of War MW Flames of War De-escalation tournament

Shaun's German Grenadiers 

This last weekend Lords of War held a Flames of War MW de-escalation tournament. We played 3 games starting at 90, then 71 and finally 50 points. This drop in points is excellent for allowing the games to finish faster and making sure that as players get tired the games go faster. As always the guys a Lords of War were fantastic and they run a very tight ship for their tournaments. I will be doing battle reports for my games in the coming days but in the mean time here are some pictures of peoples armies.

 Doug's British 8th Army

West German Infantry vs Russian Afghansty in No Retreat near Essen and the Ruhr

Tornadoes darken the sky over Russian troops as West Germany moves to free Essen and the Ruhr

My third game of the Firestorm: Stripes campaign was against Shawn and his 64 point Russian Afghansty. This time the NATO players are on the offensive and I won the roll and became the attacker. I decided to attack from Munster into the WARSAW held area of Essen with the intention of knocking  5VP away from the WARSAW. Shawn opted to have a static defence and we rolled No Retreat.

What the campaign map looks like so far

Big Willie's West Germans

OC in Marder

Full infantry platoon in Marders

Full infantry platoon in Marders

2 x Luchs

3 x M109

OC in M113

Full infantry platoon in M113s

Short infantry platoon in M113s

3 x Leo1s

2 x Luchs

2 x Rolands

FIST

4 x LARs

4 x Tornadoes

Shawns Afghansty

OC

Full Afghansty infantry platoon with 2 Hinds

Full Afghansty infantry platoon with 2 HInds

3 x T64s

3 x BM21s

4 x Shilkas

Given that the mission has Deep Reserve and that Afghansty say the helicopters have to be on the table we agreed to have both platoons on the table but loitering while Shawn held an infantry platoon in ambush

Set Up

Objectives are in the central wood and top right at the bend in the road as it goes out of frame

West German Infantry vs East German Infantry in Hasty attack near Hildesheim

West German infantry employing superior field craft!

For my second game of the Firestorm Stripes campaign I played against Dean and his East Germans. This was the first game in the second group of games where the focus of the Soviet players was to complete the encirclement. Dean rolled to be attacking and elected to try and complete the encirclement of some NATO areas by attacking Hildesheim. I elected to try a static defence, vs a counter attack. We were once again playing 64 point armies and had the chance to play at our FLGS, Lords of War. If you are in the GTA check them out, its worth the drive!

Campaign Progress

Fighting battle 6 around Hildesheim

Big Willie's West Germans
OC in Marder
Full Marder infantry platoon
Full Marder infantry platoon
3 x M109s
2 x Luchs
OC in M113
Full M113 infantry platoon
Small M113 infantry platoon
3 x Leo1s
2 x Luchs
4 x LARs
4 x Tornadoes
1 x FIST
2 x Rolands

Dean's East Germans
OC
Infantry platoon with 2 x heavy weapons and AA attachment
Infantry platoon with 2 x heavy weapons and AA attachment
with Russian allied formation
OC in T72
3 x T72s
3 x T72s
3 x Carnations
4 x BTR60s
3 x Gophers
4 x Shilkas


Set Up

East Germans objectives are bottom centre behind the house, centre right in the woods, top right in the woods. West German objective is centre left just off frame behind the hill

West German Infantry vs Russian Afghansty in Hasty Attack near Liepzig

German infantry, harder to dig out than an Alabama Tick

Firestorm Stripes! I was finally able to play my first game of the new Team Yankee Campaign being put on by Beast of War, Firestorm Stripes! Because all my Americans are painted to fight in the desert I decided to play my West Germans. Our FLGS, Lords of War, signed up to allow us to play the campaign. The first game of the evening saw the Russian advance roll over the British in Hanover. My first game was against Shawn and his Red Army, we agreed to play 64 points with me defending in the Liepzig sector against a Hasty Attack.

Big Willie's West Germans
OC in Marder
Full Infantry platoon in Marders
Full Infantry platoon in Marders
3 x M109s
2 x Luchs
OC in M113
Full Infantry platoon in M113s
Short Infantry platoon in M113s
3 x Leo1s
2 x Luchs
4 x LARs with mines
FOO
4 x Tornados

Shawn's Afghansty Russians
OC
Infantry platoon with support weapons
Infantry platoon with support weapons
2 x Hinds
2 x Hinds
3 x Storms
3 x BM21s
4 x Shilkas
4 x T64s

Set Up

Objectives are top centre where the Hinds are circling (really loitering off board) and bottom centre on the road in front of the woods

No Instant Thunder: Air Power in Team Yankee

USAF A-10s quite possibly the best ground attack aircraft in the world!

I have been reading a lot of comments where players are complaining about how good or bad air power is in Team Yankee. While I admit that I am no expert I would like to think that I may have some good ideas on how to get the most out of the Fly boys on the battlefield. So the big question is should you take air power and if you do take it, what should you take and how do you use them?

Air power is not all singing and all dancing, it can be very powerful but it has limitations. Despite what we have all heard since Gulf War I, Air Power will not win a battle for you. However, Air Power can still be a massive force multiplier you may just need to adjust your thinking about how you use it.

Air can be for used as a weapon

Iraqi tank hit with a precision air strike

Or as a means to transport troops all over the battlefield.

USMC Riflemen inbound!

USMC Rifle Company vs US Army Mechanised Rifle Company in Breakthrough

Marines supported by Amtracks ready to bring the pain

Game 3 of the Kingston Gaming Nexus' 64 point Team Yankee tournament was against Jay and his American Mechanised Infantry. Again we were playing with the battle plans and the more mission pack so I elected to attack and Jay elected to manouvre but this time we rolled breakthrough.

Big Willie's USMC
OC
Full Rifle platoon with 2 x dragons, 2 x SMAWs in Amtracks
Short Rifle platoon with 2 x dragons, 2 x SMAWs in Hueys
5 x M60s
2 x TOW
2 x TOW
4 x Stingers
3 x M109s with bomblets and mines
2 x Harriers

Jay's US Army
OC
Full mech platoon with extra dragons
Full mech platoon with extra dragons
4 x IPM1s
2 x VADs
3 x M109s

Set Up

Objectives are top right by the house and far left where the road disappears off the table

USMC Rifle Company vs East German Infantry in Encounter

A TOW platoon commander covers the advance of the M60s

My second game of the Kingston Gaming Nexus' 64 point Team Yankee tournament was against Dean and his East German and Russian force. The tournament was using the battle plans and more missions  so once again I decided to go all in and attack. Dean elected to manoeuvre which meant I was attacking and we rolled Encounter.

Big Willie's USMC Rifle Company
OC
Full Rifle platoon with 2 x dragons, 2 x SMAWs in Amtracks
Short Rifle platoon with 2 x dragons, 2 x SMAWs in Heuys
2 x TOW
2 x TOW
5 x M60s
3 x M109s with bomblets and mines
4 x Stingers
2 x Harriers

Dean's East Germans
OC
Small Rifle platoon with all the crew served weapons
Small Rifle platoon with all the crew served weapons
4 x Shlikas
3 x Carnations

Allies
OC in T72
3 x T72
3 x T72

Set Up and Turn 1

East German objectives are behind the cops of trees bottom centre and top right just off camera. USMC objectives are by the stream top centre and just off camera centre left

USMC Rifle Company vs West Germans in Encounter

Leathernecks secure the LZ and an objective!

This weekend I had the chance to play in the Kingston Gaming Nexus' 64 point Team Yankee Tournament. Nexus has an fantastic set up and the tables and armies looked great. Ian organised a very well organized and run event with 10 players. The tournament used the more missions rules from Battle Front. I was paired against Ross and his West Germans, I figured that playing USMC meant I should be on the attack, so I chose to do so and he chose to manoeuvre. Which lead to us rolling Encounter as the mission.

Big Willie's Leathernecks
OC
Full Rifle platoon with 2 dragons and 2 SMAWs in Amtracks
Short Rifle platoon with 2 dragons and 2 SMAWs in Hueys
5 x M60s
2 x TOW
2 x TOW
4 x Stringers
3 x M109s with bomblets and mines
2 x Harriers

Ross' West Germans
OC in Marder
Full Marder platoon
Short Marder platoon
3 x Jugar Is
2 x Gepards
2 x Luchs
OC in Leo1
3 x Leo1s
3 x Leo1s
3 x Panzer Mosers
3 x Jugar IIs
2 x Rolands
4 x Tornadoes

Set Up

Objectives are just out of frame high right, and top left side of the board behind the hill. Objectives on the other side are in between the building and wood and top left side near the woods