Trucked Pioneers vs Armoured SS Infantry in Free for All

The Killing Fields! This game was a 1650 LW game to help us get ready for the coming fall tournaments. I played against Dan and we rolled up Free for All. I'm continuing to tinker with my Pioneer list and this game was going to give me more food for thought. The main debate that I'm finding is Armoured troops with Tigers or Trucked troops with Panthers. What do you guys think?

German Pioneers OC and 2IC with fausts Pioneers with supply vehicle and faust Pioneers with supply vehicle and faust 2 x 15cm guns 3 x Panzer II 3 x Panthers 4 x Marder III Ms

German SS Panzergrenadiers OC and 2IC Full Armoured Infantry platoon Full Armoured Infantry platoon Full Armoured Infantry platoon Half Armoued Pioneer platoon with Stuka fuss 2 x Cannon half tracks HMG platoon 3 x Panzer IV Hs 2 x PaK 40s

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

Objectives are on the road on the right side of the river and behind the woods and on the left side they are in the wheat feild and by the road near the top of the board

Pioneers, Cannons and HMGs supported by IV Hs guard one objective

2IC watching the deployment of his armour

PaK 40 guards the north objective, ready to cover the advance of the armoured infantry

Miles of half tracks ready to advance into the wheat fields

Panzers and Panthers ready to advance while Pioneers prepare to dig in

Lone supply vehicle within 2" of all the dismounted platoon commanders!

Big guns (Marders and 15cm guns) ready to support the Pioneers

UNITS IN RESERVE
German Pioneers Nil	German SS Panzergrenadiers Nil

DEPLOYMENT SUMMARY

German Pioneers: Both Pioneer platoons were deployed to cover both objectives. My intent is to take the initial thrust and then counter punch to which ever objective was left with the least amount protecting it. German SS Panzergrenadiers: The large wheat fields are going to give the half tracks perfect cover to advance in. At the beginning of the game we talked about it and decided that turrented vehicles can see through the fields but anything else couldn't. I think in the future we will play that you can see them, but they are concealed.

TURN 1

Panzers rush forward behind cover while the Panthers advance slowly

Firing almost across the whole board the Panzer sights a IV H

Poping one from extreme range!

Pioneers finish digging in, just in time as the Stuka fuzs rain on them doing no damage

The other Stuka fuss targets the Panthers again doing no damage

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
German Pioneers	German SS Panzergrenadiers 1 x Panzer IV H

TURN 1 SUMMARY

German Pioneers: Panther's vs Panzer IVs at range isn't a fight. I was very lucky that I passed all the infantry saves as the Stuka fuss can be deadly even against dug in forces. German SS Panzergrenadiers: Everything advanced, I was hoping that I would get the chance to shoot up the Panzers before they used their Recce move to get out of the way.

TURN 2

Panthers and 15cm guns combine fire to knock out the IV Hs

The Panzer II assualt faulters because of 5 hits, this could be bad

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
German Pioneers	German SS Panzergrenadiers Panzer IV H platoon

TURN 2 SUMMARY

German Pioneers: Panthers did well, the Panzer IIs not so much. The remainder of the mobile Pioneer force advanced to meet the half tracks. German SS Panzergrenadiers: The Panzer IIs are going to be a juicy target. Now, all I have to do is take out those Panthers!

TURN 3

A PaK 40 gets to hits and I fail both saves causing a double bail to become a destroyed Panter!

The Infantry platoon assaults following the shooting and surprising everyone by taking a one way trip to heaven!

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
German Pioneers 1 x Panther	German SS Panzergrenadiers Panzer IV H platoon Infantry platoon 1 x Infantry stand

TURN 3 SUMMARY

German Pioneers: I'm not happy I lost the Panther, I need to get better with how I use them. I'm super surpised that the Panzer II platoon is still around. Nex turn is going to be devestating with the 2 platoons now in range to assualt and causing some serious problems. German SS Panzergrenadiers: The one way trip to heaven can be good and sometimes really bad. I mean what are the odds of failing two 3+ morale checks!!!

TURN 4

Between defensive fire and assualts the remaining Panthers go up in smoke!

Another infantry platoon is whiped out in assautl with the Pioneers and Marders but the remaining platoon is still going strong!

When the dust settles the damage to both sides in extensive

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
German Pioneers Panther platoon 3 x Marder IIIs 3 x Pioneers stands	German SS Panzergrenadiers Panzer IV H platoon Infantry platoon Infantry platoon

TURN 4 SUMMARY

German Pioneers: The Panthers are gone, I left them too far forward without support. I was also surprised by an extra faust in an infantry platoon. Talk about a blood assault! German SS Panzergrenadiers: One way trip to heaven allowed the assault to go off (editors note: We played this rule wrong, but didn't know it at the time. It only allows you to use it when you fail the roll to counter attack) but the next turn of assault the whole platoon was wiped out.

TURN 5

The Cannon platoon finally finds the mark and knocks out a Panzer II

The final infantry platoon remounts and surges forward!

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
German Pioneers Panther platoon 3 x Marder IIIs 3 x Pioneers stands 1 x Panzer II	German SS Panzergrenadiers Panzer IV H platoon Infantry platoon Infantry platoon

TURN 5 SUMMARY

German Pioneers: The SS infantry continue to push forward with basically an untouched platoon. I'd lost a couple of stands but both Pioneer platoons were ready to defend the objective. German SS Panzergrenadiers: The infantry push forward ready to rush the objective. On the other flank the damn Panzer II's still aren't destroyed and are causing me grief.

TURN 6

Cannons and HMGs continue trying to take out the Panzer IIs with no success.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
German Pioneers Panther platoon 3 x Marder IIIs 3 x Pioneers stands 1 x Panzer II	German SS Panzergrenadiers Panzer IV H platoon Infantry platoon Infantry platoon

TURN 6 SUMMARY

German Pioneers: I was unable to do much this turn except move around and be a nusance. Near the end of my turn our timer went off telling us to finish up. German SS Panzergrenadiers: The Infantry can't get at the guns across the river and I don't want to expose the half tracks to their fire. Time was done so it looks like we are both going to lose.

This game was super close and could have gone either way more than a couple of times. The SS infantry are hard to deal with especially when there are so many of them. I need to get better with the Panthers, but I really enjoyed playing with them. With only a month or so left before all the tournaments I really need to get painting!

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