Desert Rat Shermans vs DAK Panzers in Free-for-all

DAK Panzers defend the town, leaving smoking Shermans in their wake!

Over the holidays I was lucky enough to have a couple of my friends that don't normally play FoW come with me to Perkin's Hobby House and play some midwar Desert action.  We played 1485 which is the new Battlefront standard for midwar, which I don't really get (is 1500 really that bad?)  It was DAK Panzers against Desert Rat Shermans (soon to be repainted to look more the part) in Free-for-all.

Desert Rats (Ben and Chris)

OC and 2IC in Shermans

3 x Shermans

3 x Shermans

3 x Universal Carriers with a Piat

4 x 25-pdrs

DAK Panzers (Big Willie (me) and John)

OC in Panzer III M, 2IC in Panzer IV H

4 x Panzer III Ms

4 x Panzer III Ns

2 x 8-Rads

3 x Nebs

1 x 88 with tractor

Set Up

Chris and Ben planning their first moves with the Allied Shermans

The lone 88 and Nebs hold one objective as the Panzers prepare to advance

8-Rads and Panzers hold the other objective ready to advance

Shermans on the right flank and centre but only the 2IC on the left....

Turn 1-3

The Rats and DAK slowly advance on the town both not willing to give away a full rate of fire to the enemy

Ben checks LOS from the Panzers to the Universal carriers...looks like they are safe for now....

The 8-Rads raced forward and are about to be lost...

Turn 4

Shermans dead ahead fire!!!

Panzers open fire and knock out 2 Shermans and the other flees.  Meanwhile the other Shermans and 25-pdrs take out the 8-Rads both companies are down a platoon

The 88 limbers up and moves forward to gain a better vantage point

Turn 5

DAK Panzers call in smoke and try and take out the Rats OC but only bail him

Rats form a firing line and take out 2 Panzers before losing the other platoon.

One the other flank the Universal Carriers make a break for the objective taking out a Neb and then being gunned down by the DAK OC and one of the Panzer III Ms.  In the end the Desert Rats break and the DAK has a 5-2 win, all thanks to John rolling some hot dice at the right time and Ben having some ice cold ones.  A great intro game for they guys, both now have the rule book and Chris has the open fire box set so I'm going to be doing some tutorials for him and figure that I'll thrown them up here.