Panzer Pioneers vs DAK Infantry in Cauldron

Stukas catch the half tracks in the open and make them pay!

The final game of the GameTronics 1710 MW tournament was against Stormtrooper Nick.  He and I were joking that this would be another rematch.  As always games against Nick end up being a knife fight in a phone booth  The mission was Cauldron, which isn't a mission that is played often in tournaments because it is so random in the deployment.

Big Willie's Pioneers
OC and 2IC with Knackers
Full armoured pioneer platoon
half trucked pioneer platoon
2 x Panthers
2 x 8-Rads
2 x 8" Mortar platoon
4 x Marder III Ms
2 x 2cm SP AA guns (1 x armoured)

Stormtrooper Nick's
OC and 2IC with knackers
Full infantry platoon with 2 x PaK 38s and mortar
Full infantry platoon with 2 x PaK 38s
Full schurtzen platoon
3 x Nebs with PaK 38
4 x Panzer III Ns
2 x 8-Rads
Priority Stuka air support

Set Up

Objectives are far side on the edge of the hill and in between the barn and hedgerow 

Pioneers and the OC ready to advance from cover

Pioneers with mortars attached dug in ready to cover the advance

Marders in the wood line on the other side of the defenders

DAK infantry spread out over the entire deployment area

PaK 38s and MG 32s covering the approach on one flank

Turn 1

Stukas dive in only to be driven off my AA fire

Turn 2

Stukas dive again this time knocking out 2 half tracks and all the infantry inside causing the platoon to test and then taking the OC with them!

Marders open fire knocking out a PaK 38

Turn 3

AA and Panthers arrive from reserve at the same time

AA guns keep the Panthers safe

Turn 4

8-Rads arrive and attempt to get in position to to lift gone to ground

Panzers arrive from reserve and knock out the an 8-Rad

8-Rads knock out the SP AA guns

Turn 5

Marders open fire from the wood and only bail a Panzer

Panthers continue to work on digging out the infantry

Nebs open fire and knock out a Marder supported by the 8-Rads 

Turn 6

Panthers assault the infantry knocking out a stand and pushing them off the objective

Marders again open fire on the Panzers knocking out two and bailing another, but the Panzers pass motivation and continue to fight on

Schurtzen platoon set up a timely assault that despite costing them 2 stands takes out the other Pioneer platoon and puts the Pioneer company below half strength

A lone infantry stand advances to within 4" of the objective despite the Panthers proximate.  The Pioneer company tests for Company morale and decides that discretion is the better part of valour.

The TSN turning point had to be losing the OC and full armoured platoon in turn 2.  I was able to fight back and make a game of it but that would have made a really big difference if they were alive.  Likewise, had I not rolled for two reserves in the next turn the AA guns or Panthers would have come in piece meal and the game ended a lot sooner.  The final score was 1-6 for the Pioneers giving Stormtrooper Nick a perfect 18 points for battle scores.  I ended up with 13 which was good for a 3rd place tie.