Battlegroup is usually my rules of choice for larger Company/Battalion level games but recently I've been more interested in a skirmish/squad gaming… for some reason I never really considered the rules for this size of game…until now
So when I had a four non war-gamer pals over the other night I decided to give it a try.
I was very pleased I did. Probably the best, most enjoyable game I've taken part in in a long time. Anyway I took some photos of the game.
2 players per side who were allocated units. I umpired so first moves were made with neither side knowing the strength or positions of each other (unless spotted or LoS) Due to these limitations lots of these photos were taken after the event (recreated the recreation)
The empty battle field (and the clever "area fire" rules meant that the players actually shot at buildings without definite knowledge of an enemy presence, which I thought was brilliant :)
The rules went down a treat with two of the guys wanting to immediately start into the hobby, poor blighters ;)
Anyway terrifically enjoyable game and I'm pretty sure I'll be using this system for my future skirmish battles from now on…
1st Squad of a US platoon scouting an occupied Normandy town.
2nd squad moves towards the Hotel
Engineers will need to clear the entrance to the town.
2nd squad move to the west of town
Waiting in town a Fallschirmjaeger platoon are holding up in the neighbouring buildings
Engineers move up to the anti-tank obstacles
1st squad move into the Hotel
2nd squad line up behind a hedgerow west of the town centre
Germans move into dug-in positions at the centre of town
German halftrack deploys 3rd squad
US 1st MG 1917 fire on the dug-in Germans below. The first shots of what turns out to be a long firefight at the town centre
2nd squad also fires towards the dug-in germans
Blasting the area below the Germans find themselves pinned down in a US crossfire
US Engineers blast the buildings with suppressive fire
This was a situation where the US didn't actually know there were any enemy located there but opened up with area fire anyway (was actually successful in pinning a rifle team down
(in the window above the tricolor)
Bazooka team move up along the Hotel wall (again they don't know what they're up against)
Shooting continues on the streets with both sides exchanging fire. The US need to keep the German heads down if the engineers stand a chance of clearing the blockade
Meanwhile German 3rd squad move behind some terrace houses to get in sight of the engineers
German halftrack moves down the street into contact with the engineer MG
Bakooka team move out to knock out the halftrack…a dangerous move..
The halftrack's in view
Bazooka shoots
A hit!!!
The team are now in a very vulnerable and exposed position
The deadly noise of a MG42 rings out in the square
The bazooka team are riddled with bullets
Heroic perhaps but it is their final action of the war
The destruction of the halftrack has given the Engineers the opportunity to move into contact with the tank Barricade. They'll need a full turn to lay the demolition charges.
A hidden german Sniper on overwatch fires at the engineers
but luckily for them they have a narrow escape
Second Part to follow….