Flamescon 2011 Day 1

Well, I figure I should split up my Flamescon blog posts- otherwise it will take far to long to read let alone write!

As previously mentioned, I took my Guards Rifle Company to Flamescon over the weekend, coming a respectable 12th place. I won 4 games, losing only the last match. I tied for best sport with a few others, and got an average army presentation mark. But anyway, here is the rundown of Day One.

Game 1: Dust Up against Andrew Agutters

Andrew was playing an SS Tiger Company- led by none other than Michael Wittmann! The mission really, really did not suit him. Half your platoons off table? having to both defend and take objectives? Not ideal.

My deployment was typical of my overarching strategy against tanks- assault them! Tanks (especially with minimal platoon size) suffer greatly at covering multiple objectives and getting rid of lethal Guards assaults. I basically charged two full platoons of guards riflemen towards the near objective, with the third adopting a defensive position. I killed his 4 SS scouts quickly and cheaply, forcing his tiger platoon to come to contest the objective controlled by the 2 platoons of infantry.

In this pic Wittmann stands alone against a brown horde....

With only one objective covered by the 2 tigers, it was a simple means of having my reserve Daimlers sneak up and place themselves on the other objective. 2 tigers simply could not cover the whole area.

One thing I really regretted in this game is that he was a really nice guy to play against, but the game was over much to soon for me to truly enjoy the game! One win and 6 game points to me....

Game 2: Breakthrough against Rob Torrance

We were playing a modified Breakthrough, the only change being that the defender gets a minimum of 2 platoons. Which in Rob's case, mattered a whole lot! He was running a Panzerspah company, with 7 Luchs, 1 platoon of 250/9's, 2 Elefants AND 2 Kingtigers. Awesomesauce.

Naturally his deployment was 2 elefants, 2 kingtigers. Double Awesomesauce. So my flank march was the 6pdrs and the Daimlers, while the 3 platoons of infantry with the big stuff (17pdrs!) tried to deal with the big kitties across the board. The plan was simple, smoke and charge with the infantry, try and flank with the 17pdrs, all the while waiting and hoping that the other stuff saves the day!

The M10's attempted to seize an opportunity and recieved their punishment for getting it wrong! One managed to survive and kill a Kingtiger; but was later brutally cut down by Elefants.

Just in the right of that shot, the prow of an M10 lurks! But on the left is the real hunters- Piats are lethal in assault!

With the 2 Kingtigers and the Company HQ dead, and my reserves duelling with Luchs (and winning) the only thing that Rob had left at the end of the game was his 2 elefants, who in spite of everything just would not die!

So, 2 games down, and I have played against 9 heavy german tanks. Awesome. The breakthrough was just an ok game, sure I won the game, but why would you take the list in the first place? You take Panzerspah because they are light fluffy and cool, not because they are the only list you can still have Kingtigers and Elefants in? I don't know really, just doesn't seem fun? At any rate, 4 game points and a win.

Game 3: Free For All against Eddie Ching

This game was really, really fun. Eddie won my best sports vote by far, he was an absolute blast to play. Who can fault another infantry player for attacking in a Free for All?? He had some nasty Cassino Fallschrimjager, running something that I am sure Craig would like- Marders, Panzer IV's, nebelwerfers. His only real fault was that he had 3 small platoons rather than 2 big ones (in my opinion)

Here is the gallant (and foolhardy) last stand of the poor 6 pdrs! They got viciously attacked by Panzers, without a chance to dig in or really fire at all- We did kill one, but that was not enough!

 

The infantry did get a bit of revenge at least, the panzers were finally killed by the M10 Achillies.

 

The late game run by my infantry to finally dig out some pioneers who had been causing me no end of strife! Behind those two burning Marders (killed by Shermans and Daimlers) is the objective. The Daimlers were fantastic this game, they shot up no less than 2 88's with MG's, then mowed down some infantry, assaulted a Nebelwerfer platoon off the table, killed 2 Marders with gunfire and best of all, didn't die! Absolute brilliance from the Household Cavalry!

This shot sums up my day really, here is the last of my 4 tank sherman platoon at the end of the game. In the background you can see the rest of his platoon, turretless and destitute. Ahead of him lies the wreck of a Marder, with another inside the ruined monastary. In the distance, the Guards Rifles prepare to assault and finish off the last of the FJ on the objective!

A 4-3 win, and a damn fun one too.

So, to sum up day one, I had some good games. The free for all was easily my pick of the three! I was left on 14 points, which curiously was the score for everyone staying with us (except Bede, dirty gerrrrman that he is being on 13). Most exciting for me was that I had not played any of those 3 guys before, new opponents are even cooler than wins! But there was alot to like, and two more games to go....

Further updates soon, dinner now

CP