WW1 AH vs Ruskies

Good morning,

Last Wednesday, I hopped over to Robin's rebuilt games room

I was rather shocked by the desolation created by the red zoning as I was driving into Robin's neighbourhood - it looks a bit like a wasteland around the Avon River...

...all those houses under those red lines - they aren't there anymore. They've all been pulled down. It kinda blew my mind really, to see the full extent of it...

Like, I'd been over there a number of times since the earthquakes, but most often in the dark, or, when going over during the day, either I couldn't get down through the middle due to road closures, or the houses were at least mostly still there. Abandoned, but still there. Now...

But I digress.

Robin had heard my plea for a 20mm game - X Wing's great, but I do like me some 20mm action too! He had adapted a small Great War Spearhead WW1 Western Front action over to the Eastern Front.

The Russians (Robin) had a regiment defending an important town sector.

My two (smaller) regiments of Austro Hungarians had to take it off them.

I had one on board battery of...75s?...that were attached to my right regiment, plus another battery of the same off board in general support.

Three companies of sneaky, sneaky Russians covering the wood to my left.

And we're off!

First enemy artillery strike...

...takes out my regimental commander! So another fighting unit was substituted in his stead.

Second strike...

...and this time another company was destroyed, and a couple more were suppressed.

Meanwhile, on my left...

My 1st Regiment was approaching the southern woods.

(I think it was about this turn when I wasted my time to shoot over open sights with my guns into Robin's on board guns...only to find they were just out of range!)

We close the gaps...

...all while the MMG company awaits the onslaught in the outskirts of the town.

Another artillery strike (less effective this time), and my rightmost regiment wheels, whilst also trying to cover to it's front.

The waiting Russians also advance on this flank.

On the other, I try to organise my troops to advance without getting in each other's way.

You know that waiting MMG?

Huzzah! Or whatever that would be in Austro-Hungarian speak. Apparently German?

Freudenruf!

And finally my guns speak. Suppressing two of the three Russian batteries that were yet to fire (over open sights - indirect artillery fires before direct)...

...and, in the south, my off board guns also open up...

...dispatching two companies in the woods.

Freudenruf!

And then the assault goes in.

Two companies. (The ones touching the town sector).

One of which gets dispatched from fire from within the town as it goes in. Wie ärgerlich! (Bother it!)

Still, it left me with one company, assaulting...four!

In Spearhead, since it's a bit of a big picture kind of system, town assaults are simplified, and pretty bloody. Each unit gets a modifier (in my case...none, in Robin's case +1 since his were veterans), each unit rolls, highest wins, eliminating their opponent. So...my one [unmodified] die, against Robin's [modified] four...

Freudenruf!

Freudenruf! Freudenruf!

I win the initiative at the start of the next turn, and rush in reinforcements to fight off the expected counter attack.

Meanwhile, in the south...

...I continue to whittle down Russian resistance.

But the focus of all the attention was really in the centre.

Here they come!

Two companies are eliminated by fire from the town as they come in, but still, two Russian veteran companies against three regular A-Hs...

Freudenruf! Freudenruf! Freudenruf!

And that was the end of that. Robin conceded. The Russians didn't have the remaining strength to regain the town, the objective of the battle, and as he was about to loose the southern woods, thus exposing his artillery...

Thanks for the game Robin. It was a really interesting and challenging scenario.

And it was great to push around the 20mm toys again.

The hero of the day was undoubtedly the successfully-assaulting-then-successfully-defending A-H company. The odds were against him, but he rose to the occasion!

Freudenruf!

Nick