EASTERN FRONT ONLINE TOURNEY Rd 2
I was concerned with the ba...
EASTERN FRONT ONLINE TOURNEY Rd 2
I was concerned with the balance of this scenario made even worse by the addition of another panzer and midway through the game expressed this to my opponent. Things were looking really good for his side but then lack of total orders and his immobile right paved the way for my Russians to come out on top.
In the early going I got the first kill-a center infantry which was hit 3 times and fell back off its hill only to be done in by a long range arty shot. But then I lost a tank on my left as it was blasted off the hills with but 4d-ouch!! I then started an advance on my right and halved one of the infantry there which fell back with a flag. I also moved up my Combat Eng into the woods.
A German 2-2-2 then started a march on my left while the German left 2 fig infantry fell back to the center baseline to get away from my forward tanks while the panzer rolled forward and opened fire-getting a hit on my armor. In my turn I split my MOVE OUT orders to attack on my left and right with not much to show for it. I had AMBUSH in hand but whiffed on a 3 fig Elite Inf that had moved behind the hills attack my 2 fig infantry which was wiped out. My other two left hill infantry were then attacked by the Combat Eng infantry and an Elite Infantry all ordered by INF ASSAULT.
I played my own INF ASSAULT and had to do so on my left which only ordered 2 units but they take out an Elite Inf and the game is tied 2 to 2. A German three attack CLOSE ASSAULT wipes out one of my left infantry and gets 2 hits on another. My right Combat Eng is also hit twice. I then play my CENTER ASSAULT and order 5 units. I shift my center hill Combat eng into my left and it along with my arty take out a 3 fig Elite inf near my baseline. One of my tanks moves onto the hill and makes a huge kill on a 2 fig panzer on the opposite hill.
The Germans continue the attack on my left but with only 2 infantry. They take out my last hill infantry and damage my Combat Eng. My left Combat Eng finishes off a sandbag infantry and one of my center tanks gets 2 hits on a Combat Eng on the hills on my left. I have ARMOR ASSAULT under the chip and hope to have 4 tanks to order in my next turn. With the score 5 to 4 in my favor the best the Germans can do is hit my left-center forces with a RECON AIR POWER and get 2 hits on the three targets.
My 4 tank ARMOR ASSUALT goes in although one tank just parks in the left woods to be in reserve just in case. One tank fails to kill off the 2 fig Combat Eng on the hill. I was counting on that kill. But my right tanks do better-one moves onto a 2 mine with no damage while another moves next to a 2 fig panzer. I kill the panzer and my OR attack also does the same to a center baseline 2 fig infantry and my lead goes to 7 to 5. I also have a 2 fig tank next to the HQ hex and a LEFT ASSAULT under the chip-I also had BEL but figured the HQ may be occupied by the last of the German left units-an Elite Inf hiding in the woods.
My left tank in the open is blasted off the map with 5d but my right units are untouched and my 2 fig tank rolls into the HQ hex for the win.
Well, my opponent really had me on the ropes on my left in short order and if not for two timely card draws-CENTER ASSAULT and ARMOR ASSAULT-I may very well have been badly defeated here with the elimiation of my left forces and the exiting of a few German units.
Only three of the panzers ever saw action while my tanks played a major role even though they suffered from a German hit rate against them of 62% (with 13 shots) to my 35% on 17 dice-ouch!!
Total shots 63 (44%) to 53 (49%) in my favor while the Infantry rolls were pretty even-46(48%) to 39(46%) in my favor.
LooneyLlama's Eastern SFTF tournament, round 2.
An epic strug...
LooneyLlama's Eastern SFTF tournament, round 2.
An epic struggle, won on my 18th turn ... after 1 hour and 15 minutes. Most of the battle took place on the German Left and Center.
My side's mobility was limited by a shortage of good movement cards for my Center and Right sections. However, when the Russians finally came up my Left flank, I was well prepared for them. Within a few turns, two encroaching armors and an encroaching infantry had been eliminated, and another infantry went scurrying back to the Russian camp. This was the part of the fray where three German infantry units fell, as well, but the HQ was saved.
Two other casualties were a Russian tank and infantry that had taken up positions in a small forest in the middle of the map.
The Germans finally won the day with an Armor Assault that eliminated a tank in the middle and an infantry in the woods on my right.
The German war effort was aided by above average dice, while the Russian rolls were approximately average.
SFTF tournament, round 1, game 2.
The Germans hit my right fl...
SFTF tournament, round 1, game 2.
The Germans hit my right flank with an opening air strike, and I responded with an air strike against the artillery and (mostly) armor toward my left, immediately eliminating the artillery.
Again, the German armor drove up their right flank. Again, there was an Armor Assault on the Germans' 6th turn, which scored 2 kills. I considered Counter-Attacking, but my units weren't well-enough positioned. Instead, a couple of turns later, I played my own Armor Assault, killing a 1-fig infantry to tie the game at 3-3 (and clinch the match).
The Germans responded to this with a DHQ, exiting two armors and finishing off my last infantry on their right, and also blasting out my center tank. Though I would tame two more Panzers, a German Barrage finished off the artillery on my right to wrap it up.
10 turns (19 in M-Online parlance), 5-8 medals, 23-22 figures.
SFTF tournament, round 1, game 1.
I had the Germans, and the ...
SFTF tournament, round 1, game 1.
I had the Germans, and the Russians had two Recons within their first four turns. The second one went 8-for-8 against the infantries and armor on my left. If he had followed up with more on that flank, it could have been 3-4 medals on that flank, but fortunately, he didn't come near that flank again.
In fact, with the exception of that air strike, virtually the entire battle took place on my Right half of the board, partly because I had plenty of Right cards. On my 6th turn, I Armor Assaulted, knocking out one infantry on my right and another in the center. The Russians Countered, eliminating one of my Left infantries. So, I Countered their Counter. This second Armor Assault rolled triple hits against two full-strength Russian armors, and also took out their artillery on my right. From there, it was simple to exit two tanks on the following turn.
