Training Day

Sunday the 20th saw my 37th birthday come about and in fine form Densmol was on hand to play a couple games in celebration. Unfortunately my suggestion that he stop by was last minute, so he was forced to have to play some of my British Commonwealth mini's instead of his preferred filthy Hun!

We managed to get in two games and decided some easy quick lists were in order so I swiftly drummed up two armoured lists from the Market Garden source book, one 4th Canadian Armoured, the other British Armoured Recce. Each list was rather similar in composition in that there were HQ of two tanks, two platoons of 4 tanks each, an infantry platoon, a Universal Carrier Platoon and Typhoon Air Power. The only main difference is that the Canadians sported Shermans/Fireflys and the Guards Cromwells/Challengers
Being Canadians on Brit, we decided these were per-cursor war-games between the two forces in preparation for the actual Market Garden operation.



The first game I took the Guards and we played some defensive mission where I rolled low and got to be defender with only half my platoons on deck. Which was the story of the evening and the death of any hopes I had to pull a win out. The second game we switched it up and I took over the Canadians and once again had to deal with damned reserves and I was sorely beaten a second time. (It didn't help that the dice were not cooperating whilst Densmol's dice were loving his foul Gerry-loving taint!)

Just an example of how Densmol's rolls were happening. Git.

Per usual, I'll not go into too much detail (Especially as the cheap beer was flowing all too freely  the night and details are sketchy.) so here are pics I took during the evening with a little commentary.

Game 1 and my Cromwells are lined up next door to Densmol's Shermans who handily hide behind my new 4Ground houses. Trying to get through open ground to that objective in the top left of the picture was hell, even with 16" movement!

Densmol's view with ALL of his bloody army on the table. The objective on the right was the one I decided was best to head for as his infantry were bound to camp on the one closest to them.

Densmol's Air thoroughly raped my poor tanks who hid shivering in the cover of this hotel.

Needing a 6 to shoot my well placed Challenger, Densmol promptly does just that = one dead Challenger.

Not looking good for the Guards Armoured Recce.

The Guards Universal Carriers made a mad dash to hide behind the ruins and paid the price for their cheekiness.

This standoff should have gone another way.... but my dice said.... "No".

Anyone who says Air is too unpredictable to include in lists should have been in my garage to see otherwise. Ouch.

Game 2 saw me taking the reins of the 4CAD - (Not as many pics as along with my tactical decisions, the beer was running low in the fridge and large in our guts.)

Game 2's set up. Defending objectives is not what Shermans do best.....

Densmol's Cromwells were massed and ready to wipe my Shermans off the table. They followed through on this threat with impunity.

No more pics as I think I lost on turn two or some rubbishness. It seems Densmol's getting lots better at this game. I need to turn up my tactics to 11!

On other news, my birthday also had me traveling into the mountains to go enjoy the American national pass-time of shooting guns for no good reason. I am all for this as it makes me feel more manly. Sadly, when we arrived at our out-of-the-way destination in the California wilderness, we found all the side roads to the fun shooting spots closed due to the pesky Wildfires that plagued the area earlier this Summer. It was heart breaking to see so much life blackened and turned to ash, but still, the view was breathtaking and after a lovely beer and salad (Got to balance things in my old age) I quickly forgot about the dead and crispy trees and animals.

Lastly, my plans to go to the last NorCal tourney of the season fell through and so my Mid War urges have seen my attentions go in another direction. So ignore or forget that previous post about me putting together a British Motorised list - Instead I leave you with this teaser of the 1st buy for my new Mid War (And potentially Late War if I can make the right purchases.) list from the Eastern Front.

And as a hint, it's most certainly NOT Germans.