Mega Battle!

So this weekend sees our 3rd large Flames of War battle. After the success of our Market Garden battle last year, there was keenness to organise another one as it was such fun and so close!

Unfortunately, I hadn't started this blog when we ran the Market Garden battle. If you're signed up to the Battlefront forums, then you can see my report & pics here. Rob posted the mission here along with all his pics.

So... what's the theme this time? Eastern Front carnage. I've seen the forces both sides are taking. It is going to be brutal! Here's the mission that we're going to be playing:

“Operation Eastern Front”

A large game themed around German attempts to breakthrough to encircled troops.

Force selection:

• Each team has 4000pts split into 2 companies
• 1^st company is 2500pts (this is the “attacking” force)
• 2^nd company is 1500pts (this is the “defending” force)
• Up to 100pts can be moved across the forces, i.e. if the team decides a stronger defending force is required then they can re-allocate 100pts, bringing the total up to 1600pts, but only leaving 2400pts for their attacking force.

(This allows teams use up points left over, but also allows teams to make some decisions of where they think that extra platoon is going to be most useful).

Forces should only be selected from the “Red Bear” or “Grey Wolf” Late War FoW books.

The German “defending” force must be an Infantry Company.

Deployment Zones & Objective Placement:

 

Terrain set-up:

In a mutually agreeable manner, players will set up the following terrain:

• Russian village in one “defending” companies deployment zone
• Basic fortifications (trench lines, gun pits, barbed wire, anti-tank obstacles only) in the other

Numbers of terrain pieces to be deployed to be determined on the day by players based on availability and agreement on balance to give both defending company something to hide in!

Objective placement:

For objective placement during stage 1 to 3 below, the Soviet players place their objective first.

1. Both players place an objective in the area outlined by the red box labelled “C”.
2. Both players place an objective in the area outlined by the red box labelled “D”
3. Both players place an objective in the area outlined by the red box labelled “B”
4. The Soviet “Attacking” player places an objective in the area outlined by the red box labelled “E”
5. The German “Attacking” player places an objective in the area outlined by the red box labelled “A”

This gives a total of 8 objectives.

Force Deployment:

1.      Both sides roll a die. Highest result then chooses deployment zone/axis of attack.

2.      The German “Defending” Company deploys first. Half the platoons must be deployed on the table (rounding down), of which 1 can be held in ambush. The remaining platoons are held in Reserve. The company starts in Prepared Positions.

3.      The Soviet “Defending” Company deploys second. Half the platoons must be deployed on the table (rounding down), of which 1 can be held in ambush. The remaining platoons are held in Reserve. The company starts in Prepared Positions.

4.      Both “Attacking” Companies are deployed simultaneously. Attacking companies can start GtG (if meeting normal criteria for GtG)

5.      Both teams roll a die. Highest roll takes first turn.

6.      Before starting, the team taking first turn deploys all Independent teams

7.      The second team places all Independent team

8.      The first teams “Attacking” Company now makes any reconnaissance moves

9.      The second teams “Attacking” Company now makes any reconnaissance moves

10.   “Defending” forces do not get to make reconnaissance moves

11.   The first teams first turn now commences

Victory Conditions:

1.      One of the Attacking Companies fails company morale

2.      One of the Defending Companies fails company morale before turn 6 (if after turn 6, then it is ignored). Platoons from this company remain on the table, but start each turn pinned down or bailed out

3.      One side captures all 8 objectives

4.      At the end of turn 8, the game ends. Winner is determined by total VP’s

VP calculation:

1.      Each side gains a VP for each objective held (if an objective is contested by both sides, then neither side gets the VP)

2.      If a platoon from the “Attacking” force holds an objective that is over the halfway line, then that side gains a bonus VP

3.      If a platoon from the “Attacking” force holds the objective that was furthest away at the start of the game, then the side gains 2 bonus VP

4.      The Soviet side gains a VP for each German platoon destroyed

5.      The Germans gain a VP for each platoon that is at or over 50% strength

6.      The German side gains a VP for each “defending” platoon that makes it back to the Soviet “defending” force deployment zone or 2VP if they make it to the area between the German “attacking” forces and Soviet “defending” forces deployment zones