Playtest of Chain of Command...

Friday 12th we (Jason, Gus and myself) playtested the new Two Fat Lardies WW2 CoC rules again... I say again because I was fortunate enough to play my first game with Panjo, under the supervision of Rich(TFL) at the Penarth Show earlier in the year (this show is really quite good and I would recomend it for a visit or any traders) these new rules for those of you have not heard of them yet break from the recent traditional TFL games, and dont have Big men as such, or blinds, there is a very interesting a fun mechanism for "patrol" phase, this is the pre set up phase, using 4 patrol markers each ... once these patrols meet and lock each other down, this then predetermines where you  set up your deployment areas, then you deploy your squads, fire teams, nco's and officer, such a simple but clever idea, and the game then runs on command dice each turn, 1's allowing you to command and fireteam/rifle team, 2's a squad without the nco firing as he is too busy co-ordinating the squad, 3's the junior nco and the squad actions, 4's allows a senior nco or officer to atake command, 5's grows your CoD dice by 1, this allowing you events once you reach 6 on your CoC dice, 6's now here is then fun bit, 1x6 nothing phase goes over to opponent once you have completed, 2x6 you get another go to throw your command dice after you have actioned these command dice, 3x6 you get another go and its end of turn after you have your go, 4x6 same as 3 but you get a special event as well, yeah, however these are good and bad as they can effect both sides positively and negatively, uh oh... 5x6 you win a car... no seriously...

and so to the game we played...

The table was layed out as below on a 6'x4' board

 

I wanted plenty of intervening terrain, cover and zones of fire...
The Germans deployed from the right and U.S. from the left, playing across the board as we wanted flanks exposed and opportunity to move and deploy...
The Germans had first move with their patrol markers, the U.S. following, but as can be seen the Gus soon leaped forward and pinned two of J's patrols, but failed to stop J entering the Chateau area, and equickly  getting his other two patrols pinned as well, leaving Gus with a patrol unpinned...
but forcing the placement of the deployment points, which have to be a minimum of 6" back from your patrol markers and in cover...

                                                        "German deployment areas"

                                                               "US deployment areas"

The Germans then have first go, Gus gets a decent command dice, which is determined by the quality of your grunts on the grounds, this being a play test they both had average platoons closing on each other, Gus rolls decent enough to get all three of his squads into play, taking cover behind the hedgerows, deploying there mg42's covering the road and crossroads, and preparing to advance, however his platoon sargeant and officer are still in the rear areas, smoking and having coffee, confident in their troops and junior nco's abilities...

                                                          "German deployment..."
The US on the other hand starts off with only two of his squads and his master sargeant on the board set up in their deployment areas, his LT remaining behind to bring up the assualt squad as reserve, his sargeant and a lead squad have been able to advance into the chateau area, the other squad deploy in and around the barn, the .30cal in a firing position covering the road and crossroads, can you see whats coming, very similar ideas from the commands...

"US deployment..."

The Germans first command phase, the mg42 opens up on the .30cal in an exchange of gunfire... and the german squads on the left move forward very timidly, as Gus stumbles over the wall and hedges of the French country side, his other mg42 firteam move off into the graveyard to get into a fire position of there own...
J's first bound of movement and action, and starts opening up with his .30cal down the road on the deployed MG42 in the triangle field area...

"German first bounding move..."

"Or not as it transpired..."

Gus's first squad and fireteam saty in position on the right but takes shock on the 42 from the .30cal firefight, and J entering the Chateau area, his move in there being as slow as the germans bounding advance, J then brings on his reserve squad behind the field on his far right trying to counter the german advance in the centre and flank, his centre squad advances out of the Barn to take up positions behind the fence at the crossroads...

"J contemplating his reserve platoons positioning"

 

"reserves on board and advancing, a rare smile from the Welsh Git..."

The exchange of fire between the 42 and .30cal escalates, the US taking hits and kills, where as the German only recieving shock and 1 casualty...  The german nco and officer have now arrived and the sarge is sent off to get the two units on the left sorted out and advancing whilst the officer sorts out the shock and takes command on his right flank covering the Chateau...

"Reserves arrive in time..."

 

"centre squad advance to crossroads..."

 

"and deploy in firing positions..."

 

The US get forward in the nick of time on the flank with the reserve squad being led by the Lt as the Germans are still struggling through the wheatfields, on the flank and centre, although the centre fares better and gets into a firing position in the centre field and in close range firefight causes casualties on J's centre squad and with the increase of casualties causes him to pull the centre squad and mg back to behind the barn so he can reorganise and keep them out of harms way...

"J gets there fastest with the mostest on his right flank..."

 

"shock starts mounting up, and the sarge has to come and sort them out..."

 

"casualties and shock mounts in the centre..."

 

Meanwhile the Germans continue their advance on the left and close range fire fights with the centre squad inflicts casualties on the US in the centre, forcing them back, then switches his fire to the US squad on his left flank who are chewing up the flanking squad and sargeant with withering fire, J getting some multiple plays firing like hell to cause  the german sarge to have to step in to sort out the shock but ends up getting lightly wounded in his efforts...

 

"shock and casualties on the german right mount and then sarge is hit WIA..."

The troops in the Chateau finally motivate themselves enough to get into firing postions at the wall and start exchanging shots at the german squad who have advanced about three inches across a hedge to a low stone wall on the road in this time, across the hard cover at each other shots are exchanged, and force the german squad back to their start point behind the hedge, this brings the US sarge to gather his mens strength and bravery and order them forward to the wall to take the fight to the germans, however on the right flank the fire on both sides is becomeing telling with casualties on both sides mounting up, the Lt takes a hit and is KIA, nightmare...

"US casualties mount, but then the LT is KIA..."

 

However the germans have had enough and have withdrawn this along with the wounded sargeant they bug out causing the german morale to fail, the engaement slips into the patter of small arms and the germans fall back leaving the US to count and bury ther many dead and prepare for the next onslaught...

"Sarge and squad bugging out..."

 

"What's left of the flank, and counting the dead..."

We all enjoyed the game, so much so that we are playing another game Monday night, I really like the prospect of the rules and will definitely be purchasing these when printed in hard copy, great game Lardies thankyou very much, thanks also to Gus "The Murchie" and Jason "Taffy" to entertaining me with your wit, humour and continuous bad dice rolls... may they stay like that when I play you both...

To follow the report from the Sudan game I ran on Saturday at the Exeter club game...