Images from 2 Games

I just had a cracking game of Flames of War. Me and Alex exchanged a couple of emails before our meet up about what we might take. He was going to take German Grenadiers. I decided on trying out US Tanks with the Jumbo upgrade options and 76mm Sherman upgrades as well. At first I made a Confident Veterans list. Small at 1500 points. 3 Platoons plus air support. 1500 point break in late war is a tricky one. Alex sent me a Confident Trained list version.

My list was...
HQ 2 Shermans 1 x 76mm upgrade, 1 x M4A3 upgrade and 1 x improvised Armour
Combat 1 4 sherms (2 x 76mm, 1 x Jumbo)
Combat 2 as above
Recon (2 x Jeeps each with AAMG upgrade, 1 x Halftrack and 1 x Zooka team, and 3 Rifle Teams)
Limited Thunderbolt ground attack

Not really taking advantage of Detroits Finest (14inch move)

His version went like this...
HQ 2 x M4A3 Late
Combat 1 4 x M4A3 late
Combat 2 as above
Combat 3 1x Jumbo, 2 x M4a3 76mm, 1 x M4A3 (Late)
Light Tanks x 4 Stuarts
Limited Ground Attack Thunderbolts

4 Platoons but no recce option. One list has the numbers and better legs while the other has more punch and Veteran be thy shield. I said to Alex "I like your list and reckon it could do well but I don't have that many Sherms." Alex replys "I do.".....cool.

So with that settled he brought 2 Armys to the Club and we let mayhem unfold. Mission randomly rolled was Break Through Attack. I ended up as defender.
It was a great game but I do have a bit of Rules Rust. But we didn't let that get in the way of having some fun. The Germans had Infantry, Pak 40s, Stugs and Mortars. He took HQ shreck options and increased the size of the platoons which kept them in the game for longer in my opinion. It also made them rock hard in hand to tank combat.
I could have waited for him and just fended off his attempts to grab an objective but nah, that's not in the spirit of Patton. I also wanted to see just how mobile 'Detroits Finest' really makes U.S. Shermans. I can report that it is indeed awesome. I went on to lose the game but managed to Destroy an Infantry platoon and the Stugs and just about another Infantry Platoon. I was just too bold I think. But with more practice this could work for me as an Olive Drab blitzkrieg. Recce would have really helped lift Gone to Ground from all those dug in soldiers.

Table set up with proxy Thunderbolt jet and 4 Shermans at rear in Ambush.

Deployment.

StuGs climb the hill and look very cool as they do it.

About to get Assaulted by brave infantry. 

Got wiped out by brave infantry. DANG!

This was a critical scrap as it was about to be turn 6 and this reduced Infantry platoon was within 16 inches of an objective. But they brushed aside each assault with ease over 2 turns. DANG!

I had time afterwards to get in a game of Saga of which I am also rusty at. We opted for about as blunt and brutal as you can get. Viking vs Viking. We rolled up the 'cross the river if you can' mission.
Huge fun! I made a critical mistake early in the game. I kept an S symbol, the rarest symbol on the Battle Board ability Njord for around 3 turns. I had an idea to use it on my 1 unit of Levy Slingers I had opted for to get them to fire more volleys. But I never used it properly really. In the end my oversight and inclusion of Levy perhaps contributed to me losing but I did manage to inflict a lot of loses. But once you have lost more units than what you face you are at a disadvantage in the number of Saga dice generated. I was thrilled though to get in a Saga game after an all too long absence. Good fun.

Lochys shock as all his Saga Dice spit in his eye! Must be Loki at work.

Beserkers to the front, Warriors next with Hearthguard at the rear.

Dirt eating Levy slave scum look on as Warriors reduce my 6 Heathguard unit to a single man. DOH! Lochys knows how to load up his Batlle Board for maximum Viking carnage.

Near end game. Warlords exchanging creative insults.

After a mean fight my Warlord (wolf pelt wearing dude) is over whelmed and loses. He had wagered he would win and is forced into 6 months servitude in Lochys War Band as blade cleaner, sharpener, and an oar maker. What a loser! Hopefully that teaches him to at least wear a Helmet next time.

Cheers from Brendon (The Kiwi)

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