Combined arms - Normandy! Log entry 5.1 - Tactical Discussion

I'm always trying to improve my game, having not played very much VaS despite owning it since release day I really love the game and really enjoy that I can play it during the campaign.

Below we see the approximate movements of the fleet during the game and after some thought I can recognise areas where my tactics were weak and other areas where they are strong.

1. (Red Line) Starting with the Star of the show the Tirpitz (BB), During the game I used smoke from the Destroyers and Damaged Konigsberg to mask her from fire from the Warspite, this allowed me to focus my BB fire on the Allied Cruisers as they closed. A bigger discussion came up during the game 'where's the terrain?' and I believe I'm correct to assume terrain in game of VaS are rare, this leads us further to the discussion on how we're supposed to protect or mask our fleet? SMOKE. The Smokescreen laid down by the Destroyers and Cruisers was extremely effective at allowing my BB to defeat the enemy fleet in detail, avoiding the Armour piercing fire of the Warspite until my own destroyers had made a Torpedo run on the Warspite.

2. (Yellow) During the game my use of my Cruisers was Subpar, the Konigsberg suffered immensely from fire from the Warspite and Leander class Cruiser as I didn't effectively screen it and it was force to turn and retreat from the table, causing little or no damage throughout the battle.

The Koln (Orange) Moved far to closely towards the Tribal class destroyers with their 8 Torpedoes each, the Koln was effectively sunk from Torpedo salvoes without causing much harm at all.

This leads my thinking in another direction, their fast track twinlinked Main guns were built to fight destroyers. In the Map below I've drawn an Orange line to show the direction both cruisers should have moved, getting a broadside view of the Tribal class destroyers. A broadside view, plus fast track means at short range I'd be hitting on 4+ whilst myself being hit on a 5+ by the tribals weak (No crits) light guns meaning in a gun duel with the Tribals the Koenigsburg and Koln would have come out on top.

3. The Destroyers (Red) I think I used well, using them to screen my own BB from Tribal class destroyers and once they were dealt with slipping through the centre and launching a torpedo run on the Warspite.

4. Bombers, I wasn't sure how to use the Bombers properly. I disadvantaged myself by not bringing any fighter cover, next time I think I need to bring some to cover the bombers. 

Combined arms - Normandy! Log entry 5

A massive furball of fighting turn 11, the allies reinforced whilst Germany battled. This means the Germans got to pick the fight, I chose not to do an air battle simply mainly because I wanted to play Victory at sea.

Tonight we played Victory at sea, the Kriegsmarine penned the allies into the coast and pressed the attack. The Kriegsmarine rolled Maximum attrition, they had to destroy more of their opponent than they themselves lost. Whilst the Allies rolled priority target and had to try and sink the Tirpitz and cause maximum damage themselves.

The RN had to deploy first, the KM bundled up in a corner to Destroy the opposing fleet in detail.

The Tirpitz began the battle with a long range broadside, hitting the Dido and causing a catastrophic explosion wiping it out turn 1.

The RN Tribal Class destroyers sink the Koln with volleys of Torpedoes whilst the fighters and bombers duelled above.

The JU87's feinting towards the Warspite now turned and bombed the Destroyers closing on the German Destroyers.

The Lumbering bombers now made their run on the Tirpitz, missing with all their bombs and losing 2 bomber wings to AA fire.

The Koenigsburg ran off of the board as it was one hit away from Crippled.

The German Destroyers now began with Torpedo work firing 24 Torpedoes into the Warspite pummelling it, however that torpedo belt did a lot of work.

The Tirpitz continued its work, with its big guns exchanging Brutal volleys with the Warspite

The Battleship dual continued from turn 6 to 8 ending with the Warspite crippled and all turrets destroyed.

The Kriegsmarine lost 137.5 points, whilst the Royal navy lost 606.5 points leading to a clean Kriegsmarine win.

With nowhere for the ship and infantry in transports to run they were both destroyed automatically.

Next game the Germans launch and armoured assault on the Communication bunker!

Combined arms - Normandy! Log entry 4

 Battle for the Communications Bunker

 German infantry escorted by Kriegsmarine support outflanked the defenders and attacked from the north! 

The game we rolled for was secure the point, so my friend Nick setup the board with the bunker in the centre. The US had to setup one infantry unit and one other unit at the start of the game, everything else started off the board. The US also outflanked an M3 halftrack with an engineer squad inside.

This game I broke with tradition and brought a mechanised Sturm Pioneer platoon all mounted in SDKFZ 251/1 as well as an SDKFZ 251/16 Flammenwerfer. I got a free artillery observer because of the ship adjacent to the battlefield.

The first move was to send the Sturmpioneers forward to burn out the defenders, killing 3 and putting 3 pins on them, they passed their morale test.

Turn 2 the SDKFZ251/16 rolled up and finished off the GI's on the bunker roof as US reinforcements tried to rush foward.

Another SDKFZ251/1 rolled up and deposited 2 5 man LMG squads and an officer onto the bunker, one of the squads destroyed the Mortar as it rallied from the Luftwaffe air raid that came in turn 3.

The Sherman had move to counter a push by a Heer squad in the fields, successfully pinning them down, but the Goliath team was having none of it and sent their little bomb forward.

Detonating but failing to pen, it caused 6 pins! Which the Sherman then rallied turn 4.

Whilst the Sherman and the Heer squad rallied turn 4, turn 5 the Grenadiers got the first dice draw moved forward and slammed 3 Panzerfaust into the Sherman blowing the turret it sky high.

The GI's copped a blast of flame from the SDKFZ251/16 then charged the halftrack destroying it in combat.

The M3 half track arrived turn 3, by turn 5 it had fubar'd and ran away from the battle before the engineers inside and then it itself succumbing to morale as they both racked up 9 pins and quit the field.

The Aggressive Grenadiers then charged the Heavy AT Gun after it killed the Goliath operators, handily winning combat.

Turn 5 and 6 they ran towards the centre and wiped out the FAO team on close combat securing the objective for the end of the game.

The US was able to retreat unharmed from the battle, in the subsequent campaign turn the aircraft bombed the Heer infantry destroying it and recaptured the comms bunker. We then drew victory cards, scoring 1 for Allies and 5 for Germany, this also allowed the allies to bring in 4 new units and the Germans 1. 

Mighty Empires - Gronbef-Afor - Orcish realm - Log entry 2

 

The Empires expand!

This session the Chaos Dwarves starved the defenders of Altenburg into another desperate sally to drive off the besiegers, the Orcs expanded their empire to the river discovering several Orc hill forts/towers making their river line extremely well defended.

Chaos Dwarves pushed up to the damaged settlement, whilst the General tried in vain to move the Bullcentaurs and artillery forward.

The Empire began their push across the river with their many Handgunners and Crossbows in support. Leading the charge was the Steam tank that I foolishly charged with my Bullcentaurs losing 4 rounds of combat before a lucky turn lead to its demise.

Once the Steam tank was destroyed the big block of ranged infantry moved forward and unloaded into the Bullcentaurs, the Hobgoblin wolf riders failed their charge this turn.

Finally with all the Handgunners in initiative range the Chaos Dwarves, Bullcentaurs and Hobgoblin wolf riders carved apart the Empire ranged infantry as the Halberdiers tried to rush forward and get a flank charge but failed their final move and were stuck watching the slaughter.

The campaign turn ended with expanded empires and much bigger tax revenues this turn, with the empires almost in contact I expect to see a larger incursion of Orcs across the river.

Mighty Empires - Gronbef-Afor - Orcish realm - Log entry 1

 Deep in the Gron mountains lay the ruins of the GronAfor Dwarfs, in 1629IC the Orcs of the Waaagh Gorwaz overran the Karak and slaughtered all the defenders as Warboss Gorwaz-bag fell from a Warhammer to the skull. Shortly after the sundering of the Karak Gron the Orc Waaagh! broke down into several Clans as no Warboss was able to rise up and take control of the throng.

  Ingrim-Ruk Chaos deamonsmith of the Chaos Dwarfs, descends upon the Orcish realm of Gronbef-Afor. In a bloody ritual where hundreds of Golin slaves were sacrificed to Hashut, the Tower of Dun-Gabab was raised from the scorched earth, with months of work the minor forges and mills of their dark industry began to churn out weapons and minted coin.

The Campaign began with Orkish expansion south west, subgegating the Yellow Snake goblin tribes before turning east and massacring a remant village of Dwarves. 

The Chaos Dwarves Expanded south and east, looking to secure the rivers as a frontline against the incursion of Orcs. The Human city of Altenberg refused to submit to the Chaos Dwarves, the Chaos dwarves then marched to besiege the city - but the Men of Altenberg Sallied out!

I had basically forgotten how to play warmaster - and my opponent who was playing as the orks was playing for the first time so it was a good start!

I marched the Chaos Dwarves forward with no real plan and was met with a hail of handgun and Cannon shot, the intense shooting destroyed a stand of Blunderbuss and drove a unit of chaos dwarves from the field also destroying the Hero on Bullcentaur.

The following turns were a series of advances and retreats and the Blunderbusses tried to break up the Empire knights, the Bullcentaurs then turn the flank around the forest and charged into the Knights destroying 2 of the 3 bases.

The Empire flagellants and a unit of Halbadiers charged, bouncing off of the shaken Chaos dwarfs the combined Chaos Dwarves and Hobgoblins then ground the two units down winning the combat then withdrawing.

The Final act of the game was a big charge by the Chaos Dwarves, smashing into the big block of Halbadiers and Handgunners, in two rounds of combat the empire lose 2 units and the Chaos dwarves lost 2 stands. Ultimately the game was a tie, with the Chaos Dwarves losing the most points. I suspect the Empire will now withdraw into their city and continue the siege but lets see!