Copy Of Soviet Surge

Blue on Blue: Lonnie vs. Kyle  with Lonnie and Kyle  I had just finished 50-points of my Late War American army and was itching for a fight. Unfortunately both our German players were out of the office, Brian was sick and Tim was on vacation so I grabbed the new guy, Kyle, and told him we were playing during lunch, loser had to pick up the takeaway tab.

My small but potent 50-point force was built around a Veteran M4 Sherman Tank Company and consisted of: 2 x Veteran M4 Sherman Tanks HQ (9-points) 5 x Veteran M4 Sherman (76mm) Tank Platoon (28-points) 5 x Veteran M5 Stuart Tank Platoon (13-points) Kyle’s 51-points, built around an M4 Sherman Tank Company with M10 Tank Destroyers in support, consisted of: 2 x M4 Sherman Tanks HQ (7-points) 5 x M4 Sherman Tank Platoon (18-points) 5 x M5 Stuart Tank Platoon (10-points) 4 x M10 Tank Destroyer Platoon (16-points)
We set up the battlefield with plenty of scenery – hedge rows, a small village, a few trees, and a road. My Stuarts were on the right-middle, ready to utilize their superior speed to get to the flanks of my enemy, my 76s on the left to roll up the flank and take an objective, and my HQ lending some support to my M5s, ready to send some smoke or steel down range. Opposite my 76s were Kyle’s HQ, his M10s were on a hill with and obstructed view of my 76s (but out of range), his M5s were coming up the cobblestone road and his Sherman Platoon were behind some woods. Kyle took the first move.
Turn 1 Kyle’s first moves were tentative for the most part, keeping to cover where he could, lining up some shots on my 76s and moving his M5s up the road to try to pin me. He attempted to move his Sherman platoon through the woods but failed his cross check twice. At the end of his movement he opened fire with his Sherman HQ tanks and M10s, all either missing or bouncing off my 76s. On my turn I terrain dashed my M5s into the village and took a couple of pot shots at Kyle’s M5’s with my HQ tanks, causing a casualty and a bail. My 76s moved 10” and opened fire hitting both of his HQ Sherman tanks, killing one and hitting one M10 but failed my firepower roll.
Turn 2 Kyle managed to get his Sherman platoon out of the woods and took a couple of shots at my command scoring a hit but failing to penetrate good old American steel. His M5s came up the road, hoping to get on the flanks of my HQ Sherman Tanks but fell short and all of their fire bouncing off my command tanks. His M10s had my 76s right where he wanted them, three in the open and two in partial cover, when he opened fire with them and his one remaining HQ Sherman. 8 dice were picked up and thrown from his M10s and I was certain I’d lose 2-3 tanks but… no dice thrown that round was over a two to hit! And his command Sherman failed two attempts to hit as well. My go. Once again I dashed my M5s up the road, this time right to the hedgerow behind which lay his M10s. My 76s, happy with their position opened fire, getting several hits and killing his last HQ Sherman but the M10s survived! Seemed that I could hit his tank destroyers but none of my firepower rolls were over a 2. Oh well, I’d get him next turn.

Turn 3 Kyle’s M5s were amongst my HQ tanks now, three had flank shots. His Sherman platoon were busy lining up shots on my own M5s to keep them from causing too much damage to his M10s. After his moves he opened fire, hitting my HQ but missed with all but two shots which my armor easily bounced. His M10s now in danger on two fronts, optioned to shoot and scoot. Eight more shots on my 76s, scoring only one hit but failing firepower. His Sherman Platoon faired slightly better with four shots at my M5s killing two. I moved three of my 76s right up to the hedge behind which lay Kyle’s M10s; two of my 76s failed cross checks when crossing over a set of rail tracks but that was OK, this was going to be my turn. Moving my HQ back to give them some cover from the swarming M5s, I opened fire with them first, scoring four hits and killing three of Kyle’s tanks! My M5s then opened up on his M10s, scoring a couple of hits and killing one of the tank killers. Three of my 76s had clear shots at his M10’s and of the six shots I hurled at him only two hit and I made only one firepower roll.

Turn 4 With neither of us having much luck with the dice, Kyle decided to concentrate on my HQ and M5s as all he needed to do to win was to kill five tanks. His Sherman platoon got into position to fire at both my Sherman HQ and my M5s, which they did, killing an HQ Sherman and another M5. His M10s once again fired and missed all of their shots. His M5s got a lucky flank shot at my HQ, killing the last tank but I was still in the game. Keeping my three 76s against the hedgerow, I moved the two that failed their cross check up the railroad track to get shots at his remaining M5s. My 76s managed one more kill against the M10s causing a last man check which the remaining tank passed, and they killed Kyle’s remaining M5s. it was now down to me killing one M10 (or a full strength Sherman platoon), or Kyle killing 2 M5s (or five 76s). Last Turn Kyle moved his remaining Sherman Platoon into position so all had shots at my M5s and, for the first time in the game, rolled 5 hits in a single round killing them both and ending the game as I only had 1 platoon remaining.