Mark and I met up for a game of BKCIV, and to allow Mark to use his Early War BEF forces We went for an Encounter game.
I put out myEarly War German armour (minus three Pz38(t) that I left at home), supplimented by some of my DAK to llow a decent amount of points, and drew a rough line halfway, which landed us with a 'What if' game somewhere in The Balkans in 1940. So, ignore the later Panzer IIIS in desert cammo, they are really earlier ones, honest, and the obvious DAK infantry and trucks, just imagine they had been issued tropical kit early, maybe!
Straight away, the difference in command levels shows. The British are mostly 7s with a CO of 8, the Germans are 10s and 9s. That is a huge difference. I won the initiative, and gave Mark the first turn, and all of his units failed to appear! Much hilarity and a little swearing happened instead.
My CinC ooccupies the crops over the halfway line, the infantry commamd moves through the left hand central wood, debussing into scrub. However, my armoured commander is feeling very cautious, he getshsis troops of Panxer IIIe/fs on table, along with 2 Panzer IIs, then blunders himself nearly off the back edge! We only rolled two blunders all night, and both had this result! His next turn, he only moved once. Pity, as this left all my confident and advance infantry exposed, justbwhen Mark's entire force appeared.
Oh how the dice gods are fickle. Mark rolled four double ones in turn 2! All on same commands, so his flanking light armour and infantry suddenly sprints down my left flank. Would need to deal with that somehow.
The light was low and right across the table at this point, so I snuck a side photo shot. Mark's Matida 2 company and supporting infantry in Universal carriers moves up versus my armour. In the centre, and these carriers with anti-tank rifle armed infantry, would soon be round my flank. Mark had two 2lbers, a 25lber battery, HMG, mortars, and infantry. My two infantry commands waded through them all in very short order. Unfortunately, with Mark's double shots, he silenced my Panzer IVD without it getting a shot off. I had such plans for it. Well, actually, a half-baked idea to support my infantry with it.
My cinc and his troops clears the far central wood, then swings left. My infantry then swung left to deal with Mark'sflanking force, the HMGs and the mortars tore into them too. No idea how to deal with his tanks though.
Mark swung round my right-wing his infantry, while his Matildas engage my Panzer IIIs, I lose one, but Mark loses one and two more are heavily damaged. my Panzer IIs swing right to try and deal with the infantry.
On the left, I set about clearing Mark's infantry company off the hill with one infantry, a hannomag and a 222, while my left-hand infantry loses its HMG but with its mortar and two infantry platoons sorts out the British infantry.
Mark's Mk9s swing back to take on my infantry, which could be an issue, those things pack a decent anti-infantry punch.
My Panzer make a mess of the Matildas, and start hurting the infantry. Mark initially had great saves with those heavy tanks, but he had two shocking turns, and some dodgy welds from the Vulcan Works on the Matildas hulls popped, costing him dearly.
The left-hand flank is getting royally rolled up in both directions. Mark behind me, me behind Mark.
However, we did a head count, and Mark was over 50% lost, which entailed a motivation test to keep fighting. He failed. The joys of a level 8 CinC. This resulted in a Major Win for the Germans.
It felt like it was a really tight game, for the first few turns, when my armour would not move up. Mark's two double goes really hurt, but after that the shooting went massively my way, if you count taking on Matildas. Taking out Mark's artillery and 2lbers, then rolling up his infantry went really well. A good game, great laughs and testing scenario.
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