The second playtest of the 1940 army lists that myself and Cyril have written for
Kampfgruppe Normandy turned out to quite possibly one of the most exiting games we have had for a long time, if not ever! All due in the main to how the system works and the cleverly designed scenarios.
We played a 500 point 'Escalation' scenario between French Mechanised and the German Panzer lists. I stepped aside to allow Thomas and Gary to play the Germans and to see how guys found the lists. Cyril and Sean took the French and this gave me time to view the proceedings.
500 Point German 'Panzer' Force
500 Point French 'Mechanised' Force
The game started with Recce forces arriving and screeching into action, with the Germans moving into place alot faster as the Vanguard forces arrived. With all but one of the four objectives in a diagonal line across the centre of the table, both sides rushed for them. As the main forces arrived, the French seemed to be gaining the upper hand as more troops arrived but they failed to move quickly and terrain hampered their deployment. As the French got into place to start attacking the Germans had already captured two of the objectives - The church and road junction.
This was not as bad as it seemed for the French. One of their artillery RTPs (Registered Target Point) was on the T-junction outside the church. Soon French artillery rounds slammed into the troops around the church suppressing several. This was the first point of action and a squad of Dragons Portes made a dash through the woods to the Church, only to run into one of the Panzer Pioneer sections already dug into the ruins. The French attack soon found itself pinned down with casualties mounting until a passing Char-B started shelling the Germans with its HE rounds. This succeeded in pinning down the Germans. Focus now shifted to a running fight down the road with various vehicles involved ina running battle down the road in a race for the third objective in a farm. Although the French captured it first, they were soon followed by another group of German Panzer Pioneers who charged into the farm courtyard only to have their half-track shot out from under them. Forced to bail out they too were pinned down behind the farm wall.
Things seemed fairly even at this point. But then the Germans got into gear. The pioneers at the farm rallied and stormed forward, setting alight a stationary Panhard armoured car with their flamethrower and taking the objective. They promptly dug-in among the ruins setting up their MMG in the buildings top floor to deter any French infantry from attacking over the open ground around the farm. Then the pioneer commander the road junction objective and three of the four objectives were in german hands. The fourth and uncaptured objective was way behind German lines near their deployment zone. As the German 88mm rolled onto the table and some 210mm shells rained onto the French, the Germans felt rather smug as their newly arrived infantry sauntered towards the final objective ready to secure it to win the game.
But a Frenchman on a mission had other ideas...
First a huge hurricane of artillery fire crashed onto the church RTP. By fluke, four of the rounds scored direct hits, destroying two armoured cars, one of the pioneer half-tracks and crucially the German commander in his Panzer IV! As his tank burned the Germans didnt look so smug. Then the French threw themselves in a frontal attack to recapture the road junction objective and stop the Germans winning in the next turn. With the last unit able to fire they managed to wipe out the German defenders and reclaimed the objective.
Now the Germans got to attack back, and holding the other three objectives all the action focussed on the road junction as its occupation was key to both sides. However both sides had mounting casualties. With the way the KGN morale system works, neither side knew exactly how bad the other side was... But both sides knew it was getting close. As umpire I had a quick look at both sides morale counts and its was
very close...
A furious final stage erupted with both sides trying to knock-out anything the enemy had to force themt o take morale chits. For the Germans they were also desperately trying to take the fourth objective before their morale collapsed. 38ts tried to tackle Char-
Bs at long range, only to watch as their rounds harmlessly bounced off. Char-
Bs returned fire and soon several 38ts were burning. Once again French artillery fire prove effective. It turned out that the second French RTP was actually under the 88! A brace of direct hits put paid to the 88 crew. But now the Germans drove hard for the centre with tanks followed by infantry pooring fire into those defending the road junction. After a viscious firefight the last French defender fell dead... With the objective unoccupied a pioneer half-track raced forward to disgourge its human cargo onto the objective and claim a win for the Germans by holding all four points.
Altough they had stole victory the game was amazingly close. The French had 4 morale points left at the end, and the Germans 6. Both sides had battered the other and the result could have easily gone any way at any point. It was a classic of a game, and the Luftwaffe was certainly around as Gery managed to draw three aircraft chits (though not one arrived to help). It seemed very well balanced and I dont think we had any issues, it all seemed to work rather well. Its given me the confidence that we have got the lists pretty much right, and Im desperate to do more... Consensus was that Early Desert War and Pacific would be alot of fun.
orks-da mega stomperz (ex goffs and deathskulls)-2500pts
Black templars-1850
Vior'la sept tau-1500pts
