Salute '26 - Battlegroup demo game, 'Via Faenza', Italy 1944

The combined efforts of Piers and myself (and some extra borrowed med buildings) to create out demo table for BG: Italy, for Salute. On a 6 x 10' table, we had a bombed out coastal village, through which ran the coastal road, with its own industrial area and waterfront 'fish canning factory'. The Germans were holding this as they moved to retreat up the coast from the Gothic Line. Trying to cut the road were the British/Commonwealth forces, led by Churchill tanks, as they moved through the rural hills, farms, fields and vineyards that made up the rest of the tabletop.

We never get to play much on these demo-days, its about showcasing the game at its best (well, we try), and talking to BG players and those interested in trying it out, in a recruitment drive... actually rolling dice doesn't get to happened much, plus, we want to wander off and see some of the show too (and shop).

It was worth the effort, a good day talking to gamers (and we won an award too).

 

Brits will enter on this table corner. 

The fish canning factory

On the seafront cliffs, a old watchtower overlooks the little harbour.

The harbour, sea plane about to make an escape.

Germans rush to block the Brits with their StuGs.

StuG platoon roll out of town.

Just arriving in town, past the cemetery, the retreating convoy of trucks, etc.

Germans secure the large walled cemetery.

Arriving British armour, Churchills fan-out from the side road as enemy armour is reported ahead.

Recce in place, awaiting support to move up.

At the rearward farm, the Sexton battery are ready to add to the town's rubble.

Forward Aid Post and ambulance receive the first casualties.

Bren Section rumble up.

On the hillside, an Archer lurks.

The foxholed infantry on the hillside watch on.

The full tabletop from the British end.

Bombed out fishing village.

StuG guards the road.

A win, that's two in a row, for me.

Three in a row for Piers.

 

Operation Mercury campaign - Game 1 - Coup de Main at Maleme Airfield, with BG: Tobruk

This is the start of new BG campaign, in which we'll be playing out part of the Operation Mercury, around Maleme airfield, Hill 107, Pirgos and Palantias. The defenders had already deployed their forces on the campaign map and I then dropped my first wave of paratroops, elite troops from 1st Sturm Regiment, in. From the campaign map, we'll determine where the games are and what forces are around for them, and what might be reinforcements. 

This was game 1, my direct landing to seize the airfield by a coup de main strike. It was just 300 pts, a 'squad' game, on a 4x4 board, which was largely empty (as the airfield was mostly just open runway). The New Zealand defenders were largely dug-in on their perimeter, as the gliders and paras dropped in all around. 

The forces selected were:

Germans:
FJ Sturm Platoon in 3 gliders       
HMG-34 team             
'Adler Tag'               
FJ Sturm squad (paratroops)
2 snipers, + 1 observer (paratroops)
JU-87 air strike (turn 1)

BR 23, 2 Scouts, 1 Officer

British (New Zealanders):
Infantry Platoon (all in foxholes)
Ad Hoc Infantry Platoon (auxiliary - RAF ground crew)
Vickers HMG team in dug-out
Bofors gun in dug-out
3" mortar in mortar pit

BR 19, 0 Scouts, 2 Officers

The tabletop, near edge is rough/overgrown ground at the end of the Tavrontis river. Far side is the few RAF huts and tents. Up top, the dispersal pen with an abandoned Hurricane (non-flyer left behind when the RAF pulled out to return to Egypt).

Two tin RAF hits (soft cover only), a few tents and the gate.

Dispersal pen (them were just low stone walls) and non-flying Hurricane. (It may have been a Fairey Fulmar, but we don't have one of them, and reports vary).

Luftwaffe's daily hate ends, as JU-88 buzzes over. In the reaming smoke and dust cloud, in come the DFS-230 gliders and JU-52s. 

Stuka pins the Bofors after braving its fire.

 

The first wave of 3 gliders skidded in, all with rough landings, so the FJ squads jumped out and were pinned. The defenders rolled  a 1 for their orders and so could do little, too surprised. The Vickers HMG opened up and missed. A dive-bombing Stuka targeted the Bofors gun, which was on ambush fire, its AA fire didn't stop the dive, and the bombing only resulted in pinning the gun, no direct hit! Still, the crew were cowering.  Turn 1 was quick... the fight was on.

The three gliders have landed and disgorged their squads. Next wave will be paratroops dropping.

Turn 2, and the second wave, the paratroops dropped down, one rifle squad being shot to death in the air and the survivors surrendering, lost them. The others landed mostly pinned as they sort their drop canisters. With a few unpinned units now, the FJ could open fire, and the HMG was set up, under the lead glider's wing, and raked the NAAFI hut. It cut-up the RAF squad inside badly, who broke and ran. It was going well. But most of the FJ were stood in the open, at short range, to troops that would surely decimate them next turn. Until, they only got 2 orders - lucky!. Still, rifle fire cracked out, and the Vickers blazed away and FJ started to die quickly. A few 'Fall Back!' moves helped, as we allowed FJ that fell back to make for the Tavrontis edge and its rocks and bushes for some cover...

The fighting was a smattering of firefights across the tabletop, usually one unit against the other, as the FJ got some MG-34s going, but the Vickers was a problem, it cut down a squad in the open. The resulting counter was an Air Attack, today we needed the Luftwaffe, and the 'Adler Tag' special rule should help. Send more Stuka's please!

One rifle squad assaulted the Vickers dug-out, throwing grenades, armed with pistols, and only killed a single crew, who then fought back and won. They followed up with a 'heroic action' from their morale test and a burst of close range fore finished of the FJ's finest. The HMG team would survive the game with 1 man left... medals for their efforts.

Three Air Attack counters had to be roled for, with the Luftwaffe due in force, but terrible rolls saw no help arrive... the boys on the ground were on their own. Now, the defender's reserve arrived, another RAF ad hoc rifle squad, which re-occupied the NAAFI (vital to hold that). On counters it was very close, with both having picked up Air Attack and special counters, but got little from them.

 

The final turns saw an MG-34 team take out the last Bofors crew at close range and then force an RAF squad to surrender too... heroics from them... but meanwhile, on the other side of the air strip, the bold FJ PHQ was finished off by the reserves from the NAAFI hut, and other FJ sqauds had fled to the Tavronis bank's cover, when an MG team, running for the 'safety' was spotted and shot down by riflemen from their dug-outs, this final counter pushed the FJ to their break point. The assault had failed. But, oh, it had been close, the Brits were on 18 from 19, so 1 more counter would have done it... how the Vickers team's last man did not get pinned, and thus break... the dice gods know! (snipers and MG-34s tried but he passed all his cover saves). 

So, game 1 sees the initial assault fail to capture the western end of Maleme airfield. We'll obviously be back, as getting the airfield is vital to getting more reinforcements in the later campaign. Game 2 will be the landings at the Tavrontis bridge, not far from this tabletop, as more gliders and paras land. Fun to play this scenario... which is a mess... but unlike any other BG game. 

Brits/New Zealand counters.

German counters

Man on the match, the Vickers team somehow survived everything, with 1 man still shooting (at half firepower).

The Old World - Dwarfs vs Daemons

An afternoon of hard-fought, fun, 'hammering... with 2,800 points aside. The terrain was randomly generated, getting us a hill (centre of the Dwarf side), a ruin, 2 marshes, an area of rocks (on the hilltop) and another ruin (which we turned into a statue of a Dwarf king, centre). So far, the Dwarfs have been undefeated in our WH games, and have already seen-off chaos twice, as Beastmen and then WoC, so third time luck for the Chaos Gods, this time with daemons of Khorne. 

Here are the army lists, roughly. Bare in mind we don't hone our lists for competitive play, just fun play. We don't treat the game like a sport... we're here for the bash and 3-4 hours of fun, winning is having a good time.

Daemons
Bloodthirster with great axe
Herald with collar of khorne, on juggernaut
Herald with collar of khorne
Herald, BSB, with Totem of Eternal War

20 x Bloodletters with full command
20 x Bloodletters with full command
20 x Bloodletters with full command
6 x Fleshhounds
6 x Fleshhounds with ambushers
6 x Chaos Furies
6 x Bloodcrushers with champion and standard
Skullcannon 

Dwarfs
King on shieldbearers, with master rune of gromril, rune of fury, rune of swiftness
Thane with great weapon
Anvil of Doom with a rune of fortitude
Engineer 'Beardy Hari' with hand gun, rune of rapid fire, rune of bursting flame

20 Dwarf Warriors with full command and spears
20 Dwarf Warriors with full command and spears
10 Thunderers
10 Crossbows
10 Rangers with champion and standard
16 Slayers including 6 giant slayers
16 Ironbreakers with full command
15 Hammerers with full command
2 Cannons
Organ Gun

The battle lines were set, time to start the slaughter.  The daemons, of course, were on fulls send (par the skull cannon) which misfired... as rushed up, picking their targets. The Dwarfs manouevred to intercept and loosed everything they had, as cannons and handgunners and organ gun boomed out. Chip damage only resulted, although 2 Bloodcrushers did go down... a good result. Turn 2 would see the melees start.

The Bloodcrushers crashed into the Slayers and wrought havoc, killing 10... the Furies made a risky long-bomb charge and made it to the cannon, tearing the crew apart. Then followed the 'Ironbreaker Incident' (described below, we won't linger on it!!). The Dwarf right advanced to face the many Bloodletters, but it was their  and centre that was crumbling fast. Again, no major damage from firing the guns, and no cannon could see the Bloodthirster after his rash charge. On to Turn 3. 

The grind had started, with the Dwarfs doing well with their spear blocks and the King and his Hammerers flattened Bloodletters, things looked up a bit. 1 Slayer survived to hold up the Bloodcrushers, thankfully, and the Rangers chipped off a couple wounds from the Skullcannon with their crossbows. Was it enough? As the Bloodthirster flew round the hill to line-up the Anvil of Doom, which cast its lightning bolts but was thwarted (Magic Resistance 2 was a shock). Ambushing Fleshhounds arrived behind the lines and rushed towards the organ gun, it had time to swing round and blast them... but again, not enough to stop the charge and the munching of the crew next turn.

Turn 4 pretty much saw the end of it. Although the Dwarfs on the right finished off the Bloodletters blocks, it didn't help, as the Anvil was charged and would loose in the next rounds of combat, destroyed, picked up and hurled away! Beady Hari blasted the last Furies into oblivion, but the organ gun was lost, the last cannon misfired, the spear line at the hill was swamped and losing and the slayers finally surcomed. The flank 'Rangers vs Skullcannon duel' took a turn when its shot at them hit their Thane (Bugman) and killed him on failed 'look out sir!' test. Next turn, the daemon-engine lost its cool and charged in anyway... Bugman may well have killed it... but his men couldn't quite do it.

 The daemons were mopping up now, the central spear unit was butchered and broke off the table edge (fast runners for short legs). The Bloodthirster final took a  cannon hit, but with 1 wound left charged and dispatched the engineer. We called it and added up VPs...

Deployment. The Dwarfs weight they combat power to their right, with a smaller force on their left. The daemons go the same, main hitting power right and centre. Hmmm... can the Dwarf left hold?

Bloodletters on their extreme left, avoiding the marshes.

Centre, the Bloodthirster leads with Fleshhounds and more Bloodletters, and the handy Totem of Eternal War in support.

Right, Bloodcrushers (and Herald) and Furies (models do double duty as Harpies too, when needed).

Bugman's Rangers scout onto the far left, crossbows out.

The Dwarf detachment on their left, a lure, to just hold as long as they can (and the slayers to die), whilst the Dwarfs sweep round on the right (well trudge round).

Centre, behind the hill (rock is impassable). Ironbreakers, warriors, anvil, and on the hill, the engineer gunner 'Beardy Hari', sniper's vantage point.

Leading on the right, King and his Hammerers. Hard as rocks...

Turn 1, the daemons on full send, Bloodcrushers line-up the Slayers, but cannon and crossbows take down 2 early.

Bloodthirster flaps up to the central statue (surely not hiding from a cannon!). The Fleshhounds lead the rush, as behind, the Ironbreakers round the hill to meet them.

The daemons far left, Bloodletters rush the warrior spear block (we allow Dwarf warriors spears for a +1 point, as all our old models have them, and frankly, Dwarfs could do with spears).

The Furies make a long charge and with good rolls make it to the cannon... oops. 18" charge, by fluke... the crew are torn apart. Precious cannon lost.

Overwhelming charge of the Bloodcrushers, only 6 Slayers survive the impacts and hellblades. This unit hits like a tank... or a big charging bull (made of brass and anger). 

Another Dwarf disaster, as the Fleshhounds charge, the Bloodthirster then fails it's Impetuous test and must also charge the closest Dwarfs, causing the Ironbreaker's terror, and on a double 6(!!), they break and run, to be caught by the Fleshhounds and wiped out, as the 'thirster then fails its rash charge behind (but puts a hill behind it and a cannon). The early turns have defo gone against the Dwarfs.

Drilled warriors expand the spear line and charge... resulting in a melee grind with the Bloodletters, which they win... even after their champion was cleaved in two in a challenge. Grudge settled, but it took all game, small wins.

King and his Hammers do their hammering, and destroy another Bloodletter unit, some measure of revenge, and a comeback is on... or its it?

No!. The Bloodthirster sweeps round on his might pinions and lines up the Anvil of Doom, its lightning bolts twice thwarted by Khorne's magic resistance. Guards and Rune Priest get ready to defend their anvil - some hope, but not no hope... for Grugni!

Ambushing Fleshhounds arrive and rush the organ gun, which spins and gets a full volley off at 1" range. But only 2 hounds die. Crew now doomed, as dinner.

The skirmishing Furies continue to be a right pain, jumping the crossbows in the flank as the last Bloodletter block closes in. The Dwarf left is being overwhelmed.

After the, err, 'Ironbreaker Incident', the drilled spear-dwarfs take their place and give the Fleshhounds a good stabbing... or would, but for amazing 5+ ward saves.

Last brave Slayer goes down, but the Slayers did well, killing 2 Bloodcrushers as they met their doom...

The Skullcannon fails its Impetuous test and madly charges the Rangers... this after targeting the Ranger's Thane (Bugman) and him failing his 'look out sir!' test, and dying to the hit. We house rule that chariots do half impact hits vs skirmishers, and the Dwarf great weapons hit hard, so its a real tussle. In the end the cannon wins, just, and the last Rangers break.

The end is nye... the crossbows wiped out, the spears are next for the treatment... as the Fleshhounds prove ever resistant to spear-stabbing and instability... the line is swamped next turn.

Epic fight for the anvil of doom... but doomed it is, but the guards hurt the Bloodthirster back before it is wrecked. Bloodthirster's first kill, a worthy one though. 

Last for his ire, reforming to line-up the engineer, but also hit by a cannon, so only 1 wound left. Can it survive the 'quick shot' stand and fire from Beardy Hari, or will he get a wound and a legendary kill? He didn't, and was then chopped to iddy-bits... last action of the game.

 

Adding up VPs, the Daemons had score 1702... the Dwarfs, 686... ouch. Big Daemon win then... and the Dwarfs have finally lost a game. Khorne is well-pleased with his tribute of skulls today...