Heilsberg, 1945

Today was spend in running a couple of intro games of BG 'Fall of the Reich' at Derby Worlds. Great fun, with a few new converts amongst players and spectators. This was the morning probes on the southern edge of town by the Russian's in platoon strength... tomorrow will see the full assault strike in a 1,200 pt demo game.

Here are a few shots of the table and forces set up on the edge of town.

 An aerial view of the table.

South, looking north into town

 Volksgrenadiers in the hedges on the edge of town, waiting to repell the first enemy probe. It was a 300 pt squad game on one end of the table.

 SMG armed Russian infantry dismount to attack on foot across the fields. T-34s rolling on behind.

 The lurking Panther, the German's only armour. Great things were expected, but they forgot, it was my Panther...and therefore doomed to a bad death, knocked out from behind by a surprise T-34.

The attack as it gets under way, mortars firing the first barrage.

 The boss arrives, Russian forward HQ in Gaz jeep. This was before it got cut to peices by MG-42 fire, killing all three crew... best not to be most forward unit if you're the officer in a jeep!

Down this street, tomorrow the Russians will come... in force! Those IS-IIs are warming up their engines....

The first probe was a draw, very closesly fought, so good one player is coming back tomorrow to see the big game. The second was a decisive Russian win, driving in the German defences in a hard fought close assault. The Germans put up a stiff fight, but the new 'Endkampf' counter finished it, with the vengeful Russians only yards away the Volksgrenadiers threw down their weapons and came out with their hands up. Loosing the Panther (after a bold (mad) solo counter-attack that left its side and rear exposed to T-34 fire at close range, did not help). A lesson in how not to use precious German armour.

As for the rest of Derby, in my brief sojourns, the trade stands all look inviting, and few demo games looked cool as... the Syrian armoured brigade vs Israel Centurions was site to behold (how many tanks?). The competiton games were... well... you know - if the first thing I see is a Russian 28mm army with JS-IIs fighting a Russian army with T-34s and BT-7s, or British Guards Armoured 1944 against a 7th Armoured desert force 1942 (on a green table), then I'm out! Very out! What is that? WWII but not as we know it... who needs history in historical gaming? The antithesis of what BG is about... you can still have good, hard fought and entertaining, close games and not just throw history in the bin...