Operation Mercury campaign - Game 2 - Tavrontis riverbed landings

 Game 2 of our Crete (Maleme Airfield) campaign, and we are still in the first campaign turn of the initial landings, so another airborne assault scenario, this time in the Tavrontis river bed, near where it meets the sea, so 1 hex from the last battle (and happening at the same time). A squad-level game at 300 points, with my elite glider troops of the Sturm regiment sliding into the reeds and gravel of the river (and few dangerous rocks), whilst the local defenders (New Zealanders again) rush to meet them.

BRs are low, so short games, but the elite Fallschirmjager’s BR make up for this somewhat, and this gives them a fighting chance against the dug-in defenders (no BR for those foxholes). No off-table artillery allowed yet, so just what you have on the tabletop in an infantry skirmish. Hopefully, with some air support this time.

Turn 1, and the gliders were the first wave, sliding along in rough landings, as the first squads and MG teams bailed out, pinned. The third glider rolled a 1, and was wiped out hitting a big rock, ooof! Not a good start, and 2 counters for the losses.

The New Zealanders, in surprise, mustered only a single order of some suppressing rifle fire, and it was turn 2 – these games don’t take long. My second turn saw the paratrooper drop in, forward HQ and platoon HQ, with a pioneer squad. They hit the ground, again pinned. So, another counter to get unpinned and get those MGs set-up and rockin’, as the few unpinned units scrambled for rocky cover. The counter was a Air Attack - yes. Luftwaffe on the the way!

The New Zealanders fired their rifles and their light mortar dropped the first 2” bombs into the river bed, pinning an MG team down. So far, so good… but for the crash landing, it was going well. No New Zealand reinforcements had arrived yet.

The Luftwaffe failed to stop as they overflew, heading to another target, drat! My MGs got some New Zealand heads down, and the FJ own light mortar was set-up and lobbing some shells back at the enemy mortar, it is hard to pin guys in foxholes though. The pioneers, fully weaponed up now, moved out to attack a NZ section on the river bank, but where spotted in the undergrowth and heavy rifle and Bren fire cut them down. 1 solo pioneer escaped to seek better cover and hunker down, and try not to die (or even be pinned) and give up the precious counter (he survived!).

Now, the first defender’s reinforces ran in, from the other (eastern) bank, a section and their Vickers MG team (eek!). The FJ MGs turned on it and blazed away, now starting to get their own pinning in, and the NZers would need to unpin. The firefight was building, but in the meantime, one FJ squad had scurried around and collected 3 drop canisters (objectives), so the counter count was close. One defender squad got out of their foxholes under an olive grove to fetch a rogue drop pod too… handy resupply of German weapons. They then ran back to their foxholes.

The firefight continued for the next few turns, mostly pinning, but I lost another MG team to rifle fire and the forward HQ was in a bad place and constantly pinned down by rifle fire. The light mortar duel continued. Then, I drew another Air Attack counter, only for it to fail again – the Luftwaffe have had a poor showing so far, we urgently need the help (a forward air controller next time!). To add insult to this injury, the NZers also drew an Air Attack and then rolled the required 6! - good grief!. A Hurricane, on patrol from Alexandria, had zero’d in and skimmed in from the sea to strafe the landed gliders and bushes. Under air attack was another counter. Return MG AA fire was accurate and the Hurricane banked away to sea again, a few holes in its wings. Biggles would be unpinned and back soon.

Both counter stacks looked dangerous, I had to stop unpinning, but I though one more counter for the defenders might break them. My remaining MGs spotted the pesky light mortar and in blaze of MG-34 fire wiped them out - and the counter was… a ‘Confusion’ event! Argh! The elite FJ laugh at such, but still, it allowed the Nzers another turn. In which, they launched a sudden close assault with a section down into the riverbed, to find my lurking light mortar team, and give them the full effect of Mills bombs and a taste of the bayonet!. The loss of the mortar support was enough, the best of the FJ best had had enough and those pinned units would be taken prisoners, whilst the others crawl away to cover. Another narrow defenders win, but within a counter each way. The NZers had some luck with counters. That means I have failed to secure this section of the Tavrontis riverbed and must vacate it on the campaign map. That’s a problem for getting to that airfield.

Next time, we’ll move south again by 1 hex and do the fight at the famous road bridge over the river. Hopefully, my Sturm-boys can secure it and use it as the jump-off for an new attack on the western airfield. If not, then even bigger trouble for the landings. But, I do have my second wave of paratroops due in at 11am (after the turn around time for the JU-52s to refuel and return from Greece). So, reinforcements inbound. No sign of the Brit’s 1 Matilda tank yet!

The action...

Glider landings, glider meets immovable rock!

The river bed, all counts as soft cover for the reeds and vegetation, except for the rocks (as hard).

One squad lost on the crash landing...

Infantry disembark and scurry for the nearest cover. Then move around to get the objectives.

NZers section form behind their cover and shoot down into the river bed.

MG team gets busy in reply, trying to keep the defenders heads down.

On the move, the FJ platoon HQ try to find a better place to hide.

Dug-in on the river bank, this section quickly repelled the pioneer squad. Then, the RAF showed up, need a 6, roll a 6...

Hurricane comes in low, strafing up the place, before MG fire forced it to retire pinned.

 

The Old World - Beastmen vs Dark Elves

A bank holiday afternoon for a WH tussle. We both picked a 2,500 point force, using some of our house-rule mods (we call it 'core-hammer' mods, to force more core unit blocks into the game and reduce the over-powered characters). Here are the lists that resulted (feels more like WH to me).

Dark Elf list:

Dread Lord on Manitcore, with lance, healing potion, full plate armour, shield.
Supreme Sorceress (level 3, Dark Magic - Cursed Word, Word of Pain, Battle Lust), on a dark pegasus with focus familiar and power scroll (model is a proxy, winged-serpent/small wyvern-thing).
Noble on a Cold One, with lance and full plate armour, shield (leading cold one knights, as core)

3 x 10 Repeater Crossbows
32 Spearmen, full command
5 Dark Riders (skirmishers, scouts)
7 Cold One Knights, full command, full plate armour, etc.
2 Cold One Chariots
1 Hydra
1 Kharybdiss
2 Repeater Bolt Throwers

Beastman list:

Warlord with pelt of midnight, axes of khorgor and gnarly hide.
Great Shaman (level 3, Daemonology with Viletide, Daemonic Vessel, Steed of Shadows), with a talisman of protection
Shaman (level 2, Daemonology with Viletide, the Summoning), hagtree fetish (urgh - hate it!).
Warhoof with heavy armour shield, muscled monstrosity (leading Centigor, as core)

2 x 30 Gors, full command
30 Bestigor, great weapons, full command
14 Ungor archers (skirmishers, ambushers)
5 Minotaurs, full command, great weapons
9 Centigors, full command
3 Razorgors
Chaos Giant

After hidden deployment behind a screen, and the big reveal (the exciting bit), we were ready for turn 1.

The beastmen rushed up, of course, why hang around under fire? The Bestigor were flung with 'steed of shadows' spell right at the dark elf line, which responded with a storm of crossbows and bolts and reduce them from 30 to 12, and forced them back in panic. Most others spells failed or were dispelled,  except the shamans viletide which wiped out the dark riders in a single hit - ouch!. 

The dark elf flanks moved up and the charges were lining up, the Chaos Giant and Hydra singling eachother out. By turn 2, we were charging in, the CO chariot and knights hitting and hammering the Gor block, which still only FBIGO, whilst the Kharybdiss was overwhelmed by frenzied centigors (well drunk) and the razorgors (first game and pretty handy beasts). It killed one pig (nice diner) but was then killed before the dread lord on his manticore, which had spent turn 1 as unruly, could get acros to aid it. The left flank looked weak, even as cheeky Ungor archers turned up behind them and harass them with short bow arrows. 

In the centre the Bestigor's charge was, well, rubbish, they rolled terribly and killed just 2 crossbowmen, who held, swords out. Then the second CO chariot hit their flank, maxed its impact hits and broke the unit in the next melee, it fled, chariot chased, and got them... huge points swing as the elite beast infantry died to a man, for 2 elves! The other gor block charged the spear block and a long grind started. Meanwhile, the minotaurs were stuck behind, but a steed of shadows 'fly' move would fix that, except the great shaman was having an off day... and couldn't cast it (or it was dispelled).

On the dark elf (my) right, the monser-bash between the hydra and giant as an epic one, the hydra savaged it first, but failed to kill the giant, which clubbed it back for 3 wounds. Both would fight again next turn. When they did, the faster hydra somehow did 0 wounds! and then the giant got mad (with 'daemonic vigour' aid) and spiked on its rolls to throttle the hydra to death - raargh!. Behind them, the gors continued to die to the cold one knights and chariot (but killed 2 knights on a double 1 armour save by me!), in the end the gors would break and flee the tabletop, and the knights restrained and reformed, turning to charge the gaint and finish it with a lance to the knee. Decisive DE win on that flank. 

The centre was also holding well, but one crossbow unit was eliminated by 'the summoning' spell which fried them all (that hagtree fetish needs calming down!). The repeater bolt throwers targeted the minotaurs with big bolts and rolled three 1s to-hit (why!). That should have been good shooting, but wasn't. The cold one chariot careered on into the minotaurs, but was easily dispatched by great weapons after one minotaur died. 

The dread lord found himself in deep trouble, his manticore took a liking to razorgors for tea and ate them up, but the frenzied centigor kicked his skinny butt... the warhoof being especially drunk and dangerous. The dread lord drank his healing potion, and that saved him next turn, when he broke and fled from the fight, just avoid the centigor's pursuit by 2", then failing to rally (rolled 11), and flapped off home in the final turn, giving the Beastmen all his victory points. 

We added the VPs up and it was very close, the DE just ahead, but by under 100 points, roughly 1600 to 1500. So, we shuck hands on a draw. A fun 3 hours... DEs looked like they had done enough to win it, but the Dread Lords cowardice in the end saved the beastmen a draw... proper Warhammer that!

 Pics of the action...

 

The field of battle, Beasts right closest. 6 terrain peices, 2 ruins, a rocky outcrop (impassable), rocky ground, marshy ground and a far-off elf waystone (all units within 12" gain Magic Resistance 1). Not deployed yet (almost forgot them) the scouting dark riders, hidden behind the rocky outcrop.

 

Dark Elf right flank, CO chariot, CO knights and Hydra, all out attack! Wizards avoid this end of the field due to the waystone.

Facing them, the Beast's left, big Gor block and Chaos Giant.

DE centre, the repeater crossbows and big spear block, backed by Dread Lord on his unruly manticore. Hold the line here.

DE left, Kharybiss, CO chariot and bolt throwers.

Beastmen right, Centigors led by their warhoof, and 3 Razorgors.

The DE right's attack hammers the Gors, in the end, 30 are killed or routed from the field.

Monster-bash... the Hydra doesn't quiet kill the Chaos Giant in 1 turn, and then it rips its heads off! Big dice spike, but it only had 1 wound left aftewards, and died...

The long grind in the centre as a big Gor block meets a big spear block. Both had various magical hexes and enchantments to help, with DE 'Battle Lust' one turn, then Gor 'Daemonic Vigour' the next, but in the end, more spears ground them down, but it cost half of them.

Last of the Bestigor block charges in, but wiffs (2 dead crossbows), and then the arrival of flank charging CO chariot saw them off, breaking and being destroyed in the pursuit.  Bad day for them.

The poor Kharybdiss is overwhelmed, by drunken frenzied centigor and razorgors. The dread lord flew in to help, but even though his manticore finished off the razorgors (tastey), the still frenzied centigors and warhoof beat him up badly (1 wound left), and he fled, failed to rally, and flapped off home! Coward!  

 Core-Hammer Notes:

We allow: Max 33% on characters (not 50%). No level 4 wizards except for: Slann, any daemons or sorcerer of Tzeentch and 0-1 High Elf high-mage. Level 3 is max instead. 0-1 on all 'lord' level characters (so you can get 1 big bad-ass max).

Minimum of 33% on Core troops, but some Special units can count as core if they have a low level character to directly lead them (like the cold knights with noble, and centigor with warhoof here, they bring these as their troops. as more core points).  I like this, as more lower power level characters get used, because they help meet the core requirement, but with better troops... double-win! 

 

These alts makes for more rank and flank and core blocks, and less 'hero-hammering', without banning the use of any unit or character. Magic is also calmed down a bit, but in this game it still had an effect, especially for the Beastmen. (I counted, the Beasts cast 6 spells successfully, the DEs cast 4).