Flames of War: Day of Days Tourney Report

Hey Folks,

The 12th Day of Days was held this weekend in Timaru hosted by Craig and it was a great weekend :)

It was an Axis vs Allies team event with each player having 1100pts. Theme was the Normandy Breakout battles. I went with Andy and we took Kampfgruppe Luck from the veteran 21st Panzer Division.  Specifically we ran "Rommels Funnies" - a horde of converted Assault Guns built from captured French vehicles by the talented and resourcefull Alfred Becker

These are are all Front Armour 2 (read: wafer thin) which means we would often die if we got hit. We planned to just not get hit! The above is my now favourite SPG - the Buete StuH packing an awesome 105mm gun. These guys can bombard and have 32" range Breakthrough Guns so smash infantry good!

Andy had the StuG Batterie

Command StuG (PaK 40)

2 platoons of 2 StuG's (PaK 40's)

1 platoon of 4 StuH's (105mm) 

1 full battery of Lorraine Schepplers (150mm)

I ran the Motorised Panzergrenadiers

Major Hans Von Luck

Command 

2 platoons full Panzergreens in Trucks

1 platoon 4 PaK 40 Half Tracks

1 platoon 4 StuH's (105mm)

1 platoon full Motorised Scouts 

First game was against Mark (US Armoured Rifles) and Dave (US Armour) in a Hold the Line

KG Luck dug in and awaiting the onslaught 

Basically we were defending two fords and while the tanks got close I managed to hold them off long enough for Andys StuG's to arrive and start to snipe out the tanks. The far ford above was hotly contested with two armoured rifle platoons cut to ribbons in the shallow water by timely artillery barrages and massed machine gun fire. 10-2 win to Ze Germans! 

2nd Game was vs Martin (British Churchill Sqaudron) and Robert (Canadian Paras) in a modified Free for All. We ended up isolated from each other with my panzergrens facing the paras in a ruined village while Andy took on 14(!) Churchills with his StuG's on the outskirts. Oh and they bought a Heavy Cruiser for Naval Gunfire Support...

Schleppers don't like 12"Shells hitting them :(

Poor Andy got smashed by the Cruiser but managed to slow the Churchills down  long enough for my reserves to come to his aid, holding his flank. Meanwhile the village was a grind first with highlights being the Leeming like Paras jumping into buildings only to be Breakthrough Gunned to death. Over and over...

Neither side could get to an enemy objective so it was a 2-6 Draw

3rd game in the second day was vs Wellingtonians Mark (British Infantry) and Simon (British Armoured) in a No Retreat. We were attacking so went with a massed infantry assault supported by the two StuH batteries...which got caught in the open by a full battery of mortars...

Assault Guns lead the way!

With our attack on danger of stalling and down half our infantry we got lucky and managed to remount our StuH's. Breakthrough guns obliterated two platoons of infantry and we eventually steam rollered forward into the woods with the objective. 

Extreme Close Fire Support

Meanwhile our ranged AT SPG's took a toll on the British Armour and we ended up breaking both enemy companies in the same turn. Huzzah! 8-4 win to us 

Last game was vs our old foes  Pooch (Task Force A) and Adam (US Cavalry) in another (but not modified) Free for All. 

Totally forgot to take photos but it was one of those games we should have lost. The yanks were all up in our grill from the first turn and put heavy pressure on us. Some desperate defence and a lot of luck saw Andy broken but the Panzergreens carry the day. Highlight was capturing a whole platoon of Sherman's in a assualt (sorry Pooch!)

Speaking of Panzernackers I picked up

Most Assaults! Which I was stoked with :)  - and a box of Cromwells...I sense a Desert Rats army in my Future

Overall we were last place for Axis (conceded to many points with our glass cannons) but  think 6th overall. 

Thanks to Craig for the awesome weekend, everyone we played and to Andy especially for a great team mate to throw down some dice with! 

Cheers

Jason 

Flames of War: last minute 21.PD reinforcements

Hey Folks,

Nothing like leaving things to the last minute! 

Day of Days is less than 9 hours away and my (small) contribution to the combined 21.PD force Andy and I are taking is done. 

They are not as shiny as the look but it's;

4 Buete StuHs (105mm guns on captured French chassis)

Motorcycle Scouts

6 Trucks

Painted at my Nanas place after I drove down.

Andy (being the machine he is) painted twice as much and built a whole Normandy Bocage table. In less than a month!

Looking forward to tomorrow - now I need to sleep!

Cheers

Jason

Warhamner: Warclouds Tournament Report - The Plan

Hey Folks, 

It was a busy weekend on the social Calender and after six "dinner  engagements" Lady Elizabeth Bennett relaxes in her coffin, well pleased with how the proceedings went. 

Surely not all were a resounding success (Lord Darcy's manners have been known to be lacking on occasion, and he is short of temper alas) but she is well fed and enjoyed her "conversationals" held with a range of prey. 

Elizabeth (on the right) showing her displeasure that anothe lady wore the same dress to the dance

A great weekend was had at a Warclouds with the Vampire Counts double team my little bro Nathan and I took doing pretty well - this will be a long post and I will break it into three parts, 

The Plan

The Plan goes Wobbly (Day 1)

Stick to the Plan! (Day 2) :)

The Plan; VC Double Team "Pride and Predation" :) 

 

Nathan and I decided to take double VCs, mainly as this is what we had but also for all the synergies we could take advantage of with the magic lore, like raising each other troops and healing out Heros/ Griblies with the lore attribute. We also went for less combos, a reasonable number of troops and enough magic to get us through. All up we only had four magic items...in 2400pts total. 

Nathan took a Necrach (IE Magic Heavy) list;

Lazareth - Master Necromancer, lvl 3, 4+ Ward and Dispel Scroll, Master of the Dead (Raise skellies abive starting sizes)

The Vampire with no Name - Vampire, lvl 1, Beguile (entrances enemies) Extra hand Weapon, Heavy Armour

Elvis - Wight King, Heavy Armour, Shield, Barded Skeleton Stead 

39 Sword and Board Skeletons - Horde with Vampire

19 Spear Skellies - Necro Bunker

9 Black Knights - fully armoured up and with Elvis

2 Bat Swarms 

While I took the list I have been play testing. 

Lord Darcy - Strigoi Ghoul King, Dreadknight (+2 Weapon Skill taking it to 8!, but has to challenge) 

Lady Elizabeth - Vampire, Dreadknight, Lvl 2, Heavy Armour, Enchanted Shield 

39 Spear Skellies - Elizabeth's Guard

27 Ghouls - Darcy's Manservants 

2 single Spirit Hosts

Black Coach

Plan was to soak damage on the two skellie hordes and coach and use the Ghouls and Black Knights as the hammers, plus the coach if it lives. Spirit Hosts tarpit while the bats support the knights by giving always strikes last to the enemy, so the knights strike first. Vampires give combat support to the hordes and a bit of magic, Master Necro buffs/ raises the hordes and slings the odd offensive spell. As long as our magic phase didn't let us down we should win wars of attrition...

Overall this worked. Mostly. Except for when things started to go to hell in the hand basket...

Coming soon - Part 2 - Warclouds first Day

Cheers for reading the wall of text :)

Cheers

Jason 

Warhamer: Vampire Counts Warclouds Army Done

Hey Folks,

Got this done at the last minute as usual! 

Will post a tourney report with photos and the list later, but for now here is the 1200pt army complete :)

Lord Darcy and Lady Elizabeth's Retinue

Shades of those who displeased their hosts with bad manners at the dinner table 

Lord Darcy and his Servants

The Bennett Family Conveyance. Yes, it can fly... :)

Cheers

Jason