Sitrep (BA): training day

Nisei forming up for training day

Ronald, one of the local bolt action(BA) players can recently made a rather nice model of a church and donated it to the club. It was crying out to be used in a game so David and I decide throw together some 750 point lists for a small game to try it out. Naturally I forgot to take any photos of the whole church through the game (d'oh)

To make it simple the mission was to capture the church. The player with the most points in the church would be the winner. Both sides started with their force half on and half of the table.  David was fielding his US airborne and for a change I opted to bring out the Nisei (Japanese Americans) so the game became a training day with US Vs US try to take the church.

Airborne forming up

Initial deployment saw the Nisei put filler units (medic, LMG team, FAO and 1st squad) on the table with the LT, 2nd and 3rd squads backup by a Stuart in reserve.  The plan being for the reserve to arrive and sweep one flank before closing on the church. In response the paras deployed their main force (1st and 2nd squads backed up with a light mortar, bazooka team and a LMG team).  With the rest (LT, 3rd squad, medic and LMG team) in reserve. The plan seemed to be get to the church and hold it at all costs.

Airborne line up an assault on the church (mock battle for sant marie eglise?)

The opening moves were a bit predictable. For the Nisei, the FAO went for the high ground to get ready to call in some airstrikes while the rest of the force sprinted towards the church.  The Paras had the same idea and the LMG went for the high ground while the rest advance on the church.

Airborne secure the church

Things got more interesting when the reserves began to filter forward. The Nisei’s Stuart rolled on and started to put fire on the Paras in the church. In response the Paras bazooka fired but failed to hit the tank ( this was to be a recurring theme for the game).  The remaining Nisei put fire on the church trying to pin down rather than killed the defenders. The para deployed more units on to the table but the church limited their ability to engage the nisei. Strangely the para 3rd squad took a dislike to the FAO and went after him rather than the objective. In fairness airstrike in BA can be nasty and FAO tend to be high value targets.

But Nisei put them under fire 

The FAO seemed to take offence by this and called in a airstrike which obliging showed up and strafed the squad reducing it to just two men. They passed their morale but then FUBAR'd their orders and fled from the table.  Else where the airborne bazooka kept missing the Stuart while the tank and supporting infantry poured fire into the church.  The church defenders returned fire but the number of shots coming their way reduced their firepower.

Go for broke,, as the Nisei storm the airborne LMG team

To maintain the pressure the Nisei 3rd squad broke cover and tried to silence the Bazooka team before it hit the Stuart (it could not miss every shot could it ?). Their shots went wide leaving them in the open facing an LMG (just as well LMG in BA are rubbish).

Hand of doom descends as the airborne in the church are enveloped

Before the LMG could open fire the squad overran their position silencing the gun before it could fire a shot.  With both flanks relatively secure the remaining Nisei converged on the Church. The Paras Lt and medic joined the defenders but there was a lot of fire coming their way and the paras were dropping fast even with the medic in attendance.

The game ended with the Nisei storming the church and capturing the defending paras

Nisei assault the church and clear out the airborne.

Overall not a bad game. I really like the dice pull mechanics in BA for a squad level activation. Players alternate between wanting the next dice to be theirs to wanting it to be their opponents so they can commit some units or make a tactical error. As a ww2 game it was a bit meh. Some of the weapons range are odd meaning teams could not engage even thought they were within 1-2 moves of getting into combat. Also the LMG ineffectiveness still bugs me, hence a Nisei squad ignoring one and walking out into the open to go after the bazooka team.

That said I would like another game and I am considering rounding out the nisei for a full platoon, It is on a very large painting queue.

That is all for now thanks for stopping by.