It was a nice Sunday as we came down to play in the FOW tournament at Connexis, Fusionopolis hosted by my gaming store, Paradigm Infinitum (PI).
We had the unforeseen news of a sudden pullout of several players due to a last minute event.
But the show must go on and we realise it was pretty much a German affair(80% of the players brought German lists!).
I brought my Fallschirmjager list for this tournament.
Suprisingly, most players brought infantry lists since the 2 of 3 missions (Breakthrough & No Retreat) has detrimental effect to tank or mechanised list.
(both missions requires mobile units to be kept in reserves)
My Fallschirmjager list (Cassino) consist of :
1 Command Team ( 2xPanzerschrecks & 2x81mm Mortar)
1 FJ Platoon ( with panzerknacker)
1 FJ Platoon ( with panzerknacker)
1 FJ Pioneer
1 FJ Light Gun Platoon
1 FJ Mortar Platoon (2 Sections)
1 Gebirgsjager Platoon
1 Luftwaffe Heavy Anti-Aircraft Platoon
Cassino Fortifications
1 Panzer II turret
3 Pak Nests
1 HMG Nest
1 Flak Nest
3 Trenchlines
I have a solid block of infantry that I can reply on with 1 FJD ability to withstand horrific casualties and still b e on the board. (2+ to Company and
Platoon Morale checks)
So onwards to the game!
1st Mission : Breakthrough (1 FJD vs Udarny Strelkovy) Panzer Daddy vs Tim
Tim is a veteran FOW player from USA who was thrilled to find out about our small FOW group in Singapore. On that fateful day, he fielded a huge Soviet infantry horde.
I roughly remembered his list as:
1 Command team
22 Stands of Infantry
15 Stands of Infantry
1 AA Platoon
1 Scout Platoon
1 AT Platoon (45mm guns)
1 IS2 Platoon ( 3 IS2s)
1 Artillery Platoon with Anti tank rifles
1 Limited Air Support
I became the defender since I fielded fortifications, Tim started to snipe off with his 45mm AT guns on my MG and Flak nests. His Air Support tried to suppressed my dug in infantry with little success. But he did manage to wipe off my Luftwaffe Heavy AA platoon by combined fire from his air and tanks.
My mortars kept smoking his artillery observer thus limiting his ability to bring artillery fire.
Unfortunately I did not have any AT that can pierce his IS2 tanks and I decided to pick off his AA guns and Scouts with little success.
One of my FJ platoon supported by panzerschrecks and my FJ light gun platoon tried to bottle up his force within his deployment zone. My FJ Light Platoon was shot off by his 45mm AT guns. (the 45mm AT guns will become my bane for this game!)
But they shrugged most shots from Tim's tanks and AA guns for the whole game!
My infantry was moving helter skelter to secure the objectives.
One of my mistakes for this mission was sending a smaller Gebirgsjager platoon to secure one of the further objectives.
When turn 3 came, a whole horde of infantry (22 stands) came on board (Tim claimed it was uncharacteristic of his dice to rolling successfully for reserves to come onboard in a timely fashion). I managed to pin this platoon and Tim had the Company Commissar shot by the Battalion Commissar for failing to unpin the company!
The rest is history as his uncharacteristic dice rolls continued to bring in his second infantry company (15 stands) in turn 4. I was too far to contest the beleaguered objectives and my gebirgsjager platoon was wiped out.
1-6 Loss to Tim's Russian.
Units of Note:
a. Tim's 45mm AT Gun platoon who racked up a good amount of targets destroyed by them.
b. Tim's Infantry steamrollered me in good proper Russian style!
c. My mortar sections who managed to limit Tim's artillery for most of the game by smoking his observer.
2nd Mission : No Retreat (1 FJD vs Viking Waffen SS) Panzer Daddy vs Asmadi (Baron Von Eddie)
My elder bro, Asmadi was the culprit who sucked me in the world of wargaming. And FOW was his idea as well. : )
He fielded fortifications as well (Flak Nests) and we had to roll off to see who's the attacker...guess what? My Fallschirmjager is now tasked to attack an objective.
Asmadi had these units in his Viking list.
1 Command team
2 Panzergrenadier Platoons
1 Panther Platoon (3 tanks)
1 Scout Platoon
1 150mm Battery
1 Quad 20mm armored cab Platoon (2 AA vehicles)
It was a succession of costly mistakes (forgetting to smoke his unit, pinning his infantry and using flamethrowers during shooting phase...).
He managed to whittle down my infantry as they tried to contest the objective.
Best Moment of Note
My 88mm Flak shot off at the Panther platoon in . I didn't expect it would cause any damage (he needs 3+ die to make his armor save) but lo and behold he rolled double ones! There goes two of his Panthers!
But the commander managed to calm his fears and fought on.
Worst Moment of Note
Forgetting to pin down his platoon before assaulting and using my flamethrowers during shooting phase...
1-6 Loss to Asmadi's Viking Waffen SS
3rd Mission : Free For All (1 FJD vs Vanilla Grenadier List) Panzer Daddy vs Abdullah
Abdullah is one of very first wargaming buddy who immersed me in Warhammer 40K world.
He decided to field a vanilla Grenadier list from Fortress Europe but with nasty list of 3 Tigers and 4 Stugs!
He told me later that he was expecting a tank heavy list but now he's facing my FJ list of infantry and realised he had little anti-infantry weapons.
His army consist of:
1 Command Team
3 Grenadier Platoons
1 Heavy Tank Platoon (3 Tigers)
1 Assault Gun Platoon (4 Stugs)
1 Pak40 Platoon (3 guns)
1 Limited Air Support
After my 2nd mission, I had promised myself that I will use my pioneer's flamethrowers in this game (yes...still unfamiliar in using pioneers).
Abdullah opted for a weighted assault via my left flank with 2 Grenadier platoons and his Tigers. I decided to challenge this assault with my FJ platoon with combat attached Panzerschrecks and my Pioneers.
On my right flank, I decided to station my Gebirgsjager platoon to act as security at Abdullah's 2nd
objective. They are reinforced with my 88mm Flaks and Pak nests.My remaining Fallschirmjager platoon decided to advance towards my objective on my right flank where he had just the Pak40 platoon guarding it.
Abdullah brought in his Air support into a hail of AA fire as my flak nest and 88mm went to work. Interestingly my 88mm flak went to rack up 3 aircraft kills during this game.
His Tigers decided to assault my Fallschirmjager platoon on my left flank. (I had attached panzerschrecks to the platoon earlier.) Once the smoke clears, two Tigers are smouldering and 5 stands lesser from my Fallschirmjager platoon, Abdullah's Tiger commander had had enough and reversed off from the battlefield.
Abdullah's Stugs continues to move his objective on my right flank and my Gebirgsjagers decides to keep contesting the objective. My left flank troops (1 Fallschirmjager Platoon and 1 Pioneer Platoon) drove off his remaining infantry on that flank and the road to that objective is open to me.
By that event, Abdullah decides to throw in the towel.
Heroic Moment of Note
My Fallschirmjager Command team armed with his Panzerknacker managed to hit the Tigers every assault round.
The Command team destroyed 1 Tiger.
Dashed Moment of Note
Abdullah sending off his tigers to assault my Fallschirmjager platoon without infantry support. He could have broken my defensive lines if he had done so.
6-1 Win over Abdullah's Grenadier List
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