The Set-Up
The Force Morale dice favoured me with a starting value of 10 while John was unlucky to only start on 9.
I felt the patrol phase went badly for me, with John (German) getting a jump of three moves before the phase started. That, the large amount of cover, and the fact that defender jump-off points (JOPs) have to be at least 12" in from their base edge saw all three of mine constrained to being in and around the buildings; two of them looking quite exposed in the farmyard.
The German JOPs were well advanced and more handily placed, two either side of the road leading to / through the buildings and a third over on the German's righthand edge of the table - see composite image from the German viewpoint below.
This meant John's panzergrenadiers were going to start pretty close my JOPs and have a good head start on their right to get a team to my base edge. This game would've been over pretty quick under the old rules, where exiting a team off the defender's base edge was all that was required to win a Probe scenario. The new victory conditions for this scenario require the attackers to capture a JOP in addition to exiting a team off the enemy's table edge; there's also a turn limit to put the attacker under time pressure.
At this point I forgot (D'oh!) to place my barbed-wire entanglement (1pt.); my other support options being a Vickers MMG (3pt.s) and an additional 2" mortar team (2pts.s) for a total of 6 support points. Unlike my last game, this time I treble checked my sums and so didn't end up deploying more than the allowed level of support.
John's chosen support options were: a tripod mounted MG42 (3pt.s); a mortar bombardment (4pt.s); a sniper (2pt.s); and, a Red Command Die (2pt.s), for a total of 13 support points.
The Game
John as the attacker took the first phase and immediately decided on a left-flanking and right-flanking approach to prevent me concentrating against a single line of attack. To this end he brought on two sections: one from his far right JOP heading towards my unprotected left, and the other, plus a senior leader, from the orchard JOP moving towards the Compressor Building. These can be seen, viewed from the British perspective, in the top left corner and middle right of the image below.
My Command Dice didn't allow me to bring on a section in response, although at this stage I wasn't sure I was ready to commit one. I was able to deploy my lieutenant (senior leader) in the upper floor of the Derelict House with a 2" mortar team behind it. The lieutenant immediately directed it to fire HE against the German section on their right flank but to no effect. The Germans continued their advance on both flanks and this time I responded by deploying a section in the Compressor Building (but not yet in a position to fire out). Also, I deployed my PIAT team in the ground floor of the Derelict Farmhouse (why I did this I can't think[1]), and a second 2" mortar behind the farmhouse.
The deploying 2" mortar immediately lobbed HE at the left flanking German section inflicting a point of shock (the photo also shows the appearance in the next German phase of the FO controlling their off-table mortar battery.
This was all looking rather threatening, but with a section in Compressor Building and my 'massed' 2" mortars I was feeling a little more secure.
That nice warm feeling was quickly shattered as the German FO (see previous photo) called in a mortar bombardment targeted against the Derelict Farm (the red Pin Marker being used to denote the aimpoint). Even worse the bombardment came in on target and immediately fired for effect. Luckily not a 'Devastating Bombardment' but bad enough, especially for my exposed mortar teams (4 dead and two shock), one being wiped out (British Force Morale dropped to 9).
Even the section in the Compressor Building (one dead and two shock) ...
... and the PIAT team in the Derelict Farmhouse[2] (one dead) were not safe!
Now I was starting to panic! The only good news was that the Germans approaching the Compressor Building were caught 'Danger Close' and so needed to stop for the duration of the bombardment.
In my next phase, my senior leader rallied the shock off the surviving mortar crew and the section in the Compressor Building advanced up to the end of the building to be able to fire at the German left-flanking section[3]. As they couldn't all fit in the extension at the end they still suffered from the next bombardment phase (one dead and one shock); elsewhere the bombardment only managed to kill one 2" mortar crewman.
Next in line to fire at the section in the Compressor House was the panzergrenadier section facing it[4].
This was all at close range, even for the Obergefreiter's MP40, but, thanks to the hard cover, it only inflicted five shock, which left them teetering on the brink of being pinned (8 figures with 8 shock).
At the same time the German left-flanking section continued to advance ...
... and a third section, followed by the second senior leader, deployed in the woods heading towards the farmyard.
If I was panicking before, I was bricking it now, which probably explains my forgetting to take photos for the next couple phases.
In my phase the section in the Compressor Building fired back at the panzergrenadiers outside and, despite the large amount of shock, did inflict some damage as the Germans were in the open. Realising this was not going to be enough I deployed my Vickers MMG team by the Compressor Building on the side away from the road (the photo is one taken from a later phase but is just as appropriate here).
The next German phase was the final phase of their mortar bombardment which, apart from pinning the British section in the Compressor Building with a couple of shock, was curiously ineffective - a sign of things to come? However, the left-flanking panzergrenadier section inflicted a hatful of shock on them and they broke (British Force Morale dropped to 8), a lucky low die roll seeing them stop just short of leaving the table.
Also in this phase, the central German section in the woods advanced to the wall surrounding the farmyard, perilously close to my two JOPs (actually only one team made it to the wall the other being a few inches short.
My next phase was a double phase; this was heaven sent! With no '1's on the other Command Dice, I was unable to fire the Vickers MMG against the now depleted left-flanking panzergrenadiers. But, more importantly, I needed to do something about the section threatening my JOPs in the farmyard and I still had a section in reserve. But where could they usefully deploy? Could I line the wall the Germans had just come up to? Deploying so close to enemy troops did not seem something likely to be allowed in the rules, or so I thought, but we both searched long and hard and could find nothing prohibiting it![5]
So, that's what I did, deploying my last section, and my platoon sergeant (senior leader) to man the wall for some point-blank firing on the enemy[6].
John immediately used his available CoC die to interrupt and fire first - I was hoping he'd forget, but he didn't. The shooting was at close range with one team at the wall firing at me in the open, and the other being further back having to afford me hard cover. The resulting 16 fire dice was catastrophically bad, only resulting one shock on each team and one dead Bren gunner!
In reply my sergeant ordered up a couple of grenades (both hit) before unleashing 13 fire dice at close range against a target in the open - it was pretty ugly with their junior leader going down stunned dropping German Force Morale to 6.
The next phase gave me a CoC die to end the turn[7]. The section at the wall now finished the job, wiping out both teams (German Force Morale drops to 4 losing one Command Die and their Red Command Die!), and at this point I picked up the camera again.
The junior leader survived as he was stunned in the first phase's fire so escaped being a casualty in the second and then recovered as it was the end of a turn. We have always played that leaders with no troops left under their command leave the table (removed). Once again, we searched the rules but could find nothing covering this situation so played it that way anyway.
HELP! If this is wrong, please correct us and point out where in the rules it says what does happen in this situation.
Also in this phase, I deployed another section in the Compressor Building vacated by my broken section, and the Vickers cut down even more of the Germans facing the Compressor Building but with a surprising lack of any shock.
Next was John's third attempt to deploy his 'hesitant' sniper, which again failed with no senior leader off-table to chivvy on the men.
In my phase I got my second CoC die which again had to be used to end the turn[8] and this time start the 'Final Countdown', which with John's Force Morale at only 4 it would only last four phases.
With John pulling his forces back to reorganise for a second attempt I, believing the final countdown to be just that, relaxed and focused on rallying off any shock.
John then, finally, deployed his sniper, missing my platoon sergeant but killing one of the riflemen in the farmyard ...
... and continued to advance his right-flanking section, shown here with some shock from my remaining 2" mortar that had replenished from a friendly JOP.
It was now, as the final countdown ended, that I found out it was anything but final, as the game continued! I really should've read this bit of the rules more thoroughly. So in my next phase, to provide more protection to my JOPs, I brought my section in the Compressor Building across the road to the farmyard. Unfortunately, the Bren team didn't make it all the way across the road.
In John's next phase the depleted panzergrenadier section that had fallen back from the Compressor Building were now in position to fire down the length of the road and promptly wiped out my Bren team caught short crossing the road. A lucky roll of '1' on the 'Bad Things Happen' table left my Force Morale unmoved and John's four Command Dice did not allow anything else of note in the phase.
My next phase saw me roll three '6's to end the game, a win for the plucky (or should that be lucky) Brits.
That all took longer than I had anticipated as we were doing a lot of rule checking, as in retrospect more had changed than I'd realised - I'm obviously not good at reading rules cold.
So, OLD vs New - what do I think!
I can't think of a single change that wasn't (IMO) a better representation of the action represented. The mortar barrages and limits to British 2" mortar ammunition are much better.
The contents list and index are much improved; the sequence is probably better laid out but being familiar with the old set did see us looking in the wrong place a few times.
Storm of Steel for the weapons we used worked well, although I hate the name and have concerns (untested) about it being used for any small arms.
The deployment of heavy support weapons coming with entrenchments seems much better as these would be unlikely to deploy out in the open.
The changes to the Force Morale tables, such that different units lose Command Dice at different levels didn't seem to offer much in our game, but maybe in other games, who knows? That said, my peg-boards tracking Force Morale, CoC and Command Dice, now need to be redesigned and re-made. The same goes for my platoon orbat trays as both the British and German standard infantry platoons have changed - still it's better than re-basing figures.
The use of CoC points as well as CoC dice is useful giving more ability to react in an emergency and varying the cost of these actions is an improvement.
Overall, on one play through, I think the changes are an improvement, but we've decided we need at least another game before diving into our next campaign.
What do you, if a CoC-player, think?
Notes:
[1.] The only utility I can imagine I saw in this was being able to use it to fire at any Germans taking cover behind the wall around the farmyard as the lieutenant was in the building and could direct them to do so.
[2.] As mentioned in previous AARs I don't put figures in my building (no removable roofs) but place them off-table on card floor-plans the same size as the buildings.
[3.] Being in what, we agreed, was a substantial building of two or more stories, the section in the Compressor Building was not pinned by the bombardment. Also, while the extension at the end nearest the Germans was only single-storey it was out of the bombardment zone and troops getting there could fire out and be fired at.
[4.] My barbed wire (1 support point) can be seen just peeping in the right-hand side of the photo. As I forgot to place it at the right time we put it somewhere out of the way - and this fleeting glimpse is its only contribution to the game.
[5.] I have since found the rule that allows you to deploy into close combat (section 9.1.2).
[6.] The wall, as a medium obstacle, allows the active player to choose whether or not to enter close combat if within 4".
[7.] In accordance with the Probe scenario rules, any CoC die gained by the defender must be used to end a turn. After the second turn is ended in this way the game starts to draw to a close placing the attackers under time pressure as the next end of turn will end the game.
[8.] My broken section didn't leave the table recovering to pinned status as I had rallied off some shock since they broke.
