Lights! Camera! Action!

Hi all

I am very proud to announce the launch of our very own Youtube Channel!

Now you'll be able to see what [SB5] get up to on our excursions into the online gaming world!
There's only a few videos at the moment but more will be added as the guy routinely get together to play, so feel free to subscribe!


you can find it here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv3MRVJS50qSnPolYHj6yaQ

That's all for now

NTFR

Coldsteel Dan  

Rapid Fire

Good evening all Trojan here.
Earlier this morning I introduced Tinglyed to the joys of Rapid fire. It was only a small scale engagement with the newly finished 23rd Hussars and the Germans still being a work in progress.

While Flames of War is a great set of rules for WW2 I find that it tends to be far too in depth for the 15mm scale. The quick reference guide is confusing and complex. Don't get me wrong, while its nice to have vehicle crews digging out bogged in tanks and different squads weapons having different effects, all the special rules and complex procedures takes away from why we enjoy playing wargames - the fun and tactics it takes to beat and opponent.

I gave Ed the quick reference sheet for Rapid Fire and within 5 minutes was happy enough to deploy his forces. He chose the Germans for this engagement, a fictional skirmish between the 10th(SS) Panzer Division and the British 11th Armoured Division around hill 112 during the opening days of Operation Epsom.


11th Armoured Division deploys

 

I decided to deploy the British with a squadron of Shermans on the right, one in the centre and one on the left. The infantry (8th rifles) deployed mainly on my right with a company and the HQ going to strike out and capture the church on the hill to dominate the centre.

A Squadron 23rd hussars waiting for H hour

 

One of the main reasons we like Rapid Fire is how simple it is but still has the feel of WW2 gaming. The core rules cover basic moving, shooting, morale and everything you would expect but the advanced rules let you add aircraft, beach landing, snipers, glider assaults and you can get as in depth as you want.



The "fog of war" is one of the great touches about this. Just because you can see the whole battlefield your troops, especially in a buttoned down AFV cant. The are automatic ranges for spotting enemy (6" for infantry and 12" for armour) but other than that you have to try to spot them. Once a unit has been discovered it can be seen by everyone, but at the early stages this gives a nice feel of units probing forwards, trying to test where the enemy actually are.


At this stage we were still blindly probing forwards. Us generals floating above the battle could clearly see where the enemy was, but our troops on the ground still has no idea where each other was.

The battle began in earnest with the Germans spotting my armour pushing up the right flank. The opening salvo saw one of my Cromwells burst into flames! Rapid fire uses a simple firing system. Guns range from class  1-5 and armour A-E. Using a simple chart you find out the score needed for a hit and any modifiers for moving, cover etc. If a hit is scored you then roll for damage causing either light, heavy or you destroy the tank. Damage caries over so two lights = heavy and 2 heavys = destroyed. Shermans having an armour class of C tend to get destroyed very easily from the German Class 2  guns!


The right started to get deadly, with only my Firefly being able to punch through the Germans armour.
 

Neither side managed to get the advantage, the German line held firm while I had to get in close for my Shermans small 75mm main guns to start taking effect. The British managed to hold the church deploying mortars and MMGs but took heavy casualties in doing so.



The Germans superior armaments started to take effect and although being outnumbered they started to get the upper hand.

The Germans pushed my left flank hard while I was forced to reinforce my floundering right flank.



My ARV tried valiantly to repair a damaged Sherman and get it back in the fight.

Finally the weight of German fire proved too much. An entire company of infantry had been wiped out holding the church and all but one of my tanks were on fire! B Squadrons remaining Firefly decided he had had enough and withdrew from the field. With the infantry at risk of being surrounded and with only a PIAT to hold off the German armour I decided to withdraw and regroup.

All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable game and all done and dusted in just over an hour. While being a simple rule set it still gave a good feel for the tactics and weapons of the day. My 75mm Shermans were all but useless unless point blank against a German tank, but my advantage in numbers made for a balanced and challenging game. Just a shame they decided to go up in flames every time a Panzer so much as looked at them!

NFTR

Trojan578

















How To Run A Supercampaign

Hi everyone!  A quick wargaming update from Tinglyed today.

Over on my Palladian Guard blog I've started a series of posts on supercampaigns.  These are basically immersive map campaigns where all the moves are carried out in real time.  GhostWarrior and I have played two such campaigns and once the system is watertight we'll be doing a much larger one for all the members of SB5.

Part I looks at all the planning that goes into a supercampaign.  Enjoy!

21st(SS) Panzer grenadier regiment

Firstly Let me introduce myself. I am Trojan578, brother to Coldsteel and member of SB5 Gaming. An avid computer and wargamer I love the research and fluff that comes with recreating historic battles. So with out further ado ladies and gentlemen meet 21st(SS) panzer grenadier regiment, part of 10th(SS) Panzer Division

21st(SS) Panzer Grenadier Regiment

Further to Coldsteel's earlier post about rapid fire, these are some of the German forces that will be fighting 11th armoured division around the British sector at Caen.

Panzer grenadier regiments usually comprised of an HQ element, 3 Companies and a support company with HMGs, mortars and artillery . However at this late stage of the war they usually were understrength.

 Command squad  with SS-Standartenführer, Dr Eduard Deisenhofer in command.

           .
    

Panzer grenadiers were transported into battle via the above SDKFZ 250s. There are a few other variants for the HQ and support companies.

10th SS Panzer division was raised alongside its sister division the 9th in early 1943 as a reserve for the long expected allied invasion of France.

First seeing action in the Ukraine in the summer of 1944 it was hastily sent to France during June 1944. Although it had only 1 battalion of tanks (usually SS Panzer divisions has 1 battalion of Panzer Vs and 1 of Panzer IVs. The 10th's 2nd battalion was strangely made up of 2 companies of Panzer IVs and 2 of Stug III assault guns) it was instrumental in halting Operation Epsom, the planned British breakout around Caen. Fighting with distinction throughout the Normandy campaign and being mauled by allied airstrikes, it eventually managed to escape through the falaise pocket with no tanks and only 2 regiments of infantry left.
Ordered to a sleepy Dutch town called Arnhem to rest and refit, it finally took delivery of its long awaited Panzer Vs just as British chutes started landing for Operation Market Garden. Managing to halt the advance of Market Garden it was in the reserve for the battle of the bulge, finally ending the war in eastern Germany.

Watch this space as the rest of 10th(SS) Panzer Division takes to the field.

NFTR

Trojan578