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[Trotsky]

The following AAR was undertaken to playtest a set of revised infantry FP stats for the upcoming MP rules revision. The action took place on a small 2ft.x2ft. An infantry company of Germans fought an infantry company of Soviets over a small isolated building. We decided on an 8 turn limit with the control of the building the determining victory condition.Iven took the Germans and I had the Soviets.Because this was a playtest of infantry FP stats no other units were employed. The game also used the revised morale and command rules. Because we wanted a quick game units were deployed alternatively within 6” of the nationalities baseline.

[Trotsky]

Iven wanted to see if the superior German LMG’s would still have an advantage over the Soviet squads.

[Trotsky]

The Soviet’s set up with a platoon on each flank and a platoon in reserve with the company commander.

[Trotsky]

The Germans wishing to use their superior firepower overwatched the objective building. One other platoon set up opposite the Soviet left flank and the third deployed in an infiltration position around the base of a hill near the objective building.

[Trotsky]

On turn one the Soviets quickly redeployed their reserve platoon to the right of the board opposite the objective building trying to gain local superiority.

[Trotsky]

The German opening moves. With the platoon in the woods on the hill taking up overwatch, this platoon took full advantage of the cover from the hill and the intervening woods to rush forward towards the objective.

[Trotsky]

A Soviet platoon attempted to move around the base of the far hill to interdict any moving Germans. Despite telling Iven there were no way the guys on the hill can see them he stubbornly decided to check anyway! Of course Iven was right and the Soviets were caught in the open. A casualty and a couple of suppressions followed.

[Trotsky]

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[Trotsky]

The Germans moving towards the objective moved into a parallel wood – this was to prove a tough spot to which to dislodge them from.

[Trotsky]

The Soviets that were earlier caught in the open were engage by a further German platoon – morale checks, casualties and suppressions followed.

[Trotsky]

One of the German squads moved into the objective building after the Soviet overwatch was expended trying to support the platoon caught in the open.

[Trotsky]

Most of the German fire support was being provided by the platoon on the woods and hill in the middle of the battlefield. A few lucky shots from the Soviets caused this unit to temporarily break and retreat from their position.

[Trotsky]

Making the most of the lull in the German fire a Soviet platoon rushed forward to engage the Germans around the victory location. This was not without a price however as reactionary fire causes a casualty and suppression on the Soviets.

[Trotsky]

On the other side of the battlefield the Soviet platoon caught earlier in the open was still stuck – the only option seemed to be voluntary break to at least get them to safety. However the Soviet assault on the objective building gained the Germans attention and the Germans who had been keeping them suppressed and causing increasing casualties moved to engage the new threat leaving only a single squad to deal with them – maybe, just maybe they could hang on in there, shake off the suppressions, morale checks, and at last advance!

[Trotsky]

A second platoon rushes towards the objective building, but the broken Germans recover and re-man their positions just as the Soviets are in the open.

[Trotsky]

The advancing Soviets are caught in crossfire as the far German platoon opens fire on them – this has a disastrous effect on their morale.

[Trotsky]

Casualties, suppressions, pins, morale checks! The Soviets could not catch their breath in order to respond to the determined German fire. The Germans in the woods began to split their fire - a playtest rule; at the short range their fire was devastating.

[Trotsky]

The assaulting Soviets were suffering demoralising casualties.

[Trotsky]

A Soviet platoon voluntarily broke before the next round of German fire could reduce it further – they fled into the brush. However further fire found them and caused another casualty, then with the negative morale modifier for a rear shot the platoon routed.

[Trotsky]

The far Soviet platoon finally shook off poor morale and suppressions to advance towards the Germans trying to buy the broken Soviets a little time. The result was predictable the Germans laid down a strong base of fire from which the Soviets never recovered.