The final game if the campaign is, fittingly, on the final map, and pits the remaining soldiers from a company of 21st Panzer Grenadiers against a fresh platoon of 12 Para.
It's a credit to the designer that we've hit this last map as a decider. It's a tough campaign on the Paras, I've felt under pressure from the first map, and aside from the off shore barrage delaying the Germans for one turn, and some brave defence in the Corridor of Death and subsequent counter attack we've been pummelled by superior firepower.
So it all comes down to this. One game to win or lose the campaign. If the Germans can capture a JoP in my deployment area, they win and the way is open to the bridges. If I can break them before that happens, we win and the landing grounds are secured for the Anti Tank guns of <whoever>.
The one map I've won was achieved through a mix of good defensive layers (although we lost the first layer in the patrol phase), and a final spurge of a flamethrower causing mayhem in the german lines.
This one is going to be harder. The germans will have 21 points of support and I have to make do with 7. Although there are opportunites for a defence in depth, I've not really got the numbers to man it.
For the most part, we've been hit by mortars and pinned, requiring effort or resources to be diverted to taking out the observer, or taking hits and pins while I wait for the turn to end. Alternatives to taking out the FO has been getting up close and personal with Jerry, which as we know does not end well for the Paras.
The Schlepper has either been useless or a beast.
Grenadier squads are powerful but brittle. If isolated they can be worn down, directed fire can be used to target weak LMG teams.
Close combat has been brutal for both sides.
The high walls split the board into two areas - inside the chateau walls and outside them. I'll only have 2 JoP's to play with up the board as one must stay in my deployment area and be defended at all costs.
I had two possible plans -
1 - "Attack is the best form of Defence". Get two JoP's up high, and hit Jerry before he has a chance to react. No defensive supports, get another section for 4 points and a flamethrower and just pelt his forward sections, use smoke to blind the Schlepper or the PIAT for threat. Kill the german SL's before we lose too many men. Keep snipers in elevated positions for taking out observers and leaders.
PROs -
- prevents mortar barrage from affecting units.
- Risky, but can win the game outright.
- I don't think Sam will be expecting this move
- a Werfer barage will make this tricky as we'll deploy slowly, and once we commit to this line of attack there is very little in the way of wiggle room.
- Risky - lose a few units early on and it will be game over.
- Relies on a good Patrol Phase
- Close Combat depletes both attacking and defending units.
2 - "Deep Defence". one forward JoP for snipers and PIAT to deploy in the chateau area. A roadblock to prevent the schlepper getting in the courtyard, smoke and PIAT to discourage the closer gate. A deep JoP behind the target jop, to hold out until grens move up and then smash with 2 entrenched sections and a Vickers MMG (10 dice)
PROs -
- Will definitely drag out the defensive game - if Sam is tied up dealing with other units, time could come into effect.
- Nullifying firepower of the Grenadiers through concentrated fire.
- inviting long pressure
- Can be flanked down our right flank
- HE comes into play for winkling out paras in cover
- invites mortar barrage
- this will be as expected
- long drawn out game
After a fairly useful patrol phase, the German JoPs were forced back behind the building on the German edge, I had one out on the right flank holding up any possible attack there, one behind the Chateux and my target JoP back in the woods behind the house. Although I had the two plans for offence and defence, I ended up falling somewhere between the two, and it was ultimately such things, on which a campaign is lost or won...
High JoP's with entrenched defenders invite mortars, and this is precisely what happened.
My two dug-in sections took out a couple of Germans who popped through the walled gate and the Germans wisely pulled back, before the mortar barrage hit home and pinned both sections, my sniper and both Senior Leaders, effectively taking out 50% of my firepower and all of my command ability. Without being able to stop the barrage by ending the turn, or taking out the Observer or the officer I was stuck.
The Germans then added insult to injury, and took the advantage of 3 double phases to advance their two sections down my left flank, without fear of the pinned sections shooting them.
I brought my final two sections out of the final JoP to attempt to hold them up, but one was wiped out in a very short firefight and the other one fell to a combined final assault from the advancing Germans, who took the last JoP and ended the turn, the game and the Campaign.
Photos here all from Sam, as my phone died early on.
Sams lovely final table. It really helps the immersion playing on such a great battelfield!
The road into the Chateaux.
The battelfield from the Germans point of view. Plenty of cover, roads to bring vehicles in. This is going to be a tricky battle!
The germans deploy and move up outside the walls.
A British Para section dig in in front of the Chateaux If Jerry comes through the gates there will be trouble!
The Second section also dig in anchored on the Chateaux. This was a mistake, and not part of my plan at all really. I've now commited 2 3rds of my force to defending the Chateaux, when my actual JoP to protect is in the woods behind me. We are also vulnerable to the inevtiable mortar barrage.
Still, the dug in sections seem to draw some attention, and after a brief firefight with a German section we seem to be winning. A Junior leader is hit and the section are struggling with Shock. Unfortunately we take some shock as well, and a Senior leader is deployed to manage the section.
Of course, this irritates the germans who bring the Barrage in and stonk one of my sections. The problem now is that, the barrage can 'creep' across and pin both of my sections and my senior leaders.
The Schlepper moves up to cover the Germans right flank. I've only got a PIAT to deal with this.
However I don't need to worry too much about the Schlepper, as a double phase allows Sam to charge his german sections up the field towards my JoP (to the right of the picture in the woods).
The tide has turned, and I have to deploy my final reserve section in the open to try and defend. That's 3 german sections now approaching my JoP. the other British paras are still pinned by the Mortar Barrage.
The brave Para section go out fighting under the sheer weight of numbers. They were outnumbered over 2-1 in the final fight. Jerry took the JoP, cleared out the Chateaux and won the Campaign!
