I ran this game over two evening Zoom sessions last week. Here is the man himself waving around his Mauser.
The field of battle - seen from the East. The clear bit closest to the camera is er, clear. The piles of rocks are just that, the dark area strewn with packaging from a champagne bottle is impenetrable waist-high scrub. Everything else is lightly wooded, with visibility reduced to 12 inches. The table is approximately 72 by 39 inches.
Young Lt. Rommel was as ever played by Pete, with John A and Michael as his section leaders. Russell was the French Sgt, assisted by Simon, with Diego in charge of the MG detachment.
The French taking potshots at Rommel's lads.
An early casualty was Sgt Schultz - which gave me an opportunity to use one of my dead dude figures.
The second German section takes position in the rocks...
...they were all wearing Jager shakos for easy identification.
The initial French advance wasn't an unqualified success - as they impatiently waited for the MG to relocate and set up.
Speaking of French machine guns, I rather liked this photo. Some cracking facial hair in evidence.
The Germans skulked in the rocks and climbed atop the pile to snipe at the enemy - but not before another man fell.
The MG set up at last! It did some damage to the Boche on the rocks.
The German fire continued to discourage the French riflemen - and was taking it's toll on the machine gunners.
Rommel then gave the order to fix bayonets and men rushed to follow his lead. Sgt Russell is the Frenchman carrying the flag.
A trail of dead (the five-pointed red star markers) and wounded French marked the German advance. Even the MG crew perished on the end of bendy plastic bayonets. So another victory for young Rommel. Even though he wasn't able to get his chaps off to the west, the 'dead differential' was very much in his favour. I wonder how his career will develop.
The French taking potshots at Rommel's lads.
An early casualty was Sgt Schultz - which gave me an opportunity to use one of my dead dude figures.
'packaging from a champagne bottle' - class. Having said that, I use packing from wine and saki as mountains...
ReplyDeleteA great game Tim- thanbks for putting it on. I am just wondering if Rommel will make it to the end of the scenario book....
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Pete.
An excellent battle Tim, Rommel really seemed to be the deciding factor! Whoever had the Mustache Wax concession in the French army must have become a very wealthy man!
ReplyDeleteRob Young
ReplyDeleteThat just goes to show I can run to a better class of battlefield!
Pete
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that with your sage guidance his inspired leadership will still be in use in the next war!
Brad DeSantis
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the relative profit margins were on moustache wax as against shells and bullets?
I assume the use of champagne packaging was to lend an air of authenticity to the modeled French countryside.
ReplyDeleteIs there any kind of "plot immunity" for Rommel in the scenario books or some beneficial Fistful of Lead abilities to help see him through the conflict so he can write his Infantry Attacks>
John Y
ReplyDeleteYou know me - always classy! Rommel takes his chances like everyone else - the only concession is his ability to ignore the first 'wound' result. Maybe he's just been lucky, but I suspect Pete (who has played Rommel in every game thus far) would tell you it's all down to his skill...