Battlegroup Overlord...with a real, human opponent.

I mean, this is amazing. I barely ever get to play with a human. I was heading that way, had rearranged my timetable and schedule to free up time to attend a local group...then lockdown. It was a shame. I hope to join at some point soon though. However, with my brother visiting, it gave us a chance to sit across a table from each other and fight it out. He is a recent convert to Battlegroup and describes them as everything he has looked for with a set of WW2 rules. I am inclined to agree. I don't like mass battles. I also struggle with a squad of infantry vs another squad...or at least with the rules I have. But Battlegroup, they give a great simulation of platoon level (and higher) combined arms actions. I genuinely love them and how they reward actual planning. I even enjoy building army lists, which is something I tend not to enjoy. List building is a  game within a game. Also, my brother is Alexander from The Player's Aid for those of you who may dabble in wargames that come all in one box.

We played two games of Battlegroup across the weekend. 

Game 1: About 330 points per side. I re-used two armies from my third game of Battlegroup. US were defending against a German assault. 

1 infantry platoon with an HQ squad, 3 rifle squads and 3 BAR teams
2 MMG teams
1 81mm mortar
1 57mm AT cannon + loader team
1 M8 Greyhound
3 M4 Shermans,

German Forces are as such:
1 Panzergrenadier platoon - 1HQ squad, 3 grenadier squads, 3 MG34 teams.
2 MG42 on tripod teams
3 Panzer IVs, one of which is an ace (making it elite)
1 StuG III

The US were holding a line. The objectives were the two woods in the centre of the table and the building on the southern side of the T-junction. They began with a 57mm gun overlooking the approaches to the village, a BAR squad and MMG team in the southern woods, with the same in the northern woods. They also held the centre building with a rifle squad with a BAR team in the field, along with the HQ.

The Germans advance with an MG42 team, rifle squad and I think the HQ. I can't remember. It has been a few days, and when playing with another person I found my note taking was not as thorough. I also didn't take as many photos.

After the initial German advance, the MMG team in the southern woods opened fire on the HMG, killing two of the crew, causing the final member to break and run.

This was a surprising first kill. A welcome one for the US though as it forced a chit pull right away. Alexander claims to have famously bad luck with his dice rolls, so maybe it is my game to win. We played some things wrong this game: for instance he didn't have to pull a chit even though I was holding objectives. Also I had a scouting unit and he didn't, meaning he should have also pulled a chit. 

The Germans advanced in an attempt to secure some cover and a good firing positions. The US northern flank advanced out of the woods to flank the Germans. A few firefights later and these units ended up pinned. 

I am guessing this was turn three, as if they are pinned, and his other unit is KIA then he has no more units to order and loses. But the game carried on, so I reckon there are reinforcements.

The cavalry have arrived! An advancing Panzer IV opened fire on the US flank, killing a GI. 

We did NOT arrange beforehand how many of the Panzer IV's ammo would be HE and AP. Not sure if you must do this, but we did do that for the next game.

The US infantry holding the house shattered the central German squad, causing them to retreat. Another chit pulled.

Another advancing Panzer IV. Caught out, it got brewed up by the 57mm cannon watching the road.

US Shermans arrived to help back up the infantry, but one got caught in the open on the road by the advancing Panzer IVs. It took a hit and was destroyed!

With the allies losing a tank, it was looking shaky, but luckily their commander focused on clearing out the advancing infantry, and managed to do enough, in order to bring the Germans past their breaking point. The attack was called off. A fairly straight forward US victory.

Game 2: the better game. I took more photos. We also decided beforehand to have a scenario of US attacking Germans who are in a defensive line. We also build our own armies in secret. It was incredibly fun trying to guess and second guess what Alexander might have chosen for his German defenders, analyzing our previous conversations about what goes well in a German defensive line.

In the end I decided to go crazy and try something entirely new. I went with a US Armoured infantry platoon, transported in M3s. 

US Armoured platoon: 2 squads of 10 men with a bazooka and BAR each. The command squad is identical. Then 2 MMG teams and a light mortar team. Transported in M3s. 

1x platoon of 3 M10 tank destroyers.

1x scouting M5 Stuart tank.

1x 105mm timed barrage by a battery of 4x105mm guns. I selected the centre of the crossroads at the beginning of turn 3.

Germans: A standard German platoon

2x MG42 teams (or just one)

1x light mortar

1x sniper and spotter (scout unit)

2x Panzer IVs

1x PaK 40

1x booby trap, in the building on the south-western corner of the crossroad, which is also an objective.

The US opened the attack by bussing on an infantry squad, right into the woods to face the PaK 40. The infantry unloaded and opened fire on the gun team, killing one of them, causing the rest to break and run. 

A great first kill. When Alexander failed the morale test and I read the result, it was hilarious. Deployed gun? Abandoned. Oh dear. Also, because we had equal numbers of scout units, no-one had to pull a chit. I did, however pull two chits before the game because the Germans were occupying two of them. The other was booby trapped.

Stupidly, the US commander ordered the M10 to advance and attempt to engage a Panzer IV. It was a failed attempt, and was punished swiftly and mercilessly! Both Panzer IVs advanced, and while a shot bounced off, a second shot penetrated, cooking off ammo.

An MG42 team occupying the south-eastern building opened fire on the command squad on the hill, causing 50% casualties! Luckily the squad held its resolve and kept going.

In response the M3 advanced to the edge of the woods and sprayed fire down on the occupied building, killing some and causing the rest of the gun crew to retreat!

But then disaster struck with an engine malfunction on the M5 Stuart, causing an engine fire! The vehicle had to be abandoned!

The chit pulled for the loss of the MG42 team was a Break Down chit. Neither of us had ever seen this before. I had to roll. With great anticipation I rolled, scoring a 6! I was super excited...until Alexander read out the disastrous result. Oh well.

Catching the M3 unaware, one of the Panzer IVs penetrated the shoddy armour with a round, destroying it completely.

We are standing at the end of turn 2! So much has happened. The US only has a half strength command squad on the table. Luckily Alexander was unable to get a suppressing shot onto them to end my attack there and then. And with Turn 3 beginning, I would be able to bring on reinforcements.

A screaming overhead announced incoming 105 rounds. Exploding around the crossroad, the sniper team dove for cover within their building, a Panzer IV was completely obliterated, while the other Panzer IV was left unscathed. Some luck for the US commander.

There were two pinning hits against the surviving Panzer IV but it passed the checks.

US infantry advancing up the northern flank took casualties from the sniper who put a round through the bazooka carrier. But an exchange of fire ended up killing the sniper team who was caught in a crossfire between a few units.

US reinforcements advanced up the southern flank, attempting to take on the Panzer IV who had retreated to the wooded hill (one of the objectives). The rocket bounced off the frontal armour, but caused the crew to check themselves. The tank became pinned.

Another attempt was made to knock out the Panzer IV, and this time was successful! I can't remember it if was the M10s who did the knocking out, or the bazooka team. With the flank open, an M3 charged up the hill to secure the objective, forcing a chit pull and ending the engagement. The German survivors would begin pulling back to another defensive line.

This final move felt a bit gamey. But overall, I love, love, love this game. It was a good laugh, and having surprise armies was really cool. I look forward to getting to do that again. Still loving 6mm at this sort of game level (platoon plus some armour).

This is the first time I ever used all of my smoke markers. It was touch and go for the US at the beginning and we were only 8BR away from breaking. The table was nice. We basically put all my terrain out and then took a couple of bits away to de-clutter the table. 

I took fewer photos because if felt rude and would have slowed the game. It was a school night and I didn't want to be up too late.

Bring on the next games.