Teaching the Game

My nephew, Jake, has recently come to live with us for a bit and asked me to show him how to play Flames of War.  He asked me lots of questions and  showed him the books I have and decided to try a Late War list.  Since all I own are German forces, he started looking through Grey Wolf and picked Schwere Panzer Bäke.  Not only did I have all of the models, but he thought a tank list with a small model count would be easier to learn to play.  We played a quick Free For All at 1650 points.  Jake had:
  HQ Panther with Bäke, a platoon of four Panthers, a platoon of two Tiger Is, a 15cm Nebelwerfer battery with trucks, and a Half-tracked Recon platoon of one 250/1 and two 250/9s.

I quickly threw a list together of Hermann Göring Panzergrenadiers using whatever models I had and in about five minutes (it was like 11:30 at night and we'd better get started!).  I had:
  HQ with one Panzerknacker and three Panzershreck teams, two platoons of HG Panzergrenadiers with a Panzerfaust, a platoon of four HG StuG IIIs, a platoon of one Elefant, a platoon of two HG 8 Rads, a battery of 21cm Nebelwerfers, a platoon of two HG 2cm AA guns with portee trucks, and Limited Fw 190 air support.  Not a list I would ever run at a tournament, but it was late.

The board!  Loving the Crescent Root town base, think I may need to invest into some of his other items.  I also need to upgrade my hills from the old GeoHex stuff.  Probably need to build some more trees too and flock the templates.

I rolled to go first and decided to make a daring charge for the lightly defended Objective.  Bäke was defending it with only a Nebelwerfer battery to assist.

I also push the Panzergrens with the attached shrek teams across the river to assist the StuGs, leaving the Objective guarded by the 2iC and Elefant.

The big tank destroyer rumbled forwards to engage the Panthers who had used their Bäke recon move to try and get into the town.  The Elefant hit the closest Panther, but only Bailed it.

The rest of my forces Dug In and held on.

Bäke bags a StuG through the concealment.  Jake's nebelwerfers also hit the infantry in the open, killing two stands.

On my Turn Two the StuGs continue their push against Bäke while the Panzergrens unpin and keep moving.  The Fw 190s arrive, but miss.  Jake's scond turn is pretty uneventful.

My Turn Three: The StuGs make a near-suicidal charge at Bäke (roleplayed by a Bergepanther this game), missing.

The Panzergrens continue to push forward.

The big guy bags the Bailed Panther!  My Fw 190s come back but again miss.

Jake's Turn Three: The Tigers weave their way between the dropping bombs of my air support and make their way to my second Panzergrenadier platoon, but don't get any kills.

His Panthers and Recon move through the town and fire on my 8 Rads, who Disengage.

Bäke kills two StuGs and then Stormtroopers back around the shed.  The final StuG makes his Morale check.

My Turn Four: My heavy nebelwerfers get lucky and Range In on the rear Panther, hitting and killing two of Jake's recon halftracks.

The big kill.  The last StuG gets around behind Bäke and kills him.

The Elephant tries to get sneaky vs. the Panthers, but misses.

The StuG assaults the nebs, killing two.  Panzergrenadiers Stormtrooper forwards.

Jake's Turn Four: His Nebelwerfer battery does not Unpin, so this is his last chance to get a point.  His Tigers and Panthers Assault into the Panzergrenadiers and Nebelwerfers, but the Tigers are killed by the Faust and the 1iCs Knacker.  The Panthers kill two rocket launchers before being forced back.  

Not a bad tune-up before Nationals next month and Jake played a very smart game, especially for his first time out.  We discussed a few things afte the game and we both agreed that the big mistake was the ST behind the shed.  Bäke's only chance not to get hit in the flank was to back up into the nebs.  That would have bought him a turn or two and might have been enough.  His Tigers were in posistion to do some damage against a pretty lightly defended Objective supported by three Panthers and Recon for Gone to Ground lifting.