2 vs. 1 Flames of War in El Paso

I made the hour drive down to Jon's house last weekend to get a game in.  This time Alex and I would team up to stop Jon's Soviets in Encounter.  Alex and I both made 1900 point companies, while Jon also had two 1900 point Soviet battalions.  We also each had an extra Higher Command team to represent a regimantal commander.  Jon had a pair of Rota Razvedki lists, one with cossacks, pioneers, T-34s and Spetznaz, the other with pioneers, T-34/85s, Emchas, and Spetznaz.  Alex had an SS Charlemagne company with 10 platoons, two SS platoons with attached HMGs, a Hitlerjugend Platoon, a platoon of Volkssturm, 15cm Nebelwerfers, 7.5cm PaK40s, Hetzers, Wirbelwinds, and Kleinpanzer Wanze.  I brought a company from Schwere Panzer Kampfgruppe Bäke.

We played on a longer table than standard, about 9' x 4'.  Each of our companies would need to keep half of our platoons in Reserve, Jon electing to deploy Pioneers, Cossacks, and Spetznaz from one battalion, and Pioneers, Rota, and Spetznaz from the other.  This would leave three Rota, T-34/76s,  T-34/85s, and Emchas in Reserve.  

Alex would deploy two SS platoons with attached HMGs, Volkssturm, Nebelwerfers, and PaK 40s, while I would deploy my Panthers and Sd Kfz 10/5s.  This would leave the Hitlerjugend, Wanze, Hetzers, Wirbelwinds, Tiger Is, and Sd Kfz 250/9s in Reserve.

Alex surveys our extra-large battlefield.

Jon started his My Little Cossacks and Spetznaz on his right, deployed in a wood bordered by a stream.  Jon found some plastic horses in a box and couldn't help himself!

My Panthers and HQ would deploy in support of Alex's Volkssturm and SS Grenadiers, opposite the ponies.

Jon infiltrated the Cossacks and I used Bäke to recon-move the Panthers.  They wouls move to oppose the brightly-colored Communists.

On the other side my 2cm FlaK deployed to support Alex's SS, PaK40s, and Nebelwerfers.  Jon deployed a Rota company, pioneers, and Spetznaz, infiltrating the Rota.  2cm FlaK would move to counter the attack and protect the PaKs.

Jon presses the Cossacks forward, and tries to get around the Panthers.  Many of the ponies are cut down by MG fire.

Fire from the PaKs and 2cm FlaK would hurt the Rota bad, causing them to break and run on Turn Three.

The Cossacks would fail their attempt to flank the Volkssturm, losing more half of their number to the Panthers.  The Panthers continue to press their counter-attack.  

An assault by the Panthers on Turn Three would see the Cossacks flee.  The Spetznaz are also reduced to one stand.  Panthers consolidate backwards to wait and see where Jon's armor would arrive.

Jon's T-34/76 (proxy Shermans) company would arrive on the far right and put fire into the PaK40s, destroying one.  However, on our Turn Four I would luckly get my Tiger I platoon from reserve.  Not only were they double-aces with re-roll misses and 2+ motivation, but they arrived exactly where they were needed to counter the Soviet armor.  They would roll onto the board, onto the wooded hill, and knock-out one T-34, while Bailing one.  Other Bails were from the PaK40s.

The remaining Cossacks would fall-back to defend the Objective.  My Bergepanther would chase them down.  The remaining Spetznaz team fails it's Sole Survivor check.

The Panthers would make their push to the now very open Objective.  Alex's SS would assault a Soviet Pioneer company just off-camera to the right, and the panthers would assault the three teams from the Pioneers that were on this hill, destroying them all.

On Turn Five Jon would get his other armor on the board, all in the same location.  The Emcha company would arrive directly in front of the Tiger Is, losing five tanks to the accurate fire of 8.8cm guns.  On Turn Six he pushes their flank, but only gets one hit, which is bounced.  The T-34/76s and Spetznaz would continue concentrating on the PaK40s.

Jon would assault the Paks with his Spetznaz, knocking the platoon down to a single gun.  His T-34s go in for the assault as well, but fire from the gun and several SS Grenadiers would halt it, Bailing four tanks.

On Turn Seven Jon would get a Rota company from reserve on the left side.  They would save the Cossacks from the aggressive Bergepanther.  

Alex's SS Grenadiers would easily assault the Bailed Out T-34s, destroying five.

Jon attampted to sneak a company of Pioneers up the middle through woods, but the arrival of my 250/9s and fire from the 2cm FlaK would keep them at bay.  Alex's Wanze tried to get to the tank abttle, but couldn't get there before the game ended.

On our Turn Eight the Panthers would assault the Soviet Battalion 2iC in this building, destroying him and capturing the Objective.  The two remaining Cossack stands were too far away to contest.  

Jon did get his revenge on the Bergepanther, a flamethrower would end his wild ride.

This was a really fun game, Panthers and Tiger Is can still be nasty when the Su-100s stay home.  The Panthers were able to blunt the Cossacks' attempt to flank the Volkssturm, break through a thin line of Pioneers, and claim an Objective by smashing through a house.  Bäke would only miss one or two shots all game, those on the 2iC in the house.  They would also knock out a pair of T-34/85s that arrived late from Reserve.  The Tiger I platoon would destroy an Emcha company and five T-34/76s while holding the right flank.  Alex's SS Grendiers were constantly moving to either support his Volkssturm or assault Soviet Pioneers that were trying to sneak up the middle and divide our forces.  His PaK40s were also instrumental in holding the right flank against twenty tanks plus infantry.  

The Germans would take a 4-3 victory, losing the 2cm FlaK to long-range T-34/85 fire on Turn Seven, and the PaK40s in Jon's final turn to the Spetznaz.  Jon's poor luck with the location of his reserves really was the difference in the game.  If one unit had rolled a 4 or 5 for location, they could have defended the Objective I captured.  Thanks again to Jon for hosting us!