New Digs in El Paso

A new game store opened up in El Paso a few weeks ago and I finally got to drive down and visit.  Military Gamer Supply has a nice selection of mostly miniature games, and lots of tables.  Very nice store.  Jon started an escalation league there last week, and he wanted to get together to test a Mid War list for Nationals in Austin.  I ran a Panzerkompanie from North Africa at 1700 points.

This list is pretty fun to play, I Kampfgruppe the two Panzer IV Es out of the Panzer Platoon, giving me six platoons.  The Panzer II recon moves through terrain nicely, and Rettemeier in a Panzer IV G kills things dead.  The Panzer IV Es can also bombard in a pinch, and get direct fire Smoke rounds.  

Jon ran a nine platoon Schnellkompanie from Eastern Front with two Schnell Platoons, Pioniers, PaK40s, Marder IIs, Nebelwerfers, 2cm FlaK, a captured KV-1, and a micro Kampfgruppe of questionable legality.  We rolled for scenario and got Breakhrough.

Jon set up a nasty mess of AT pointed at the open approaches to the Objectives, and with a rail line and a river crossing the board would be slow.  I decided to run around the long way, around the woods and through Jon's undefended nebelwerfers.

Panzer IIs got there first and Assaulted them.

Knowing the KV-1 would be likely arriving soon, I positioned my Panzer IV Gs to watch my backside while the rest of my armor pushed through the woods.

I attempted to make a bridge crossing here and split his defenders, but one Pak40 took out two tanks and they ran away.

Jon is always aggressive with his Flak, even the towed variety.  He tried to send them to harass my own nebelwerfers, but my 2cm flakwagens met them in a flak-duel!

With my flank assault surrounded and destroyed in a wood, as Jon mined the only entrance that wasn't through trees, the Panzer IIIs didn't last long.  My main attack force positioned itself here and needed to destroy some platoons to try and force a Company Morale check.

With most of his AT assets destroyed and my Panzers within striking distance, Jon tried to assault into the woods.  My Panzers were able to force them back and MG fire broke two platoons.  I was able to outlast Jon, with him failing a Company Morale check.  

A hard-fought 4-3 win, I lost the Panzer IV E KG platoon and the Panzer III platoon.  Jon lost the Nebelwerfer battery, the 7.5cm PaK40 platoon, the 2cm FlaK platoon, a Schnell platoon, and his Kampfgruppe.  If anyone is ever in El Paso I highly recommend Military Gamer Supply!