Bolt Action - Streets of Stalingrad!

 Orion had a free afternoon, so I set up a quick scenario in the Streets of Stalingrad (or, really, it could be any ruined city on the eastern front... Orion pointed out it would work well for the siege of Budapest when she gets enough of her Hungarians done!) 

That matt is newer, but those that have been following some time will recognize these ruins from many a battle from.. Stalingrad to post apocalypse to Frostrgrave. 

I provided both forces and, because we were using a smaller matt, built them around 500 points. 

The Germans, which Orion took, included:

Platoon Commander (Regular) + 2 men + 2x SMG + pistol = 57

First Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 9 men with LMG and SMG = 119 points

Second Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 9 men with LMG and SMG = 119 points

Third Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 9 men with LMG and SMG = 119 points

Medic (Regular) = 23 points

Sniper Team (Regular) = 52 points

Total = 489 points

The Soviets, which I played, included:

Platoon Commander (Regular) + 2 men = 50

First (Heavy) Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 7 men with 2x LMG and SMG = 114 points

Second (Heavy) Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 7 men with 2x LMG and SMG = 114 points

Third (Light) Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 8 men with LMG and SMG = 109 points

Fourth (Light) Infantry Squad (Regular) NCO + 8 men with LMG and SMG = 109 points

Total = 496 points

The basic scenario was that the area had been vacated by both sides during a particularly heavy bombardment and when the dust settled, both sides tasked a platoon with reestablishing control of the area. 

We used Battle Scenario rules: Seek and Destroy victory conditions, Meeting Engagement deployment type, and Long Edges deployment zones.... except we used the short edges and played across the length of the matt... but that's because the matt is HALF the size of a regular battlefield (and playing with forces half the size of a regular force) and so the distance across was essentially the same... 

Soviet forces infiltrating into the area on the first turn.. 

Teh Germans cautiously enter the mission area. 

the two sides spot each other. 

A German sniper team takes a shot at an approaching Soviet patrol and is pinned by the return fire. 

Soviets approaching in the distance

German and Soviet squads start exchanging fire as they encounter each other moving amongst the rubble. 

Advancing Soviets encounter a German squad that's fortified itself in a ruined building and begin exchanging fire

So... I needed fives to hit... 

More Soviets spot Germans across the way and begin exchanging fire with them as well. 

A general firefight ensues, mostly between squads hunkered down in the cover of the brick and concrete rubble. 

Germans attempt to maneuver closer. 

A German squad is caught in the open and... not entirely wiped out due to continued terrible dice rolls! 

Soviets taking casualties from accurate German fire. 

Germans maneuvering again. 

So the Soviets that had caught the German squad in the open, got to go first in the next round and desperately wanted to light them up before they got to cover - or assaulted their position. As they had pin markers they had to make an order test... 

FUBAR... 

...and so they ran! 

Right past the Platoon commander!?

Luckily the Platoon commander and assistants took up their positions and fired on the Germans in the open! 

Another Soviet squad moved out into the open to get a line of fire on them and light them up. 

Another Soviet squad taking serious casualties. So many that they needed to make a moral test... and failed and fled the field of battle! 

Platoon Commander continues to pour fire on the Germans in the street who'd become pinned down at this point. Flanking fire from the squad that had panicked and fled the building but rallied and returned on the pinned units flank. 

Soviet squad that had been shooting on the Germans in the street ran for the cover the wiped out platoon had been in.

The German platoon command team tried to assault the Soviet infantry squad!? The Germans did manage to take out two of the defending Soviets... but were themselves wiped out!? 

Positions at the end of the game. 

 The game ended at the end of the sixth turn. I was ahead by a victory point but not enough to win. Really could have gone either way if we'd played another turn...  

I also had a hat! 

Good fun. Fairly quick game and I didn't COMPLETELY forget ALL of the rules... (even though we hadn't played for a month and a half, so... there's that!) 

I never did finish the battle report from the last game.. and.. honestly... I'm not sure I'm going to get to it at this point!? I do plan to finish up the last three Warhammer Quest game reports (They're mostly done!) 

Not sure if we're going to get in too many more games until July... Hopefully Orion will have enough of her Hungarians done that we can play with those!