- This photos was taken later during the game, but gives a good idea on the layout of the table.
This year we had a modern game planned for Crisis. Just like the game we hosted at Action, this was a playtest for a scenario book I am writing. This time the setup was Bundeswehr vs. Russians.
On the German side there were one Gruppe Panzergrenadiere with two Marder IFV´s, one Gruppe Infantry with a Transportpanzer Fuchs, a Sniperteam along the old TO&E´s (2 snipers with G3, 2 "Bodyguards" with machineguns) a Flakpanzer Gepard.
On the Russian side there was one group of Airborne supported by a Hokum attack helicopter, as well as a Motorrifle unit consisting of 3 groups of Motorrifles with two BMP-3´s, one BRDM-2 and a BTR-80.
The table measured 3m (10´) on the west-east axis and 1,5m (5´) on the north-south axis. There was a rail road line and some fields running along the southern edge of the board with a tree lined road running parallel to it. On the north-eastern edge of the board there was open farmland and a dense wood in the middle of the board. On the western edge of the board was the village that was the focus of the scenario.
The Germans set up in the middle of the table. Their mission was to take the village and hold it. In case that was impossible their mission was to try to retreat to the west.
The Airborne set up inside the village supported by the chopper with orders to defend the village. The Motorrifles set up on the eastern edge of the board with orders to hunt down the Germans and destroy them.
The Airborne troopers split over the houses of the village, while the hokum hovered behind one of the taller buildings. The rest of the set-up was leaning to the south. On the German side the Gepard and one of the Marder deployed south of the tracks, while the other Marder started on the railroad embankment and the Fuchs on the road. The sniper team deployed inside the woods. Three German soldiers with a rocket launcher hid behind a civilian truck that had been left on the road.
The Russians deployed one BMP on the embankment as well, the other together with the BTR on the road and the BRDM on the farmland.
The German launcher team behind the truck died quickly in the crossfire from the two BMP´s machineguns. They were still able to fire a rocket at the BMP on the tracks, but it only did damage to the tracks and killed one of the bow-MG operators. One of the Marders joined in with it´s autocannon as well... after all who wants a tank in his back! But even it´s multiple hits only immobilized the tank and killed the driver, which in turn led to the Russian infantry dismounting. When the BMP gunners card was finally drawn he dispatched the Marder on the embankment that had already reached the outskirts of the village, killing the crew and passengers. While the BMP itself was finally destroyed soon after, the damage it had soaked up alone would have made it a good trade.
In the meantime the Airborne inside the village had been decimated by the Gepards heavy Autocannons without them being able to do much about it. The tanks remained outside the range of their RPG and there were no soft targets since all the tanks had their hatches buttoned up. Just one of the snipers fell prey to them. When only two soldiers remained in one of the buildings, the Fuchs had made it into the village and deployed its infantry to clear them out. Which did not prove too easy, since Russians would not give ground. After a lot of hand grenade throwing and shooting the Russians had traded their lifes 3 for 1.
This was when the pilot of the Hokum thought his great Moment had come and rose over the buildings to attack the German tanks. Unfortunately this move found a premature end, since the card of the Gepards gunner came up first and the chopper ended its attack in a huge ball of fire.
At the same time the BTR raced crossed the embankment and rammed the remaining Marder from the rear. The infantry on both tanks dismounted and shot it out at point blank range. This fight ended in favour of the Russians due to their numeric superiority.
At this time the other Russian tanks put the pedal to the metal as well and advanced. The remaining BMP got both the Gepard and Marder, which had started to move again after the ramming attack, in their flanks with its rockets. The Gepard was put out of the fight and the Marder destroyed by these shots.
The BRDM raced into the village and used its heavy machineguns on the German troops inside the village.
By this time the Germans had ceased to be a cohesive unit, but most importantly, they had no anti tank weapons left and had to capitulate.
All in all it was a fast paced and intense game. A very nice touch was the fact that one of the players on the German side actually was a former Gepard commander... when do you get things like that!
We are really looking forward to Crisis 2007. We can not tell you much yet, but it will be a real cracker!
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