Campaign 2014: Normandie

So this weekend it was of to Copenhagen for the annual Campaign, this time around it was Normandie that should be defended. I have written in an earlier post what the Grenadiers I was bringing included. With me I had two other swedes, Axel and Hamza who both played on the allied team. This time around it wasnt really a real time campaign, it was a simplyfied Firestorm campaign. It was one on one games, with the possibilty of a platoon coming to lend aid to the games that took longer time. There was also some Firestorm troops that you could use if they where close to you on the campaign map. Each side had a general that helped each player to decide were to attack or defend. Attacker/defender and when to place the arrows on the map used a quite nice and simple card deck with numbers. Each player got a card with a number 1-24, the 1-12 where attackers and 13-24 was defenders. Inside each team you could switch two playes cards. Starting with the player with the number one card each player placed an arrow on the map.


Here is my games:

Battle 1 - Sabotage

Opponent: Hamza with an US infantry company (C/T)
It wasnt that long ago Hamza and I played FoW, we meet at Gothenburg open earlier in March, that time I did win. This time though, Hamza brought heavy artillery instead of 105 mm. We rolled for mission, sabotage. Its a homemade scenario that forces both forces to move forward. There is two objectives along the centerline, which can he contested from round one! This means that forces with recce can win in turn one! This was later changed to round six. One unit on each side randomly gets delayed reserve rule.

The game itself ended rather early as my troops close to one of the objectives didnt want to leave they foxholes even when the Hauptman screamed at them. I had only destoyed one of Hamzas nine platoons so it was a 6-1 to him.

Not my kind of mission, I dont like any of the Fair fight missions. I dont like fair fights!

Battle 2 - Hasty attack

Opponent: Axel with a british infantry company (C/T)
Well lets go to Denmark and play against swedes! I really dont mind cause I dont get to play against
Axel or Hamza that often. Axel is playing a force kind of my own, not a very competive list, but really fun to play against. We got a table with Bocage running down the center line, which really hindered Axels advance, but on the other hand it made my shooting ineffective as I didnt see any targets.

Axel tried an attack on my left flank but got bogged down in the terrain for several turns. I attacked on my right, but nasty 6 pounders managed to destroy a platoon of brummbärs. The game went on for ever and we decided to end it and go and have "frukost"! 4-3 to me.

Battle 3 - Sabotage V2

Opponent: Klaus with a british Cromwell company (C/T)

Finally a danish opponent, and I have meet Klaus before at campaign. Sabotage again, but they had changed it so you couldnt claim the objektives until or after turn six.

It started badly with almost all my AT removed in the first few turns, then I really only desperatly hold on to the objectives for as long as I could. This was one of those games where I felt I didnt do anything right at all, and Klaus rightfully won a 6-1.

Battle 4 - Breakthrough

Opponent: Johnny with british paras(F/V)
My C/T grenadiers was ordered to make a breaktrough trough F/V infantry! I but my two normal grenadierplatoons and brummbärs in reserve. I tried to bring the StuGs close to the objective as fast as I could so that they could support the assault with their machineguns. When the reserve began to arrive I did feel a glimmer of hope as my nebels managed to pin the infantry and slowly I started to drive the paras away from the objective. Then disaster after disaster struck. A grenadier platoon rolled 5 ones on saves in one turn and was not a threat anymore. The british naval guns and artillery destoryed the StuGs in one stroke. A 6-1 to Johnny, and suddenly he tells me that the church was worth an extra 5 points in the campaign. Apperently we were told that during the briefing over 24 hours ago... But it made Johnny happy so I guess it was worth it!

The result

Axies did win, but not by much, at the end there was two games still playing and at that time it was a tie. Exiting until the end. I really dont take much credit in this as I didnt play well in any of my games. I guess sleeping five hour each night does something to your brain! But its always fun to get away and play games and meet people, and talk alot of Bolt action...

Both Axel and Hamza were pleased with their weekend, especially Hamza as I do think he managed to get most points of all players.

Finally

+ Great food, the pulledpork burgers was great, thanks again Papabear!
+ Good gaming tables.
+ I finally figured out the best way to sleep at Campaign, at home! This time we went by car and sleept at home.
- It seems like everone else really prefer this Firestorm campaign system as it more even, but I do really like the old campaign, with all the chaos and uneven battles! But as I seem to be in minority I guess I have to just get used to it.