My dad came and stayed the weekend while my wife went out of town for ultimate brofest 2010. We ate pizza, drank beer, and of course, played lots of FOW. We got in 3 Total Victory games. In all 3 games I ran all of the axis forces while my dad and my buddy Sean split up the allied forces.
2 games were in Normandy, and the 3rd was mid war desert.
What we learned is that Total Victory is ALL ABOUT mobility. You need to be contesting every objective if you possibly can. Also you really need to prepare for recon troops coming in from reserve directly into your rear area. That gets ugly. 5 panzer IIs and armored cars won me the desert game by simply contesting both of his objectives for several turns.
As usual, pics after the break!
Anyhow, I am not going to do a detailed batrep here, but these are pictures from our first game. The Germans wound up winning by a few points for just holding more objectives.
ALLIED FORCES
*British Armoured Squadron*
HQ + recovery
3x Full Strength Platoons w/ fireflies
3x Stuart V
*US Tank Company*
HQ + recovery
2x Sherman Platoons
M4A1 Sherman 76 platoon
Stuart Platoon
*US Rifle Company*
HQ
3x Rifle Platoons
Weapons Platoon
*SUPPORT GROUP*
105mm Battery w/ AOP
4x British M10c
British Rifle Platoon
7th Armoured Cromwell Platoon w/ firefly (Sean's first painted minis!)
Priority Typhoons
AXIS FORCES
*Panzerkompanie*
HQ (2x Stug G)
2 Platoons of Stug G
Platoon of Panzer IV H
2x FlakPanzer 38(t)
*Gepanzerte Panzergrenadierkompanie (Panzer Lehr)*
HQ
2x Full Panzergrenadier platoons
sdkfz 10/5 AAA
*Grenadiers*
HQ
3 Full Strength Grenadier Platoons
*SUPPORT GROUP*
Armored Panzerwerfers
Panthers
Tiger IE
Grenadier Pioneers (full)
British deployment
Panthers
Advance!
Panzer Lehr backed by pioneers move into the town
Stugs prepare to race around the flank
British armor backs up US Rifles
US infantry holds the church
US Tanks prepare to move
Major MacLauchlan awaits his marching orders
Leftenant O'hara is ready to roll
Hauptmann MacLauchlan is ready to defend the fatherland
Panzerwerfers rain death and destruction
Panzer Lehr moves out
Stugs move to the hill. In our 2nd game this hill was the focus of very heavy fighting between our armor.
Panthers secure an objective with no allied forces nearby.
Typhoons scream in at tree top level.
Shermans attempt to ross the small wood lining the roads.
British Stuarts arrive from reserve and knock out a flakpanzer
American Stuarts move up backed up by M10cs
Panthers move into firing position
Panzer IVs sight in on the M10s
stugs are diverted to deal with the Stuarts
The AOP easily spots the Stugs in the open
Panzerwerfers and direct fire from German armor whittles away the M10s
fire in the sky
Panthers
Panzer IVs
The American CO shortly enrolls his tankers in driving school.
Other shermans decide to avoid the woods.
A lone typhoon scores a kill on a panthers
Panzer lehr holds another objective
Several turns in, it was clear the allies had little hope of catching up on victory points. Total Victory is tough to get your head around and understand that it's all about mobility and nabbing objectives.
