The Great Train Robbery, Partisans versus the Armored Train

By Eric Lauterbach

My buddy Bob Rossi purchased this beautiful train painted by John Sulek well over a year ago and had never played it. So, our idea was find an excuse and get it on the table!

Trains would most likely have been engaged in keeping the rail line open for other non-armored trains so their natural enemy was partisans.  I just happen to have a partisan battalion that had not been played in well over 4 years, so it seamed like a match made in heaven.

If you have not looked at the partisan list I totally understand, they are pretty bad. The problem lies with the basic rules of Flames of War: it is terrible at doing asymmetrical warfare. Their only solution is to add more stands of terrible infantry, which is not a good solution at all. Well, its all we have to work with right now so I went with it.

The partisan list is confident conscript infantry with very little in the way of heavy weapons but they can double-time through woods . The only backbone the list has is a tank company which, in my book, is very unhistorical so I did not want to play with it.  My list ended up being two companies of partisans one big one little, Infantry guns, AT guns, Air, and a Cavalry company.

It was terrible, but hey these guys are the trains natural enemy. I suggested to Bob run a equally terrible list: the security company but he said "I have a list all ready"  I should have known it was trap! Bob based his list off on a German grenadier company with Panzer IVs, Flak 3.7mm tracks, and of course the train fully kitted out with every option.  The mission we rolled was no retreat and thank goodness the Russians were defending.  At least that made sense, Russians cut the rail-line Germans move to open it.

Train moves on the table

The special made tank car.

Partisans minding their own business.

The big fat company on table and ATGs in ambush.

These guys wrecked the Red Air Force.

Germans approach the town.

German infantry stays back while the train shoots

Panzer IVs, Partisans have no answer for these.

Other than staying gone to ground and living there is little the Russians can do.

The first turn reserves arrive!

Hide and live.

The Red Airforce showed up every turn of the game and was shot down every turn.

Tank car at the back finally shows up.

The train is top armor 2 we can't hurt it and it just pushes you out of the way.

Guys are dying at slow rate at least.

Turn 2 Air shows up and reserves, things are looking up!

Time to drop the ambush! Not everybody will fit so I have roll one gun forward to get good shots.

Bang, we kill the tank car!

Red Air force gives it try.

The Germans pound the Russians again.

Infantry guns show up yeah!

As expected

The ATG victim, the rest are bails which the train ignores.

Here comes the breakthrough gun to the face!

ATGs back in the box, the German return fire kills all the ATGs, conscript sucks!

The Germans continue to reduce the defenders with massive firepower.

Train parks on the objective but since its top armor 2 assaulting it is out of the question I have 2 pioneer stands and that is not going to cut it.

Yeah! more reserves arrive.

These guys are useless they can't assault the train and all the German infantry ducks into buildings.

The train rolls on to get more shots on the defending forward Russian company.

Infantry gun to the rescue AT 5 fp 3.  yikes!

Partisans move to the back looking for targets.

And yes, this keeps happening.

Germans are inside those houses!

We need to dismount to go get them!

Bob rolls well and gets 11 hits! pinned ...crap.

The Partisans are dying like dogs there is little left of the defenders on the objective.

German tanks move over to add more insults.

The Russians did kill the Artillery car with an Infantry gun hit.

The Germans clear off the remainder of the Russian defenders.

Desperation counter attacks fail for the Russians, Game over!

Well, it was fun to play with some toys that never see the light of day. My partisan company will probably next be seen some time in 2019, they suck. It's a scenario only force that needs some rules for some help. It was good to see Bob's train, all though it might have been a much better game if played the security company.

Tarzan now make war!