Veterans v raw PBI

[martin goddard]

Volksturm attacking with 5 platoons and a single Tiger I.
US defenders with 3 platoons and a trio of tanks.

Volksturm advanced very slowly. They suffered from the -1 AP.
The left flank of Volksturm got shot to bits and killed no one (no sixes achieved).
The central Volksturm shot lumps out of the US defenders.
The right flank of Volksturm eventually got going and successfully assaulted. Taking the objective.

The single Tiger took on 2 Shermans and a Stuart tank.  Loads of hits by both players but no dead tanks.

The poor US saving rolls were prominent.

Big win the attacking raw company.

Game all done and packed up within 3 hours.

We are going to try a similar vet/raw game next week.

martin
PS full moon tonight.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Sounds like another good asymmetric game that worked well.

I hope you remembered your garlic clove, Martin?

Simon

[martin goddard]

My hands went a bit hairy but I stayed on the road.

Weymouth Mike  thinks that maybe the sheer number of raw bases will inevitably over run the lesser number of veterans.

The Germans had a total of 60 foot bases. The US had a total of 36 bases.
The problem for the raw is that they need to crowd in order to bring force to bear.
They also have an average AP roll of 2.5 which works against assaults.
The problem for veterans is that they still die on a 1 and can be worn down by big raw assaults.

Thoughts on using veterans?

Make sure they have platoons of 11 or more. No need to give them every expensive upgrade in terms of weapons.
Drop 1 LMG?
Drop officer SMG?
Be prepared to launch assaults taht will morale damage enemy platoons.  ie pick on one platoon to get it off the table.
Make sure  there are still 5 units. This helps with initial units on table and reinforcement rolls. Maybe a pair of raw tanks or veteran towed guns.
Use rapid arrival to make sure you get there "firstest with the mostest".


e.g. USMC (veterans.  Rifle= garand. LMG= BAR)
PC rifle 12
7 rifles 56
4 BAR 40
1 Bazooka 8
Total = 116  13 bases.

3 platoons of this = 348. Leaves only 52.
2 raw Sherman = 42
2 raw 75mm guns= 18

Total=408. Lose a rifle base?

martin

[Colonel Kilgore]

A good point about the potential overwhelming, but isn't that part of what "human wave" attacks are all about?

Another being to force the better units to expose themselves and then get stonked with artillery, but there are no such hidden units in PBI.

Simon

[martin goddard]

If raw get pinned they do suffer, as the pinned -2AP and the Raw -1AP often reduces them to 1AP, which might not get the pinned off.


martin

[Colonel Kilgore]

That sounds like it plays out how it should, then, Martin.

Simon

[martin goddard]

I hope so. Just a few more tests....

martin

[Nigel_s]

Have had many games where my raw russians battle it out vs veteran germans.

Where the raw company is attacking i feel they have a slight advantage as they can mass (take the crowding penalty but you get first two platoons back so you can sacrifice one early). Also the one or two off table units don't take a lot of points away.

However, defending with raw i do find tricky. The two on table units might total just 100 points, its hard to concentrate along with the various penalties for raw.

If my opponent has a raw company and i win the piggy chase i always choose to attack.

Perhaps repeat this game Martin with the volksturm in defence and see how it plays?

[martin goddard]

I agree with your thoughts Nigel.
The trick is also to get "not Stewart" commanding, as he is too good and too German.
I will make RAW the theme of the week  next week.

5 platoons is also a lot of figures. About 150.


martin

[Nigel_s]

With "old" PBI i have been known to put 7 platoons of raw Russians on the table. Fun to start an attack with five platoons on table.

[martin goddard]

You can use a  coal shovel Nigel.
Just feed them in.
Very reminiscent of actual Russian tactics?

martin

[Nigel_s]

Two platoons to lay down fire.
And then one at each objective.
Although managing all that and the AP rolls can lead to mild headache!

Old HE from defender at start of their first turn was often brutal. Just have to suck it up.