How to loose a tank (or why it took 5 Shermans to kill a Panther)

Jacometti

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Chris and I were playtesting a US-German scenario (October 1944). My Sherman (105) was challenged by a Point Blank Panther, which drove into an adjacent woods and stopped there. I made the auto Motion attempt with my Sherman and turned VCA towards him. Both sides missed in the DFire/Adv Fire exchange. His Panther went CE in Advance Phase.

In my next Movement Phase, my Sherman enters the Panther's woods hexes at half MP, hoping to cruise through and shoot him in the back. The SHerman Bogged and the Panther missed its shot (difficult to hit in own hex after moving). In Adv Fire, I first fire my 6 + 2 machine guns at the CE Panther. I roll Snake Eyes. He rolls Boxcars. Panther is now under STUN-RECALL.

In his next MPh, the Panther starts up, my Sherman tries to shoot him but also misses, the Panther moves into the next hex on its way to the exit.

Chris' Panther fires and rolls 1,2. We do the math about 5 times and conclude that the Moving, BU Stun-Recalled Panther has just hit my Sherman in the back.

Blazing wreck.

What a great wargame we play. Just astonishing.
 
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von Marwitz

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Chris and I were playtesting a US-German scenario (October 1944). My Sherman (105) was challenged by a Point Blank Panther, which drove into an adjacent woods and stopped there. I made the auto Motion attempt with my Sherman and turned VCA towards him. Both sides missed in the DFire/Adv Fire exchange. His Panther went CE in Advance Phase.

In my next Movement Phase, my Sherman enters the Panther's woods hexes at half MP, hoping to cruise through and shoot him in the back. The SHerman Bogged and the Panther missed its shot (difficult to hit in own hex after moving). In Adv Fire, I first fire my 6 + 2 machine guns at the CE Panther. I roll Snake Eyes. He rolls Boxcars. Panther is now under STUN-RECALL.

In his next MPh, the Panther starts up, my Sherman tries to shoot him but also misses, the Panther moves into the next hex on its way to the exit.

Chris' Panther fires and rolls 1,2. We do the math about 5 times and conclude that the Moving, BU Stun-Recalled Panther has just hit my Sherman in the back.

Blazing wreck.

What a great wargame we play. Just astonishing.
I am very anxious to hear the rest of the story and how that Panther managed to kill four further Shermans on his way to the board edge... ;)

von Marwitz
 

Jacometti

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I am very anxious to hear the rest of the story and how that Panther managed to kill four further Shermans on his way to the board edge... ;)

von Marwitz
This Panther had already destroyed a Stuart as its first shot of the game. After destroying my 105 Sherman, it ended in Motion on the way to the board edge. I engaged it with another 105 Sherman, but missed. It fired its AAMG and CMG at me, rolling another Snake Eyes, and stunned the other Sherman crew. We ended the playtest there (it would have driven off the friendly board edge on the way to the field hospital to drop off the crew members I had shot up, I think).
 

von Marwitz

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This Panther had already destroyed a Stuart as its first shot of the game. After destroying my 105 Sherman, it ended in Motion on the way to the board edge. I engaged it with another 105 Sherman, but missed. It fired its AAMG and CMG at me, rolling another Snake Eyes, and stunned the other Sherman crew. We ended the playtest there (it would have driven off the friendly board edge on the way to the field hospital to drop off the crew members I had shot up, I think).
I see. That was a Panther 'with an attitude'...

von Marwitz
 

JoeArthur

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It is the dice that make the game interesting. If it was not for them it would be a boring game.

I just played DB141 Gut Punch in the Chicago VASL open as the Russians. A grinding game where my opponent appeared to pass the majority of MC's on his conscripts. Then a 6-2-8 half squad and 4-5-8 plus 9-1 officer get stuck in CC with one of his conscripts squads because that conscript squad would not break even when I went adjacent and so he advanced in to CC. I manage to reduce the conscripts but there it stops. Rolls of 11 made me grind my teeth in frustration. Then his sniper comes along and breaks the half-squad, kills the 9-1 and the full squad fails their leader loss check. More grinding of teeth.

I've lost but the good players play to the end so what the hey. I have to clear two and a half squads of conscripts out of the buildings together with a 9-1 and a SS half-squad. No chance. I move the infantry I have left adjacent and some survive. My turn. A 6-2-8 rolls a double one on advancing fire - NMC and the conscript breaks. My 9-2 with 4-5-8 and captured LMG advance fires into his 9-1, 4-3-6 and 3-4-8 that he had stacked together. Rolls a double one - two KIA. He rolls high and one double for random selection - all dead.

One last conscript squad left. A wounded hero and 6-2-8 cannot break him on assault fire. Close Combat - I ambush him. It's a 3-2 so 6, hero -1, ambush -1 and I added a capture attempt to that for another -1. VASL gives me a three.

To say that I was rather surprised at the result of the game was an understatement :)
 
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