We gathered on Valentine's Day at our favorite venue to play a special Flames of War game. Last November we held "Tanksgiving" where armor-heavy companies slugged it out. This time we let the infantry hold the spotlight. The "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" was fought with 1500 companies, which could have no more than one tank platoon. The Allies fielded two British rifle companies, one heavy in heavy machine guns and self-propelled artillery, and one with Churchill Crocodiles in support. An American armored infantry company rounded out the force. The Germans had a Gebirgsjager (mountain) company and a grenadier company. Expected "any minute now" was a Fallschirmjager company with Tiger support.
Adventure Games hosted us again on their attractive and useful tables, liberally covered with Battlefront terrain and buildings. As compensation for their missing company the Germans were given fortifications and obstacles. We tried out minefields, barbed wire and entrenchments in this game.
Here the US armored infantry looks to run a race to the unoccupied town. Gebirgsjagers are set to counter.
The center, where my boys are looking at minefields, broken ground, hedges and fences
And our left. Self-propelled artillery in support of infantry and heavy machine gun platoons.
The grenadiers and Brummbars await the onslaught behind barbed wire entanglements. The mission rules meant only limited troops started dug in and most are within 12" of the the back table edge.
Paul fearlessly advances. No, check that. Gebirgsjagers are only confident. (FoW joke.)
The grenadiers hold their position in the center while the Churchills lumber forward. Entrenched infantry has little to fear early on, and only artillery can hurt the Churchills. Happily, it targeted other things.
The Tommies surge forward on the left with the massive artillery battery raining high explosive down onto the Germans.
The first Churchill Crocodile gets within range of the forward German positions and whoosh! They are gone. I've never had flamethrower armed troops before. Impressive if you can get them into range.
Others wait while the infantry moves up, now that the German machine guns and anti-tank guns have been eliminated with flame and artillery.
British pioneers move up with the intent of gapping the obstacles but a well-placed barrage kills some and pins the pioneers and both infantry platoons!
On the left the Brummbars have gamely advanced, only to be taken down like army ants take down a grasshopper in the wild.
The Americans and Gebirgsjagers get into a fierce fight on the outskirts of the town. The Germans destroy more vehicles and stands, but the Americans get established in some of the buildings. Both players had rather icy cold dice, especially early on.
Adventure Games hosted us again on their attractive and useful tables, liberally covered with Battlefront terrain and buildings. As compensation for their missing company the Germans were given fortifications and obstacles. We tried out minefields, barbed wire and entrenchments in this game.
Here the US armored infantry looks to run a race to the unoccupied town. Gebirgsjagers are set to counter.
The center, where my boys are looking at minefields, broken ground, hedges and fences
And our left. Self-propelled artillery in support of infantry and heavy machine gun platoons.
The grenadiers and Brummbars await the onslaught behind barbed wire entanglements. The mission rules meant only limited troops started dug in and most are within 12" of the the back table edge.
Paul fearlessly advances. No, check that. Gebirgsjagers are only confident. (FoW joke.)
The grenadiers hold their position in the center while the Churchills lumber forward. Entrenched infantry has little to fear early on, and only artillery can hurt the Churchills. Happily, it targeted other things.
The Tommies surge forward on the left with the massive artillery battery raining high explosive down onto the Germans.
The first Churchill Crocodile gets within range of the forward German positions and whoosh! They are gone. I've never had flamethrower armed troops before. Impressive if you can get them into range.
Others wait while the infantry moves up, now that the German machine guns and anti-tank guns have been eliminated with flame and artillery.
British pioneers move up with the intent of gapping the obstacles but a well-placed barrage kills some and pins the pioneers and both infantry platoons!
On the left the Brummbars have gamely advanced, only to be taken down like army ants take down a grasshopper in the wild.
The Americans and Gebirgsjagers get into a fierce fight on the outskirts of the town. The Germans destroy more vehicles and stands, but the Americans get established in some of the buildings. Both players had rather icy cold dice, especially early on.
At this point the score was 7-0 in favor of the allies. You got a point for eliminating an enemy platoon or two points if it was destroyed in an assault. There were other ways to earn victory points but it was pretty well over. The Churchills got within range of German infantry seeking to replicate the destruction of the Brummbars, but the flamers got in the first shot, scoring four kills. With the results elsewhere it was over.
Our first St. Valentine's Day Massacre and it was fun to play with more infantry and supports than heavy metal lists. Next year we can get the word out sooner and pull in more players. With these kind of special themed games it is truly the more the merrier.
Our first St. Valentine's Day Massacre and it was fun to play with more infantry and supports than heavy metal lists. Next year we can get the word out sooner and pull in more players. With these kind of special themed games it is truly the more the merrier.
A great looking game...congrats to the winners!
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