Another CoC Batrep, with Armor!

[bigjackmac]

All,

I got another game of Chain of Command in today.  It was my usual, 10mm Brits vs Germans solo affair in Normandy, summer of '44.  You can check it out on the blog:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/


A look at the table at the end of the Patrol Phase.


A good shot mid game of the action.  Three Brit Shermans at the bottom, with two sections to the left, one (really beat up) section to the right, opposite a German Panther and rifle squad moving up.  Top right is the aftermath of a hot fight which eliminated a German squad and sent the Rifle Group of the Brit section running for the table edge.


As per my norm, the game ended with an all-out, all or nothing close combat initiated by the Brits.

A couple questions arose.  I screwed up in the game, not testing for Force Morale when a tank got KOed (I know, I know, what a knucklehead).  But it did make me wonder this: what do you do when a crew gets enough shock that is bails out and (presumably heads for the hills).  The book says you don't test for the crews leaving the table as, essentially, that's what you would expect them to do.  And you should test if the tank gets brewed, but in this case the tank is fine (can be re-entered later).  

I think you should test as a Support Unit Killed (but not for the crew going off the table), but I can't find it for sure.  What do you think?  Similarly, when tanks got blown up, I think you should test for the tank getting destroyed (Support Unit Killed) and the Junior (or Senior) Leader getting killed.  Whaddaya think?

Another deal I did wrong (I think) was that I had a rifle section that had broken and ran.  It had the PC with it when it endured the combat that caused it to break, so I had no problem with having the PC run with the section.  Then I brought the Plt Sgt over to try to rally the shock off the section to get them back in fighting shape, but, alas 'twas not to be.  Another burst from a German LMG sent them running for the hills.  I did as told in the rules, and had no problem with it, in terms of sending the PC off the table with them.  He had been in the close assault that broke them, he had run with them, clearly his mental state was not what you would want it to be, and so he ran.

My understanding of the rules is that the Plt Sgt, who was within 4" of the routing unit, should have also routed off the table with them.  I can understand this if it is a game mechanism to make it risky, and thus a tactical decision as opposed to an automatic decision, to send a Sr Ldr over to try to rally a broken element.  But in terms of being 'real life,' I thought it was grossly unfair to send this hard-charging Plt Sgt off the table with the routing section.  He was there begging, beating, and otherwise cajoling, trying to get those sissies to stay in the fight.  So when they routed, I kept him on the table and let him get back in the fight.  What do you guys think about what I did?

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Nice report I like a good sepia report.
Cannot comment on the rules, as I haven't bought them (yet)! But it's a shame they are not for you. I agree that the Shermans are not dieting quickly enough, hit by a panda at point blank range would not be that survivable.

[howayman]

Great looking board. Nice report, got the rules, but have not played them yet.
One thing is the huey at the top left, picture one, there for the aerial photos.
I have to agree its a bit unfair for the leaders to join a rout if they were not with the unit at the start. But until i actually use the rules i will keep my mouth shut.
  ps; it armour LOL

[ronan]

Thank you for sharing these pics !
I agree with you about the 'empty tank'. When your soldiers realized it was useless , they may have roll for morale. I will do this in my solo game ( I had one yesterday, but my only vehicle didn't suffered.)
If a leader joined the routing unit, I would let him go. But if he's near ( thus, outside ennemy LOS), I would keep him on the board.

[bigjackmac]

Thanks for taking a look and the comments, guys.  It's not that the rules are not for me, it's just that they're not meshing with the particular project's I'm currently working on/towards    I think they're fantastic, but KR-16 works a bit better because it's really streamlined, sacrificing a lot of crunchiness (at least the way I'm playing it) in order to work for my quick solo outings.

Armour?  Is that French?  I love you too! 

V/R,
Jack