Saturday, November 14, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Songs of Panthers and Tigers Playtest
23 June 1941. Operation Barbarossa. Somewhere in the Byelorussian SSR.
German reconnasaince tank forces are pushing forward, trying to find a path through the marshy land of Belarus.
Confused Soviet defenders, their last message came in last night around 2130. Signed by Marshal Timoshenko himself, it called for a general counteroffensive on the entire front "without any regards for borders". Then the phone lines were cut.
Terrain: Mix of heavy woods and open ground. Deep boggy marshes on both sides form a narrow bottleneck. Lots of sight blocks (not good tank country). Special rule: Tanks can cross woods, but at reduced pace.
Objective: Same for both sides. Exit more of your tanks off the enemy edge of the board than he does. Of course, killing all his tanks works, too.
OOB:
German:
3x PZ 3 - Q4 A2 P2 Medium move
1x PZ 4 - Q4 A4 P4 Medium move - Leader
Soviet:
1x T70 - Q3 A2 P2 Medium move
1x BT7 - Q3 A2 P2 Long move
1x BT7 - Q4 A2 P2 Long move - Leader
2x T34/76 - Q3 A4 P4 Long move
Initial deployments:
German, 1 PZ3 is solo.
Soviet, 2x T34 are out of command range. We'll see if that hurts.
First move:
Soviets go first. Group activate the smaller tanks. 6-4. One action. T70 and commander advance, other BT7 rotates turret to cover the open area. first T34 on 2 dice gets a 2-3. He happens to be laid on a PZ3, so Aimed shot! +1 aimed, -1 cover. He rolls a modified 10. German rolls a modified 5. Doubled! First tank brews up.
Last tank rolls 3, gets 1 activation. He's in the sights of the PZ4, so legs it to cover.
Germans: Leader goes big, rolls 3. 2-4-4, 3 activation's. Leader moves up to cover, rotates turret to bear, and takes a shot at the T34 in cover. -1 for cover. He rolls a modified 5. T34 rolls at -2 for side shot. Gets 8, shot missed.
PZ3 takes 2 moves and rotates turret.
Solo PZ3 rolls 3, gets 1 activation. Moves up to treeline.
Soviets: Leader managed to race forward far enough that the other BT7 is now leaderless. He activates for himself and the T70. Rolls 2, gets 2 activations. He moves forward to the trees and rotates to where he thinks the enemy will be.
T70 moves forward and covers his back. Solo BT7 rolls 2, gets 1. 2x move, that long move really helps them cover ground
Rear T34 gets 2 activation, reloads and moves up to cover. Final T34 tries for 3, gets 1. Rotates turret to engage.
Germans: Everybody is on their own. Leader goes first. Gets 2, reloads and snap-shot at the same tank. 7 this time. T34 gets an 8! Lucky tank. His PZ3 buddy gets 1 activation, fires. -1 for cover, does not get the side shot bonus. Gets a 2! T34 again rolls, shrugs off the shot easily.
Final PZ3 gets 3 activations! He follows the edge of the treeline, rotates, and fires a side shot into a BT7. A modified 10. BT7 only rolls a 3, so it blows up. 2 down.
Soviet: T70 is out of leader range, so risks 2, gets 1. Takes a side shot at the PZ3. Modified 7. PZ3 rolls a modified 7, and lives. Leader rolls 3, gets 3. He reverses, rotates turret, and fires. A modified 3! The leader was too busy leading to aim. Curse these small turrets. Both T34s are laid on the PZ3. First one only risks 1 die, fails. Last tank rolls 3, gets 2. Takes the aimed shot to offset the cover. Modified 9. PZ3 gets a modified 8. The original attacker die was odd, so the PZ3 reverses like crazy and moves deeper into cover.
Germans: PZ4 by himself on the left gets 1 activation, reverses into cover. Leader group-rolls for the other one, gets 3 activations! Leader reloads and takes his time to aim, negating the cover. Modified 12. T34 gets an 8. The unmodified d10 of both was a pair, so the crew would have been stunned on a frontal shot. As it is a side shot, the T34 is destroyed. Finally. The other PZ3 reloads and advances cautiously into the woods.
Soviets: Leader group rolls, gets 2 activations. He reloads and charges into the woods. It's a game of chicken! T70 reloads and advances. Remaining T34 rolls 3, gets 1. He takes a shot at the PZ4. Modified 9. PZ4 gets a modified 9. Original attacker roll was odd, so the PZ4 has to retreat. This takes him well off the board, so bye bye commander.
Germans: Feeling lonely, the PZ3 in the woods goes for broke. Gets 2 activations, takes an aimed shot at the charging BT7. Modified 7. BT7 gets modifed 5, so has to reverse away. The other PZ3 gets 3, so reloads, moves up, and shoots the T70 (frontal). Modified 11. T70 is modified 9, so has to reverse. (Almost all attack rolls have been odd.)
Soviets: Boss group activates, gets 3 activations. T70 takes an aimed shot and reloads. Modified 9 on the side of the PZ3. German only rolls a 2 in defense and makes a spectacular explosion. The Leader, using his BT7's superior speed, is able to maneuver for a side shot on the last PZ3, but with a cover modifier. Modified 10 vs a 2. The final German tank is on fire.
The reconnaissance failed miserably. The Huns will have to look for another weak spot in the defenses!
Final thoughts:
1) I forgot to reduce movement distance when making turns. With the tight terrain, the BT's would not have gotten in as close.
2) This is probably the first Songs Of.. game I have ever played without a turnover. I will also try these with the Advanced rules when they come out. Hmm, should a reload be allowed as a reaction?
3) The leadership range of 1x Short feels too small in 20mm scale. I'm afraid everything will stack up like Flames of War. I might try increasing it to 1x medium.
Final final:
Awesome addition to the Songs Of... family. Now I need more tanks, as the family will finally want to play tanks with me!
3) Awesome expansion to the rules!
German reconnasaince tank forces are pushing forward, trying to find a path through the marshy land of Belarus.
Confused Soviet defenders, their last message came in last night around 2130. Signed by Marshal Timoshenko himself, it called for a general counteroffensive on the entire front "without any regards for borders". Then the phone lines were cut.
Terrain: Mix of heavy woods and open ground. Deep boggy marshes on both sides form a narrow bottleneck. Lots of sight blocks (not good tank country). Special rule: Tanks can cross woods, but at reduced pace.
Objective: Same for both sides. Exit more of your tanks off the enemy edge of the board than he does. Of course, killing all his tanks works, too.
OOB:
German:
3x PZ 3 - Q4 A2 P2 Medium move
1x PZ 4 - Q4 A4 P4 Medium move - Leader
Soviet:
1x T70 - Q3 A2 P2 Medium move
1x BT7 - Q3 A2 P2 Long move
1x BT7 - Q4 A2 P2 Long move - Leader
2x T34/76 - Q3 A4 P4 Long move
 |
| Yes, I know they're T34-85's but not today... |
Initial deployments:
German, 1 PZ3 is solo.
Soviet, 2x T34 are out of command range. We'll see if that hurts.
First move:
Soviets go first. Group activate the smaller tanks. 6-4. One action. T70 and commander advance, other BT7 rotates turret to cover the open area. first T34 on 2 dice gets a 2-3. He happens to be laid on a PZ3, so Aimed shot! +1 aimed, -1 cover. He rolls a modified 10. German rolls a modified 5. Doubled! First tank brews up.
Last tank rolls 3, gets 1 activation. He's in the sights of the PZ4, so legs it to cover.
 |
| Is that a German? It is! |
 |
| First turn, first kill. I didn't even get to play! |
Germans: Leader goes big, rolls 3. 2-4-4, 3 activation's. Leader moves up to cover, rotates turret to bear, and takes a shot at the T34 in cover. -1 for cover. He rolls a modified 5. T34 rolls at -2 for side shot. Gets 8, shot missed.
PZ3 takes 2 moves and rotates turret.
Solo PZ3 rolls 3, gets 1 activation. Moves up to treeline.
Soviets: Leader managed to race forward far enough that the other BT7 is now leaderless. He activates for himself and the T70. Rolls 2, gets 2 activations. He moves forward to the trees and rotates to where he thinks the enemy will be.
T70 moves forward and covers his back. Solo BT7 rolls 2, gets 1. 2x move, that long move really helps them cover ground
Rear T34 gets 2 activation, reloads and moves up to cover. Final T34 tries for 3, gets 1. Rotates turret to engage.
 |
| Be patient, Comrade. The Huns will advance, then they will die! |
Germans: Everybody is on their own. Leader goes first. Gets 2, reloads and snap-shot at the same tank. 7 this time. T34 gets an 8! Lucky tank. His PZ3 buddy gets 1 activation, fires. -1 for cover, does not get the side shot bonus. Gets a 2! T34 again rolls, shrugs off the shot easily.
 |
| A one? You call yourself German? |
Final PZ3 gets 3 activations! He follows the edge of the treeline, rotates, and fires a side shot into a BT7. A modified 10. BT7 only rolls a 3, so it blows up. 2 down.
 |
| See Hans? They can blow up |
Soviet: T70 is out of leader range, so risks 2, gets 1. Takes a side shot at the PZ3. Modified 7. PZ3 rolls a modified 7, and lives. Leader rolls 3, gets 3. He reverses, rotates turret, and fires. A modified 3! The leader was too busy leading to aim. Curse these small turrets. Both T34s are laid on the PZ3. First one only risks 1 die, fails. Last tank rolls 3, gets 2. Takes the aimed shot to offset the cover. Modified 9. PZ3 gets a modified 8. The original attacker die was odd, so the PZ3 reverses like crazy and moves deeper into cover.
Germans: PZ4 by himself on the left gets 1 activation, reverses into cover. Leader group-rolls for the other one, gets 3 activations! Leader reloads and takes his time to aim, negating the cover. Modified 12. T34 gets an 8. The unmodified d10 of both was a pair, so the crew would have been stunned on a frontal shot. As it is a side shot, the T34 is destroyed. Finally. The other PZ3 reloads and advances cautiously into the woods.
 |
| The T34 finally dies |
Soviets: Leader group rolls, gets 2 activations. He reloads and charges into the woods. It's a game of chicken! T70 reloads and advances. Remaining T34 rolls 3, gets 1. He takes a shot at the PZ4. Modified 9. PZ4 gets a modified 9. Original attacker roll was odd, so the PZ4 has to retreat. This takes him well off the board, so bye bye commander.
 |
| "I'm, uh, gonna report to HQ. You guys hang out here, ok?" |
Germans: Feeling lonely, the PZ3 in the woods goes for broke. Gets 2 activations, takes an aimed shot at the charging BT7. Modified 7. BT7 gets modifed 5, so has to reverse away. The other PZ3 gets 3, so reloads, moves up, and shoots the T70 (frontal). Modified 11. T70 is modified 9, so has to reverse. (Almost all attack rolls have been odd.)
 |
| Hey! This is my cover! Go get your own. |
Soviets: Boss group activates, gets 3 activations. T70 takes an aimed shot and reloads. Modified 9 on the side of the PZ3. German only rolls a 2 in defense and makes a spectacular explosion. The Leader, using his BT7's superior speed, is able to maneuver for a side shot on the last PZ3, but with a cover modifier. Modified 10 vs a 2. The final German tank is on fire.
The reconnaissance failed miserably. The Huns will have to look for another weak spot in the defenses!
Final thoughts:
1) I forgot to reduce movement distance when making turns. With the tight terrain, the BT's would not have gotten in as close.
2) This is probably the first Songs Of.. game I have ever played without a turnover. I will also try these with the Advanced rules when they come out. Hmm, should a reload be allowed as a reaction?
3) The leadership range of 1x Short feels too small in 20mm scale. I'm afraid everything will stack up like Flames of War. I might try increasing it to 1x medium.
Final final:
Awesome addition to the Songs Of... family. Now I need more tanks, as the family will finally want to play tanks with me!
3) Awesome expansion to the rules!
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