First game of KGN (
Kampgruppe Normandy).
I went for the smallest point size game (
250 a side) so I could finish it in an afternoon. I can't play many of the scenarios that come in the book, I'll have to increase my vehicles, both quantity and variety, many of the scenarios require vehicles types I don't have or more than I have.
Example: one scenario requires 6+ M5 Stuarts, and I don't have any.
I opted for a "Hold the line" scenario with an American Infantry division defending vs. a German Panzer division. The table is 4' x 4'.
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| German setup. |
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| US Setup. |
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| The impregnable farm complex, in six turn of being fired upon it suffered only 2 casualties both on the FAO, from artillery no less and was suppressed once. |
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| With the Mark IV on this flank dead a sherman moves to get angle on the grey two storey house. |
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| German surviors at game end, bottled up in the start building. The other mark IV is burning just to the right of this picture. |
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| M8 Greyhound killed by a Mark IV, the only effect they Mark IVs had. |
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| Puma kills a M10 |
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| U.S. REMFs hanging around. |
The scenario as arranged was unwinnable for the German. Attacking a larger force of same quality troops across open ground the outcome was inevitable. I was just trying out the rules to get a feel for the mechanics, so I carried on (it was only a solo run through anyway, so I wasn't inflicting it on an opponent)
The game started with the Germans dropping artillery onto the the crossroads, deviation also hit the mortar team and a sherman, supressed the mortar team and direct hit vs the sherman followed by snake eyes for no effect, then firing with all 3 MMG teams for no effect (the last MMG team being wiped out before it could fire by the sole US unit on covering fire), then moving forward a rifle team into a building and firing on the farm house, no effect, another rifle team advanced in the wheatfield, firing at the US MMG team for no effect, the Puma opened fire (Small arms direct) on the US MMG team and wiped it out. Then the US went, first the rifle squad in the farm complex opened fire on the rifle team in the building nearest, having seen from the German attacks how hard it was to get effects, it decided on two suppressing small arms attacks rolled two 6s on the suppressing fire chart resulting in 2 direct fire attacks, first shot eliminated the entire German rifle team, Another US rifle team the one that had been on covering fire eliminated the Platoon HQ and another rifle team. After the first turn the Germans got to activate 5 units a turn (at most). The Germans only lasted as long as they did by drawing 1 each; heroic action, mechanical failure and air support chits and a several 1s but at end of turn 7, had 2 mmg team, 1 rifle team, the FAO (no missions, left though), Puma, supply tuck and BG HQ. US had lost their FOA (1 mission unused) 1xSquad, 1xM0 Wolverine, 1XM8 Greyhound and 2 other figures.
The shermans were surprisingly invulnerable to cannon fire, they were hit 2 or 3 times each and survived all, and with their 76mm guns were able to rapidly kill all the Mark IVs. German bullets had virtually no effect (i.e. couldn't hit, and when they did the US almost always saved them away), save one burst from a MMG that caused the withdrawal of a squad at the crossroads.
The rules were easy to pick up.
I did find it slightly annoying when I had to go the book to look something up, it is a very hefty tome, I wish it had been two books, one with just the rules (the first 60ish pages), and then another with the army lists, scenarios and data.
