EW North Africa Escalation League (2)

Tonight was another of our Early War North Africa Escalation League game nights at Adler Hobby. We had a good turnout with 5 players showing up and several other people stopping by to shop or kibitz. Chris R. returned after a recent absence due to being a new father. The evening featured three 600-point games for our league and a snack tray brought in by James with cheese, salami, peperoni and crackers - YUM!

I played only one game, intending on leaving early but in the end I stayed the whole night because I was having so much fun. My game pitted my Australian Commonwealth Infantry Company against James' German Panzer Schutzen infantry mounted in armored half tracks supported by a platoon of Pak 36 AT guns and a platoon of pioneers including a flame thrower.

Early on I didn't receive my reinforcements and James capitalized with a mounted assault from his infantry riding their half tracks of death. I survived only due to the fearless morale of the Australians and some lucky dice in my counter attack. The following turn my tanks arrived from reserve just in time to help mop up the infantry platoon and its half tracks. With only three platoons and the unenviable task of having to attack with infantry things went south from there for James. Honestly the game could easily have been won in the second turn with only slightly different dice rolls. James bold attack was his best chance of winning with his force in this scenario.

While James and I were playing our game Chris pushing his Polish infantry (using the British army list) was the attacker against Gordon's tough Italian Position de Fuscileri. Gordon has re-worked his list to have only one defensive platoon supported by Artillery and a small platoon of Italian tanks. This proved to be too tough of a nut for the Polish infantry to crack even using the British 'night attack' special scenario rules. The first time you face one of the new defensive platoons it can be intimidating, particularly if it's supported by armor and you have to attack with infantry. I think as we gain more experience with this new force type we'll all start to figure out how to play against it. So far both games against the defensive force have proved very interesting to be sure.

In Gordon and Chris' game Gordon borrowed two of my German machine gun nests to proxy for his Italian MG nests. I laser cut Gordon some parts for him to make up his own Italian MG nests which he'll probably work on soon. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with them. Sharing stuff like this with the group is part of the fun for sure. Enthusiasm builds when you're hanging out with people who share interests. That's one of the things that's fun about this group of gamers.


In James' second game he played a German vs. German game against Adam's Medium Tank Company. This was a touch-and-go affair where the Pioneer flame thrower knocked out one of the tough Panzer IVs and the infantry knocked out most of Adam's light tanks but in the end the tanks held on just long enough to break the infantry company's morale.