Mat and I played another Syldavia versus Borduria battle this time with a river dividing the battlefield. The River Craxius also divided the town of Juniper with access by three bridge crossings. Only the central bridge could be crossed by medium tanks and none by heavy tanks. The tankettes could cross all bridges,
Each side had a large and small elite unit which could deploy further forward and did not have to make morale/leadership checks.
The objective of the game was based purely on holding the most table quarters.
Mat positions his Syldavian troops. Mat won the dice roll to make me set up first but then I won the roll to have first move,
Syldavian troops take position but did not advance into enemy held land.
Unlike our last game Mat did not advance a whole armoured column up the central road. My army is mainly in line with the church, shown in the foreground.
The chasm ( for access of players to the middle) is actually counted as a wide part of the river. (Last battle it was counted as a mountain.
Elite Syldavian troops are positioned in a ruined building but s shot from either my artillery or heavy tank scores a bullseye, killing a significant number. (This game we used Nerf guns to determine artillery and tank gun hits. They were more reliable to maintain a straight line than the matchsticks we used last time).
The Bordurian general wears his old tropical helmet from the Lionian campaign.
Great excitement ensues when the Bordurian fighter arrives, and some relief as it followed the appearance of the Syldavain fighter plane.
My Bordurian troops advanced on both flanks but my infantry on the left flank were shot up by a Syldavian armoured car and tankette. These blighters decimated my men, causing them to retreat or to be entirely slaughtered by enemy machine guns. Below can be seen the pitiful remains of one unit. The flamer didn't have a chance.
The Syldavians had crossed form this bridge.
Fortunately for me the Syldavian medium tank was too wide to cross this bridge but did also block the further advance of my own tankettes.
Syldavian reinforcements in the centre.
The Syldavian heavy gun proved ineffectual as there were too many obstacles for a clear shot.
The Bordurians caused an early casualty on the Syldavian tadpole.
Syldavians hazard a look through the window of a ruin.
The Syldavian fighter drops its single bomb without much result but it is fired at in return by machine gunners on the ground and by my own Pursuit plane. However, the Syldavian plane sustains significant but not fatal damage before it also shoots at the Bordurian plane.
The Bordurian artillery is well protected by the Orthodox church and threatens anything coming up the road. The heavy Bordurian tank adds to the cacophony of thunderous shelling but it is soon needed on my left flank.
A dangerous game of 'tag' occurs as the Syldavian plane now pursues the Bordurian one.
The Syldavian armoured car and tankette chase the troops of my former left flank advance into the forest. My centre could soon be under threat.
Meanwhile my Bordurian elite troops with flamers and Molotov cocktails assault the enemy tank on the right flank. The flamers handle the tank without the bomber's help, first immobilising it and then setting it aflame. A moment's silence for the poor roasted blighters inside, even if they were Syldavians!
Anti-aircraft vehicle engages, ineffectively, the tankette
A Syldavian medium tank has advanced up the central road and is machinegunning the Bordurian troops on my right flank. My artillery shoot at it and miss! They reload and finally bow it up! Phew!
A team of Syldavians with Molotov Cocktails ran towards my advancing tankettes and their makeshift weapons all exploded in their hands! A moment's silence for brave men! Brave cooked men! Syldavian infantry move in to plug the gap.
Other Syldavian infantry wait by the side of the central road. (The bazooka man is standing in for an anti-tank rifle). I advance a tankette up the road and shoot them to pieces!
A Syldavian machine gunner stubbornly fights on although only one man remains to shoot at half effectiveness.
The Syldavians on the hill are shot up by my infantry in the forest of my right flank
More Syldavian infantry move towards their right flank as it is weakened by my assault.
The Syldavian pilot is forced to parachute out and his plane crashes. The Bordurian heavy tank advances on the elft flank and destroys the enemy tankette.
A Bordurian tankettes path across the bridge on my left flank is blocked.
The Syldavian general in his command truck awaits reports. His favourite female sniper keeps a lookout.
CONCLUSION
The game played out a bit differently from our last game but also had some similarities. In both games Mat managed to infiltrate into my lines with armoured car and tankettes and cause great slaughter and my forces retreated until heavy support arrived.
Also, as in last game, my own tankettes caused similar damage but not as great as in our earlier game.
In addition in both games my Pursuit plane shot down the Syldavian plane but the latter did mush less damage this time.
Another similarity was that my artillery piece and heavy tank did quite a bit of damage.
Our anti tank guns had no successes but my flamers did just as mat's did in the last game.
Unlike the previous game there were some successful infantry engagement, primarily on my right flank with my own forces winning out. Neither side got submachine gunners in close enough and this was the case in both games.
Although I won another Bordurian victory it was much more touch and go than previously and I sustained more casualties than in the last battle.
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