Squad Leader at Library

The Guards Counter Attack

October 1942, Stalingrad

all ready for playing scenario #1

The Library needed us to shift time from 12 noon start to a 10 am start, and finish at 2 pm, rather than the usual 4:30 pm.

Because of this I decided to go with the faster set-up and take down: Squad Leader.

There were the inevitable delays in getting the room started, the role-players were needing some early support time and they have now split into two RPG groups (yes there were 15 people there this time).

I was able to bring in one player (when they were TKO during the RPG).

The Soviet Guards did manage do disrupt one of the German held buildings

by the end of turn 1, though the Germans had broken up the first attempt at that one building - and - managed to disrupt Soviet troops in a building on the right (other) flank

My active player needed to return to his Role-Play and I continued the scenario in  solo play mode.

storming the building a close combat resulted

all 31 men were dead at the end of the combat ... only an LMG was left behind on the board

It has been some time since I played to a near stand-still on both sides.

The Soviet Guards, just could not break out from the first building they captured and the Germans did not take one stone building (they came close) from the Soviets.  So not quite a draw and certainly not a Soviet victory ... the attrition battle in the streets of Stalingrad continues ...

end of turn 5, the Soviet Guards were mostly in broken condition and a squad of Germans were just outside of a former Soviet held building

Given the limited response to Squad Leader, I shall bring out the more colorful miniatures in the future to the Library game day.

Victory Without Quarter - Stagonia v. Alpia at Library table

The forces of Alpia and Stagonia once again come to clash of arms.

The colorful armies are deployed

Knights were in the center for Alpia

Horse was massed on the Stagonian left

Stagonian foot were the right wing

while Alpia had foot on their right and a mix of horse and foot on the left

Bluebear Jeff's wonderful 15th century collection took to the table, with five active players to command them.

by the third deck we had actually had a turn where ALL units got to move

blades men were sent up the road

while Alpian crossbowmen stormed into the fields

Stagonia used a more measured deployment

Horse were facing foot on each flank

The colorful flags of Stagonian foot

Stagonian General and staff with messenger

Alpian General and messenger staff

The use of the cards makes the 'length' of a turn hard to accept for those who have played simulations, while for those new to the game table find that having a clear direction of who is moving and what they can do makes for a simple 'game'.  Hence using this mechanism at the library with four essentially 'new' players they were able to keep on top of the game.

after 7 decks (turns) we had done two full decks of movement

The Alpian forces were leading at this point, yet not enough to call a victory

Alpian horse was finally going into action

Sadly the Alpian knights had such new mounts that the sound of the cannon sent them into a skittish randomness, that was to doom the knights in the end ...

At the end of turn 9, one Stagonian General had totally lost his command, here he is seen desperately trying to rally the last stand of pike ...

The Stagonian left had collapsed by turn 10, sensing a chance at total victory the Alpians rushed forward ... only to fall apart in morale as they made charge attempt after charge attempt and failed over and over ...

short of powder this group of Stagonian foot held against repeated Alpian attack

Alpian horse, though not much damaged, flee from the battle

Stagonian potential shifted, now they send in their horse

The Stagonian horse threatened to overrun the Alpian command

while Stagonia came close to snatching a victory, the final score was 1 stand (not a unit a single stand) in favor of an Alpain win.

ALPIA WINS!

the first battle at the Library tabletop.