Disposable Heroes & Coffin For Seven Brothers.

You may have been wondering what we have been up to lately. Well I can tell you that we have been busy gaming with a new set of World War II rules that I decided to try last Fall. It's called "Disposable Heroes & Coffin For Seven Brothers." That is quite a mouth full so let's just refer to it as "DH/C7B" for now. The long name comes from the fact that the first editions of the rules used to be two different books. Disposable Heroes was infantry rules, and Coffin For Seven Brothers was for tank rules. Now everything is together in under one cover.

We have been using 25/28mm scale, which is something we have not been able to do for a very long time until we discovered these rules. We are thrilled to finally be back into it. These rules can be used with 15mm and 20mm as well.

I won't go into a lot of detail right now, but I can tell you that we like these rules better than anything else we have tried. They are fairly simple, very playable, and yet have a realistic feel to them. The thing I like best is that your typical "unit" in these rules is a section/fire team instead of a full squad. That means that in a typical infantry squad you light machine gun (LMG) team is a separate unit from your riflemen. This gives you realistic flexibility because you can use you LMG team to provide covering fire while you rifle team maneuvers. The best innovation of these rules is that every time a unit takes fire it has to take a "guts check," even if it did not take any losses from the firing. This gives you a chance to pin down enemy units so you can move forward.

There are a lot of other things we like about the rules. Indirect fire things like mortars and off-board artillery are extremely easy. I have used both so far which is a big change from other World War II rulesets that just make those thing too complicated. Oh, and you don't have to fiddle with templates. Blast effects are very nicely handled without EVER needing a template!

I'll try to add more later on these rules. If you want to know how to get a copy look at the "Iron Ivan Games" link further down the page under "Gamers Resources."

Have any questions? PLEASE feel free to leave a "Comment" below! We would be happy to be of service.

Crippled Tiger (continued)

In these photos you can see where the Russian infantry has actually made it all the way to the Tiger.

Crippled Tiger (continued)

Picking up were I left off last month. (Or was it the month before that.) you can see more on how the battel developed in these pictures. In the top photo the Germans await the Russian attack with the repair crew and Tiger crew huddled behind the disabled Tiger for cover.

Then the Russians appear at the edges of the woods and firing commences back and forth. In the bottom photo you can see the entire battle area.

Crippled Tiger

In this game we used the Disposable Heroes rules again. This scenrario comes from the "Grossdeutschland at Kursk" scenario book. The idea is that German and Soviet infantry are fighting over a disabled Tiger tank in the middle of the table after a big tank battle. In the top photo you can see the Russian infantry moving up toward the Tiger. In the center photo is a German repair team working on the Tiger. In the bottom photo are two squads of panzergrenadiers moving up to support the repair team. In the next couple of installments, I'll relate how it all went.

Yet More Waltzing with Matilda's

By the end of the game I still had a couple of troopers hanging onto the airfield and my German partner on the left flank had managed to get one of his units on the objective in the town. It was a clear-cut victory for the Axis side.

More "Waltzing with Matildas"

In the top photo you can see my Italian infantry out on the airstrip objective. Problem is; they are somewhat exposed and taking heavy fire and casualties.

In the bottom photo you can see the Germans on the left flank moving into the town. They are having an easier tme of it because of the protection afforded by the buildings.

"Waltzing with Matildas"

Here are some action photos from the last "Fall In" convention. This was a North Africa WWII scenario run by Antonio Portilla. He used the "Disposable Heroes" rules. In the top photo you can see the whole set up. The Brits are across the bottom, the Germans are on the top right and the Italians are on the top left. I got to control the Italians. In the bottom photo you can how the Italians are arranged prior to the start of the game. There are two British Matilda tanks in the center of the table. During the game they were allowed to function normally except that they could not move because they were out of petrol. The Axis side is trying to prevent their recovery. I'll have more on the game later.

Disposable Heroes and Coffin for Seven Brothers

It's been years since any of us in our area played a good game of 25mm WWII. We've all gotten into Flames of War - which is a great game - but somehow that doesn't fill the need to push 25mm figures and larger tanks around the table.

Flames of War battles are based on playing an entire company, with it's various support elements.

Many of us love a good skirmish game - and until now there has not been a good World War II skirmish game available - and in particular, a points-based game!

Enter Iron Ivan Games with their rule set "Disposable Heroes and Coffin for Seven Brothers".

This appears to be a really playable rule set based on platoon rather than company sized elements. Still, at 25mm you need to paint around 30 figures and a couple of vehicles to play. But that's not a bad thing, for those of us who are as much or more painters than we are gamers!

Bwana Bill has played several games already, and our other friend Bill has played a few of the demo games of DHCF7B at Fall-In.

I look forward to playing a few games myself as soon as I get some more Waffen SS and American Paratroopers painted up!

Currahee! (If your a fan of the 101st Airborne! or if you're a fan of the 82nd Airborne, the All-Americans; Devils in Baggy Pants!

Keep your eyes on this space for more about Disposable Heroes and Coffin for Seven Brothers!

Oh! What is the deal with "Coffin for Seven Brothers"?

The Soviet tankers drove lend-lease Lee/Grant tanks. Due to the high profile and low armor, they nicknamed it a Coffin for Seven Brothers.

Fall-In - The Battle at Sidi Rezegh

Bwana Bill and I ran the Sidi Rezegh scenario on Saturday morning at Gettysburg during the Fall-In convention.

The game went according to history - which shows that even with a point's based gaming system, a historical outcome can be achieved.

Before the game began I briefed the forces - both British and German - on the way the battle went, how it was won, how it was lost.

After the overall briefing I lent a few words of advice to the British side, since I had played the Brits and lost only once in all of our test matches. In that one loss, I forgot to stick to my plan, and I did as the British forces of 1941 did - and indeed as our players on the British side did as well!

Not to say they played poorly! On the British side were three fairly new players, somewhat inexperienced. In addition, telling someone to 'wait' to build up their forces when turn after turn they fail to roll for reinforcements is hard. All that time waiting and the Germans and Italians are marching across the table - you have to do something!

Unfortunately, that need or desire to "do something" led to the British forces trickling into combat a little at a time, with their combat power greatly reduced.

The German 21st Panzer Regiment accomplished their mission of taking the critical airfield at Sidi Rezegh back from the dowdy Brits.

The New Zealanders managed to hold their flank, and had the game not ended on turn 6, the Germans would have turned their attention to the hold-outs near the barracks of the airfield. It would only have been a matter of time.

All in all it was a good game and I hope that the players had fun.

I know Bwana Bill and I are pretty burned out with Flames of War at the moment, as we have played this particular scenario to death - and we both played in a tourney on Friday at Fall-In that lasted until quite late in the evening.

Still, we love the game - but don't expect to read about FoW for a while as we dust off some other games we've neglected in the run up to Fall-In!

Keith gives the background for the battle, explaining with tips and tricks how it was lost and how it could be won.  

The British forces seem to hang on Keiths' every word... will it be enough wisdom for them to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat? 

The Germans of 21st Panzer Division break through the line of burned out Crusaders and destroyed 25 pounders. The Crusaders prepare to make a final stand, praying for reinforcements. 

On the British right flank, the Ariete Division Bersaglieri move sharply towards their goal. They will be all but defeated by the stout New Zealanders. 

Too Late! The British Reinforcements arrive at turn 6 - game over! 

The Final Outcome

  

The Aftermath

The defeated British tankers discuss tactical errors with Keith. The New Zealanders held against the Italians, however the undefeated weight of the DAK was about to fall on their depleted forces.


  

More Flames of War Action at Game Parlor Woodbridge

Here you can see the culmination of my second game of the tournament. I was up against German panzergrenadier company. This was a non-lethal field exercise of course. I concentrated my attack on the right flank pushing through an infantry platoon in the woods. Of course I had to run the risk of having some of my tanks get bogged down. For three turns I managed to avoid rolling any "1s." Once I finished pushing the infantry out of the way I was free to swing toward the center and contest an objective. My opponent was not able to move a unit close enough to challenge this so he tried to blow me off the objective with Stukas. In the picture you can see that he did in fact manage to get a couple of them but this was not enough to cause a morale check. If you look underneath the left wing of the lead Stuka you can see my company commander's tank still within four inches of the objective. Game over!

More Flames of War Action at Game Parlor Woodbridge

In the top photo you can see where the Amerikaners are closing in on me. There are 3 M5 Stuarts that zoomed around my left flank and shot up my side armor. At the top-right of the photo you can see a US infantry platoon reoccupying the village and at the same time threatening my right flank.

In the bottom photo you can see where I have wiped out the Stuarts but they have already done their job of causing me irreparable harm. I am also trying to get my 88s in a position on the crest of the hill where they can hopefully finally help me out, but they never succeeded. I found that using 88s to support a very mobile attacking force is not the best choice if there are going to be a lot of hills. It's too hard to get them into position. Next time I might try some artillery instead. We'll see.

I really got picked apart pretty bad in this game. The worst part was that my opponent was still a beginner and I was explaining game mechanics to him throughout, and all the while he was picking my bones clean! How does a thing like that happen? We'll I think that game mechanics aside, Kyle had a really good "nose" for tactics. It figures, in real life he's an Army officer on the staff of the Army War College in Carlisle, PA! So, no shame in losing to him then, right? I'm just glad that he is on our side!

More from the Flames of War Tournament at Woodbridge

Here are some shots of my first game. I was up against a U.S. infantry company controlled by Kyle Burley. I moved out smartly and aggressively, just like the training exercises at Grafenwoehre Panzer Lehr school, and was looking forward to rolling over a whole bunch of infantry! And that is the way it started! My panzers rolled smartly into the little town in the center and up and over the big hill on the right flank. I wiped out the infantry platoon holding the hill. I thought I was doing really well, but those pesky bazookas and a couple of M10 tank destroyers lurking off to the right had made it a bit costly. But I wasn't too worried. I felt I could surely deal with these things and keep right on rolling West. Panzers Vorward! Well little did I know that I had already reached my "high tide." More on that later.

Flames of War Tournament at Game Parlor, Woodbridge, Virginia

Last Saturday I participated in my first FoW tournament. This one was organized by Eric Lauterbach who held it at the Game Parlor store in Woodbridge. As you can see from the photos the playing areas filled up the back of the store and it was a wonderful assortment of scenery. It was a long, but fun, day of gaming. I think there were a bout 20 participants and they all seemed to be having a great time. Tournament play is a good way to gain experience. You see all the different armies and their equipment in action and you learn how your stuff works against a variety of opposing forces and different situations. Definitely a good learning experience. I'm not a beginner, but I learned a lot anyway. Over the next few days I will be posting more pictures and commentary on this event.