In another game with Chain of Command 2 rules, we switched sides. Mike played as the Soviets while I played as the Finns. I wanted to see if I could repel the Red Army's attack.
UMPIRING: Mike Evans
1. Forces.
2. The game.
After our last game, I made a few observations that I decided to implement in the next match. I realised that it was crucial to end the round as quickly as possible, as this would stop the Soviet barrage, allowing the Finns to use all their jump-off points freely. This strategy was partly successful thanks to Mike, who rolled three sixes and ended the round on the first turn. Things were starting to turn in my favour.
Soviet infantry teams gradually began to appear on the board, but not as frequently as Mike had hoped. I was able to respond to each Soviet team with two of my own, giving me a significant firepower advantage. As a result, the Soviet infantry quickly suffered heavy losses, and I managed to force two teams to retreat. However, the real challenge came from their tanks, which suppressed my units with machine gun fire. I needed to find a solution to this problem.
I had a significant anti-tank arsenal, which included a Bofors cannon, an anti-tank rifle, and two squads armed with Molotov cocktails. My first target was a T-26 tank that was supporting the infantry on my right flank. Several salvos from the anti-tank rifle struck the tank, forcing it to retreat. However, the tank soon renewed its attack and was hit again, prompting the crew to abandon it. With that, the first problem was resolved.
Another T-26 tank broke through to my left flank. My Molotov cocktail squads tried it here. They proved very ineffective. Although the tank was hit several times, it survived all attacks. Thanks to this, the Soviets were able to use this tank to support the remaining infantry attacking here.
The real challenge for me was the T-28 tank. My Bofors gun faced off against it, and while I managed to hit the massive tank several times, my shells merely bounced off its armour. In return, the tank targeted my positions with little hesitation, eventually destroying my gun. This forced my anti-tank rifle, which had also joined the fight, to retreat.
This rendered my infantry unable to respond to the Soviet infantry attack from the left flank. They surged into the forest held by my troops, killed my officers, and forced my units to retreat.
It turned out that the biggest challenge for the Finns was the "blanket-too-short syndrome." While I had certain advantages that helped me succeed, I was unable to counter all of them simultaneously. Nonetheless, I inflicted significantly more losses on the Soviets than Mike did in the previous game. I also see positive changes in the rules, particularly the update regarding the use of large CoC dice, which deserves special praise. Expect more games to come!
3. Links.
SESWC:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352
FLICKR:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720332293053
