More Crossfire min-games

We played 3 Crossfire games last Sunday. The intent was to introduce Carl to the rules. He would play veteran Germans attacking Jay’s regular Soviets  in Steven Thomas’ Crossfire mini-game 1. Carl decided he would learn more watching me against Jay. The game ends when the first side loses 4 squads or heavy weapons sections. The defenders win if this hasn’t happened after 1 hour.

 

After lunch, I took regular Germans against Jay’s out-numbered regular Soviets. My engineer squad probed forward, discovered the main Soviet defense and was duly wiped out. I advanced on my left with the first platoon and attached heavy machine gun section (HMG), trading fire with Soviets. My second platoon advanced on my right and met a storm of fire and hot dice, losing two of its three squads. The first platoon and HMG redeployed and took the Soviet left under fire, aided by mortars and off-table 75mm guns. The first platoon nailed the flank Soviet squad and then moved to flank the whole position under cover of a smoke screen. When the smoke lifted, the first platoon started suppressing the defending Soviets, killing one squad after another. 34 minutes sufficed to win a 4-3 German victory. Carl was now ready to try his hand at a game. He got veteran Germans against Jay’s regular Soviets.

 

Having misplaced my copy of the rules, I umpired rather ineffectually. Jay had his recently purchased set. I don’t recall the details of the game but in about 30 minutes or so Carl rolled up a 4 – 2 win. The Soviet defenders are not only outnumbered, but the small mini-game playing area, 2 foot square, gives them no real option aside from static defense. But it does make a short game that teaches the basics of play.

 

We had decided if a third game was played, to add a MK IV F tank to the veteran Germans and a 45mm/L66 anti-tank gun to the Soviets. Jay wrote his hidden deployment down and then realized he had to leave. I took over and gave his deployment a cursory once over. Too cursory, since later in the game I was surprised almost as much as Carl by the deployment. Carl advanced cautiously, reconnoitering by fire. He discovered my right was barren. My AT gun was hidden on my left rear, while the enemy tank was diagonally across the table with plenty of woods in between. The AT gun crew heard rumors of enemy armor, but would not see any during the game. My forward position of 2 squads, HMG and Forward Observer for the mortar engaged the enemy and was duly wiped out after a firefight and a charge by German infantry. The AT gun opened up on the charge and revealed just how ineffective it was against infantry. Most of the Germans were pinned. The one mobile squad charged the mortar. I revealed they were inside a minefield. But the mines were defective. 4 dice were rolled and not one managed to get a hit (5+). The infantry demolished the mortar section. The engineers sidled up to the minefield, when we realized the game was over, 4 – 1. 

Carl likes the rules. Along with Jay, Bill and me, that makes a solid majority of the Fencibles who like the rules, so I have begun painting up Soviet reinforcements, seen below. And that’s it until September, since we are off to the North Carolina shore for a bit.

Edit 8/23: After slapping some paint on the guys:

8/25: varnished and based: