Shifting Sands 14: Kursk - My Day 1 AAR

Shifting Sands 14: Kursk

It's that time of year again as gamers from all over descended on Mesa, Arizona for Shifting Sands 14. I was the Tournament Organizer for last year's Shifting Sands  and you can see my posts on running Sands last years, here...     Shifting Sands 13

This year I would actually get to play which was an exciting change. The theme this year was the Mid-War Battle of Kursk.  Armies were capped at 1500 points.  Not being a heavy Soviet Player I did not have the appropriate stuff to build an Army from my collection so I started from scratch.

In all honesty I am not a Soviet fan in FOW. I don't play them unless I'm attending a themed tournament. I  am a US fanboy when it comes to Flames of War and as a result I was drawn to the Soviet Lend-Lease Company. As a result my list was American made, Soviet driven!

I took.

HQ:  1 x M3 Lee (Long Barrel)
Platoon 1: 10 M3 Lee (Long Barrel)
Platoon 2: 9 x M3 Lee (Short Barrel)
Platoon 3: 10 x M3 Stuarts
Platoon 4: 3 x BA-64 Scout Cars

US made Soviet Armor (Click for larger picture)

My list was powerful with 30 tanks but had some glaring weaknesses. My three Tank Companies were all rated Conscript, which means they are very, very easy to hit.

I figured as long as I was attacking I should do all right.

Round 1: Hold the Line - Defending versus Richard

Ugh, I would be defending against a StuG Company. Not ideal
Richard, from out of town, was running

3 x StuGs
3 x Marders
3 x StuH
Infantry of some flavor

Firestorm Unit wise I had an extra unit of Calvary assigned to me and we both had air power.

Synopsis: Round 1 Richard's German's brutalized my tanks. My Ambush of 10! M3 Lees managed to whiff and hit nothing over two turns of full rate of fire shooting. My Stuart company raced on from reserves just in time to see my initial Lee Company break. They charged in and managed to kill a couple of tanks before they themselves were wiped out. Sweeping StuHs killed my Scouts forcing me to lose on Moral.   1-6 loss to me. Playing Richard was great. I'd never met him before and it was a pleasure to play him.

Lessons learned:

With Conscript tanks you can't hide and let the enemy come to you, then pounce on them. I should have taken the offensive from the start and started with and other Lee Platoon on the offensive.

Fun pictures

Initial Turn's Shooting. I'm already down several tanks!

My Ambush is sprung and fails! These guys would only kill 1 StuH the whole game.

Likewise my Cavalry Firestorm Unit does nothing.

In the background my destroyed Lees and the remains of my hard charging Stuarts

Richard's victorious StuGs

Round 2: Breakthrough Attacking versus Michael K

Finally I get to attack, but I have to attack a Brumbar Company. Michael K is one of the younger players here and one of the other Father/Son dues like myself and Jake. He's California based and has been attending Shifting Sands for several years.

His list included

3 x Brumbars
3 x Brumbars
Infantry Platoon
Infantry Platoon
Rocket Battery (Nebs)

The table was bisected with a river and slow going train track. I would be attacking up the length of the River. My Goal was to shove everything in his face and hope for the best. With the German's only being able to deploy 1 armored platoon I had a window of opportunity before all his Brumbars showed up

Synopsis:  I attacked with both my Lee Companies charging into the wheat fields to mix it up with the Brumbars. Accepting some losses I made it around the flanks of the Brumbars, who could not move an shoot me in the same turn. After three turns of dancing in the Wheat fields the Brumbars were dead for a loss of 5 tanks.

The Lees swarmed the Infantry holding the closest Objective and kill them with combined fire and assault. Michael's arriving reserves couldn't make it in time to contest. Stuarts didn't even make it on the board. 6-1 to the Russians!

Michael played a great game and he is a really entertaining opponent.

Lesson learned:  Even though I won handily I should have kept my Scouts around on the first turn to try and left GTG on the Brumbars. Since I didn't I couldn't get any turn 1 side shots on the Brumbars. It still worked out well but I could have been more effective.

Lees face off against Brumbars

Soon to be overwhelmed Brumbars

Soviets Charge! Mixing it up with Brumbars

Brumbars hit hard for a tun then have the Lees at their flanks

Lees take out the Brumbars, killing 2, breaking the rest.

Remaining Lees swarm the Infantry platoon holding the objective.

Conscript Lees assaulting takes a while but still wipe out the defenders and hold the objective on turn 6

End Game

Round 3: Blind Domination versus Russel


This was a new mission from the I-95 guys. The Sands TO changed it up a little, adding a blinding thunderstorm and some modifications to how the objectives worked. See the Domination mission here.

I would be playing Russel from NorCal. A very friendly and easy going opponent who made the best of a somewhat wonky mission.

Russel had

2 x Panzer Grenadier platoons
1 x Tiger
2 x StuGs
Armored Car platoon

Firestorm wise Russel drew the ROF Ace Tiger and I had some Immobile heavy AA guns. I would be the attacker and have the first move.

Synopsis:  i would gun for the three objectives on my left, hoping that they would win me the game. My Armored Cars raced to the first objective, if you can call movement at night racing. They claimed the first Objective. My Lees moved on next sweeping left and driving up the Center Road. The key to this battle was that, under night conditions I could deal with his army in somewhat isolated chunks.

My move up the Center paid off, killing his Central StuGs and keeping his Infantry from moving up easily. by turn 6-7 I had uncovered 8 points, it was up to Russel to contest one of the objectives or lose. his only move was to try and dash his Tiger over a Skill Test rock wall and make his storm Trooper move. Unfortunately he bogged on the wall and it was game over. 6-1 to the Russians.

Lessons Learned: making the risky move will usually pay off. I charged my Lee platoon up the road and into the German back field. He had to worry about that instead of concentrating on the objectives I held.

Battlefield - White markers are Domination Points

Armored Cars on turn 1

tit for tat - German Armored Cars come on

Lees Deploy turn 2

Stuarts and Firestorm AA guns arrive on turn 3

Scout cars claim the first objective Tanks move forward

Lees get close to the center table. I lose 1 Scout car but claim the objective!

In the Center I take losses from the StuGs

On the Left the Tiger gets a good night vision roll and hits my tanks hard.

Lees swarm the road junction and take out the StuGs in revenge. Stuarts dance with German Scouts.

End Game. Fearless Lees survive Moral checks. Bogged Tiger Tank in the distance. He couldn't make it to the objective.

Day 1 had it's ups and downs and I ended up going 1-6, 6-1, 6-1... it would seem to be feast or famine with my list.

All three of my opponents were great to play against and it was pleasure to meet and game with folks from out of state.

Overall an exciting first day!

The Adventure continues on day two. Read about it here