Dragonclaw Legends: Shrine of Ettus Ravenrock

Played – 5th July 2019

Walthorne
Summer 1344, Third Age

Scenario: Investigate the Ruins

The Grey Guard: Eldwin Grey (Warrior), Garemon (Wizard), Telina (Cleric), Garrick (Bard), Blackfrost (Rogue), Thorold (Warrior)

Monsters:2 x Bloodfiend Demons, 3 x Imps, 3 x Wolves, 3z Zombies
Chaos Factor: 5

Background
The village of Walthorne has hired the Grey Guard to investigate the Shrine of Ettus Ravenrock, a Dwarven Warlock who - due to the 500th anniversary of his death - has been terrorising the local populace with demonic visions.
The village recently sent a few of their stronger men to investigate, but they never returned.
They have agreed to pay 200 silver if the Grey Guard can return Ravenrock back to rest, and an extra 50 silver if they uncover the whereabouts of the missing villagers.
Objectives
Primary Objective: Reach the grave alive, defeat anything opposing.

Secondary Objective: Investigate the zombies in the woods.

The Shrine of Ettus Ravenrock

Wolves in the forest...

The missing villagers...?

The Game

Approaching the Shrine

The Grey Guard approach the Shrine of Ettus Ravenrock

Telia: "I sense a great darkness here. Something ... Ettus ... is angry."

• The Imps skitter forward from their perch on the shrine. One of them throws an arcane bolt but it misses.
• Elwin and Thoros press forward. Garemon and Blackfrost each kill an Imp with spell and bow.

Garrick: "I find it hard to believe the villagers went missing because of some Imps...what... what is that!"

• The Bloodfiends stomp forward to the edge of the Shrine, and the wolves - hearing the noise - run out of some woods to the right to investigate.
• The Bloodfiends are dispatched by Geremon's spells and Blackfrost's bow.
• The Wolves are driven off by Eldwin and Thorold.

At the Shrine 

Telina: "Undead walk near here. I can feel them."

Eldwin: "Zombies. I can hear them in the woods. Thorold, Blackfrost - keep an eye out while we investigate the Shrine."

The party watches the zombies...

Do the zombies notice the adventurers (Likely): Yes

Event: Increase the intellectual

Thorold: "Eldwin - they're coming."

Eldwin: "Give us time, Thorold - Telina is beginning the ritual, but it's taking longer than we thought."

• Blackfrost shoots and kills an approaching Zombie, the other two quickly overcome Thorold.
• Garrick and Eldwin leap into the fray, beating them back before they too are overcome.
• Garemon and Blackfrost's spells and bow defeat the remaining zombies as they climb the strairs to the Shrine.

Does Telina summon the spirit (Very Likely): Yes

Do Garemon and Telina's spells calm and put the spirit to slumber? (Likely): Yes

Is the spirit thankful?  (Likely): Exceptional Yes

Event: Military Activity

Ettus: "Anger. My brethren... they march. The gates of Thunderweld have opened! War looms upon the plains. Anger. Such anger... stop the death... I have seen too much death."  

Result

The sprit of Ettus Ravenrock is laid to rest, and the missing villagers are determined ot have died at the hands of the demons and raised as undead.

The Grey Guard return to Walthorne to bring the news of an approaching war...

Bolt Action: Hanville Resistance Raid

Played – 8th December 2018

Normandy Invasion
D-Day +1

Scenario:Assassinate

French Resistance: 10 Partisans, including MMG Team

Players: Guy Girault (Local Resistance Leader)

Wehrmacht: Feldgendarmerie Grupper, Motorcycle + Sidecar

Players: Hauptmann (Captain) Karsten Steinheil

Background
The small commune of Hanville lies to the west of Caen, and for 4 long years has been under the tight grip of Hauptmann Karsten Steinheil. Now the Allies have landed, Steinheil has left the village in his armoured car to visit his mistress for one final night. In the morning, he will head to Caen for further orders and perhaps never be seen again.

Guy Girault has mobilised his small number of Resistance in Hanville and plans to catch Hauptmann Steinheil literally with his pants down!

Axis Objectives
Primary Objective: The Captain must stay alive or escape (6 turns)

Secondary Objective: Kill as many Partisans  as possible

Resistance Objective
Kill the Captain within 6 turns. Any longer than this and the raid will be determiend ot take too long and risk German reinforcements.

Memorable Moments

• The opening salvo of the first round saw a sall team of 2 germans killed instantly
• The motorcycle and sidecar was extremely effective and all but wiped out to small resistance teams of 2 & 3 people before being destroyed by the Resistance MMG.
• The German dogged determination to take the fight to the enemy.
• Hauptmann Steinheil killing his mistress after she tried to prevent him from leaving.
• The Resistance MMG set up in the woods opposite the house pinning most of the house down for the game.

Result

Axis victory. Upin realisation that they were under attack, the German response was to take the fight to the enemy rather than to seek shelter. This effetively stalled the Resistance attack and kept them penned up in the woods, buying valuable time for the Hauptmann to reach his armoured car and escape.

Further, at the point of escape, the Resistance leader was heavy pinned down and was unable to escape with what remained of the Resistance. He was captured, interrogated and subsequently shot.

Strength Deployed / Casualties

French Resistance
Strength Deployed: 7 men split into 3 squads, MMG team - 10 men in total (169 pts)
Casualties: 5 killed, 1 captured

German
Strength Deployed: 8 men split into 3 squads, Kradschutzen Bike with MMG (163pts)
Casualties: 4 men, 1 bike

Pictures

The road from Hanville to Caen. The Feldgendarmerie patrol the road whilst the Captain visits his mistress, while the Resistance advance through the trees.

The house of the mistress, under guard.

The Captain and his mistress on the second floor

The Partisans approach...

Bolt Action: Bois de Bavent Fuel Dump (Night raid)

Played – 4th November 2018

Normandy Invasion
D-Day +1

Scenario:Destroy Objective

British Army: 6^th Airborne Division, 8^th (Midlands) Parachute Battalion, Able Company, 1x 10-man Veteran Squad),1x MMG Team, 1x Sniper Team

Players:  2^nd Lieutenant Daniel Fox (Able Company)

Wehrmacht: Panzer Reserve

Players: Oberleutnant (1^st Lieutenant) Rudolf Weber  (Panzer Reserve)

Background
In the flooded, boggy lands East of Ranville, members of the 8th Parachute Battalion are tasked with destroying a fuel dump near Bois de Bavent. 

The dump is believed to be lightly held by elements of the Panzer Reserve but caution is still to be advised as the German Forces are likely to be numerically superior. Because of this, a night raid has been authorised.

Axis Objectives
Primary Objective: Defend the fuel dump until relief can arrive (6 turns)

Secondary Objective: Kill as many British soldiers as possible

Allied Objective
Destroy the fuel dump within 6 turns. After this, it is likely German forces will be able to muster sufficient strength to overwhelm the raiding party.  

Special Rules
1) Night raid (see page 219)

Memorable Moments

• The German Patrol stumbling upon the British MMG team and killing two of them in the ensuing firefight.
• British Sniper killing a member of the German MG42 team, causing them to FUBAR their next order test and run off.  
• The Airborne squad charging the Scout Car guarding the fuel dump. The charge failed to damage to car and was ultimately their downfall.
• The Airborne squad getting slowly mauled by the German squads attacking from all sides. They became pinned so heavily they were stuck for the rest of the game around the car and fuel dump.
• Daniel Fox killing Rudolf Weber.
• Daniel Fox being killed by a rifle shot to the back.
• Under fire, Daniel Fox's assistant setting the charges to blow the fuel dump and running, leaving the trapped Airborne squad to their fate.
  

Result

Allied pyrrhic victory. Despite technically completing their objective and killing Oberleutnant Weber, only 4 of the 17 soldiers sent to blow the dump returned alive. The Germans took a total of 5 casualties during the skirmish, though it is believed many more were lost in the subsequent explosion. The loss of the dump will delay any German armor to the east of Ranville while the bridges are further secured.

Such losses of the elite airborne troops over a fuel dump is unacceptable.

Strength Deployed / Casualties

Britain
Strength Deployed: 1x 2nd Lieutenant, 1x 10 man Airborne Squad (Veteran), 1x MMG Team (Veteran), 1x Sniper Team (Veteran),  (352 pts)
Casualties:13 men

German
Strength Deployed: 1x 1st Lieutenant, 3x 5 man Squad (Reg), 1x MG42 Team (Reg), 1x SDKFZ Scout Car (416pts)
Casualties:5 men

Pictures

View towards the fuel dump

Fuel dump and defences.

German patrol

 

German patrol discovering the British ambush and killing 2 of them.

The German MMG team, having redeployed to fight the ambush suffers a sniper casualty. They subsequently fail their order test and run away.

Lt. Daniel Fox taking cover behind the fuel dump (!) shoots at (and kills) Lt. Weber.

Airborne assault of the Scout Car

The charges are set, leaving the trapped airborne to their fate.

Bolt Action: Le Dormer Counterattack

Played – 26th October 2018

Normandy Invasion
D-Day +2

Scenario:Take and Hold

US Army: 175^th Infantry Regiment, Dog Company, 1st Platoon (2x 10-man Regular Squads), 743rd Tank Batallion (M4 and M10)

Players:  Captain Richard Lewis, (D Company Command)

Wehrmacht: 38^th Heer Infantry Division, 21st Panzer, SS Squad.

Players: Oberleutnant (1^st Lieutenant) Ernst Kitrich  (21st Panzer)

Background
The village of Le Dormer, just a couple of kilometres from Omaha beach has been heavily contested, and its resistance point has finally fell thanks to the efforts of the 175th and 743rd Tank Battalion.

However, determined to keep the Allies boxed in on the beaches, the 38th backed by elements of the 21st Panzer have launched a counter-attack. If they can take back the village and destroy the Allied tanks in the area, they will be in a much greater defensive position. Long live the Fuhrer!

Axis Objectives
Primary Objective: Retaking the Command Bunker at the far side of Le Dormer will be enough to show the Allies who holds the village.

Secondary Objective: Kill as many Allied Tanks as possible

Allied Objective
Prevent the Axis from securing the Bunker for 7 turns.

Special Rules
1) The Germans have 7 turns to take the Command Bunker and dig in, otherwise at the end a Squadron of P-47 Thunderbolts will strafe the area.
2) German side can only field 1x tank at the opening. All the rest of the armour must come as reserves.

Memorable Moments

• The SS creeping through the woods and wiping out the .30 cal MMG team on turn 1
• The Panzer IV THAT WOULD NOT DIE (5 direct hits and counting)
• The Panzer IV failing multiple order tests as a result of heavy pinning. It completely blocked the road stopping to Tiger and Stug from advancing.
• The Waffen-SS creeping up behind the M10 Wolverine that was causing the German Armour such a headache. They then fired fired both Panzerfausts at its rear armour and missed with both (with a roll of a 1 and a 2 to hit).
  

Result

Overwhelming Allied Victory.

Despite the odds heavily stacked against them, Dog Company prove a successful defence of Le Dormer. Trapping the tanks in the South East quadrant meant the 21st Panzer never got to bring their heavy guns to bear and the German assault quickly lost its impetus.

I really wanted to Germans to win this one. I stacked everything against the Allies - even the scenery defences were flipped to represent old German fortifications facing Omaha being reused by the Allies. 

The Panzer IV bottle necking the road was their undoing, coupled with some really bad dice rolls (every single Panzerfaust missed). The dug-in Allied Infantry could whittle away the advancing German infantry, and the M10 and anti-tank gun kept the German heavy armour from breaking out and running amok.  


Strength Deployed / Casualties

US
Strength Deployed: 1x Captain & Man, 2x 10 man Squads, 1x MMG Team, 1x Med Mortar Team, 1x Bazooka Team, 1x Tank Gun, 1x Sherman, 1xM10 (1066 pts)
Casualties: 1 Infantry soldier, 1 x MMG

German
Strength Deployed: 1x Lieutenant, 1x 10 man Infantry, 1x 10 man SS, 1x MG42 Team, 1x Panver IV, 1x Stug, 1x Tiger I, 1x Puma (1449pts)
Casualties: 6x Infantry Soldiers, 1x SS Solider, 1x MG42 squad member, 1x Panzer IV (immobilised so presumed lost during the retreat)

Pictures

Le Dormer, looking north towards Omaha

Le Dormer, looking south

The M10 (top) and anti-tank (extreme right) keep the pressure on the Panzer IV, stopping it dead.

Waffen-SS creep up behind the M10 Tank Destroyer and fire off all their Panzerfausts. They all miss.

The Stug tries to break out off-road but the crew becoe stunned from a direct hit from the M10 (hard cover, rolled a 6)

Bolt Action: The Guns of Saint-Clare

Played – 6th August 2017

Normandy Invasion
D-Day +1

Scenario: Destroy Objective

US Army: 175^th Infantry Regiment, Charlie Company, 3^rd and 4^th Platoons (4x 10-man Regular Squads + Reinforcements)

Players:  2^nd Lieutenant Russell Medina (C Company)

Wehrmacht: 38^th Heer Infantry Division (1x 10-man Regular Wehrmacht, 1x Veteran Fallschirmjäger, 1x MG 42, 1x Medium Mortar)

Players: Leutnant (2^nd Lieutenant) Hans Kloff  (38th)

Background

The small village of Saint-Clare is come to a small battery of German 105s, currently pounding Omaha Beach and prohibiting the Allies from properly deploying their Armor. Further, intelligence shows a small Axis Command Bunker in the area, as well rumours the is village being used a fuel dump for the nearby Panzer divisions.

Lieutenant Medina is tasked with rounding up as many men as he can get and attacking Saint-Clare, . He is told to expect well-entrenched resistance, but Command will keep funneling troops his way as-and-when they report themselves for duty.

The Panzer's are nearby, so the attack will have to be a hit-and-run.

Allied Objectives

Primary Objective: Silence the 105mm Artillery (kill the crew and be in base-to-base contact with the artillery piece).
Secondary Objective: Capture the Command Bunker and retrieve any intelligence / paperwork (kill the occupiers and remain in the bunker for an entire turn).
Tertiary Objective: Destroy the fuel dump (enter base-to-base contact with the dump)

Axis Objectives
Prevent the Allies from 'destroying' as many Objectives as they can for 7 turns.

Special Rules
1) When enough Allied soldiers have been killed to form a new squad, they can immediately enter the battlefield from their side of the table edge. Any new squad will require an NCO model.
2) All reinforcing Allied soldiers are regular troops.
3) The Allies have 7 turns to complete as many objectives as they can, after which, the Panzer's return and automatically force an Allied retreat.

Memorable Moments

1)   The Fallschirmjäger defending the Trench line, cutting down over 20 US troops before taking a single casualty.
2)  The assault on the Fallschirmjäger trench. Lt Medina leading a charge which wiped out the Fallschirmjäger in bitter hand-to-hand combat (the turn before the charge, they ran up to the lip of the trench and emptied their guns into the Paratroopers, softening them up).
3)   Lt Kloff driving back a hand-to-hand assault on the Command Bunker.
4)  A well-placed mortar strike killing most of the only squad still in a viable position to storm the Bunker with the time left (turn 5)

Result

Allied Phyrric Victory. Despite heavy losses, Charlie Company is successful in silencing the 105s, though they are driven back before being able to capture the Bunker or destroy the fuel dump.

Casualty List
US
Strength Deployed: 4x 10-man Squads + 2x 10-man Reinforcements (60 men + command)
Casualties: 37 men wounded or killed.

German
Strength Deployed: 2x 10-man Squads, 1x MMG, 1x Mortar (26 men + command)
Casualties: 10 men killed (The entire veteran Fallschirmjäger squad)

Allied Soldiers lining up to take Saint-Clare

The view from Saint-Clare

The Fallschirmjäger preparing to defend the village

The 105mm harassing Omaha Beach

Allied Objective 2: The Command Bunker 

The Fuel Dump

Fortified position of the Medium Mortar Team 

MG Nest overlooking the defences 

Bolt Action: Assault on Hill 16

Played – 28^th December 2016

Normandy Invasion
D-Day +1

Scenario: Take and Hold the Objective

US Army: 175^th Infantry Regiment, Dog Company, 2nd Platoon (2x 10-man squads, .30cal MG)

Players:  Captain Richard Lewis, (D Company Command)

Wehrmacht: 38^th Heer Infantry Division (2x 8-man Squads, MG 42, Medium Mortar)

Players: General Max Von Falley (38^th Command)

Background

Digging deeper in land, the 175^th are told to capture Hill 16 and prepare it for a Command Post. The Hill is already used by the 38^th Heer for just such a role, and Captain Richard Lewis is ordered to take Dog Company and drive them off.

Memorable Moments

1)     German mortar fire from the trees to the far left (top right in the picture) all but obliterating a squad taking shelter in the trees to the right (bottom left of the picture). 

Result

Axis Victory. The German mortars and machine guns are too well entrenched, and without Armour to reinforce them Captain Richard Lewis orders a retreat.

Terrain surrounding Hill 16

Bolt Action: Bridge over the River Aure

Played – 17^th December 2016 -> 22^nd December 2016

Normandy Invasion

Scenario: Take and Hold the Objective

US Army: 175^th Infantry Regiment, Charlie Company, 3^rd Platoon (850pts)

Players:  Captain Dwight Levenson, (C Company Command), 2^nd Lieutenant Russell Medina (C Company)

Wehrmacht: 38^th Heer Infantry Division (850pts)

Players: General Max Von Falley (38th Command), Leutnant (2^nd Lieutenant) Anders Jessek (38th)

Background

Following the retreat from Omaha beach, members of the 38^th reinforce a crossing over the River Aure. The crossing is a vital strategic bottleneck for Allied Armour, and General Von Falley orders Lieutenant Jessek to hold the bridge until reserved Armour can arrive.

Ordered by Captain Levenson to take the Bridge, 2^nd Lieutenant Medina takes elements of 3^rd Platoon to capture the bridge intact.

Memorable Moments

1)      The Stug crosses the bridge to engage the Allies, and is immobilized on the bridge itself and blocks the Allies from advancing! Immobilized, the tank continues to be a menace, all but annihilating a squad with its guns.

2)      Allied Squad crossing the river in a shallow point and advancing on a bunker with an MG42 team inside. The squad outflanks the MMG, but is surprised by newly arrived German infantry reinforcements. Trapped by an MG42 emplacement and fresh German infantry, the squad is all but killed before fleeing.

Result

Allied Victory. Despite heavy losses, Charlie Company is successful in securing the bridge for Allied Armour.