The Portable Wargame at Dice on the Hill

Last week I took my PORTABLE WARGAME to the local gaming group, Dice on the Hill. I chose three interlinked Eastern Front/Great Patriotic War World War II scenarios and a slightly simplified version of the rules.

Several of the gamers had expressed an interest in the rules, and I had not difficulty in recruiting a willing volunteer (KenM_7!) to give the rules a try. He usually plays Frostgrave, and before we started he was a bit apprehensive that it would take him a long time to learn the rules, and he was shocked when I replied that I would be surprised if he need to look at them much after the third turn. As it was, by turn 3 of the first game he was pretty well au fait with the rules and only looking at them very occasionally.

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The scenarios I chose were as follows:

BARBAROSSA MINI-CAMPAIGN: BATTLE NO.1: CROSSING THE RIVER

Both sides had six units plus a commander available to take part in the battle.

The invading Germans have:

• Four infantry units (= 16 SPs)
• One artillery unit (= 2 SPs)
• One machine gun unit (= 2 SPs)
• A commander (= 6 SPs)

Note: The Germans will become exhausted when they have lost 9 Strength Points.

The defending Russians have:

• Three infantry units (= 12 SPs)
• One artillery unit (= 2 SPs)
• One anti-tank gun unit (= 2 SPs)
• One machine gun unit (= 2 SPs)
• A commander (= 6 SPs)

Note: The Russians will become exhausted when they have lost 8 Strength Points.

The Germans advance from the bottom edge of the terrain and the Russians enter from the opposite edge.

BARBAROSSA MINI-CAMPAIGN: BATTLE NO.2: COUNTERATTACK!

Once the Germans had broken through the Russian front-line, they advanced as rapidly as they could into Soviet territory. The Russian response was to send all available units forward to meet the invaders, to defeat them, and then to throw them back across the border.

The Germans have:

• Three infantry units (= 12 SPs)
• One machine gun unit (= 2 SPs)
• Two tank units (= 6 SPs)
• A commander (= 6 SPs)

Note: The Germans will become exhausted when they have lost 9 Strength Points.

The Russians have:

• Four infantry units (one of which is militia) (= 15 SPs)
• One anti-tank Gun unit (= 2 SPs)
• One tank unit (= 3 SPs)
• A commander (= 6 SPs)

Note: The Russians will become exhausted when they have lost 9 Strength Points.

The Germans begin with three units occupying the built-up area. The rest enter after the battle begins. The battle begins when the first Russian units (led by their tank unit) enter the terrain.

BARBAROSSA MINI-CAMPAIGN: BATTLE NO.3: DEFENCE LINE

After the Russian counter-attack, the Germans continued their advance into Soviet territory. By this stage Russian resistance was weak, and the Germans knew that if they were to reach Moscow before the snows of Winter arrived, they had to push on and destroy all remaining Russian forces. In response, Stalin issued Order No. 227 on 28th July 1942. It was intended to help stiffen resistance and included the command 'Not one step back!' (Ни шагу назад!/Ni shagu nazad!), an order that was ferociously enforced by blocking detachments of the NKVD. Soldiers (including officers) who retreated without written permission were liable to be shot on the spot or sent to a penal battalion (штрафной батальон/shtrafnoy batalyon).

The Germans have:

• Three infantry units (= 12 SPs)
• One machine gun unit (= 2 SPs)
• One artillery unit (= 2 SPs)
• One tank unit (= 3 SPs)
• A commander (= 6 SPs)

Note: The German will become exhausted when they have lost 9 Strength Points.

The Russians have:

• Two infantry units (= 8 SPs)
• One machine gun unit (= 2 SPs)
• One artillery unit (= 2 SPs)
• A commander (= 6 SPs)

Note: The Russians will become exhausted when they have lost 6 Strength Points but as they are defending and will obey Stalin's 'Not one step back!' order, this will not seriously affect them.

The Russians start in their defences. The battle begins when the leading German units enter the bottom edge of the terrain.

TROOPS AND TERRAIN REQUIRED

• Germans: sixteen infantry figures, a machine gun + two crew figures, a gun + two crew figures, two tanks, and a commander.
• Russians: Twelve infantry figures, three militia infantry figures, a machine gun + two crew figures. an anti-tank gun + two crew figures, a gun + two crew figures, a tank, and a commander.
• Terrain: 8 x 6 green Hexon II hexes, 6 x 1 green Hexon II hexes, 6 x 1 Hexon II blue hexes, 1 x 2 Hexon II hex hills, 6 tree bases, 5 lengths of barricades, 2 bridges, and 3 small buildings.

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During the course of the evening, several other gamers paid visits to the table we were using and expressed an interest in giving the rules a try in the near future. I had taken several copies of the rules and scenarios with me ... and they all went!

As to my opponent (KenM_7!)) ... well, he enjoyed the experience and took several photographs, and these are shown below. As the German player, he also beat me very, very soundly!

One of the interested spectators (Leon!) also took some photographs.

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Please note that the photographs shown above are © KenM_7! and Leon! of the Dice on the Hill gaming group.