Firestorm: Red Thunder

Leytenant Suvorov nodded as he received his orders. The first company under the battalion commander would engage the Germans, while his company swung wide on the right flank to bypass them and push on to the objective.

Should be simple enough, he thought. Just like the last time.

So opened my first attempt at Recon in Force, one of the new Quick Missions. With a small 55-point force, it was ideal for a quick lunchtime game against Sean.

As the fourth game of our studio Firestorm Campaign, my initial thought was to go for Nuremberg and complete cutting off Chris's thrust towards Leipzig. However, my fellow Warsaw Pact commanders convinced me that Munich was a tastier prize.

Suvorov's five tanks moved at speed around the flank, keeping the woods between them and the enemy. behind him, the battalion commander led the rest of the battalion (what was left of it) forward to engage the Germans, hoping for an early kill.

Radio reports of tank after tank running into booby traps in the woods were soon replaced by reports of tank after tank tipping their hats to the heavy German tanks. Within minutes, the radio went silent as the last of main force died fighting.

Realising that he was going to have to engage the Germans alone, Suvorov ordered his tanks to spread out to cover the objectives. If he could hold on and delay the Germans, reinforcements would soon arrive, tipping the balance.

Unfortunately, the tank tasked with taking the middle objective ran into another dastardly German booby trap in the woods.

Stoically, Suvorov ordered his men to open fire, observing hits on the Germans, but no lasting effect.

Unfortunately, the German gunnery proved too be devastating. The tanks holding the objectives were quickly destroyed, along with Suvorov's own tank.

Quickly jumping aboard the last surviving tank, Suvorov retired to report his success in locating the Germans.

With the battle over and the battlefield in German hands, the possibility of taking Munich disappeared. Instead, the threat of a German counter-thrust into Salzburg loomed.

Fortunately, Sean failed to roll the 4+ needed to take the area I attacked out of, so no areas changed hands.