Firestorm: Red Thunder

On Saturday 26 August a bunch of us from the Battlefront Studio gathered at Pete’s house for a big game for the Red Thunder campaign. Myself and Pete set up a big 15’(4.5m) x 5’(1.5m) table. The idea was to play an attack/defence game with the Warsaw Pact attacking and the NATO forces in phased lines down the table. The Soviets had about 400 points that came on the table in turn one. The NATO side had 300 points on table and 100 points in reserve.

I took command of my 100 points of Soviets on the right, while Casey commanded the centre and Pete the left. Facing me was Phil with British on the right, Aaron faced Casey in the centre with his Americans and Chris took the NATO left with his Americans. My own West Germans were the NATO reserve which would be commanded by whoever needed them.
As I’m sure the rest of the crew will tell their tails in reports, this report will concentrate on my battle on the left against Phil’s British.
In this situation the Chieftain is the ideal defensive tank, with a powerful gun and good front armour, it poor side armour, lack of stabiliser, and slow speed would not come into place. I feared I may have been facing an uphill struggle.

The first turn went smoothly where we all Dashed rapidly across the first sector of the table to the overpass and side road. One T-72 company advanced from the Autobahn towards the village on the left with the other approached the village right. The motor rifle company followed behind mounted in their BMP-2s, with supporting artillery and AA in front of them. Ahead a flight of Hinds attacked the village.

One British Chieftain Troop occupied the village with a pair of Blowpipe Spartans covering them from the behind. The Chieftain HQ and second and third troop were further back in some woods. As the Hinds flew in to attack the front Chieftain Troop they were hit by a wave of anti-aircraft fire from VADS, Blowpipes and Rapiers and fell out of the sky without a shoot being fired.
My T-72s on the Autobahn then came under intense fire from the British Chieftains and Swingfire missiles. Over several turns they slowly ground down the company until eventually their morale failed. Meanwhile the advance on the village had stalled. The Chieftains positioned there were firing and them scooting back out of line-of-sight, eventually one was bailed by the some BMP-2 flank shots while another was destroyed by Casey’s T-64s advancing up the Autobahn. I pushed my second T-72 company around left of the village to engage the Chieftains, but once the again return fire, and that of Chris and Aaron’s Cobras, laid waste to my company.

I did eventually destroy two Chieftains with a barrage from my three Carnations. Casey did make some progress knocking out an ambushing Chieftain Troop and my BMP-2s destroyed the Swingfires with Spandrel missile fire.
After six turns we called it quits and retired for dinner and declared a NATO victory. I’d only advanced my force as far as the railway line.
We hope to have another big game, next time across the short length.