BKC - with photos!

I managed another game of BKC tonight, down at CLWC with Jesse. I found myself defending again, but gave myself a disadvantage by making it a counterattack rather than a scenario where I could take field defences. No full AAR to offer you, but I did remember to take some photos!

Setup
The Germans outnumbered me still, and I had a fright when nine Panzers IVs appeared on flank deployment. My motley four tanks cowered behind a strategically placed wood (itself full of infantry). To top it off, twenty stands of German infantry swarmed on the opposite table edge. My loose plan - pin the infantry with artillery and hunker my infantry down in cover until I could bring combined firepower to bear on the Panzers.

Mid game, our armour spent much of the time hiding from each other behind the aforementioned wood. Especially after my reaction fire took out a handful of Panzers which poked their noses out. Very good rolling to blame there.

Game end, I did bring some armour round to pin the Panzers down, with limited success. By now, my artillery observer (by the red building) had used consistent and accurate gunnery to flatten a lot of German infantry, while his German counterparts spectacularly failed to do much at all. Note my small flanking force in the top right, it never really got into the game. Fear of my big guns led to the Germans hunkering down much as I had, allowing me to nibble away and take a victory - 12 units destroyed by me and the Germans at break point. Somehow, I lost just one AT gun.

While I stuck with a plan and took the victory, I must confess I had some blinding luck, so can't take too much credit for my strategy. Jesse took my artillery firepower with good grace, even when I flattened 30% of his infantry in one artillery barrage.

Lessons:
-three batteries of 25pdrs firing on infantry in the open is just impolite.
-placing troops on the wing can take them out of the game entirely.
-hiding precious tanks behind woods isn't bold, but gives them a chance of influence and surviving the game!

Next time, we agreed to try bringing the game to 1943 to move away from the 'big guns' and I might attack some dug-in Germans. I'm looking forward to it!