For Christmas I picked up a copy of Big CoC2, the supplement that guides you through creating larger battles in CoC2. This is a case of trying to run before you can walk as I am relatively new to the rules, but I like the idea of larger battles, possibly bringing in some other players but more just extending a scenario over multiple phase lines.
As I was playing solo, I also thought I would take the opportunity to see exactly how flamethrowers work in this game without irritating my opponent and, more importantly, how to defend against them. So all good fun.
The scenario is a deep battlefield scenario, where there is an intermediary phase line and the final objective. The way CoC works in this case is that the lead platoon is replaced by the following platoon once the initial phase line is taken, in this case the high ground where the cottage is. The final objective was placed on the crossroads, and the scenario played out on a 4’X8’ table.
A German panzergrenadier platoon defends, bolstered by a PaK40 AT gun, a light infantry gun and an additional panzergrenadier section. Because the odds are two to one they are awarded extra support and CoC points so they also opted for a second senior commander, a minefield and mines in the verges along with two emplacements for their guns.
The British spent most of their support points on the Churchill Crocodile (attached to the lead platoon), rounding things out with a 6 pdr., engineer team, replen point, smoke barrage and an adjutant, all held at the HQ level, a new level of command in Big CoC2. The adjutant in Big CoC2 can be subbed in as a replacement senior commander in a pinch. Because I was playing solo I drew up three support options for each side and then chose randomly.
1. The battlefield from the German lines
The British enter from the top. The objective is at the crossroads, just to the right of the big farmhouse in the foreground. The phase line objective is the high ground where the cottage is upper left. German jump off points are established in the cottage top left, deep in the woods (top right), behind the hedge row (mid-left) and in the farm yard at the bottom.
2. The battlefield from the British lines
A high stone wall spans most of the British start line (bottom), with a few gaps. Jump off points are established at both ends of the wall, with one a bit more forward (bottom left) on the edge of the woods.
3. First Phase line
The phase line objective is in the cottage on the high ground. The British need to secure this as it dominates the crossroads below.
4. The Objective
The final objective is the cross roads to the right of the farmhouse.
Phase 1 - The High Ground
5. Suppressing fire on jump off point
The Germans get the initiative and deploy from their advanced JOP, only a couple of moves away from the British JOP. They immediately lay down suppressing fire on the JOP.
6. Cottage occupied, fire team sent to windmill
At the same time they deploy a second section and senior leader into the cottage, sending a light machinegun team over to take up a commanding position in the upper floor of the windmill.
7. Unwelcome guest to the party
The British lead off with their beast, but the Crocodile spots a minefield blocking the road where it passes through a high stone wall and changes course.
8. British section moves to protect threatened jump off point
The first British section deploys from their rear JOP on the left flank, along with a 2” mortar. The mortar drops a smoke round in front of the cottage while the rifle section scrambles to cover the threatened JOP.
9. 2" mortar goes into action
10. Jump off point seized
A second British section is deployed on the far side of the railbed, moving to engage, but the Germans win the race. One of their light machinegun teams seize the JOP, and although they take some heat from the British they immediately end the turn (they had started with a full CoC die) reducing the already lower British morale by 1.
11. Windmill put to the torch, phase line surrendered
The Crocodile manages to maneuver to where it has a clear line of sight through the gap and sends a burst of flame into the windmill, now occupied by a light machinegun team - three of the four there are killed. Not visible here, but another British section had reached the wall to the right, and although taking some heat were in a position to soon spot the other Germans still concealed in the cottage. With their units on the right flank outnumbered, the Germans decide to cut their losses, and abandon the phase line in a tactical withdrawal, gaining one morale point for the morale differential between the platoons but not inflicting enough damage to the lead platoon to prevent them from going into reserve.
While the 2nd platoon consolidates on the phase line, the Germans, with the same platoon, slightly recovered, regroups on their new objective, the crossroads.
Phase 2 - The Crossroads
12. 2nd Platoon takes over the advance
Using the raised railway bed as cover the second platoon begins its advance on the crossroads while the Crocodile rolls up across the fields to their right in support.
13. Advance under cover of rail bed
14. Overview
A second section follows the first (bottom) while the Croc rolls across the road (no mines!) looking to maneuver into range of the farmhouse if and when the sneaky Germans finally show their faces.
15. German guns open fire
The German infantry gun and Pak 40 open fire on the advancing infantry from entrenched positions flanking the rail bed. The British scramble for the cover of the orchard.
16. Overview
At top two British sections, caught in the open, race for cover while the third section deploys from the cottage and begins to make its way forward along a stone fence. The Crocodile rolls up the middle.
17. Taking heavy fire on the road
The German infantry finally show up, deploying three sections over a double move as the Crocodile comes into panzerfaust range. The Panzergrenadiers rake the advancing British infantry and unleash six panzerfaust shots against the Crocodile. None of the panzerfausts score a hit - all they succeed in doing is getting the Crocodile a bit riled up.
18. Broken!
But it’s out of the frying pan into the fire for the lead British section. Spotted on the road they are gutted by light machinegun and rifle fire and break, along with the platoon sergeant.
19. Overview, British advance stalled
The broken section, along with a senior leader, fall back top right while next to them the second section hugs the cover of the railbed as the German guns continue their fire. In the farmhouse three sections are now deployed, one still hidden in the bottom floor although a scout team is sent out with the section’s panzerfausts to make another attempt at knocking out the Crocodile. On the German left (bottom) a fourth PG section deploys and fires its panzerfausts at the Crocodile (more misses!) while their small arms catch the third British section in the open on the wrong side of the wall. At this point the Germans use a CoC die to end another turn. The first two “Bad Things Happen” rolls reduce the British morale to 2, so the British are forced to spend a CoC die to avoid the third. Now with only three command dice at their disposal, the entire British advance grinds to a halt.
20. Crocodile toasts the farmhouse
As the British infantry try to recover (hoping to accumulate enough CoC points to swap in the first platoon) the Crocodile unleashes some fiery retribution. A blast at the farmhouse causes little damage but a great deal of consternation..
21. And then the German section on British right gets flamed
It then turns its attention to the German section on the British right that had ventured forward to deliver its two (failed) panzerfaust shots. The section had lingered too long, hoping to break the British section caught in the open along the stone wall, and now suffer badly as a result.
22. German commander to the rescue
The German senior leader exits the farmhouse to rally the section that has been flamed in the open. The section shakes off its shock and dashes back to the cover of the orchard.
23. Smoke barrage arrives
At this point, delayed a turn, the British smoke barrage arrives! Laid down to provide some cover to give the British time to regroup, it ends up mostly protecting the Germans from subsequent Crocodile bursts.
24. But fails to protect the third British section as it enters the orchard
The smoke screen also fails to protect the third British section, still in good shape, that had moved into the orchard for cover from the German guns. The fourth Panzergrenadier section, hiding in the farmhouse basement, now breaks cover to move into the orchard and engage the British. A couple of rounds of light machinegun fire tear the enemy up, pinning the British section.
25. Pinned!
26. Um - time to go, maybe?
Mission accomplished, the Germans in the orchard, calling in their scouting team, scramble back to the farmhouse as the Crocodile rolls out of the smoke and into the orchard.
27. 80 d6 later...
About 80 d6 of fire is poured over a series of turns from five German machine gun teams into the British section that has been pinned by the cottage. Finally this succeeds in breaking that section, reducing the British morale to 0 and ending the game.
28. End of game
So despite a rocky start the Germans manage to survive the onslaught of the Crocodile and break the British attack. Interestingly enough, the second platoon’s 2” mortar, PIAT team and 6 pdr. never had an opportunity to deploy in the second phase. The British also still had the first platoon, in very good shape, held in HQ reserve but again never had the points to swap them in as these needed to be spent to avoid going to 0 moral when the first section was broken.
The whole game played through quite quickly, with the first phase line surrendered early - I think that quick victory made the British a bit cocky in the second half. The tactical withdrawal worked well for the Germans, although they had hoped to stick it out on the first phase line a bit longer and cause a bit more damage - the Crocodile put an end to that silliness. Overall I really liked the way these Big CoC2 rules played out and it was fun to have a scenario that extended over a deeper battlefield, longer timeline and with more pieces in play. I look forward to diving deeper into these going forward.
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