Enemy in the Crosshairs - Revenge

The StUG III loads an APCR round and fires at the undamaged T-34. 

It's a hit! The APCR round slices through the T-34's armour with catastrophic results. The T-34 explodes sending its turret into the sky. There are no survivors. 

The other T-34 commander decides to withdraw from the battle. 

Enemy in the Crosshairs - Bailout!

As the PZKpfW IV explodes the remaining crew try to escape. Based on the battle cards they drew, the driver and assistant driver manage to make it out. Slowed down by their wounds, the gunner and commander are not so lucky. 

Enemy in the Crosshairs - Not Dead Yet

The previously damaged T-34 is still on fire. The player draws a battle card and since it has a fire extinguisher icon on it, 

the manages to put the fire out. The crew could now switch around to replace the dead driver, but there is no time to waste. Inspired by their commander's example, the crew loads and fires at the PzkpfW IV.

It's a critical hit and penetration on the turret! The tank's main gun is damaged. The gunner is wounded and the loader is KIA. A battle card is drawn to see if the tank explodes. The drawn card has an explosion icon on it. 

So the tank explodes!

Enemy in the Crosshairs - The German Move to Cover

The PzKpfW IV decides to move closer to the objective and avoid being flanked by the Russians. His unflanking maneuvre works. He is on the hill and ready to fight. 

Enemy in the Crosshairs - The Russians hit back

The other Russian tank accelerates and gets to the hill. He manages to flank the PnzKw IV and takes a shot. The shot hits the German tank's turret and penetrates the armour wounding the tank commander and loader. By a miracle a fire doesn't start in the turret. 

Tank Duel - Enemy in the Crosshairs - Contact!!

T-34 #1 advances to the objective. Almost immediately it runs into mud and gets bogged down. A Stug takes advantage of the situation and fires a shot from 1400m. It manages to penetrate the hull. The subsequent fire kills the driver and wounds the loader. The combination of the fire and seeing their comrades wounded and killed breaks the morale of the crew.

Tank Duel - Enemy in the Crosshairs - GMT Games

Trying something different today. GMT Games' Tank Duel - Enemy in the Crosshairs. This is not your usual game. For one it has no board or map to play on. Instead each tank is represented by a board that contains all the details of the tank. 

Critically this includes the crew. This game is meant to portray armour combat in World War 2 from the crew perspective. I am just working through the tutorial, but I am already thinking this is a game that will do a great job of simulating some of the confusion and stress or armour combat from the crew seat. 

In the game each card represents a different type of tank an provides the stats to represent the combat capabilities and advantages and disadvantages of each tank type. For the tutorial I will be fielding PZKPfW IV AUSf. G and a StUG III AUSf. G versus two T-34/76 M43s. 

In addition to each tank having its own characteristics, each tank crew and commander have ratings that affect the combat ability of unit. 

While each tank maneuvers to gain an advantage, flank the enemy or seek cover, crews are involved in loading, commanding, spotting, and acquiring enemy tanks. 

If the game components are anything to go by, this is going to be a very enjoyable game. 

I will let you know how the tutorial went in the next post. Until then, Panzer Vor!!