What a Tanker!!

So with Mrs kingsleypark and youngest daughter away to see some arty farty play at Dundee Rep, Roo and I had time on our hands to get some extra gaming in. 

We had been looking at the rules for the old Avalon Hill Hex and Counter game, "The Russian Campaign" and although the rules only amount to 6 pages it still looked a bit of a time sink to play the game so we decided we would come back to that at a later date.

He wanted to try something new so I suggested we play "What a Tanker!" by TooFat Lardies.

Now I had played WaT a couple of times with the THAGGers, the last time being a Tiger I (me) taking on a seemingly never ending stream of Shermans (the Tiger won 6-0, if I remember rightly -

Does it bring back memories Gary and Neil??

Strangely enough, I've never been able to persuade the THAGGers to bring it back to the table. However, after a quick peruse of the rules Roo declared himself up for the challenge. He had wanted to use my 20mm T-34's but I got some nice shiny 28mm Panzer IV's and Shermans last year and they had not yet been blooded so being the host of the game I got to decide and so the 28mm version it was.

A roll on the scenario table decided we were going to play the "Fat Boy" scenario and with Roo taking the Panzers and me the Shermans the scene was set somewhere in Normandy......

For those of you have never played WaT, the rules are, in my opinion, very straightforward,

You roll 6 dice ("the command dice") and the results will determine what you can do for that turn. 

"1" allows you to move up to 2d6 forwards;

"2" allows you to try and acquire a target;

"3" allows you to aim at a target;

"4" allows you to shoot at at target;

"5" allows you to reload;and 

"6" is a wild die allowing you to change it to any of the above results or hold it over to the next turn to add +1 to your initiative roll. Alternatively, if your tank has suffered temporary damage and you have lost a command die then the wild die can restore that missing die to the pool.

Therein lies the marmite aspect of the game - sometimes your rolls will produce a result that doesn't allow you to do anything for that turn thus leaving you at the mercy of your opponent who might then roll all the results they need to get behind you and shoot you up the proverbial. Some people take bad to that aspect - "I should be able to do something!" they cry but I think it is actually quite a clever mechanism, the trade mark "friction" element that the Lardies are known for including in their games.

The number of obstacles that lie between you and your opponent will make it more difficult for you to acquire your target (in essence each obstacle between you and your opponent requires a "2" on the command dice. No maximum range but if the target is more than 48 inches away you require a "7" or more to hit as opposed to a "6" and again each obstacle will increase the to hit score required. 

If a hit is scored then the attacking vehicle rolls a number of dice equal to it's strike factor (eg a Sherman rolls 6 strike dice, a Panzer IVF2 rolls 7). If the defending tank is "unbuttoned, that is the tank commander has got his head outside the turret, then an extra strike dice is added.

If hitting a target from the front a hit is scored on a "5", a critical on a "6", flank hits are on a "4" and criticals on a "5" or a "6" and when firing at the rear a "3" scores a hit and criticals scored on a "4", "5" or "6". The defending tank then gets to roll their defence dice (Shermans have 6 and Panzer IVF2's only have 5) and each score of a 5 or a 6 cancels one of the scoring attack dice.

If the defending player rolls more successes than there are hits then there is no effect. If the scores are tied then the defending tank will retreat directly backwards on a roll of 1-5 and on a "6" the defending tank will temporarily lose a command die. If the attacker rolls 1 or 2 more successes more than the defender then if the damage is deemed to temporary and the defender will lose that number of command dice and if the damage is deemed to permanent (where the attacker has scored more critical hits than normal hits) then bad things happen to the defending tanks usually in the form of reduced movement or firing ability. 

If the attacker rolls 3 or more successes than the defender then the latter goes "boom", although there is a chance the crew will escape again depending on whether the attacker scored more critical hits than normal hits.

So it was that Jeremy Carruthers in his Sherman "Pip Pip" and Peter Pentacle in "Mavis" faced up to the dreaded Hun.

The first couple of turns were a bit cagey, with either not enough move or acquisition dice being rolled but finally Peter and "Mavis" got their chance to shoot at Baron Von Lemurstein needing a "7" to hit -

A hit! Now to roll the strike dice -

3 Criticals!! What will Jerry roll???

No saves!!!

Scratch one Panzer!!!

The hunt was on for Mr Gruber in the other Jerry Panzer lurking in the corner of the battlefield. Jeremy and "Pip Pip" were dawdling but Peter was a tanker possessed and soon got Jerry in his sights and on the flank. Another successful hit roll and the strike dice were rolled -

Another 3 hits! What will Jerry do??

Epic fail - no saves!!

Kaboom!!!

Game over!! We could only have played 30 mins or so, if that. Which is why WaT is an ideal club or show game, it really does move very quickly and whilst the crap command dice rolls can be frustrating I really think that just adds to the flavour as you watch helplessly as your opponent scoots past you whilst your driver has stalled the engine, or your gunner has taken his eye off the action and lost sight of the enemy who soon has you in his sights.

Being the sporting chap that I am and given the game had ended so quickly, we set up again, this time using the "Long Ball" set up.

Hero of the first game, Peter Pentacle, suddenly realises that despite it being the full length of the table, there is only one obstacle between him and Jerry Tank Commander. Surely he can't do it again can he?? Yes he can!!

3 hits!!

Jerry Tank Commander fails to save!!

Another flaming wreck!!

Jeremy decides it was time he got in to the action.

Jeremy opens fire!

2 hits!! Mr Gruber (who had bailed out of his tank in the previous game) saves 1 hit so the damage is temporary and loses 1 command die as a result

Meanwhile Peter and Mavis move in for the kill

However, Mr Gruber fires back at Jeremy, who in the excitement of the chase had decided to stay unbuttoned, thus giving Mr Gruber an extra strike dice 

Oh dear! No saves for Jeremy!

A sad sight

Peter and Mr Gruber size each other up

OH OH! Mr Gruber moves in for the kill.

Peter shoots first but his fire is ineffectual. Still he had rolled 3 "1"'s on the command dice. Slam the gear into reverse and let's get out of here! Oh! Only 5 inches back. Mr Gruber shoots, hits and then rolls (again Peter has got his head out of the turret).

3 criticals and a normal hit! Not looking good for Peter

Who can only roll 1 save. Boom goes Peter and Mavis!

Revenge is sweet for Mr Gruber!

So honours even on the night with 1 game each. 

The rules do provide a campaign ladder whereby you can play a series of games, gaining kill rings for each enemy tank destroyed, becoming an ace at 5 kills and thus gaining a tanker card which gives a bonus during the game and, if you have the models to do it, can see your tanker graduate to more powerful tanks.

Although as can be seen from Peter's example above, a tanker's success story can often be cut short too soon...........