What? Yet another rule set.....

This weeks game saw us play a small WW2 with around 500 point(ish) aside using the Iron cross rules for the first time. I have been keen to play test these rules as we have had them for some months now without playing a game with them, also my WW2 armies having been gathering dust as we have been busy wargaming other periods and various different rule sets of Late and the WW2 gaming had been placed on the back burner somewhat., so I hoped that the rules might help rekindle my excitement in gaming the WW2 period.

American 75mm Shermans and infantry detachments advance cautiously down the road.

Panzer IV Tanks at the ready for the advancing American armour

Grenadiers and panzershreck team occupy the ruined building 

American Infantry Rush towards the church to seek cover

I kept the forces small and simple with both armies almost a carbon copy of each other with a mixture of a few tanks and infantry squads with support teams. We played the engagement scenario from tne book, both my dad and I lost a unit from reserves as they became lost on their way to the battlefield, I quite liked this rule as it means your not guaranteed any of your reserves will arrive, on a bad day rolling the dice you might find you don't get any of your reserves which would be a major blow to your battle plans. So the rules themselves, did we enjoy them? The answer to that is yes definetly. Once you get to grips with the activation and reaction command phase it really opened up a tactical game with lots of possibilities. The rules are for the most part really straight forward, we got stuck on a couple of issues regarding tank damage ( this since has been sorted out) and made a couple of mistakes as we forgot a couple of the rules e.g infantry not penalised for moving and firing, that aside we managed to complete the game and I managed to grab a victory with the Americans.  I particularly liked the fact that tanks operating too close to enemy infantry unsupported by your own infantry were penalised when firing and moving, all to often infantry have played only a small part in games we have played with previous rules sets, in Iron cross they have a purpose and can be a major threat to isolated tanks. The firing system was all based around a D10 and a D6, in this game I never rolled more than two at a time (a vast difference from our flames of war days). With only a small chart to check when determining pluses and minuses to the diice score, this made for a swift turn sequence. 

The panzer IV's are both knocked out by reaction moves from the American tanks

The M5 hides behind the ruined building after a flank shot blew up the remaining panzer IV, 

A Pak 40 well hidden awaits the US armours advance along the road 

The lead Sherman becomes the victim of the Pak40 with its first shot.

A Marder III M lurks behind tne hill line

American infantry and 76mm Anti tank gun cover the road

An American Tank hunter and Jumbo engage the distant German Stug and Panzer III 

The Stug IV G is destroyed by the M10 taking the Germans over their breakpoint

How the battlefield looked.

I'm really looking forward to having another game with Iron Cross using a larger force, probably twice the size as this game, now I have a understanding of how the rules work. They definitely suited my dad s taste as they were a quick moving set of rules without been bogged down with too much detail (all though he does like battlegroup he finds them somewhat 'clunky', which i understand.) and although they don't go into major detail i.e. seperating different tanks etc, e.g Panzer III M/N/E all have the same stat line,and there is no off table artillery strikes or airplane attacks  it didn't take the feel away from the period we were gaming and certainly didn't make any difference to my dad or I. So in a nutshell thumbs up from us both and definetly wet my appetite to play some more WW2 games.