DUST: Die Experimentelle Waffe (Experimental Weapon)

Kommandant, I know you are very busy tracking SS remnants within the borders of the Reich, but I'm sure you'll find interesting this Battle Report from the 203pzabt and 144th Luftlande in Ukraine.
The following was recorded from an attack against Nazi remnants, the 203 and 144th had been alerted that SS-Fanatics stole equipment and weapons in Ukraine and discovered a well-equipped SS platoon, they even acquired some of our most recent innovations and equipment like the Wotan-AR and...a Koenigslothar of their own!

High-Command asked us to engage them on the Tuesday, sadly we found the SS were moving VK barrels and the 203pzabt had to strike in the early morning lights in the small city of Chervonyy on Sunday, before the reinforcements had arrived..

Conditions of the Battle: Coldsnap
<<Autumn is finishing and again we will have to use this old Koenigslothar in the cold of winter...Remember what happened to it and the Panzer IV's last year?>> <<I sure hope the engines won't stall! Hopefully we'll receive one of the brand new model as a st-Nicholas' gift...>>
--Koenigslothar's mechanics talking

Battle Objectives: VK Recovery
<<How the hölle could these SS find VK?! We cannot let them go away with it.>>
--203 Feldwebel

Deployment of the Battle: Double Envelopment
<<The ambush is set, now let's attack their rearguard!>>
--203 Grenadier

Forces:
Axis: 203 Experimental Pzbt (Sturmgrenadiers Platoon)

The 203 back in the fray! This time with aerial superiority and mass artillery.

Command: Kommandotrupp
1st Section: Heavy Flak Grenadiers (+grenades)
2nd Section: Battle Grenadiers (+grenades)
Support 1: Koenigslothar (DDI, 90pts version)
Platoon Upgrade: Panzerpioneer

144 Blutkreuz Luftland Section (Blutkreuz Platoon)
Command: Sturmpionere
1st Section: Heavy Laser Grenadiers (+high visibility lasers)
2nd Section: Ubertoten Assault Squad
4th Section: Laser Grenadiers (+grenades)
Hero: Sigrid Von Thaler (joining the Laser Grenadiers)
Support 1: Horten IV
Support 2: Horten IV
Platoon Upgrade: 2nd Generation Serum

SS-Fanatics: Commander Guillaume H.
The details are blurry but they had stolen the following:

-Koenigslothar? Where could ex-SS put their hands on such a weapon? The camo suggest one of our Zverograd Artillery Company lost one of theirs.

-Wotan

-What is this new design?! I thought we had closed any SS-affiliated factory or research lab. Where did they get that?
This is most serious and must be investigated by Abwehr agents!

-Sturmpionere equipment as well as a cargo of 2nd Generation Serum.

Pre-Battle Analysis:

Guillaume brought a lot of troops, a Wotan (I expected no less from him) and a plane (this was a surprise) as well as a Sturmprinz...Was I forgetting to mention he also had a Koenigslothar?
I'm quite affraid of the Wotan (almost took one myself to try and remove his and his Koenigslothar) and he has a better anti-aircraft firepower than I expected...
I do think my two planes will have plenty of targets with all the troops on the table, and if I can take Guillaume's Horten and Sturmprinz, then my Luftwaffe shall have mastery of the skies!

As for objectives, Guillaume placed two of them very close to his deployment and another one midway between two zones, I place one in the central bridge and one close to what I now expected would be the Deployment area Guillaume would leave me.
So two easily scored objectives to one, that will be a though match! Even if I usually never win I don't back from though matches! (As this blog can attest ;))

Bonus Analysis:

I'm fielding the new Sigrid miniature fully painted, I cannot loose!

Paolo, please show me what ''Italian Campaign'' camouflage is, I'm desperate.

The Game:

Deployment:

Aerial view of Chervonyy's rural district in Ukraine.

On the Bottom Left, the main assault from the 144 Luftlande with support from the 203's experimental pzabt and its Koenigslothar.

On the Bottom Right, the main SS-Fanatics Force well armed with a Wotan and a Koenigslothar of their own.

On Top Right: a small interception force from the 203pzabt with strong air support from the 144th.

On the Top Left: a decent SS-Fanatics force with a new kind of airplane and a transport. Also, a spotter squad for their artillery.

Aerial view of all the forces deployed.

The SS-Wotan's engines holding, he blitzes into position to aim for the 203's Koenigslothar. His attack will leave the vehicle on the edge of total destruction (1damage left) and totally immobilized.
Panzerpioneers from the 203 will have to work relentlessly in order to keep their Koenigslothar working.

The Koenigslothar then unleashed a direct-fired sustained salvo of rockets as payback and caused severe damage to the Wotan as well as setting one battery one fire. (2damage left, fire effect).

The 144th's Hortens move in to take rear shots in the Wotan's soft back, only minor damage is done.
They are however much more lethal using their Flakvierlings against the SS infantry, almost wiping down two squads.

The SS aircraft moves in to intercept but is still out of range.
203's Flakkgrenadiers were KIA by repeated SS-Koenigslothar fire.

The 144th Laser Grenadiers ambush the incoming SS-Sturmprinz, the lethal attack kills 3 of the Ubertotens that were riding it on the outside as well as destroying the vehicle.

Having dealt their damage, the two Hortens manoeuver to provide support to Left Flank troops, it is crucial that the Top Left VK objective be recovered.
The Top Right Battle Grenadiers move behind building to get to the VK objective (behind Top House).

The SS aicraft engages one of our pilot and severly damages the aircraft (1 damage left).

Supported by their Hortens, the 144th Luftlande troops charge on the bridge!

On the Middle Bridge, the 144th' Ubertotens seize the central VK Objective (2 to 2), on the far right side, SS-Recon Grenadiers man a MG-48 at them.

SS-Sturmpioneres move toward the Middle Bridge but with the firm intent of attacking close to the 203's Koenigslothar side to grab the VK objective of Bottom Left.

In a catastrophic turn of events, the 144th main assault force is repelled from the top right leaving only 3 SS survivors...
A lone 144th Heavy Laser-Grenadier uses the protection afforded by his heavy armor to cross to the other side and engage the SS scum.
Meanwhile the SS aircraft catches up to the damaged plane and shoots it down. The Other 144th Horten leaves the battlefield to maneuver.

In a great display of devotion to our Transnationalist cause, the HLG shakes off two enemy Koenigslothar rocket attacks, to attacks from the SS-aircraft and many shots from the SS survivors hidding in the woods. Grabbing his knife, he proceeds to close in with the enemy, knowing his armor is impervious to the SS' knives.

The 203 Koenigslothar's Commander observing the battlefield: The 144th Ubertoten got wiped off the map from enemy rocket fire...As a payback, this Koenigslothar just removed the SS that were trying to go for the Bottom Left VK objective.

The lone survivor from the Top Right 203ès Battlegrenadier has seized the Top Middle VK...
Now out of target, and unable to finish off the HLG, the SS-aircraft is coming after him, thankfully a house corner should keep him safe during this last turn.

Minutes later, his engines unaffected by the Cold Snap yet, the SS-Koenigslothar showers the poor grenadier with a rain of rockets.

On the Middle Bridge, fearless SS-Recon Grenadiers pass the smoking remnants of the 144th Ubertotens and claim the Objective.
The 203's Koenigslothar engines stall because of the Cold Snap.

But as they move the objective outside of the 203's Koenigslothar view, the returning 144th Hortens intercept them and cuts them down!!

The SS had suffered heavy losses, but so did the 203 and 144th...As they retreated, they managed to capture 2 of the VK cargo (but we could only secure one).

Hidden in the Bottom Right Forest, protected by his Koenigslothar, a lone SS survivor from the 144th initial Hortens attacks claims a VK-objective.

Still chased by the valiant HLG (he'll receive the Iron Cross for his heroic actions post-battle), another lone SS survivor claims the Top Left Vk Objective.

The 203rd Panzerpioneers having repaired the Koenigslothar more than enough make sure this important Vk-piece does not fall into enemy hands.

Conclusion:
Wow!!! What a fight!! I had the only full strength squad left on the table...With artillery, planes and the heavy firepower brought by Ubertotens and Sturmpioneres, it wasn't a game for infantry...

But at the end of the day, it is still infantry that wins victory as the lone survivors from my opponent proved. I would have tied had my opponent not killed my own ''lone survivor'' (the Battle Grenadier hidden behind the house), I was hopping very hard for his engines to stall due to Cold Snap...but all it did was make my own Koenigslothar engines stall, robbing me every chance at victory I had left.

That damned Cold Snap, we played with the Icarus Battle Builder and I decided to take Cold Snap in order to stall the engines of my opponents vehicles, after all he had three to my one...Guess who got cold snapped twice that game whereas his opponent didn't feel the effect a single time?? (Two missed shooting phase from my Koenigslothar, ouch! One could say this is a Cold Slap in the face!!)

The Koenigslothar is nice, not ''OP (overpowered)'' as some might think, although 8/1 against all vehicles is quite strong (To give you an idea, the 17.3cm from the Konigsluther, a vehicle made to hunt other walkers, only do 7/1 to vehicle 7), it allowed me to kill the Wotan before it could finish my KL.
The Upgrade ''Panzerpioneer'' was well worth every point spent as my Kommandotrupp brought back my KL from near death to half life (allowing it to survive a random indirect attack from the enemy KL).

As the pictures can attest, we had 95% fully painted forces...this made the game a real pleasure for the eyes.
Definitely one of my favorite game!!
Thanks Guillaume for that great game and sorry I had to call your troops SS for the Battle Report!

Note: The 203pzabt will start being transfered to the small Island of Elba in Italy, there is rumors of Allied and SSU invasions of the Island...