Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia
with Tony Bates.

Last year I organised and ran my first Flames of War tournament. Given the success of Iron Cross: Barbarossa to Berlin, I decided to do it again this year.

With the release of the verison 4 ruleset, I settled on running a Mid War North Africa themed event, but focusing on the western theatre of operations and so Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia was born.

I wanted the 2017 event to be completely different from the previous year, so in addition to a change of theatre, I wanted to add elements that would again challenge the player’s perceptions of a Flames of War competition. Inspired by a Team Yankee event run by the chaps at Shifting Sands, I decided to add a strategic element to the competition.

While I settled down to design the elements of the strategic campaign, one of the players set to work creating a three dimensional map of the western North African coast from Algiers through Tripoli. As you can see from the image below, the table turned out fantastically!  Utilising some 1/285 models and my surplus large Battlefront bases I created the seven allied and eight axis corps that were present in the theatre (I even found a use for my redundant small bases to replicate when divisions were split from their parent corps). I added in strategic cards  that each general could use to provide advantages to their side or stymie their opponents. Seeing players intelligentally use cards like Enigma Intercepts, Schwerpunkt and Mobile Warfare was a highlight for me.

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

I also wanted to provide the players with individual challenges in their one-on-one battles so I implemented a version of Battlefront’s Command Cards, but the players didn’t have to use their army list points. Each player was provided with eighteen cards (12 generic for every player and six that were unique to their army) and they could choose three to use each round, but once used the card was discarded. Players from last year’s competition were also given a single Veteran Card which provided a minor in-game benefit. The benefit was relative to their points standing from last year’s Barbarossa to Berlin competition.

Lastly, I also really liked what Battlefront did with the Battleplans concept so implemented a similar system but removed the dice roll and just had various attack and defensive battleplans that cross-refrenced to show which mission would be played. The strategic campaign dictated which players were the attacker or defender so the battle plan cards worked really well.

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

So with all the design aspects taken care off, 22 players from around New Zealand’s North Island gathered in the capital Wellington on the cold and rainy weekend of 16/17 September (perfect reason for a couple of days of wargaming).

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

The players were split into two teams of 11. Each team took to the strategic campaign with gusto and within a couple of rounds, the Allied armies were advancing strongly from both Algeria and Libya, with the Axis trying to reorganise their exhausted Italian divisions while the formidable D.A.K and LXXXX. Panzerkorps did the initial heavy lifting for the Axis.

By turn three, the Italian corps were beginning to make their presence felt, launching local counterattacks that kept the allied commanders a little off balance; but the allies never took their eye of the prize of Tunis. They were surprised when the D.A.K snuck through a gap between corps and exploiting the D.A.K’s high mobility managed to capture Tripoli in Libya! This required a quick redeployment of the British armoured reserves, but the 90. Light Division held the port to the end of the competition.

 

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

By round 5, Tunis was under naval bombardment and the plucky Italian II Corps faced off against a strong allied armoured thrust (ably supported by their German allies). Despite this another  Italian corps showed great vim in manoeuvring along the unprotected Algerian coast, with Algiers in their sights…unfortunately the weekend ended before they could realise this heroic goal!

By the end of the weekend, the allies had the axis on the ropes and had almost replicated history, coming away with a comfortable win with the most campaign points.

So another successful Iron Cross competition featuring some big wins and equally big losses, but also lots of close fought battles that could have gone either way except for the tyranny of the dice!

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

MOAB 2017

In keeping with Iron Cross’ branded tape measures from last year, each player left the competition with a set of 12 branded dice. Each member of Team Allied left with a winning team member medal. The top three players, the wooden spoon player and the best corps commander also took away their own medal as well some Version Four army list books courtesy of Battlefront.

Lastly, I tried something a little different with everybody’s score cards this year. In addition to recording platoon’s destroyed, I had everybody’s army represented pictorially on the score card using Battlefront’s silhouettes from the various intelligence handbooks. I then compiled them as a different way of viewing the results of the 55 games that were played during the weekend. You can view them in the attached documents. It would seem that even as a toy soldier you don’t want to be serving in a German tank destroyer platoon or an allied Sherman tank platoon!

MOAB 2017

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

John's Panzerkompanie in an undesirable cauldron...

Rob's Pioneers assaulting dug-in American infantry

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Gavin's Tiger tank from strategic reserve is teetering...

Chris's Churchill’s see off Damien's Aufklärungs

Not sure if these Grenadiers were destroyed or on RnR in the tents?

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Bede's Gebirgsjäger advance against dug-in British

Brian's Panzergrenadiers perform a heroic last stand

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia

Iron Cross: Torch to Tunisia


Last Updated On Tuesday, October 10, 2017 by Chris at Battlefront