DANAs Complete in Time for Tournament

Completed DANA Battery

I was able to finish my DANA Battery last week in time for the 50 point round-robin tournament this Saturday.  I did not bring any Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) to the tournament as it was for learning and I wanted to make sure new players got to see parts of the game that MBTs make it easy to overlook. 

I took the following Polish list:

• BMP Motor Rifle Battalion
• 1 x BMP-1 HQ
• 1 x BMP-2 Battalion (Small) with SA-7 Grail
• 1 x BMP-1 Battalion (Small)
• 1 x ZSU-23 (4 Vehicles)
• 1 x SA-13 Gopher (2 Vehicles)
• Divisional Attachment
• 1 x DANA Battery (6 Vehicles)
• 1 x Hind Flight (4 Aircraft)

I managed to come out middle of the pack in terms of games.  Games are scored based on victory and how many units the victor lost.  I managed a major loss (2 pts), major victory (5 pts), and a minor loss (3 pts).

My son also brought a West German list of 4 Leopard 2s and a pair of Helicopters (52 points), he won 1 and lost 2.  

Sorry I didn't take any photos of the games.

Game 1 I fought a Red Banner T-72 Battalion, Meeting Engagement.  I made the error of grouping the objectives and had to spread my own line out.  This allowed a group of 3x T-72s and pair of Hinds to move up and pressure the DANAs and SA-13 largely unopposed.  In true combined arms fashion, the artillery was unable to pressure the tanks sufficiently to create an opportunity for me to push on his objectives. Major Defeat for the Poles (2 points).

Table for Game 1, I was on the opposite side of the table

Game 2, I faced a basic Israel Defense Force Battalion, modified Encounter (Reserves, not delayed Reserves).  Having knocked the rust off of rules and started to get more comfortable with my units, I was able to pressure one of his objectives with the BMP-2s early and managed to hold-off his assaulting pair of Merkava by pressuring it with Hinds and until BMP-1s showed up.  The Hinds were able to destroy another Merkava and force its partner to retreat.  The infantry from the BMP-1s pushed to the far objective and took it from the IDF commander once the Hinds forced a bailout and assaulted his position.  Major Victory for the Poles (5 points).

Detail of the DANA insignia and numbers

Game 3, I faced a Bundswehr Mechanized Infantry Battalion with lots of support.  This turned into a knock-down drag-out fight as a pair of Luchs and 4 Gepards shot flanked me hard early, destroying most of my DANA artillery battery and continually peppering dug-in infantry.  BMP-2s attempted to pressure early, but Milan teams and the arrival of Leopard 1s forced a retreat by the suriving BMP-2s.  The later arriving ZSU-23s peppered a Panzergrenadier Zug that advanced on the near objective, with the survivors being assaulted by the BMP-2 platoon.  The Gepards had to retreat to the battlefield center in response to my Hinds arriving and destroying the Leopard 1s.  This brought the battle to somewhat of a standstill, as BMP-1 platoon arrived, infantry quickly moving into buildings after a bombardment by Tornados destroyed 2 transports.  The surviving BMP-1s attempted to move into a position to push back threatening elements, but the became bogged down as they attempted to cross int the cover of some crop fields.  Minor Defeat for the Poles (3 points).

Biggest take away from the tournament is I kind of want to expand my infantry Platoons to be able to field larger units of them.  I like the idea of having one on defense and the other assaulting alongside MBTs and the other defending the artillery and other rear-units.