Presentation
32 page glossy softback, of which the core rules are only 13 pages. Decent pics, diagrams and layout. 1 page QRS on back cover and as download PDF.Set-Up
Operation Martlet Scenario 4 - Striking at St Nicholas. Germans with IG37 infantry support gun as before. The rules have no explicit scale, all long-arm weapons have unlimited range. IAWs have a range of 8"/20cm - so assuming ~100m gives 10cm = 50m, but that then seems too long for the rest of the long-arms. Close (or is that effective) range is 12"/30cm, which if assumed as 300m, gives 10cm = 30m.How it Played
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| View from German lines |
Same British game plan as before. No.1 and No.2 Section headed off through the wood on the L flank, while No. 3 Section took the open ground on the R flank, with No. 4 Section in reserve. No. 3 Section soon came under concentrated fire from 2. Gruppen (centre) and 3. Gruppen (British R) which wiped it out. No. 1 Section made it to the edge of the wood and was immediately engaged by the IG which wiped out their LMG team. The Cromwell came forward to try and suppress 2. Gruppen to clear the way for No. 4 Section. It was out of Panzerfaust range but the Panzer IV came forward, and it got hit by both the Cromwell and the 6pdr, the 6pdr delivering the final blow which knocked it out. The Cromwell cleared the hedgeline of 2. Gruppen MG34, and 1.Gruppen MG34 in the farm roof, clearing the way for No. 4 Section.
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| No. 4 Section moving forwards. Note new dead 10mm models! |
Unfortunately No. 4 Section still caught fire from the rest of 2. Gruppen and lost their rifle team. The LMG team made it to the hedgeline though.
At the farm No. 2 Section finally made it through the wood unmolested and assaulted 1. Gruppen in the farm. After several rounds of melee 1. Gruppen won and No.2 Section lost is rifle group.
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| 1. Gruppen redeployed to the N of the farm. No. 1 Section in distance. |
The Brits were now perilously close to their breakpoint. 3. Gruppen and the IG turned S to engage the UC and Bren team which had snuck up on the far side of the hedge S of the road, and in a brief exchange of fire the Bren team was gone, British breakpoint reached and it was game over - a German victory!
Rules Impression
I'd heard good things about Iron Cross, particularly the activation system. I'm afraid to say it didn't work for me at all, and even seems the most broken of all the ones I've tried so far - mainly because you start min/maxing the game mechanic rather than "playing the period".
Each side gets a bunch of activation tokens, effectively 1 per unit plus 2 for HQ. But those tokens can be allocated to any unit. After allocating the unit actually activates on a 1+/2+/3+ incrementing D6 roll, based on both previous activations and morale/damage hits. So far fine. But 3 things to me then wreck it:
- There is no penalty for failing the activation (other than loss of token) so you can keep going it if important. Other rules with this system tend to have you lose initiative.
- Units need 3 (small) or 5 (standard) morale/damage hits to be eliminated. Recovering hits is relatively easy (and not subject the same incremental challenge). So in reality you aim to get all 3/5 IN A SINGLE ACTIVATION.
- So once you start a unit firing and inflicting damage you keep going. Any infantry unit probably averages 1-2 hits an activation, so in 3 you're probably done.
As a result I found each turn tended to resolve around the destruction of one particular unit. The defender does get the chance for reactive fire each time - but they are on a 3+/4+ model, and with each hit that becomes harder. Also with almost every firefight becoming two way it seems to break the activating players flow (deliberately?).
Smoke rules are very simple (the 2" landed smoke just right turn after turn, blinding the IG), and there are no indirect fire or spotting rules. No building rules (just cover) and melee is just another firefight - hence it dragging on.
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