Flames of War engulf Dusseldorf

So we (me, Rory, Josh and Britt) had a Flames of War 'Total War' megagame last Saturday, kindly hosted by Britt at his house with every table at his disposal and a bucketload of terrain.  Massive unstructured picdump follows:

Beginning of the game, the Hungarian (me, a few thousand miles out of my historical place) sector of the bombed-out ruin of Dusseldorf faced off against British artillery (Josh) in some fields

US Tank Destroyers (Britt) appear from ambush to threaten my StuG Gs. Inexplicably I pass all my armor saves!

Blurry men having blurry fun

A view from the British sector of the battle, and the Anglo-American artillery park

The Heer commander (Rory) is vehemently gesticulating about... something

Unfortunately I didn't get a good picture of the intermediate stages of this, but Britt's four M10s, while only scoring two kills, held up my entire armored push for about three turns, which was more than enough to let the British infantry dig in on their objective

By this time we are running out of clock, so I push forward and find out just how much harder it is to assault in v.3 of these rules compared to v.2; my Hetzers pay the price

The German sector of the assault has also bogged down short of their objective; perhaps divisional command should have released their Tigers sooner?

The Allies, despite being infantry companies, were able to secure their third objective before the Axis with their armor; by keeping the Axis off their third as well as securing their own, they wind up winning 9 to 6.   Casualties were fairly light, although things might have gotten worse if we had more time (which can be blamed on my unwise consumption of gas station hamburgers for dinner the night before).  Still, a good time was had by all!

Hey, remember rememblahblah more FoW Hungarian lists

Ok, I needed arty more than I needed 4 light tanks:

1200pts Hungarian Harckoscsizo Szazad (Tank Company)
Company HQ - 2 Turan II tanks (125)

Combat Platoon #1 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #2 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Weapons Platoon #1 - Motorized Pioneer Platoon - HQ Section w/ 2 Pioneer squads (180)
-add 3-ton trucks (5)

Regimental Support Platoon #1 - Self-propelled AA Platoon - 2x Nimrod AA guns (115)

Divisonal Support Platoon #1 - Motorized Rifle Platoon - HQ section w/ 4 Rifle squads (175)
-add Botond trucks (5)

Divisional Support Platoon #2 - Motorized Artillery Battery - HQ w/ 4x 105mm 37M howitzers (210)
-trucks (5)

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1500pts Hungarian Harckoscsizo Szazad (Tank Company) (1495)
Company HQ - 2 Turan II tanks (125)
-SdKfz 9(18t) (Famo) recovery vehicle (5)

Combat Platoon #1 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #2 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #3 - Harckocsizo Platoon - 3x Panzer IV H (285)

Weapons Platoon #1 - Motorized Pioneer Platoon - HQ Section w/ 2 Pioneer squads (180)
-add 3-ton trucks (5)

Regimental Support Platoon #1 - Self-propelled AA Platoon - 2x Nimrod AA guns (115)

Divisonal Support Platoon #1 - Motorized Rifle Platoon - HQ section w/ 4 Rifle squads (175)
-add Botond trucks (5)
-replace Command Rifle/MG squad with Command 'panzerknacker' SMG team (5)

Divisional Support Platoon #2 - Motorized Artillery Battery - HQ w/ 4x 105mm 37M howitzers (210)
-trucks (5)

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1750pts Hungarian Harckoscsizo Szazad (Tank Company) (1750)
Company HQ - 2 Turan II tanks (125)
-SdKfz 9(18t) (Famo) recovery vehicle (5)

Combat Platoon #1 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #2 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #3 - Harckocsizo Platoon - 3x Panzer IV H (285)

Weapons Platoon #1 - Motorized Pioneer Platoon - HQ Section w/ 2 Pioneer squads (180)
-add 3-ton trucks (5)

Regimental Support Platoon #1 - Self-propelled AA Platoon - 2x Nimrod AA guns (115)

Divisonal Support Platoon #1 - Motorized Rifle Platoon - HQ section w/ 4 Rifle squads (175)
-add Botond trucks (5)
-replace Command Rifle/MG squad with Command 'panzerknacker' SMG team (5)

Divisional Support Platoon #2 - Motorized Artillery Battery - HQ w/ 4x 105mm 37M howitzers (210)
-trucks (5)

Divisional Support Platoon #3 - Rohamagyus Platoon - 3x Hetzer assault guns (255)

Hey, remember remembering Flames of War like two days ago?

So do I, because it was just two days ago! In the comments on that blog post, my friend and primary wargaming buddy (and possibly only current blog reader) Britt pointed out that there's an escalation league starting up at a game store in Cary that I've heard of but never been to, called Gamer's Armory.

I love the whole 'escalation' league format, whatever it's called and whatever the actual wargame. They're a great way to bring new players in to a game, or let old players start a new list they're interested in. I'm in a Warhammer Fantasy escalation league right now (and supposedly in a 40k one, but I've stalled out on that one a bit), and I think they're just great. This one in particular, for Late War-era Flames of War, has me interested because I'm just picking up a really fascinating book called The Siege of Budapest by Krisztian Ungvary (and apologies for the lack of correct diacritical markings).

Here's my first 'checkpoint' list, for 600pts, with some interesting Hungarian tanks that fit neatly under the league restrictions for these games (front armor no higher than 7, Anti-tank rating no higher than 11), the Turan II medium tanks.

600pts Hungarian Harckoscsizo Szazad (Tank Company)
Company HQ - 2 Turan II tanks (125)

Combat Platoon #1 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #2 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Motorized Rifle Platoon - HQ section w/ 2 Rifle squads (95)

For the next step, 800pts, I can just add 2 more rifle squads and trucks to the Motorized Rifle Platoon (net gain of 85) and a platoon of Nimrod Self-propelled AA guns (115), or a Light Harckoscsizo Platoon of five Toldi II light tanks (195), or add a 2-squad Motorized Pioneer Platoon with trucks and Command SMG team (195) and the aforementioned trucks for the Rifle Platoon (5). Just all sorts of fun stuff you can do in this little format!

EDIT TO ADD: on looking further, the next several steps are all 200-point chunks, so based on the above it looks like I'm set for 800, 1000, and 1200! Now just to figure out a 300pt chunk for the jump to 1500 and a final 250 for the 1750 endpoint! First thoughts: a platoon of three Panzer IV H's (285) and then topping it off with an Assault Gun platoon of three Hetzers (255) to come in at 10 points under budget. Still thinking on that one though.

EDIT mk II: let's go ahead and do this thing at all points levels:


800pts Hungarian Harckoscsizo Szazad (Tank Company)
Company HQ - 2 Turan II tanks (125)

Combat Platoon #1 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #2 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Regimental Support Platoon #1 - Self-propelled AA Platoon - 2x Nimrod AA guns (115)

Divisonal Support Platoon #1 - Motorized Rifle Platoon - HQ section w/ 4 Rifle squads (175)
-add trucks (5)

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1000pts Hungarian Harckoscsizo Szazad (Tank Company) (total 995)
Company HQ - 2 Turan II tanks (125)

Combat Platoon #1 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #2 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Weapons Platoon #1 - Motorized Pioneer Platoon - HQ Section w/ 2 Pioneer squads (180)
-replace Command Rifle/MG team with Command Panzerfaust SMG team (10)
-add 3-ton trucks (5)

Regimental Support Platoon #1 - Self-propelled AA Platoon - 2x Nimrod AA guns (115)

Divisonal Support Platoon #1 - Motorized Rifle Platoon - HQ section w/ 4 Rifle squads (175)
-add Botond trucks (5)

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1200pts Hungarian Harckoscsizo Szazad (Tank Company)
Company HQ - 2 Turan II tanks (125)

Combat Platoon #1 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #2 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Weapons Platoon #1 - Motorized Pioneer Platoon - HQ Section w/ 2 Pioneer squads (180)
-replace Command Rifle/MG team with Command Panzerfaust SMG team (10)
-add 3-ton trucks (5)

Weapons Platoon #2 - Light Harckocsizo Platoon - 4x Toldi IIa tanks (195)

Regimental Support Platoon #1 - Self-propelled AA Platoon - 2x Nimrod AA guns (115)

Divisonal Support Platoon #1 - Motorized Rifle Platoon - HQ section w/ 4 Rifle squads (175)
-add Botond trucks (5)
-replace Command Rifle/MG team with Command Panzerfaust SMG team (10)

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1500pts Hungarian Harckoscsizo Szazad (Tank Company) (1490)
Company HQ - 2 Turan II tanks (125)
-SdKfz 9(18t) (Famo) recovery vehicle (5)

Combat Platoon #1 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #2 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #3 - Harckocsizo Platoon - 3x Panzer IV H (285)

Weapons Platoon #1 - Motorized Pioneer Platoon - HQ Section w/ 2 Pioneer squads (180)
-replace Command Rifle/MG team with Command Panzerfaust SMG team (10)
-add 3-ton trucks (5)

Weapons Platoon #2 - Light Harckocsizo Platoon - 4x Toldi IIa tanks (195)

Regimental Support Platoon #1 - Self-propelled AA Platoon - 2x Nimrod AA guns (115)

Divisonal Support Platoon #1 - Motorized Rifle Platoon - HQ section w/ 4 Rifle squads (175)
-add Botond trucks (5)
-replace Command Rifle/MG team with Command Panzerfaust SMG team (10)

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1750pts Hungarian Harckoscsizo Szazad (Tank Company) (1745)
Company HQ - 2 Turan II tanks (125)
-SdKfz 9(18t) (Famo) recovery vehicle (5)

Combat Platoon #1 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #2 - Harckocsizo Platoon: 3x Turan II tanks (190)

Combat Platoon #3 - Harckocsizo Platoon - 3x Panzer IV H (285)

Weapons Platoon #1 - Motorized Pioneer Platoon - HQ Section w/ 2 Pioneer squads (180)
-replace Command Rifle/MG team with Command Panzerfaust SMG team (10)
-add 3-ton trucks (5)

Weapons Platoon #2 - Light Harckocsizo Platoon - 4x Toldi IIa tanks (195)

Regimental Support Platoon #1 - Self-propelled AA Platoon - 2x Nimrod AA guns (115)

Divisonal Support Platoon #1 - Motorized Rifle Platoon - HQ section w/ 4 Rifle squads (175)
-add Botond trucks (5)
-replace Command Rifle/MG team with Command Panzerfaust SMG team (10)

Divisional Support Platoon #2 - Rohamagyus Platoon - 3x Hetzer assault guns (255)