Welcome back to the thrilling world of tabletop war gaming with Battle Honours 3D! If you haven't read the first two parts of this battle, be sure to catch up to avoid any spoilers. In this third and final session of the intense conflict between Russians and Germans, the tables turned, and alliances shifted as we stepped into the shoes of the Germans.
In the previous sessions, the Russians had experienced significant losses, but the horizon promised them reinforcements. Our mission: push forward, capture the remaining village, and break through the formidable Russian ranks on a battlefield littered with both German and Russian tanks.
Thankfully, I still maintained control of the church and the village, although many of my German tanks were running low on ammunition and needed refueling. This forced me to withdraw some units for resupply while keeping others in strategic positions.
The Game Master (GM) made sure we could easily distinguish the two forces by replacing the battlefield's smoke. Black smoke represented the Russians, while white smoke symbolized the Germans. However, chaos ensued from the beginning. I arrived a tad late, and my German tanks to the south had advanced too aggressively, resulting in their complete destruction before I even took my first move. These tanks had been a stronghold, and their loss was a tough blow.
My first roll of the day marked a pivotal moment. I managed to destroy an enemy unit attempting to flank us across a bridge into the village, and a fortunate high roll brought our air support into the picture. Short-range shots were exchanged between both forces in the north, resulting in units lost on both sides.
Thankfully, I still maintained control of the church and the village, although many of my German tanks were running low on ammunition and needed refueling. This forced me to withdraw some units for resupply while keeping others in strategic positions.
Artillery rounds found their target in the church across the field, causing significant damage to enemy units. As the night progressed, the Germans won the initiative for the second round, but our air support was forced to retreat for a brief moment. Meanwhile, the Russians who had taken out my two tanks earlier advanced, creating a blockade of tanks in the center of the board. It seemed the scrap collectors would be the true victors of this battle.
Round 3 arrived, and the Russians seized the initiative. Their advancing forces in the south met a quick end at the hands of a well-positioned German tank with a held action. Two more Russian tanks fell in the center of the board to another pair of tanks that had held actions.
The battlefield was now dominated by a massive wall of Russian tanks, obstructing all routes. In the midst of this chaos, long-range artillery targeted the church, finally bringing it down along with troops nearby. Russian forces marched on the central church but met an ambush of machine guns, leading to some incredible dice rolls for both sides and, surprisingly, more losses for the Russians.
As the final round approached, it became clear that neither side could achieve its objectives. A wall of Russian tanks stretched across the battlefield, resulting in an honorable draw. The battle concluded with 34 tank losses for the Russians and 11 for the Germans.
With this draw, all eyes are now on the reverse game, where the roles will be swapped, and I will join the Russians in their quest to overcome the Germans. The pressure is on, and both sides are determined to be more aggressive and break through to the other side. Stay tuned for the first session next week as the saga continues!
Here are a few of the final images of how the battle ended.
The models can be found here for:
https://battlehonours3d.com/products/russian-village
https://battlehonours3d.com/products/damaged-russian-village
