Cold War Gone HOTT

I had to put the Haunted Tank back into its box with the rest of my Weird WWII Americans yesterday. What actually happened is that I got the whole of the army out, as well as the Soviets that share the box. And then I played some HOTT.

So here are the two armies, ready to go. The Soviets defended and are on the left, broken up into three groups by the terrain. The Americans massed the majority of their troops for a flanking move around the Soviet left, and put their heavy-hitters in the middle.

Early advances. With no opponents the Soviets swung their ghostly Heroes Of Old Russia around the American left. But the Americans were advancing rapidly on the Soviet centre.

A clash of the mightiest troops on both sides - Sgt Rock faced Stalin himself, whilst Captain America fought the Hero Of The Soviet Union. Meanwhile the Soviet's genetically-modified apemen faced ... Lassie.

The Soviet Hero (actually a paladin, just to confuse things), was eliminated by Captain America (also a paladin). Stalin was also pushed back. And Lassie drove back the apemen.

The ghost-knights threatened Lassie, but she stood her ground and routed the apemen.

This left the Americans with a golden opportunity - Captain America attacked Stalin, whilst Lassie distracted him from the flank. It was all to much for Uncle Joe, who fled, causing the Soviet morale to collapse. This was a 10g-0 win for the Americans

I set up a second game. This time the terrain was kinder to the Soviets, who were able to set up the hordes in a solid line to face the American attack, with their better troops behind and to the flanks. The Americans matched them. 

On the very first turn, General Winter appeared for the Soviets.

He swing into the American flank, disrupting their advance.

Then disordered their centre.

The American charge went in piecemeal - on their right the Haunted Tank was the first into combat, supported by the American general and some infantry. A to and fro battle developed with the Heroes Of Old Russia.

On the other flank Lassie faced the apemen again.

General Winter was now in the American rear, and seemed to have no plans to go elsewhere at this stage. The American general was now under threat ...

... but fought back, and forced his opponents to retreat.

Captain America was now rushing to the general's aid.

The American centre had still not managed to close with the enemy.

Calamity! Lassie fell to the apemen.

In order to take the pressure off the American general, Captain America engaged General Winter. This was a hopeless fight; although equal in combat factors, General Winter only had to win in order to destroy Captain America, whereas all Captain America could do was hold General Winter in place. But it bought time for the Soviets to roll that critical '1' that would see their god flee the table.

The American centre finally went in, and the Soviet hordes gave ground, despite their uphill advantage.

Stalin left his centre flighting - his hordes could be replaced - and turned his attention to the American general. 

Meanwhile, against the odds, Captain America held off General Winter.

Stalin lumbered through some American infantry covering their general's flank.

And the Hero Of The Soviet Union fell again, this time to Sergeant Rock.

The American general was no hard-pressed, pushed up against General Winter with nowhere to go. His loss would be fatal unless ...

... his GIs could rout the Soviet hordes at the top of this hill, which would even the losses and keep the Americans in the fight.

They failed ...

... and a charge by the Heroes Of Old Russia saw the American general defeated and with him the American army.

This was an epic fight that swung too and fro in a suitably dramatic manner. Captain America holding off General Winter was a highlight, of course. The Soviets won 8g-7. To be fair, had the scores been evened up, the Soviets could have brought back hordes on the next bound to break the tie.