"Pride Comes Before a Fall"

A Panzerfäuste Skirmish Scenario by Ross Bowrage and Rob Alderman

Ever wish you had a way to field your entire Captain Pledge level... Wait no longer! Hysterical Games' brings us a huge scenario for Panzerfäuste Skirmish with the Allied Orcs and Gnomes clashing against Dwarves and thier fierce warbeasts in this multi-player scenario based on an even bigger battle that was fought way back at the Bovington Tank Museum in 2005.

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Introduction

The Dwarven advance has been almost too successful across the north-east of the Môn-Gerahnt Line, and their armoured warbeasts have shot off ahead, breaking the usual doctrine of Trügenkampf. Rest assured, when the Kaiser gets ear of it, there will be trouble! Dwarven Infantry are now strung out across the line without their much needed armoured support. The opportunity for the alliance of Gnomes and Orcs to strike is now, but question is, can the Khâllazdûrin infantry hold out until armoured support returns? Can the Gnomes and Orcs successfully launch an unexpected counter-attack, and pick off the enemy piecemeal, before taking on any Khâllazdûrin armour in the area?

The game begins as an encounter on the road to the Gnomish village of Granola between the advancing Khâllazdûrin Dwarves and Dûn-Nomin infantry, with the Khâllazdûrin heavily outnumbered. Their desperate calls for help will, however, lead to their armour returning to even the odds.

Umpire’s Notes

This is a true encounter with both sides starting in disadvantaged positions, the Dûn-Nomin (Gnomes/Orcs) aboard trucks (Chariots) and the Khâllazdûrin (Dwarves) spread out. The big question for both is whether to go “hell for leather” at the opposition as soon as they are spotted or take the time to re-group before attacking. This allows the battle to be fought four times, each player playing both sides aggressively and then cautiously.

The Dûn-Nomin should not be allowed to debus without good cause that Khâllazdûrin are in the area, as they have been ordered to reach the Gnomish village of Granola as soon as possible, and have been told there are no enemy there. Traffic jams on the road to Granola should also be strictly assessed.

Both sides have disparate forces. Khâllazdûrin players, used to tactically advantageous numbers of men and material, have two sections facing three well-supported Dûn-Nomin sections. However, Dûn-Nomin confidence of victory will be erased as Khâllazdûrin armour stampedes in from the south.

Neither side are aware of Kampfgeier 87 aerial patrols. The umpire decides where they strike, but their bombs will be aimed at the greatest concentration of Dûn-Nomin units on table. By way of warning, the first strike will be at the Dûn-Nomin force’s 9 transport trucks off table, obliterating them and hopefully panicking the Allies...

Players cannot react to forces that have not been spotted.

Start the game by reading the players the introduction, then briefing each side independently.

Note that each section has their own objective. If each player is given a Section to control, ensure they do not share their objectives.

Map & Setup

A4 to D4 = North
D1 to D4 = East
A1 to D1 = South
A1 to A4 = West

X = Road
Z = Gate to field
B = Building

Village of Granola = C2, C3, D2, D3

Allies enter from West on road at A2

Khâllazdûrin HQ section begins at crossroads in Granola

Khâllazdûrin armour will enter from South on road at C1.

Half remaining Khâllazdûrin on road at C1.

Half remaining Khâllazdûrin on road at C4

Dûn-Nomin Briefing

“Now then, Major, if you’d like to take a look at this map (note: Feel free to actually show the player(s) a map of the board, or point at the board accordingly!). Those blasted Khally Bears have broken through our front again, here, penetrating deep behind our lines. What reconnaissance we have been able to do, however, leads us to believe they have, on this occasion, over-extended themselves. If we can take and hold the village of Granola, here, then we should be able to cut the Khally armour off from their infantry support here, and deal with each group independently. You are to proceed to Granola immediately and hold there. Latest reports are that no Khallys occupy the village, but that you can expect an infantry attack from the north later today. Good luck and God speed!”

All sections contain 1 NCO and the remainder are enlisted men, unless noted otherwise. No weapons heavier than LMGs unless otherwise stated.

All Dûn-Nomin forces begin on foot, having left their trucks off table. They enter in column on the road at A2. Note the order of their entry, as the narrow, hedge- and ditch-lined road limit movement/manoeuvre, although the fields are accessible through gates (Z on the map). The vehicles have been left to minimise chances of damage to them, and thus avoid Battalion transport having your guts for garters.

Units

Orc Commandos

“If we can take hold of the village of Granola and hold there, then we should be able to cut off the Khally armour off from their Infantry Support here, and deal with each group independently. You are to proceed to Granola immediately and hold there.”

Move rate: 4/16/24

NCO (SMG) Guts: 11
Private (LMG) Guts: 11
Private (SMG) Guts: 10
Private (Rifle) Guts: 10
Private (Rifle) Guts: 10
Private (Rifle) Guts: 10
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8

Orc Regulars

“#@*%$£!!!! Those blasted Khally beasts have broken through the front again! To hell with the Colonel’s orders, we need to make a break for the coast and get back to Branzhy! Problem is, there is a bally Khally detachment in the way! Still, through the village and out the other side is easiest route! Good luck and God Speed!”

Move rate: 4/16/24

NCO (SMG) Guts: 10
Private (LMG) Guts: 9
Private (SMG) Guts: 9
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 6
Private (Rifle) Guts: 6

Orc Regular PIAT Team

“We’ve an absolutely ripping chance to give Khazad-Khally a sticky wicket! A small detachment of Khally Warbeasts have broken through here, penetrating deep behind our lines. We’ve had a bit of a dekko, which leads us to believe they’ve over-extended themselves. I’m sending you chaps out to bat and knock those tankers for size! I’ve no doubt I’ll see you both back in the pavilion for high tea…”

Move rate: 4/16/24

Private (Anti-Tank Weapon) Guts: 9
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8

Gnome Voltigeurs Section

“War. Huh, what is it good for? Well, plenty, mon ami. The strategic situation is unclear, other than it being total chaos. You and your fellow Voltigeurs owe no great loyalty to the Dûn-Nomin princeling. Perhaps you could take advantage of the confusion to do a little liberating of wine and cheese in the Granola village. Of course, if the Khally’s turn up, make sure you are dug in and ready to fight by then… Show them what Gnomes are made of. “

Move Rate: 3/12/18

NCO (SMG) Guts: 9
Private (LMG) Guts: 8
Private (Anti-tank Weapon) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 6
Private (Rifle) Guts: 6
Private (Rifle) Guts: 6

Gnome Voltigeurs Sniper Rifle Team

“Well, if it wasn’t for the war, you’d be kicking your feet at the end of a rope. Luckily, the army needed your antisocial talents. Pick off enemy officers. Proceed then to pick off enemy Light Machine gunners. Once that’s done, return to HQ. There is no need for you to fight more than you absolutely have to in this fight.”

Move Rate: 3/12/18

Private (Sniper Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
[Model armed with Sniper Rifle always gets +1 bonus to firing rolls, cumulative with other modifiers]

Khâllazdûrin Briefing

“Verdamnt tankers! Ja, it’s all very well punching holes in the Dûn-Nomin lines, but it is us, the poor bloody infantry who have to hold the ground taken, and you’re supposed to wait for us to get there before moving on! Everything that could go wrong is going wrong. Your Dwarves are on foot, as the horses and carts never arrived. You’ve lost the armour you’re supposed to be supporting. Your support group have lost you. You yourself are not sure exactly where you are. Not only that, but your men seem to think that they’re on some kind of summer ramble and have presumably quite forgotten that there is a war on! You are now standing at the crossroads of some godforsaken scheisse-hole of a Dûn-Nomin hamlet trying to work out where you should be when up comes one of your men to report the sound of trucks coming from the west. As you haven’t seen a friendly truck for weeks, it’s got to be the enemy!”

The Grenadier section is at the crossroads in Granola. The remaining sections are on the road, split between C1 and C4. The enemy have been sighted on the road at A2, so manoeuvres may begin immediately.

Once the game begins, roll D6 at the start of each turn. On a 4+, the Panzerbär enters on the road at C1.

Dwarf Grenadiers Section

“Your job is simple, Hans. Defend the crossroads whilst top brass works out where in The Land we actually are and when our support will get here”.

Move Rate: 3/14/20

NCO (SMG) Guts: 10
Private (LMG) Guts: 9
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 6

Dwarf Eisenschutzen Section

“For the Braumeister! Assist your brethren in maintaining the offensive’s momentum.”

Move Rate: 3/14/20

NCO (SMG) Guts: 11
Private (LMG) Guts: 10
Private (Rifle) Guts: 9
Private (Rifle) Guts: 9
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7

Dwarf Straftruppen Section

“Well, here we are again. Steurmer’s Stormers - sent to bumblegeficktnowhere to do a bit of foot-slogging. Still, it could be worse. Nice little billet in the village, plenty of wine, cheese and the Eisenschutzen are pretty forthcoming with their Weissbier. The only fly in the ointment here that you can see is impressing the beautiful niece of your NCO, Hans Bumzadazy. Perhaps proof of your heroism might do the trick. Yes, your Section must capture some Orc and Gnome souvenirs for Hans’ niece.

Move Rate: 3/14/20

NCO (SMG) Guts: 10
Private (LMG) Guts: 10
Private (SMG) Guts: 9
Private (Rifle) Guts: 9
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 8
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 7
Private (Rifle) Guts: 6
Private (Rifle) Guts: 6

Panzerbär

Move Rate: 24, 48, 56

Panzerbär (Crew) Guts: 8

Warbeasts are classified by their crews Guts score (which is determined in the same manner as a normal character’s), armour type (in this case, Light), and the gun’s type/weight.

Warbeasts can only be damaged by SS (AA) Weapons, or in Close Combat. They ignore all other damage results.

The Panzerbär in this scenario is armed with two Light Machine Guns. They fire simultaneously at the same target.

For the purposes of this scenario, as many of you will be using the Unarmoured rules, we’d recommend that you use the following statlines for weapons.

Weapon	Fire Type	Guts Mod.	Short Range to	Effective Range to	Long Range to
Rifle	SS	0	25	50	75
Sub-Machine Gun	CB/B	+1	10	30	50
Light Machine Gun	B(MG)	+2	20	50	75
Anti-Tank Weapon	SS(A)	0	20	40	60

 

Result	Effect
Critical Succes	Kill Target if not Heavy armour. Heavy armour -3 Guts. Firer gains  +1 Guts.
Success	-3 (-4 if Soft Skin, -2 if Medium, -1 if Heavy) Guts for Target.
Failure	No effect.
Critical Failure	No effect, - 1 Guts for firer. Roll on Weapons Malfunction table.

 

All Guts modifiers are permanent. This cannot raise a soldier’s Guts score above 11. If lowered below 2, the soldier routs off the table. If lowered below 2 for a vehicle, the vehicle is destroyed, and the crew (or what's left of them) rout of table.

Design Notes

This scenario was originally written in 2005 for a demonstration game by Abingdon Wargames Club at Battlegroup South Wargames Show, hosted at Bovington Tank Museum. It was inspired by a truly mad Flintloque scenario called ‘The Missed Bridge’, which was the largest scenario of its kind for Flintloque at the time! We wanted to do a mega-scenario for Panzerfäuste! The original scenario had twice as many units, but was basically impossible to ever complete. My hope is that this new, edited and updated version of the scenario will appeal to our new and existing fans of the game.

Rob Alderman
December 2017

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Webmaster's Notes

An Orcs in the Webbe Original! The above scenario was updated exclusively for Orcs in the Webbe and was first published on the 7th December 2017 as part of its 2017 Advent Calendar.

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