Postie and Ray Destroy Probability - A WW2 Rapid Fire Reloaded Battle Report

Strangely enough the Rejects do not play World War Two games very often.  So, it was a treat to have something different:  different period; different umpire, Dan; different location, at Dan's home.

Dan put on a good looking and very enjoyable game.  However, it will be defined by Postie and Ray (especially Ray), first defying then rejecting entirely the laws of probability.

The rules were Rapid Fire Reloaded.  The scenario from "The Canadians in Normandy" book.  The models and terrain were from Dan's 15mm collection.

The scenario map

The scenario

Steve and I took command of the German defenders, who started hidden and able to give ambush fire.

The Canadian attackers were led by Postie and Ray,

The Game

The Canadians were tasked with capturing the village held by the Germans.

The Canadians arrive.

They quickly started moving their infantry and armoured support.

Flying forward to do a recce to find the defenders, a company with PIATs debussed from a universal carrier.

What they uncovered was two 75mm PAK 40s and a 105mm gun.  These quickly dispatched the recce team to another place!

The German anti-tank guns swiftly turned their attention on the advancing Shermans and destroyed one with alarming ease.

The Canadian line advances.  So far, they have managed to fail rolls to lay down significant smoke.  Nor have they been able to hit anything.  Though, to be fair, it's all long range at the moment.

With the Canadians attacking towards the German right, the defenders decide to limber up and relocate some artillery to counter.

With the attackers now advancing through the wheat fields, it is looking fairly promising for the Canadians.  If only they could hit and destroy the enemy units.  It seems that the Dice Gods have turned their backs on Postie and Ray.

With the same Pak 40 that took out the first Sherman, a second Sherman is hit and brews up.
This will be the gun that defies and destroys probability.  I cannot tell you how many dice they rolled to try to destroy this piece.  In one turn I believe that every Canadian asset that could shoot at it, did.  And missed.  The Dice Gods had not deserted Ray and Postie... They had died!

Moments later, the third Sherman is targeted, hit and destroyed by the relocated 105mm gun.

Postie and Ray are smiling but the grins seem a little fixed and the teeth clenched... how I laughed!

To make matters worse a die was rolled to see if the burning wrecks caused the wheat field to catch light.  Guess what!  Dan rolled a one, the field caught fire and the Canadian infantry had to move quickly out into the open.

With no armoured support and infantry being gunned down from well positioned defenders in the village, the attackers decided that their objective was now unobtainable.

So, a German victory.

This is the first time that I have played Rapid Fire.  It was a bit of a learning curve to begin with.  However, by the afternoon session of the game, the mechanisms were clicking.  This was an enjoyable and fast game.  It could have been a very different experience and result if Postie and Ray could have landed some hits, but if there was a dice roll to mess up, they messed it up.  In the end, the Canadians had lost 8 infantry stands, 1 PIAT team, 1 carrier and 3 Shermans.  The Germans lost one of their PAK 40s.

Well done to Dan for umpiring and hosting.  It was a fun day.  I look forward to Dan putting on more Rapid Fire games.