Iron Cross
I have been introduced to Iron Cross, a good set of WW2 large-ish scale rules.

It is simple to learn be subtleties in the command structure make it hard to master.
Command tokens are given out 1 per unit, but 1 unit can use multiple. It is harder to activate a unit the more command tokens are allocated to it. Also as morale counters are gained from enemy activity, it gets harder to use units. The  tokens can also be used by non active units to react to enemy movement and shooting, but this is harder to do an dalso burns your counters.

Command starts with initiative player, but he can "pass" the activation to the other player any time. This can be crucial as a good tactic can be to get the opponent to use all their tokens and leave a player a free move to activate with out reaction.

Game 1 - WW2 Allies v Germans in the Ardennes, winter 1944.

4 BUA to be captured, ended in a draw.

Game 2 - Vietnam, Australians v NVA

Lee a member at our club has been tinkering with Iron Cross and adapting to different periods, first being the Vietnam war.

The Aussies hekd a village and were expecting reinforcements. The NVA were about to attack.

My command were tasked with taking the village and neither NVA force could cross thr river until there opponents were routed.

My mortars and MG's proved effective as did the Jack with the Aussies first attempt at A/T fire. However with tanks reinforcements the NVA were soon into the village and had 50% by the end, not enough for a win, 1 more turn would have claimed the empty buildings and the depleted units in the occupied ones.

One the other side, Steve with the NVA against Bob ambushed them allies and the big untouchable tank of Bob's hid behind an ambulance, Eventually the relief column was routed and by the end NVA were pouring over the bridge

Waterloo 1944
The Battle for Le Haye Sainte

Monday 29th June 2015

German forces were holding the historic farm of Le Haye Sainte, there commander was a direct descendant of the original defenders from the KGL - Major Georg Baring.

The new commander, Hauptman Von Smallhousen was heard saying after the battle -

"Ze came on in the Zame way, und we beat them in the zame way"

Initially the forces were deployed in and around the farm, with the Free French (French again!!!!) starting on the ridge just like history.

The planned German flank attacks, stalled initially as command dice were rubbish.
As too were some British dice throws, meaning the majority of armour was off table.

One British commander (Bob!) tried to argue that a tank could shoot through a friendly 1/2 track.

The left flank anti-tank gun scored an early success taking out an M3 1/2 track, but it was empty.

The Right flank gun struggled to get hits, Rob marched slowly up the allied right facing a determined squad of troops who kept rolling the saves, time after time until close range and then they suffered. One stoic defender retrreated but came back at the end undeterred.

On the allied right, once the extra armour arrived, Bob and Tom decided to attack. Taking out the A/T Guns helped, but the smaller ones at the front of the wood ere a thorn in their side needing to be dispatched at bayonet point. Luckily the Axis forces had a mobile gun, initially held in reserve,  to help in the fight against the tanks. The brave Germans who charged forward with panzerfausts were the true heroes on the day, stalling the allied thrust.

The battle ended after 8 turns and night fall, German tanks were heard approaching as a relief force in the distance (Prussians arriving in nick of time?). Their was still a full squad holding the farm and the closest allied units were only just level with the gates. The Germans had held!!
The Allied troops were forced to retreat and leave the victorious (but battered) axis forces in charge of the farm.

Rules were home grown by Lee who also umpired, good set of rules and a great game.