Canadian Nationals 2021: Tales from the Quebec Front

by Dennis ‘Matt Varnish’ Campbell

In Canada, it was decided (during our lockdown this summer) to not have one Canadian Nationals event in Ottawa (since we could no longer book the Marriott we usually go to), but instead have several Regional events. Overall winner would be the person with the highest total points, tie breakers going to number of wins, and then if still tied, going to the person who attended the larger event.

The National Capital Region (NCR) event was put on by Darko Prodanovic and John Edward (Jed) and hosted by a local game store across the river in Quebec called Freres de Bataille (Translation: Battle Brothers, hereafter FdB). Our event in the NCR occurred Nov 20-21 was , Late War 105 points (No Bulge US). Regionals in Winnipeg, Maritimes, and Edmonton also occurred. After compiling the results from the regionals, the winner is…

Congrats to Sean McCarthy who, with an average score of 7.8pts out of 8pts per game, takes the Canadian National Title!

Tales from the National Capital Region

I’ll have a tonne of pics in this piece. In addition, I DO have all the lists from the NCR and will post top 5 at the end of the article for those that like lists  We had a good mix of forces, and even had Hungarians and Romanian armies to liven things up, in addition to the usual greyhound pakfronts or Churchills!

 

First off, have a good sense of humour along with their good selection of FoW and Team Yankee. They had a shelf where everything was half price dubbed Doge Deals and this was the sign.

Meme game is strong.   Translation “Much cheapness” “Wicked deal, bro.”

 

FdB were able to get in eight table for us.   Some folks brought in their own terrain so we had good looking tables and not wide open ‘Tank country’ tables.  Andrew Buchan even brought in his infamous city board from past Nationals!

 

Bombed out rail yard table

 

 

Typical European table

I played Jed’s Romanians with IS support round one. Even with 5x PIAT shots in Defensive fire, I would still lose to this assault.  British Bulldog more like Bull$*t.. (my 6pdrs facing the rear are to signify ones that had dashed not Tactical’ed up that hill).

 

Meanwhile my flanking PIAT carriers get jumped by Sappers with Flamethrowers from reserve. Of course the 2-points I paid for French Resistance didn’t pay off and these guys came on anyways!

Game 2: I played Darko’s Germans in Escape. My plan, as you can see, is rush the gap between the uppermost hill and the board edge and sweep round before his Panthers kill me from behind.

French Resistance?  It fails again, as his infantry and halftracks come on my backfield right away. I had to move my infantry unit up to contend with this threat.

Meanwhile, I lay down a smoke screen for my infantry to assault. My dice are up to their usual level of ineptitude, and I fail to pin them. Therefore, I get pinned going in and have to fall back.

I had positioned the Smoke so that my Achilles could still fire at his Tigers

 

Turn 5, I am in position to win with 2x PIAT carriers within range of the objective, and only his Puma Company HQ within 4 inches. To win, I just need to kill or bail that one Puma.

 

Anyone who knows me, knows my dice are atrocious. I blitz two Achilles to also take clear shots, not taking any chances. Two Achilles hitting on 4-ups, 2x PIATs hitting on 5s through the cover. ALL MISS. I lose the game as Darko is able to reinforce this objective before time is called.

 

Meanwhile Jordan and Ross Bradley fight over the rail yards.

 

Cromwells and 25-pounders vs Churchills……

 

Jeff Young’s Sherman/Firefly troop makes short work of Andrew Buchan’s Priests..

 

While his Typhoons rocket the Sherman 75s. “Sqdn Leader, Tally-Ho!”

 

Wade and James have a swirling tank fight by the intersection.Zrinyi’s can’t hold off all those Panzer IV’s and Panthers.

 

 

Game 3: I faced Andrew Buchan’s US Rangers in Scout’s out.  He had no points for recce in his heavy Arty force so I was able to Spearhead. If I could pin his rangers north of the red factory with my mortars, I could win turn 2 with my infantry south of the factory. I ranged in and pinned, but he would unpin easily (as Ranger’s do).

I was hugely aggressive (Thanks James Copeland) and almost won about 3 or 4 times, but War Weary makes me unpin on 5s and I couldn’t buy an unpin, even using Lucky and of course failing again. They would remain pinned for the rest of the game.

 

This building dubbed “the Gingerbread house” had roof come off and everything. Here, my troops are marching through the fields to threaten his Stuarts.

 

After the Stuarts are dealt with, I just need to survive a 6-gun Priest battery and a 4-gun M12 battery for the win.

 

Again, if I could only unpin here and assault the Rangers now in the red factory.. I could win the game outright. My PIAT Carriers can’t score a hit vs the M12s to save their lives.  Literally cost them.

 

Still cannot unpin.  My infantry in the north lose their PIAT, and cannot unpin to do anything against the Priests.  Off-camera my Achilles are wrecking his Shermans, but the battle is won or lost up here.

 

Time runs out for me like this: My last PIAT section could have taken the objective after finally killing the M12s but the priests mopped up my other infantry, and would just drive up and contest.  3-3 tie.

 

Day Two, ‘Soviet’ Tom couldn’t play so I backed out also, I still dropped in to buy half-price paints and some Bolt Action books in the ‘Doge Deal’ area.. and took more pics:

Wade vs Derek on the Middle East table, they had similar german lists..

 

Wade’s Recce. I love the mosquito-screen forest templates.. letting the table matt colour through so these work on any table be it winter or summer.  Cool Idea.

SS Panthers. That ain’t kosher!

 

…maybe they are just looking for good Shawarma. Yalla!

 

Jeff Young vs Ross’s Cromwells.

Cromwells backed up by Croc’s and Churchills….

Jeff defends a hill with his… Churchill’s….. <Austin Powers>

 

 

 

Andrew Buchan is forced to play on his own infamous table. His heavy Artillery certainly epitomises “In the Rear, with the Gear” vs James’ Hungarians.

 

Zrinyi’s have some open ground to cover before being amongst the apartments.

 

Jed’s Romanian’s vs Drew’s Germans on the winter table.

 

Fields were drybrushed white for some frost.. and even have snow covered street lamps.

 

Dollar Store Christmas scene houses seal the deal on this winter table!

 

 

Again the mosquito screen forest templates work on this winter table, with the white and dark green coming through. Drew’s Marders adopt a reverse slope position.

 

Lou’s Churchills were doing well too though.   I like the radio antenna fanions.

 

 

Jordan V’s US force defending the excellent MDF church..

 

 

But would it be enough vs all those Churchills??

 

 

 

In a brilliant move, Drew uses both smoke barrages to lay down to Lines of Smoke allowing his Recce Puma’s to claim this objective near the houka factory.

 

Ross’ Crocs.. ready to thaw out some germans…..

 

James’ Zrinyi’s once again forced across the open!

Below is the final tally from the Quebec Front:

And now, the top 5 lists:

Wade ‘Artygun’s list above, which tied for 4th

 

Lou Santerre’s Churchill list, which took home 2nd overall

Darko’s Ringer army which wound up 3rd. I’m sure playing me helped him get 3rd!!

 

 

Jeff Young’s Mixed Sherman/Churchills from Fortress Europe tied Wade for 4th place.  T

 

 

And the winning list from our region:  Drew Willis’ Pxr Grenadiers with Elefant.

Big thanks to FdB for hosting, Darko and Jed for organizing, and everyone for coming in.  it was GREAT seeing people again .. our last event was in 2019!