GMing -Wip first turn disaster and update

View to the South, toward the forest, The Steinwald

I decided, since i had the table in it's first set-up to try out the minis on the table and to see how it fares for the tank company coming from the South. Not good at all. I narrowed the vision at 50cm because it was foggy and hazy during the attack. Didn't matter.  I simulated two turns, the result:

The company moved away from their entry point, at about a 45 degree angle. No differnce, the Stug fired from the woods, adding 2 extra attack dice because of flank and half distance shot. 3 hits and suppressed from opp fire. The pak40 fired and had 1 hit, no suppression. The 88 hit 3 and suppressed. The Germans destroyed 2 tanks during their turn.

North is Up

The US failed their command roll - stuck in the field!!! The German turn, another tank destroyed, and one with a hit and no suppression. Turn over and 2 platoons left to make it to Herrilsheim to help root out the Germans...where there's a Jagnpanther and Hetzer waiting, with a pak40 and troops. And then a turn or two later a company of Panthers and a company of IVs. Of course, travelling with this group is going to be a company of Engineers.

Thoughts on making this a fairer fight, make sure to bring in smoke. This group will have an FAO.

Should I bring in aircraft? I was wanting to avoid it for simplicity sake.

Other update - got those German and US tanks primed. And a date set for my first playtest.

Also, worked on some paper terrain and realized that I don't have the patience for that and want to get more done before the con. I've contacted a paper/book artist to see if I could pay a bit to get these done for me. Ridiculous I know, but time, time, time.

Still waiting my answer on the Hotz Mats. But I did hear from someone on Tmp that the company I was trying to think of was www.theterrainguy.com.  See pic at right. Little pricier for the mat, but I don't know about the price Hotz might charge to make the mat white and brown.