New Sherman Crocodile

[Master Chief]

Has anyone fielded this in battle yet? Its card says it has HE(1″) but I thought all Sherman 75mm guns have HE(2″).

Also it has the jettison trailer Special Rule which counters the Volatile fuel tanks rule for flamethrower vehicles. We played it such that it can only use the jettison trailer once and if it did it loses its flamethrower.

[Master Chief]

I reread the following rule “When rolling on the damage effects chart against a vehicle equipped with flamethrowers, add an extra +1 to the roll to represent the increased risk from carrying around so much volatile fuel for the flamethrower.”

I realised it means the Sherman Croc does not suffer this +1 penalty. It doesn’t mean it jettisons its trailer when it is shot. So the 2nd part of my question is answered.

[Jim Ripley]

Sort of a weird tank to use as the USA only had 4 , all assigned to the 2nd Armored in late 1944 . This model was declared sub standard post war and shelved , so I guess they didn’t like it . IRC the Churchill Croc could “drop ” its trailer if empty or hit , you would assume the US version could do the same as they used the Brit trailers and hookups . How historical reality works in the game , I’m not sure lol

[Stuart Harrison]

1. The cards are riddled with errors and hardly worth the paper they’re printed on – you need to see the actual entry to verify but there is no reason I can see for the HE not to be the same as for any other Sherman. I don’t have the book with that entry, so can’t check for you (or I can’t find it…).

2. The Jettison Trailer special rule is poorly written (my opinion) – it should be an option when hit (before rolling to damage), take the option and you’ve lost the FT in exchange for reducing the odds of a destroyed unit, keep the trailer and keep the FT, but run the greater risk of a bad result. As it’s written currently, it’s simply a permanent effect removing the risk of internal fuel tanks, no reflection of actually jettisoning the trailer and the consequences of no longer having fuel for your flamethrower.

[Stuart Harrison]

Further to reply on the Sherman Crocodile – just looked at the page for it as a new release and it looks like the stats and card were written by someone thinking first edition, not second – second edition HE is referred to by radius (ie” 2″ HE) not a dice number (ie: D6 HE).

[Master Chief]

Hi Stuart, thanks for the reply. You are right that the stats at the link https://www.warlordgames.com/sherman-crocodile/ are the old stats found in the 1st Edition Armies of the United States.

In the new model kit, there is a page in the construction instructions that lists new higher point costs and stats for the Zippo (early and late versions) and Crocodile. The HE(1″) is not there, but mentioned in the stat card that also comes in the pack. I think it is a printing error as the person was using the old “D2″ you mentioned for reference and hence HE(1”), forgetting about the special note for US and British 75mm guns on page 70 of the 2nd Edition rulebook.

[Slyde Klewlis]

If you drop the trailer I think you possibly might just use it as the Zippo according to the U.S. book listing if my memory is accurate today.

[Stuart Harrison]

Slyde Klewis, in practical terms, if you drop the fuel trailer you have no fuel/pressure tanks for the flamethrower – it’s your entire fuel supply, not additional fuel. The only things on the tank are the armoured hose from the trailer to the projector, and the projector itself.

Game wise, if it was additional fuel, it shouldn’t provide the benefit it does in game as you would still have internally stored fuel for the FT. It would provide something like a re-roll on the out of fuel roll instead.

As written, the game mechanic doesn’t even require you to actually drop the trailer – it’s written as a constant protection from the negative of a vehicle flame thrower, much like paying 10 points to remove “easily catches fire” from most Shermans.

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