Quite The Beating – Part 1

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II

Tim drove over to “The Dry Side” for another game of Drive on Stalingrad.  Our first try was over 2 years ago.  This time, he had the Germans and I the Soviets.  Things did not go well for the Soviets.  Here’s a link to a quick overview of the game at BGG.

The Soviets must cover their designated initial front with units or their zones of control (ZOCs).  For the most part, the units are drawn at random, with strengths revealed only at first combat. As you can see, things are a little thin on the ground.  North is to the readers right.

During Turn 1, Tim started clearing out Soviets in the north, while waiting to begin his attacks in the South.  The Soviets received reinforcements.  Again, most of these have unknown combat strength.  They must be placed in either cities or at rail hexes along the north map edge.  Soviet rail capacity is 10 units, with infantry and headquarters counting as one, with armor counting as three.  Soviet headquarters provide supply within a hex radius printed on the counter (2-5).  Unsupplied units move/attack/defend at half strength.

By the end of his Turn 2, Tim has advanced toward the Don River in the north, and is beginning to attack in the south.  Units can leave Zones of Control only by combat.  The exception is when the Soviet player declares a strategic withdrawal.  This costs victory points.  I am willing to pay the points to get the majority of my units moving back to the east and south.  However, delaying units can be effective and some are left behind to defend at half strength.

For my part, there is a general withdrawal with some units remaining behind to delay.  I also begin constituting a reserve in the vicinity of Stalingrad.  This reserve is comprised of several units which hopefully can mount an effective counterattack.

Tim continues his advance during Turn 3, but his infantry divisions are still being delayed by Soviet resistance.  He does a very good job of using his ability to overrun units not only in the movement phase, but also in a subsequent mechanized movement phase.

While the Soviets  build a “shoulder” to the northeast of the German’s southern advance, and move additional armored units toward the Black Sea from Stalingrad, there is a dangerous gap just east of the Black Sea.  This will be my undoing…….

Nordic Saga – Part 1

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II

Another late post.   This time it’s about the Operation Jupiter game played with Tim several weeks ago.

The lead-up to this game was a comedy of errors even by our broad standards.  The scenario is in The Europa  Magazine (TMO)  #41, entitled Arctic Thunderbolt, simulating  a late 1942 invasion of Norway.  The magazine contains special rules, orders of battle, and a map for the scenario.  We decided to play this game during a phone conversation back in October.

This is where the fun started, because, the scenario was re-done in the boxed game Storm Over Scandinavia (SOS).  I studied the scenario as presented in the game.  Tim used the scenario in  TEM.

We set up the SOS maps and started to play.  But….nothing matched up.  The OBs, locations on the map, special rules were all different.  The game was out of phase, and we were losing our minds.  The only thing to do was stop, settle on using the TMO rules, maps, etc, and start again in December.

As the Allied commander, I spent the next few weeks in a funk, grappling not only with the involved Europa naval rules, but also the challenges of the invasion.  Things were just too depressing struggling with these “options of difficulties” and staring at a soul less black-and-white magazine, so I copied and garishly colored the map.

This was a very tough mission.  Suitable landing sites were limited, weather could disrupt the landings at any time, and the invasion fleet(s) would have to run a gauntlet of German aircraft.  To top things off, the Allies had a very aggressive schedule for the withdrawal of naval assets after the initial turn.

We played a couple of days before Christmas, squeezing in a session  between a visit to other friends in Portland and football viewing.  The SOS maps proved so cumbersome we used my little map.  Even with my invasion plans completed, we managed just a single turn.  Lots of naval movement, naval patrol , danger zone and mine field roles.  After this session, I re-did the little map, which is shown below.

map

For the new game, my amphibious forces would land at Alta, Narvik, Bardofuss and Andenes.

I realize the following illustration sets a new low in media crudeness for this site, but it’s a matter of communicating effectively, and spending my time gaming, rather than focusing on developing media presentation skills.

Landing # 1  – Narvik (United States):   6 Pt WNTF-1, 6 Pt WNTF-2, CG-1 (F4F & SBD), NTPs and LC for 85th Div. 1x 2-8, 1×3-8 & HQ, along with 4 SPs at Hex 0811.

Landing # 2  – Andenes (British):  4 NTPs & LC for 102 RM 3-6 & 10 Eng 2-3-8 along with 4 SPs at Hex 0512

Landing #3  – Alta (British):  16 Pt ENTF-1, 8 Pt ENTF-2, CG-1 (with Sfire, F4F & Albacore) & CG-2 (with Sfire, & Fulmer) , NTPs and LC for 46th Div.  1x 2-8, 1x 3-8 & HQ, along with 4 SPs at Hex 0532.

Landing #4  – Bardofuss (British): 8 Pt ENTF-3, NTPs & LC for 2x 3-6 RM (101,103), 2-8 Layforce along with 4 SPs at Hex 0608.

Landing #2 was scheduled for the Exploitation Phase when – it was hoped – all German air assets had been used for naval patrol or strike missions.  The engineer unit  build an airfield.

Tanks…..And Stalin’s Tanks

Aircraft & Vehicles, World War II

Finally finished up the late-war Soviet and German tanks purchased some time ago.  They were languishing  in a painting induced purgatory, victims of my incompetence.

Painting early war tanks is straight forward.  Single color, weathering, dirt & grime…done.  Later war Germans are something else.

There are some excellent resources on the web about how to paint them (#1 and #2) .  The problem is I just couldn’t leave it alone and do what I was told.

Instead, I tried using the Blu Tack (or its far less expensive counterpart Blue Stik), along with spray paint and, just to make things more interesting, ignore cleaning out some stray landscape flock from the painting box.  The result was ridges along the color lines, and grit all over the tanks, like a molted zimmerit paste.

It took a awhile to psychically recover from this screw up.  But, in the spirit of clearing out all the miscellaneous bits and pieces before the next  big project, I trudged to the finish.  The results……..well……..(let’s blame it on the bad lighting).  If they look glossy, it’s because I finished them in gloss coat.  Perverse, but they seem to look better this way.

Undeterred from this episode I bought some more late German and Soviets.  Exotics.  What started out as a “let’s get a few late-war tanks and fight in an urban setting” has ballooned into something else.  And, don’t even get me started on the continued scale printing problems with the paper buildings.

During this sad process, I picked up a copy of Stalin’s Tanks.  Had read some positive comments, and remembered it as something I thought about buying way back when.  The hope is I can mash up this rule set along with Tanks!  to add a little depth  to a beer and pretzels game from another beer and pretzels game.

Der Weltkrieg – World War I Operational Combat

Boardgames, Review, World War I

Since World War One is no longer trending, the contrarian in me says it’s safe to start playing this operational series.

I’ve purchased several of the titles, and have been waiting for some time to engage with, get comfortable with the rules, and play a bunch of them.  What initially attracted me to the series was the number of East Front games (now consolidated into a single package) and its coverage of the Ottomans.  I also picked up the Italian Front game (really cheap on E-Bay) for when I feel like just bogging down in attritional nihilism.

Each game comes with a copy of the basic rules, along with scenario(s) specific rules

At first glance, this appears to be a typical hex and counter operational series.  Railroads enhance movement, headquarters effect supply, supply and supply lines effect combat, units have zones of control, fortresses and trenches aide the defender, and artillery units have special rules.   Turns are monthly, with each month starting with a trench completion and initiation phase, and then four phases per side.  Both players have reinforcement arrival, movement, combat, and replacement/recombination phases.  Reinforcement schedules are shown along with the initial orders of battle.

But, there are two major and one minor differences from other operational games.

The first involves terrain.  Each hex side can have multiple types of terrain.  The defender is allowed to choose the terrain through which he is attacked. For example, if the  attack hex side has both clear and rough terrain, the defender can choose the rough terrain, and enjoy the appropriate combat modifier.  Terrain also effects movement, in that the player can “weave” his way through clear or lower cost hex sides.  To me, this non-linear “weaving” is like following a valley that twists between hillsides.

Closeup Showing Multiple Terrain Types Per Hex Side

The second difference involves combat.  The attacker uses a standard means of calculating attack strength; adding attack points and modifying for (defender chosen) terrain.  A single die is rolled and cross referenced with the Combat Results Table (CRT) Before any losses are taken, the defender can choose to retreat one hex and reduce his losses by 1/3.  If not, the defender counterattacks.  The defender totals his strength points, multiplies them by three (artillery only doubled), and makes the appropriate adjust for terrain (that he initially picked).  The effects are again cross referenced on the CRT.  The triple strength counterattacks can really give the attacker a bloody nose.

The minor difference is how replacements are handled.  Replacement points are received, but must be formed into “battalions of march” and either marched or railroaded to a headquarters for integration into a co-located unit.  Recombination is simply combining two co-located below strength units into one.

I’ve set up Galicia: The Forgotten Cauldron  twice now.  Both times on surfaces that had to be cleared to accommodate guests.  This time it’s going up in “my” room and it will be completed.  It is also to enjoyable and educational to follow the narrative of both Collision of Empires and Written In Blood on the maps.  I was able to pick up both titles on Kindle for $1.99 each last Fall.  The only problem is that some of the towns in the narrative are not represented in the game battle maps.

Initial Set Up. Pre-Mobilization August 1914.

I really like what Designer David Schroeder has done.  He still maintains a website, but the series is now distributed by Decision Games.

And Another…..Another

Colonials, Miniatures

OK, this is small and pathetic….but it’s the last piece for my 15mm British colonial forces.

15mm

This particular group goes back to my Kansas City days, and the great, unrealized, World At War 1898 project.  I sold off my French figures, but kept one large unit of Highlanders.  Sometime last year, I re-discovered a cache of unpainted Sikh, British and miscellaneous Minifigs, and decided to paint them up.  The plan is to use them in a campaign against my Arab hordes (what a versatile force….good for late Ancients through the 19th Century).   The idea of a campaign also provided the motivation to order and paint baggage camels, and other domesticated animals for proper camps and baggage trains.

After some research using the usual resources,  I decided to use a couple of rule. The first is Soldiers of the Queen.

Soldiers of the queen

 

I have a weakness for Tabletop Games figures and rules.  Don’t know why.  This a fairly straight-ahead 19th century colonial proposition, but livened up with event cards, and a number of army lists for various sized forces.  This flexibility in army size is a very good thing for a campaign game.

The other is Science vs. Pluck.

science

This not just a set of rules, but also compendium of ideas, a character creation resource and source of general information.  It is designed for the Sudan, and to be played  with an umpire.  I think it’s more versatile than that.  Long out of print, it is available for download at The Wargamevault.

Don’t know when I’ll get the figures out on the table, but it is nice to have the painting finished.

 

And Another…..

Colonials, Miniatures, Skirmish

Finally got on it and finished up my four remaining The Sword and The Flame (TSATF) figures.

20200120_172010

 

The quality of today’s sculpting is so much better than these Minifigs from the early ’80s.  No comparison.  And, the newer figures are so much easier to paint acceptably.  With these old guys, it’s fairly grim work for a pedestrian painter like myself.

The problem now is whether or not I buy some more Boxers.  I have too many Europeans, and TSATF rules call for fairly large units.  If unit size is reduced, the CRT results distort, and I’d rather not make even a simply adjustment to it.  But, even though old and poorly sculpted, 25mm Minifigs are not cheap.

I’ll keep scouring E-Bay and The Miniatures Page for cheap recruits.

 

One Finished

East African Renaissance Campaign, Renaissance, Uncategorized

Quick post.  Over to Portland to see Tim for some football and to finish our Operation Jupiter Europa game.  It has been a real saga so far, and I’m looking forward to telling that story when I return later in the week.

Well, I have to flock one stand’s base, but the Irregular Wars army project is finally finished.

Probably bought the figures over eight years ago.  Started the East African campaign a few years ago, but moved on to something(s) else.

The Abyssinians were the last 200+/  point force left to paint.  Finally got on it in November.  Now I have to re-start the campaign.  Still have my maps and notes.

Probably will happen when I take a break from my survey of skirmish games.

 

 

Go-To Game

Boardgames, Sessions

That’s Paths of Glory (POG) for Tim and I  Rules are easy to remember, play is pretty quick, and it is always a tense struggle.  The perfect game when football, beer or just plain sloth renders Europa, Third World War or Pursuit of Glory (POG’s demonic brother) too difficult.

Our latest game was right before Thanksgiving.  Tim took the Allies and I had the Central Powers.

In our past games, Tim’s Allied play has always featured the Russians’ rude handling of the Hapless Hapsburgs.  This time, I was determined not to let the Austrians lose the game.  This would involved a cautious approach on the Western Front, with German reinforcements moving to the East.

August 1914

Standard opening for the August 1914 first game turn.  I played the Liege card but not much else.

The Russian Steamroller gathered speed during the September 1914 turn.  I was forced to funnel what few reinforcements I had  East to stave off Tim’s hordes.  He also started his War Status track moving by playing the Blockade card.

Fall 1914

In the Fall 1914 turn, Tim continued to hammer away at the Austrians in the East, while my activities focused on patching together a defensive line,  and entrenching in the West.

During the Winter 1915 turn, the Austrians came under new pressure from the Southeast.  The Serbs launched a local attack that eliminated an Austrian Corps, and Romania’s entry into the war forced the Austrians to divert units.  The Austrian Eastern front was now buttressed by four German units.

The Italians entered the war during the Spring 1915  turn.  Fortunately, the Austrians finally drew reinforcement cards allowing them to stop the Italian offensive south of Vienna and continue to frustrate the Russians, with heavy see-saw  fighting around Warsaw.

While the situation remained the same in the East, Turkey’s entry into the war during Summer 1915 created new problems for the Central Powers.  As luck would have it, the Ottomans had a mandated offensive that resulted in defeat and opportunites for the Russians and British.

The Central Powers used Bulgaria’s entry into the war to pressure the Romanians and Serbs.  Both the East and West fronts had stabilized, but the British had mustered a force off of Gallipoli.

At this point, we shut down the game.  The prospects for a dramatic breakthrough by either side were bleak, and, more importantly, food and football beckoned.

While the map indicates a relatively “even” situation for both sides, I believe Tim’s Allies had an advantage for two reasons.  First, the Central Powers had gained very few victory points in the East.  These are needed to start the Russians on the road to revolution and disintegration.  Secondly, there was a very possibility of a successful British landing at Gallipoli.

Another fun contest…….

Skirmish Games

Skirmish,

Somehow became enamored with skirmish games while finishing up my TSATF miniatures.

What ensued can only be described as a “frenzy” of rules purchases.  Learned a lot.  First off, what the hell is a skirmish game.  Here is one thread that, I guess, covers the bases.

Played Fistful of Lead and enjoyed it.  But I wanted something different than Wild West gunfights.

I already had one other set of rules, and it is supposedly the first set of skirmish rules published…. OK, maybe the Wild West rules came first.   I bought the Featherstone rules a long time ago, but played only a couple of times.

After playing one session – more on that in another post – I decided to explore other options.  The next thing I knew, I was falling into the vortex of the Wargame Vault.

Just click, pay, and download……it’s painless.  With that, and some research, I accumulated a number of titles in a very short time.

As the BGG thread indicated, there is variety out there.  I’ve concluded the rules break down into either individual figure or small unit games, with the accompanying amount of character development varying by scale.  The individual figures have capabilities and special skills.  These attributes cost points to help create a balanced game.  Also, some rules are for the pre or early gunpowder periods, with others following the evolution of firearms.

A listing of early rule sets, but with an emphasis on board games, can be found here.

That being said, I’m to start working through my early period rules, using my Warhammer skirmish figures and “combat town”.  I’ll post up the sessions.

Been A Long Time

Uncategorized

Decided to get back at it, if only to keep track of what’s happened.  I know readership is a little thin.

Over the past several months there has been plenty of war gaming related activity,  just not any reporting.

Sold off about 30-40 games.  No, it wasn’t a reaction to  Boardgamegeek threads, but a need to clear shelf space and free up some cash for other purchases.  Too many games, too little time.  Decided to focus on systems instead of “one offs”.  I may go crazy and start shuffling through my magazine games, too.

Those other purchases involved a lot of ASL/ASLSK games, mags and modules.   I’m now in maintenance mode, limited to new stuff from MMP, and maybe a “highly recommended” from the recently revived Desperation Morale blog.  The re-do of Croix de Guerre is looking mighty tempting.  So far I’ve played through all the scenarios in ASLSK #1 and doing my (almost) daily work on ASLSK #2.  I like that most of the scenarios are one-mappers, with small footprint but plenty of action/learning.

Tim and I have also played a number of games over the past 8 months.  These included Fire In The Lake, Third World War, and our go-to, Paths of Glory.  We are currently in the middle of the Operation Jupiter scenario found in Europa Magazine Issue #41.  More on that in a separate post.

There were no new miniature purchases, just painting what was on-hand.  While no project is ever really finished, I have only a handful of  figures left to paint/acquire for my Irregular Wars, Back of Beyond and The Sword And The Flame (TSATF) endeavors.   I also have my 15mm colonial British ready to campaign against a horde of Middle East figures, as well as full contingents of Warhammer Empire troops for Renaissance skirmish games.

The remaining major miniatures project is finishing armies for play using the  Wargames Research Group (WRG) 6th edition rules.  The forces will include Byzantines, Arabs and generic opposing forces from the Late Middle Ages.  The core elements for each of these armies are my old DBA figures.  This is part of the decision to go old school and granular.  Likewise, I’ll use the  George Gush Renaissance rules, instead of DBR for any renaissance battles.