More Table Fun

Boardgames, Review

Been playing another small game.  It’s a game with a war theme, so I guess it is a war game.  Realism…….not so much.  Entertainment and Fun……so much.

It’s Pocket Landship, a PNP game I stumbled across over at Boardgamegeek.

The link is for the updated version, with more options and better graphics.  The original looks like this when set up.

No, The Cards Are Not Huge. Yes, The Dice Are Very, Very, Small.

Game is simple and elegant.  In the basic game, you control one Landship, with three components – Hull, Sponson, and Gun.  The enemy has six random elements, including infantry, artillery and other land ships.  Only the front three are in play at any one time.  Roll three die for the enemy.  Assign lowest die to the left unit, and other two in ascending order.  See what happens.  For your Landship, roll three die and allocate as best you can. If you destroy one enemy element, another moves up.  Last Man Standing wins.

Fun and compact.  As the say, a great “filler” game.  Just like TAC, buy this one before it gets snapped up, pimped up, and priced up!

 

Table Fun

Boardgames, Review, World War II

Undertook a mini project when TAD.  It was TAC – Table Air Combat.

This is a simple, fun, inexpensive WWII aerial combat game with a wide variety of aircraft types.  It can be found over at Wargamevault.

You get a PDF copy of the rules with each aircraft type.  The PDF is very well done.  Other help is available for free download.

The aircraft maneuvering card includes all the information you need to fly the aircraft, so after a few plays, and familiar with the general rules, you can seamlessly transition to any aircraft you like.

The counters show a single aircraft on one side, and two aircraft on the other I’m thinking about mounting 1/700 aircraft on a counter for a 3-D effect.

Speaking of 3-D, the system incorporates “energy” as a means of simulating vertical maneuver.  The concept is simple, an aircraft can gain energy by climbing (reducing linear movement), which allows it to gain speed in a dive.

The footprint is very small, making it a great travel game.

For what it is…..it’s great!

Rules are well illustrated, easy to understand and have great graphic qualities.
BF 109-E Turning Into A Polikarpov I-16. Note Data On Manuever Care.

A Little Bloodier

Boardgames, Review + Session Report, World War II

Was able to get through about 12 turns of Bloody Buna before I left for latest elder-care iteration.

It’s easy to understand why the response to this game was muted. Supply is everything, and there isn’t enough of it. Unlike many games where new supply counters are generated every turn, or MSRs linking supply sources to units are lengthy and developed, this game has short MSRs (2-4 hexes), and a very limited number of supply counters.

The result is the need to accept attrition die rolls as the cost of conducting business. While Allied units can huddle in defensive positions near supply sources, they will have to conduct operations far from these sources in order to win. The Japanese face a dwindling level of supply as the campaign progresses, and will have to hold on to their gains in order to eke out at least a marginal victory.

This isn’t the Western Desert. No booming and zooming.

So far, the Japanese were able to advance to Kokoda, eliminating Australian units that were tasked with a delay/defend mission. However, the Japanese are now on half-supply.

Another Japanese force moved east of Buna to cut off Allied forces that had moved west from Milne Bay. Again, both sides will soon be out of supply and subject to random attrition and accompanying loss of combat power.

I’m charmed by this game, if only because of the limitations created by factors taken for granted in so many other games.

Here’s a couple of bad pics depicting the Japanese attack on Kokoda, and the situation when I left.  Number chits indicate supply turns remaining.

 

 

Kriegsspiel Box

Kriegsspiel

Bought the unfinished box down at Hobby Lobby.  Stained it, and now I have a nice atmospheric place to stow my blocks and other instruments of war.

My grandfather was trained as a civil engineer, and these tools were his back in the early 20th century.  Nice way to measure things, and a congenial way to play the game.

Slow But Not Yet Bloody

Boardgames, World War II

Back to playing the Campaign game for Bloody Buna.  Not for the time challenged, as it extends for 43 turns.  The game develops slowly, just like that Sloth/Pictionary commercial that is thankfully off the air now.

The potential for unit attrition dictates modest rates of advance and husbanding of supplies.  Units are battalions or companies, so it is ant-tastic.  But, these can be powerful ants, with the ability to generate high-odds attacks even in unfavorable terrain.

The Japanese have some interesting victory conditions that allow them to not have to take Port Moresby or Milne Bay, but simply threaten it.  This puts the onus on the Allies to contain the Japanese advance, and then roll it back literally to their start point in the vicinity of Buna.

Will post up game summary soon.

 

Free

Kriegsspiel

Finally set up my Kriegsspiel maps and blocks.  Long story.

Components were purchased as a Xmas gift for me from Command Post Games, Photo Cutters Studio,  and Two Fat Lardies.  Shipments went astray, problems happened.  The first two providers were fantastic, while the latter provider’s reaction to a lost shipment was (and I’ll use British understatement) less than cooperative and gave me deeper understanding into Vinegar Joe’s phobias.

Anyway, had the maps printed out and used spray adhesive to affix to large card.  Bought a unfinished box, stained it, and added a couple of dividers for a storage space.  The final touch was adding my Grandfather’s civil engineering drafting instruments to help with measurements.

Aesthetically very pleasing.

The rules are fun.  I purchased the 1860’s version, rather than the 1820’s Napoleonic rules.  Very common sense, and the Kriegsspiel dice eliminate a great deal of chart reading.

Command Post has expanded their Kriegsspiel product line to include blocks and maps, building on their fun Pub Battles Series.

With this system, the player is free to set up scenarios and explore them to his liking.  It’s all about command problems, without any need for an umpire.  After so many years of gaming, and military experience, it’s fun to just mess around with an open system.

Here’s a quick shot of the maps, with a regimental defense, supported by 6lb artillery and cavalry set in.  The bone folding ruler’s been in the family for who knows how long.

 

 

Last Stand

Boardgames, Sessions

Finished up the fourth turn of The Alamo:  Victory in Death.

Figured out the casualty rules that had baffled me.  Silly me, just read the rules and interpret them literally.  Things will work out.

Crockett’s attempt to push out beyond the walls was a foolish.  Now surrounded and locked in , he’ll eventually be killed.  The west wall has been overrun and now all that is left is the time consuming chore of isolating each Texan unit and destroying it.  Reorganized Mexican units are flooding back onto the battlefield, and there seems little chance that the Texans can last another ten turns.

The initial setup is everything.  The Texans have to react quickly to stop any massed Mexican attacks, and the Mexicans, in turn, must be creative to exploit any Texan attempt to reinforce a threatened area by judicious of their reserve units.

It’s a tense contest for the first several turns.  Worth the time to play.

Crockett Surrounded Outside The Church. Church Isolated. North Wall Defenders Surrounded. Plenty of Mexican Replacement Units Ready To Come On Map. Pick It Up.

 

Fast Attack Boats AAR

Boardgames, Sessions

During Round One the Israelis aggressively engaged the Egyptian ships, while the Egyptians fired just one missile and turned away . Both tactics seem to work. The Egyptians enjoyed some good luck and sank two of the Israeli boats . The Israelis also sank two vessels and had one boat remaining on the map. By the rules this is a victory for the Israelis. But, give in an asterisk.

Round Two also went to the Israelis . Both sides fired at maximum range and moved off the board. After two rounds the Egyptians have lost three boats and the Israelis have lost two.

The Egyptians changed tactics in Round Three, aggressively pursuing the Israeli boats. This tactic backfired, with three vessels sunk, with only one Israeli boat lost. This loss required rolling cosmic boxcars for a missile on the third leg of its flight. However, the round went to the Egyptians for remaining on the board.

Incoming Missiles. Turned counters are on their third – last – leg of flight.

Both sides husbanded their resources during Round Four. The Israelis sent out only one boat against three opponents. Both sides were cautious. The Egyptians launched only two rounds of missiles before turning away, with the Israelis launching only one round of missiles. Ironically, the sole Egyptian boat remaining on the board was sunk by the last Israeli missile. By RAW, it’s a draw.

Round Five was a a decisive defeat for the Egyptians . They lost four boats to only one Israeli boat. The fifth Egyptian boat suffered significant damage. Once again, the Israeli tactic of staying far away enough to allow Egyptian missiles to hit at maximum range paid off. The Israeli missiles retain their destructive punch even on the third and last leg of flight.

Saturating Targets

Overall, the Israelis were the winners, but the Egyptians still have a operational fleet ready for more.

Remembering

Boardgames, Review

Snow and sickness can lead to some desperate measures.   After FAB I opened a shrink wrapped time capsule…..The Alamo:  Victory In Death.

It’s not like my recent games. Yes, there is a lot of wristage, but with counters and a map that contains all of the charts.  So 1980’s, and so appreciated.

Here’s a great overview at Boardgamegeek.

This game is well-suited for solitaire.  I used a die to determine where the Mexicans were to attack.

But, it can be tedious, with many die rolls for shooting and melee combat.  However, the tension factor is excellent, especially when the defenders have to fall back from the walls to defend the interior of the mission.

I still am badly confused by the rules concerning Mexican losses that result in an immediate Texas victory during the first five turns.

Here’s a picture of the setup