Germany 1989

The next game in the loosely strung-together NATO vs. Warsaw Pact WWIII series was played last  Sunday.  Despite a bloody reverse at a river crossing early on, the Soviets have made good progress although they have burned out a large part of their front-line troops.  Sensing the opportunity and need, the Americans have mustered two battalions of M1 Abram tanks with artillery and air support to fall upon a Soviet mechanized regiment of three battalions and a T-64 battalion.  Limited artillery and air support was also available.  Except for the prepared positions everyone on both sides had to be spotted so the Soviets prepared a deployment map.

The game system is based upon Epic Armageddon and we are using micro armor.  I make no claim to be an authority on modern warfare so if my description doesn't do it for the veterans or tread heads out there I'm sorry.

Looking over Dan's beautiful new table cloth mat.  Hills beneath it.

Soviet deployment, two battalions with vehicles could be dug
into prepped positions.

After some recon Humvees were scattered the big boys came on.

The game is d6 based.  Hits aren't hard to get but Abrams save on a 2+ so we need a lot of hits to have a realistic chance to taking one out.  T-72s by comparison save on a 3+.

A look going the other way, hits are already piling up.

After a few turns each side got air support.  The Mig and Eagle flights took each other out.  The Soviets called for ground support which winged its way on table.

And was promptly shot down.

I should have taken more pictures.  The Soviets had a breath of hope when they eliminated a company of Abrams but that left five more to go.  Todd "Crap a 1" Chirhart was spectacular saving his BMPs on a six only against incoming fire, which was only granted because of the tank pits.

More Soviet air as Apaches also appear, along with a Warthog.

An attempt to outflank the ridge meant another Abrams company
lost to ambushing T-64s.

The hits and firepower markers are piling up on both Soviet battalions.

In the game you get markers for hits received and units firing at you.  In the case of Soviets when the markers outnumber the surviving stands they rout.  For small American units you need twice as many markers.

Suddenly the right flank breaks and runs.

Followed quickly by the left flank.

With a requirement that the Soviets preserve their force everyone breaks off.  The third battalion and tanks and artillery are intact so we figure the pursuit will be limited.  For the cost of seven Abram platoons (stands) the objectives were met.  The evolution of the rules is a work in progress but progress is made in each of our rare games.

Tundra Con IV

January 6th saw the 4th installment of Tundra Con at the American Legion Post in Appleton, WI.  We had a wide range of games and a few vendors.  Food and drink available on site too, so at just $10 for a day of gaming it seems a bargain and attracts around 50 players each year.  We have been lucky that in four years there has been bitter cold, but no severe storms.  Check out Tundra Con V on January 5th, 2019.

"Siege of the Lich King" on an adjustable table (for sale).
Bruce Laue GM

Setting up Memoir '44.  Todd Chirhart GM.

Battle of Culloden using Final Argument of Kings.  Todd
Prochniak GM.

54mm Greeks and Trojans for sale by Ken Ciak.
https://www.facebook.com/Lodtoysoldiers

Russo-Japanese War in 1/600 using Naval Thunder.  Dan
Wideman GM.

Pikemans' Lament set-up, "They Are Coming For Us" scenario
set in the colonies around the turn of the 17/18th century.
Mike Husky GM.

Something has gone wrong for Kyle apparently, Star Fleet Battles.
Eric Drumm GM.

Table detail and dice tower.

A 4x6' table that can be custom built.  Multi use item.

The undead hordes are shambling forward.

The invasion is on.

The "Lost Battalion" is lost, using 1916 as rules.  Paul Alaniz GM.

Lots of Bolt Action action.  Teddy Alecos and Kyle Bey GMs.

Check Your 6 being prepared over the Eastern Front.  Chuck
Seegert GM.

My own game, a pirate "Raid on Marquay". 

Pirates rowing ashore in the gloom.

The Free Men of Color company rushes to rescue the brig Electra.

We also had Hail Caesar (Paul Alaniz), Wings of Glory (Bob Rondou), modern micro-armor (Dan Wideman) and probably others I'm forgetting.  Some games ran multiple times.  In my own game the pirates cut out the Electra (4 guns) and a small craft but failed to take the shore battery or town, in part because of a warband of natives that showed up to investigate all the noise.  But the creepy Governor escaped with his entourage and most of his ill-gotten fortune, all while mentally wording his report to the King of Spain about how the pirates took everything and taxes would need to be doubled.

See you in 2019!

Fulda Gap - Round Four

With one of our group who is in the army home on leave we fought another round from our casual 1989 NATO v. Warsaw Pact campaign.  We've had a WP win, NATO win, and WP win in the preceding games.  This game featured what is probably the swan song of a Soviet tank division against a combination of American and German defenders.  The Soviets, a T-80 tank regiment (30 tanks) and motorized infantry regiment (10 T-72), are facing forcing a river crossing and what seemed like a lot of artillery.  We on the other hand have outrun our heavy corps assets.

The NATO forces are charged with holding long enough for the engineers to mine and blow the two bridges and perhaps even defeat the river crossing as happened in the one NATO win earlier.  Each turn the allies rolled 1d6 for each bridge.  When the total reached 30 the bridge was ready.  Figures are a departure from our usual 15mm games, using micro-armor.  Rules are home grown, based (I understand) on Epic Armageddon.  Clip to big-up the pictures.

Soviet view looking down the table.

Remnants of my heroic recon battalion from last game sneak on.

NATO forces are mostly hidden so we systematically work the woods.

My objective with the other bridge in the distance.

Blind fire on the village does some damage.  The dice represent
the cumulative progress on prepping the bridge.

Andrew seems to look questioningly as some Abrams rout away.

Artillery was the great killer, as some T-80s discovered.

A Hind kills an Abram but is also destroyed.

The lead battalion in BMPs rushes the bridge, takes out the defenders
and hunkers down.

The tank regiments BMP battalion stages to rush the bridge.

More Soviet infantry race to aid their comrades in town.

All three T-80 battalions are on table and ready to take out Leopards.

Not a desirable grouping, but out of sight.

Massive carnage at the north bridge.  Markers represent suppression
points.

My boys grab the second bridge just as it was one pip away from
being blown up.

With nothing left in good morale except for an F-111 mission, some APCs and off table artillery the fight ended.  A notable Soviet victory.  For the cost of 9 T-80s, 5 T-72s and about half the engaged infantry the Soviets killed 18 M-1 Abrams, 8 Leopards and the lights.  Very little NATO infantry was present  but the tanks killed will be hard to replace quickly.  More importantly, with the invaders holding the field again, any vehicles repaired will be by the Soviets.

The Soviet division will likely rotate out for rest and replenishment.  Whether NATO takes advantage of the breather remains to be seen.