Great War

Anticipation over the planned release of the latest version of "Great War" made us get out our figures and try the old edition.  Well, it made sense at the time.  😊 We had to retool our thinking to 3rd edition Flames of War with the Great War modifications, which interestingly to me made me appreciate the changes in 4th edition more.

The Germans had a Stosstruppen company with 7.7cm guns and a pair of A7 tanks in support.  The British had an elite infantry company with Vicker MGs and a full battery of 18pdrs. in support.  The Germans naturally chose a night attack and with their opening move bonus started literally on top of us.

The British trenchline with wire.

After the German deployment.

Those strange cheese boxes on treads looked scary.

A skill test to cross  the wire held up some Germans so others waited.

Despite being pinned by artillery or MG fire the Germans advanced.

A deadly flamethrower.... that hit open air (bad dice).

The sharp-eyed reader might notice the figure stands are smaller than the normal Flames of War bases.  That's because we based our forces on the free "1916" rules and it is too early to consider (and then reject) rebasing.

As did the other one.

The aftermath of a failed assault.  

The British had delayed reserves but got some on the first try.  The Germans have the option to self eliminate a platoon below half strength and bring it all on again, but at their table edge.  Our table was over-sized but it still would take them critical time to come forward.

One of the objectives was so close, but wire and MG fire was
decisive in blunting it.

One "landship" failed its motivation test and abandoned it.

With two of three companies destroyed along with one of the tanks, the game ended after turn three.  All the British reserves were on table and closer to the action so given the situation it seemed proper.  The German dice were abysmal.   Besides the whiff on the flamethrowers, in one assault the Germans failed six of nine saving throws.  One of those days.  The British on the other hand, though frequently pinned, relished the trench cover and only lost one stand.  It will be interesting to see what changes have been made in the new release.

Desert Dust Storm

After a foul weather and health induced long layoff, we finally got the crew together for a Flames of War game last Sunday.  We've been doing some quickie games from the Firestorm Stalingrad system but for a change of pace shifted to North Africa, giving me a chance to use my new-used cloth mat.  With four players we each prepared a 109 point list for the 5x7' table.  Unfortunately a mistaken box grab meant we had to cobble a German force together and only came up with 103 points to complement my Italians.  Both the Germans and I had infantry companies (mine was a Bersaglieri weapons company) with anti-tank guns and some armor in support.  The Germans had stukas for air support, the Brits had none.

The British both went armor heavy.  One with Shermans and guns, the other with Crusaders and Grants and guns.  I'm a big fan of combined arms so these games are always a test of the system to me.  Fortunately for us, the mission rolled was Encounter with Meeting Engagement rules and Delayed Random Reserves.  The British "won" the toss to be the attackers, or we would have had to wait a long time before we could attempt to attack.  As it was we could let them come to our big guns.  Each side had 40% in delayed reserve.

Looking down the table after Turn 1 is complete.

The British came out swinging right from the start, moving aggressively forward even though their guns couldn't bombard.  The Italian contingent had recon and had advanced the AB41s towards the village with a bersaglieri weapons platoon trailing, ready to jump into the center buildings.  Little did I know that it would become a focal point for the British.

We attempt to react.

Outside of occupying two of three buildings there was little we could do besides hold and punch back.  Stukas appeared but outside of occasionally pinning guns they did little against great saving throws.

Shermans advance with only a single 88mm that can hurt them.

I had Lancia gun trucks, Semoventes and engineers off table, so for the most part had to just hunker down, wait for flank shots and bombard with my 100mm guns.  The Germans weren't any better off in terms of mobility.

From the other end.  

Crusaders pose little problem but the Grants are a different story.

Earlier: My M14s do a dance of death, failing multiple crossing checks.

As an experiment I bought three command cards.  Pietro Brunno, Pazzaglia bombs and a reroll one dice card.  This time all three ended up being used.  Once to unpin my village Bersaglieri, once to help them assault Crusaders that wandered into town, and to get shots against flank armor values. 

The Pak43 are proxies for the standard "barn door" German 88s.

Since I had to put together the German list from my holdings I bought all the extras for the DAK infantry platoons.  Some were useful, like the ATR, others like the mortar never had a viable target.

The big red dice tracks the turn number.  We need some reserves!

The British on this flank had two formations, one of Crusaders
and one of Grants.

Shermans are pretty terrifying for Italians.  They kill M14s easily.

Stand fast my heroes!  The attached 47mm gun lurks in the palms.

The British poured a ton of fire into the village, trying to dislodge the Bersaglieri but although pinned almost every turn they kept hanging in and firing galling shots.  Even popped out to assault Crusaders that got too close.

A great roll brings in most of the British reserves.

The 88 survives multiple last stand checks and the 10.5cm guns
are firing over open sights.  Marders to the rescue!

The horde of British tanks on our right are getting thinner but the situation is still desperate.  On my flank I got my Lancia guns who quickly neutralized one platoon of Shermans.  But they will have to dash somewhere else to contribute more.

My Semoventes arrive and go hide, but still get one bailed anyway.

Hot dice vs. cold dice ends the crisis on our right.

Semoventes kill a Sherman and Bruno bails another.

Both tank formations on our right broke or in the case of the Crusaders, were wiped out.  Although we still hadn't advanced beyond the center line the British conceded the game.  With our lists if we had needed to attack it would have been a disaster.  On the defense we had a tight game with chances for all.  A frigid turn where the British couldn't seem to hit anything didn't help.  My rolls for elites were below average but the Bersaglieri in the village earned their status.

Next up a day of demo games at a local public library.

Sands in the Windtalker's Letters of our Fathers

Flames of War in the Pacific.  The source books are 3rd edition so a bit of tweaking and finagling was required.  I used a blank template and made up cards for the troops I own and were using.

The Marines had two rifle platoons, upgraded to Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) teams.  An assault section with flamethrowers and bazookas was split between the two.  A 1917 HMG platoon added to the suppression base, as were four 81mm mortars and a pair of 37mm ATGs.  The BAR platoons had a section of Amtracs attached.  In support were a trio of M5 Stuarts and three LVT(4)1 Amtracs with a 75mm gun.  Finally, a pair of Corsairs flew air support.

The Japanese were a fortified company so trenches, MG nests, wire and minefields abounded.  Two platoons were purchased with upgrades to both.  A pillbox for each in place of the MG nest and a 47mm ATG in one.  A pair of 81mm mortars, four 75mm howitzers, two 20mm AAA and three Shinoto "tanks" rounded out their support.  Just under 2100 LW points.  "No Retreat" was appropriately rolled as the mission.  This had the unfortunate effect though of requiring a substantial deep reserve force.  Since the fortifications had to start on table, it meant the 75s, AAA and tanks were in reserve.  The USMC got to start with everything.

Jumping off positions from the USMC point of view.

Part of the Japanese deployment.  A minefield covers one objective.

Platoons on the left and center, Stuarts on the right.

My 3D printed Corsairs.  The showed up EVERY turn, though
mostly just kept key Japanese units pinned.

The center seemed the most vulnerable, so after prep the Marines
assaulted successfully.

Japanese reserves roll on, though a Corsair took out a tank.

The look of a failed assault.

With a good skill test value and not wanting the other Marines to get all the glory I assaulted through the wire and minefield.  On the second try we got in but the Japanese counter attack threw the remnants out, seen here on the hill. 

Stuarts on the objective so the Japanese assault.  Banzai!

But 15 MGs and some supporting fire turn them away.

And it was over on Turn Six.  We have played only a few games set in the PTO but all the games have been nail-biters that went down to the wire.  If the Japanese artillery could have started on table I believe it would have played a lot differently, but the mission requirements said otherwise.  Since it is unlikely I'll see Battlefront return to the Pacific in my lifetime I've continued to make up cards to make it as simple as possible for us.  I categorically refuse to switch back and forth between 3rd and 4th edition.  Too confusing for the old.... veteran player.

TundraCon V

On January 5th, 2019 we observed the fifth round of our game-day at the American Legion Post in Appleton, WI: TundraCon.  We try to keep it inexpensive and casual (more or less keep to the schedule) while offering a wide variety of games.  Always the first Saturday of January, we'll be back next year.  A number of pictures below with minimal comments.  Enjoy!

A "what if" from March, 1941 using Naval Thunder.

X-Wing tournament.

Chuck Seegert was there from DVG Games doing demos all day.

A poor picture but shows Swordfish attacking the Scharnhorst.

Memoir '44.

Lots of Cruel Seas action.

Battle Fleet Gothic space battle.

Gaslands appears for the first time at TundraCon.

Adeptus Titanicus with Epic Armageddon. 

Pikeman's Lament, 17th century action.

Another view of the Adeptus Titanicus game.

Clash of Empires, the March to the Front.

Persians vs. Greeks square off.

Astounding Tales, the Mummy's Crypt Crawl.

Multi-thousand point Flames of War game in 1945.

Ummmmm?

Among the games not pictured unfortunately is a Crete Landing using Flames of War, Wings of Glory and Wings of War, my own Steam and Black Powder ironclads game, The Sword and the Flame with Zulus and British, and board games you could check out.

The Legion post had convenient and affordable food and drink, with a number of fast-food or sit-down establishments very close.  Mark your calendars and stop by next year, the weather's great!