Category Archives: Boardgames

ASLSK Fun

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II

Really enjoying my latest dive into ASLSK.

Set up another scenario and had quite the time.

“Over Open Sights” (S12) uses the same board and orientation as my previous game, but what a difference!

German avenues of approach have more cover and concealment, and the US has fewer units to cover these approaches.  However, the US artillery is lethal in a direct fire mode….if the gun can score a hit.

I’m loathe to put together detailed session reports as they will pale in comparison to others out there.  Grumble Jones is my favorite.  But, this game was so exciting I had to take a few photos.

This first one involves my initial attempt to use a cheap graphics app along with a cheap iPad pencil to mark up a photo.  It attempts to convey the initial positions of the Germans and their assaults, since I was already well into the game.  The initial US positions can be inferred by the MG counter on the right (east) , and routed unit on the left (left).

The German advance from the southeast stalled due to effective artillery fire, but the advance from the east ( really a sprint across the open ground – the scenario takes place in December so the fields are barren) was made possible by some remarkable shooting from the 50mm mortar.  Usually derided, this light mortar eliminated the machine gun crew as well as routed one artillery crew, thanks to low rolls which maintained its rate of fire, as well as abysmal morale check rolls for the US.

It was all but over by Turn 3…..or was it Turn 4?  I  started to pick the game up but then  remembered the US received reinforcements in Turn 4.  Unfortunately, I had grabbed the turn marker and couldn’t recall the turn.  So, I brought in the reinforcements anyway.  Things got interesting quick, because this plucky band checked the German advance.  This  change in fortunes was short-lived because, once again, good German shooting routed the newcomers.  The following shot shows the climatic assault on the artillery (used Melee marker to emphasize).

When the smoke had cleared, the Germans had attained their objective of capturing all three artillery positions.

Fun game.  Still struggling with some rules.  Need to remember ELRs and that casualty reduction is to half-squads, not reduced strength squads.

At Sea

Boardgames, Naval, Review + Session Report, World War II

Had a nice visit with Tim the other weekend.  We set up the South Pacific scenario for Empire Of The Sun.  This scenario is included in the latest edition, and also published separately in C3i Magazine.

We played the Plan Orange variant, also published in C3i, a few months ago.  Plan Orange posits an early 1930’s conflict and focuses on surface combat, with very limited air assets.  It’s a great way to “lean into” the system and did whet our appetite for more.  Good marketing.  There’s also a Burma variant, which just doesn’t appeal to me (as one BGG Comment contributor put it “just play the 1943 scenario on the big map” .

The South Pacific scenario has its own small map,  relatively low counter density and limited scope.  It’s perfect for a fun weekend and our proclivity for multiple resets.

And reset we did.  Were able to get three “games” in, none played to conclusion, due to rules and/or strategy miscues.  It’s always a learning experience.  In fact, our we did our first attempt “by the numbers” reading through each step using the Play Aids.

There are plenty of reviews out there, so I’ll focus on my personal lessons learned (that I can remember).

  1.  Read And Understand The Damn Cards:  Lots of information to digest and implement.
  2. Airfields Are Really Important:  Should be obvious, especially if one has read about the Bismarks Campaign.  They are focal points for operations, and extremely valuable for staging air assets to a Battle Hex.  Fundamental but sometimes forgotten.
  3. Understand The Sequence Of Assigning “Hits”:  Escort your carriers with plenty of surface vessels as they will absorb most, if not all, of the damage inflicted.
  4. Remember You Can Attrit Ground Units With Only Air Power:  You can’t kill them, but air attacks (CV or Land-Based) can flip them to the reduced side.  A possible strategy before an amphibious assault.
  5. Be Cool With the Air Naval Combat  Results Table:  Shown at the upper right hand corner of the link.  This is my least favorite part of the game.  So….you meticulously craft your offensive, are mindful of terrain etc and have the odds you want, but then have to roll on this bastard.  Roll a “One” and Blammo!, now at 50 percent strength. Ugh!!!
  6. Remember Inter-service Rivalries:  A big part of the game.  Both sides can rarely use both naval and army assets in the same offensive.

Back to Item 5.  I think I understand the rationale.  Take Midway (please).  Only a fraction of the US naval air even found the Japanese fleet.  And, when they did, the attacks were uncoordinated.  So, a reduction in combat effectiveness due to the unforeseen is not unreasonable at all.

Tim and I were so fired-up we’ve decided to play on Vassal.  I’ve started that process and……it’s a process.

Let Me Count The Ways

Boardgames, Sessions, World War I

Started play on Galacia: The Forgotten Cauldron.

Turn One featured both sides maneuvering towards their scenario objectives.  There was even a bit of screening cavalry skirmishes.

Thought I had finally figured things out.  No.

While flipping through the scenario booklet anticipating reinforcements, I found that each Army had a specific mobilization turn, and that very few units could move initially.

Massive reset and just another in a seemingly endless number of ways of fouling up the rules.

New game is now (literally) moving forward.  There will be Army level contact next turn.

And yes, the perspective for the picture is strange, to say the least.  Map is covered with a plexiglass advertised as “non-glare”.  No.  Well, unless the garage fluorescent fixtures have superpowers.  Best I could do.  And, I can’t just turn the lights off.  Motion activated.

Austro-Hungarians in white, Russians brown.

ASLSK

Boardgames, World War II

Somehow managing a disciplined approach to Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit 2.  Playing at least one turn every evening.  And….enjoying it.  Not yet a task – like some other games become.

Current scenario is “Priority Target” (S13).  The linked aslscenarioarchive.com is a nice resource, with a very serviceable search engine.

It’s a interesting six turn, one-mapper.   German paratroopers have jumped into Crete and must  destroy three (3) Bofors guns defended by a mixed Australian-Greek force.

Played four turns before things bogged down, so decided to re-set with just  a few changes for both offense and defense.  Game flow was pleasantly smooth.

Plan to start it up this evening.

Where was I? Why worry? – Part II

Boardgames, Sessions, World War I

Reached a stopping point at Serbia The Defiant.   And yes, I made a hash the rules.

The new combat results table (CRT) worked just fine. Once again, operator error. Well, the new CRT is based on column shifts, as opposed to die roll modifiers.  But, the die roll modifier for attacking across  rivers still holds. Well, I didn’t grasp that pesky detail, and since the Austrian avenues of approach to Belgrade cross rivers, their attritional successes are now suspect.

Rather than the classic re-do,  I’ll pick it up and continue playing the series.  This is a topic I’ve brought  in the past:  Play a game/system and then move on to another game/system, or focus on getting better at one particular series of games.

In this case I’m not going to be an omnivore, but focus on Der Weltkrieg.  So, it’s time to set-up Galicia:  The Forgotten Cauldron.

Where Was I? Why Worry…

Boardgames, World War I

Sat down with the “Serbia The Defiant” module of Der Weltkrieg last night.

Hadn’t played for quite some time.  In fact, the chits for the turn/phase record appeared to have no connection with the positions of the counters.  Reset?  Synapses started firing off in hyper-mode.

Hell No!  Just start playing.  I’ll make a hash of it anyway since my rules knowledge is shaky, at best.

It worked out fine.  Had an enjoyable hour or so pushing counters and listening to the perpetually offensively challenged Seattle Mariners.

I started using an alternate Combat Results Table (CRT) advertised as being better for lower counter density/fewer attack factor games/scenarios.

While many gamers take issue with the system’s unique depiction of terrain, I have no problems.  However, I do take exception to the very faint lines used to outline hexes.

As to the game, I’m being very aggressive with the Austro-Hungarian units and attempting to attrit the Serbs.   However, I’m not going to go “All Conrad“.

Never Know

Boardgames, World War II

Having fun with Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit (ASLSK).  Time spent studying rules was time well spent, as game flow is much smoother, with fewer breaks for references.

The game’s ebb and flow would drive me crazy if I was playing an opponent.  However, it is really entertaining when playing solitaire.

An example from “88’s At Zorn” (S12), last German turn, with US having one turn after that.  To win, US has to exit at leasts 3 squads and one leader from hexes due south of their current positions in the lower right hand corner of the photo.

The Germans appear to be in good shape since they can finally bring one of their 88’s to bear (BTW, good fields of fire for the 88’s are limited, so they can only cover a part  of an avenue of approach).  But, what happened during their Prep Fire?  I rolled a “12”, weapon malfunction!  With that, and a US win in the melee, game over!  The US is able to exit the needed number of units from the map without any opportunity fire.

Now I’m all fired up to play another game.  But, another round of “Zorn”?  I did botch the rules for the first half of the game.  I somehow decided stone buildings were two-levels, completely changing lines of sight (LOS) and several fire combats. It would be interesting to find out if this gaffe really made a difference.

Or, another one-mapper.  I prefer the smaller scenarios, especially when ramping back up on the rules.  I also enjoy playing only one or two moves a session.  More than that and I start suffering from brain-strain.  Speaking of brain-strain……am I ready to dip into the AFV madness of ASLSK #3?  Gently, gently, gently……

Back Home

Aircraft & Vehicles, Back of Beyond, Boardgames, World War II,

It’s Summer!

Not the best time to wargame.  Too much fun to be had outdoors.  But,  you can’t spend all of your time outside.  So, a couple of lightweight endeavours for the next couple of months.

The Irregular Wars campaign is on hold, and the “Small Table” is now set up for Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit (ASLSK) scenarios.  My philosophy with ASLSK is that one has to keep playing it or lose all rules chops.  There is enough rulebook referencing when conversant, so a prolonged absence can make things painfull.  I’m going to take it easy and cherry-pick one-mappers, and maybe maintain momentum into the Fall.

While  figure purchases are on  indefinite hold,  but  I have the itch to build something, I dug up an aircraft model to use in my Red Actions game.  To do it right I need to learn how to “rig up” a biplane.  Things could get frustrating, but what the hell…….

Almost

Boardgames, Sessions, World War I

Was going to title this post “Abject Failure”, but decided that was a little harsh and I need to cling to some shreds of self-respect.

I didn’t finish the game.  In fact, I couldn’t even finish the Central Powers’ turn.  I just had to role for the attacks.  I could use guests as an excuse, but it was probably  the prospect of failure, as the outcomes were grim, and I was hoping for an (more fun) ahistorical outcome.

Here’s where I’m at.

Despite my malingering, I am intrigued by this game.  Lots of options for the Central Powers.

The intriguing peripheral strategy is constrained by a limited ability to move reinforcements to Salonika much less the Middle East.  Yes,  Allied resources can be diverted from the Western Front, but the chances for the Central Powers to force game altering outcomes outside of the West seem very limited.

Maybe their chances are improved using the optional East Front rules, creating additional victory point possibilities, or by playing the 1919 scenario, putting the onus on the Allies to conduct attacks, with the possibility of losing victory points due to losses, and allowing additional time to develop strategies in the east.

Well, to be continued (sure, easy to say) in September when I return to the Sunfish Capital of the World.

The Kaiser’s War – Allies Turn 2 and Central Powers Turn 3

Boardgames, Sessions, World War I

The Allies added three (3) Italian and one (1) US Army during their mobilization phase.  The Italians will arrive at the beginning of Turn 3, with the US Army not arriving until Turn 4.

Arriving Allied units were fed into gaps on the Western Front and Italy.  A French army sailed to and arrived in Salonika. The Allies did not mount any attacks, content to remain on the defensive this turn.

At the end of the turn, the Victory Point count was Central Powers @ 132 and Allies @ 60.  This would be a significant Allied victory if the game ended.

The calculation of victory points is a little different.  Each country has a basic victory point production of 43 points.  I had to figure that out myself.  These points are for Major Capitals, Resource Centers and Political Cities occupied at the beginning of the game.  My understanding is that these points (+/- points for enemy capitals, resources, political cities taken) are added at the beginning of the turn to the net victory points calculated at the end of the preceeding turn.

Here are the three major theaters and the end of the game turn.

The Central Powers started Turn 3 by mobilizing one shock army and deploying the few units they had (or could) mobilize at the beginning of Turn 2.  Another series of shock army attacks on the Western Front drove back the newly arrived US Army.  They managed to avoid elimination by a fortunate die roll.
To the East, continued attacks drove Allied units back into Rome and Genoa.  These will be tough cities to capture, but are needed for victory points.
German, Austrian and Bulgarian armies continued to advance in Salonika, eliminating the original French Army.
One aspect of the rules that takes some getting used to are Zones of Control (ZOC).  Unlike many other games,  friendly units (except those representing fortified zones, or trench lines) do not negate enemy zones.  So, a unit can be eliminated if retreating through a friendly hex in a enemy ZOC, or if a supply line runs through a friendly unit, but that unit is in an enemy ZOC.