Category Archives: World War II

Smoke

Boardgames, World War II

Been back for a couple of weeks and have enjoyed the last days of Summer.

Still playing ASLSK, getting in a least one turn each evening.  That seems to be plenty, especially since it’s the last activity of the day before shutting everything down.  I’m sure things will change when I return from my early Fall explorations of Western Wyoming.  Then it’s shut the place down, and dig in until April/May.

My great weakness (and I have several weaknesses when it comes to playing this system) is my seeming inability to use smoke.

Especially important when playing Starter Set #2.  This set introduces ordnance, which includes a variety of mortars.  While the system limits ordnance to Line of Sight (LOS) – as opposed to full ASL – even the puniest of mortars are invaluable for covering movement and mitigating the effects of defensive fire attacks.

I know, obvious.

ASLSK – Rules Maintenance

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II

Set up another scenario.  Need to keep hammering the rules into my brain.

This one is S16, Legio Nostra Patria.  It’s a one-mapper, with Free French Legionnaires assaulting a German held town.

Here’s my initial set-up.  Top of the photo is East.

And here’s my plan.

The French need to occupy three of the multi- hex building highlighted in yellow.  They already occupy the building at bottom center  of the photo.

The red-circled German units will be suppressed, and with that accomplished, the squads will move towards the occupied multi-hex building and, from there move Northeast.

As I worked with my cheap photo markup app, I realized this is not a good initial deployment or  plan.  However, I’ll give it a try.  My own little “Defense of Duffer’s Drift”.

This Should Be Fun

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II

Finally developing momentum getting Operation Groza, a Europa variant published way-too-long-ago in The Europa Magazine 23, to the virtual table.

Tim’s doing the heavy lifting, providing the JET module, Scorched Earth rules, and scans of the appropriate magazine pages with orders of battles, deployments, and special rules.

JET was/is an interesting creature.  Developed by Europa enthusiasts in Finland, it has fallen by the wayside (as has Europa) over the past couple of decades (gulp!  that long!).  Graphics are very crude by Vassal standards, but it is a good, intuitive, platform.  Tim and I used it in our Fall Of France game.

I’m heading out to The Sunfish Capital Of The World next week, so this will be an excellent off-site wargaming endeavor.

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.

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.

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…….

Something New

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II

The weather final cooperated, and Tim was able to make his long anticipated – and often delayed – trip to the Pine Cone Lodge.

He is a fan of the Standard Combat Series now published by Multiman.  I had purchased two of the games some time ago.  We decided to play Yom Kippur.  The game covers the initial Egyptian assault across  the Suez in the October War.

We started and reset about three time.  The first was due to a rules knowledge breakdown (shocking!), the second due to Tim’s die rolling breakdown, and the third for “let’s try it again”.

We never made to Turn Four, but had a lot of fun working through several  operational approaches.

I also gained an appreciation of why so many like this system and how it has stood the test of time.

The basic concepts are straight-forward for an experienced gamer.  The only real adjustment is that you always “round up” for die rolls and an eligible unit cannot move in the Exploitation Phase if it is in an enemy zone of control (ZOC).  Each game has its own specific rules, but I found these easy to work with.

Plenty of comments and insights into the system and game at the links posted above.

One thing, though.  The map……….BTW that’s the situation at the end of last play-thru.  Israelis are Blue.  Map is oriented to the East.

Even More Heroes

Boardgames, Miniatures, Sessions, Skirmish, World War II

Set up another DIY scenario for Heroes of Normandie (HoN).

A meeting engagement between two reconnaissance forces attempting to secure a crossroads.

Both sides had a mix of reconnaissance sections, along with infantry support in two halftracks.  The Germans had a motorcycle/sidecar/machine gun , and panzerschreck section.  The US had a Greyhound armored car and Jeep with .50 caliber machine gun.

The scenario length was 8 turns, with turn initiative alternating between sides.  Each side entered on opposite sides (east and west) of the map.  I used event cards, but did not remove any inappropriate ones from the draw decks.  This was a conscious attempt to incorporate them in gameplay, but reduce their possible impact.

It was quite the slugfest both times I played.

If I had set this scenario up in Advanced Squad Leader, my play would be far more constrained, with concerns about doctrine and realism.  Not with HoN.  The cartoonishness that is off-putting for some, seems liberating to me.  I feel encouraged to take more chances; that is within tactical reason.  Maybe it’s the straightforward vehicle rules…….

Here’s a photo of what was left after eight turns.  Most of the vehicles are wrecks, with units huddled in the hedgerows, or in the house at the crossroads.  North at top of photo.