Category Archives: Review + Session Report

Madagascar – A Glory Scenario

Boardgames, Review + Session Report,

Finished up playing yesterday with mixed feelings.  This scenario is one of four published under the overall title of “War In The Outposts”.

It’s a great scenario if you want to “play” a physically manageable & comprehensive overview of this system.  The scenario has a low counter density, a small map so it can stay set up for a  long time, and a relatively short time frame beginning in May and ending in October (bi-monthly turns).  It involves just about every aspect of the Glory (and by extension, Europa) system.  The naval system, which many consider problematic, is featured, with an emphasis on amphibious landings, use of ports for general supply,  submarines (and midget submarines) and coastal defense.

On the other hand, it’s not much of a game.  Let’s call it “an operational study”.  Here’s a link to a brief overview of the campaign.  I’ve included it because it contains a good bibliography, as well as a link to a brief overview of South Africa’s part in WW2.  I can vouch for “England’s Last War Against France”.

The decisive victory conditions are stringent:  Take Diego Suarez in two turns, control Madagascar by October, do not lose a unit, and not expend more than one resource point.  Attaining the latter is especially difficult because it limits British player is limited to one attack with one regimental equivalent (RE) at full strength for the entire game.  Everything else is at half-strength, which makes losing a unit very possible and, perhaps, probable.  While the Allies have overwhelming naval and air strength for the first two turns in May, most of these assets are immediately diverted to other theaters.  From June through September, the British have to operate with minimal naval and air assets, with a carrier/battleship force arriving for the final month.

The opening two turns are devoted to taking Diego Suarez.  This area of operations is represented by a map insert at an expanded scale.  The British must negotiate restricted waters, deal with disorganization after their landings, and having only a few areas where they can bring overwhelming naval gunfire to bear.  A French defense in depth, sacrificing units for time, makes it difficult to control the area by the end of June.  British attacks typically take place at 3-1, with maybe a 4-1.  The combat results table (CRT) can be brutal, with an exchange result eliminating a British unit, or an attacker stopped result throwing the time track off.

Map Showing Insets, Vichy Set Up and Invasion of Diego Suarez

Map Showing Insets, Vichy Set Up and Invasion of Diego Suarez

After Diego Suarez is secured, the British slowly move through the island, attacking French units at low odds, after amphibious landings.  Overland travel is very slow.   The best approach is to isolate the main French units, reducing their strength so, once again, a 3-1 or 4-1 attack can take place.  This takes time, and outside of the process of figuring out how to work with zones of control for a mix of units and capabilities, not much fun……if you even think ZOCs can be fun – kinda.

All this kvetching aside, the scenario does simulate the historic campaign, and is a challenge to the player.  In that regard, you can’t complain.  Would I play it again, no.  Was it worth the time, yes.  A good rules overview, and a chance to use the color counters I downloaded from the Europa website (DO NOT go out and try to download now.  A nasty pop-up will appear) several years ago.

 

Red Actions! – Absolute Beginner

Back of Beyond, Miniatures, Review + Session Report

Started playing Red Actions! earlier this week. Since this was my first play-through, the scenario was simple, with just a few units, no machine guns, artillery or AFVs. I wanted to find out how the fire and manuever rules work and what their effects are.

Three Soviet Companies are tasked with taking a entrenched position on a ridge line. The Soviet force is comprised of regular, Cheka, and naval infantry companies. The opposing Chinese force consists of a regular company and conscript company.

The terrain is relatively open, with a wooded area to the east and rough terrain to the south of the ridge. I designated both the entrenched position on the ridge and rough terrain as hard cover, allowing a -1 column shift for the defenders. The intent for the rough terrain is to provide the Soviet force with some cover and concealment. The distance between the ridge and rough terrain allowed for long-range fire at one-half the fire factor.

The tactics are straightforward. The regular Soviet company is to advance and take cover in the rough terrain, and to then provide suppresive fire on the ridge. The naval company is to advance through the wooded area (providing cover and concealment) and attack the ridge from the flank. The Cheka company is in reserve.

The Chinese have their regular company entrenched on the ridge, with the conscripts in reserve behind the ridge. This deployment involved a trade-off. The regular company has a higher fire rating, but the conscripts are rated as a “Mob” and can only charge or fire without taking a special morale check. On a D6 role of 1-2 they will remain in place.

Terrain and Initial Deployments Looking North
Terrain and Initial Deployments Looking North
Chinese Troop On Objective and In Reserve
Chinese Troops On Objective and In Reserve
Soviet Sailors Begin Moving Into The Woods
Soviet Sailors Begin Moving Into The Woods

The first few turns saw sustained firing between the ridge and regular troops in the rough terrain. Both companies were pushed off due to retire results, but quickly returned to their positions. The naval troops worked their way through the woods, and began taking the reserve conscript company under fire. Due to the short range between the units, this developed into a firefight, with both units firing at each other at full strength during each turn, rather than the turn-by-turn long-range fire.

Growing impatient with this back-and-forth, and like an overenthusiastic Lieutenant at The Basic School, I ordered the Checka company to advance along the (Chinese) right flank or west side of the board. Double envelopment Little Schlieffen?

As this advance developed, the Chinese conscripts  sustained losses and were in bad shape morale wise, while the regular troops had retreated (again) from their trenches. The question for the Chinese was whether to fight it out, or retreat. Since I had not set this contingency up (delay/defend with turn limit), and had a good initial feel for rules and effects, I stopped the game.

Chinese Have Been Pushed Off Ridge With Cheka Preparing To Assualt
Chinese Have Been Pushed Off Ridge With Cheka Preparing To Assualt

I like this rule set.  I think the morale rules using terror markers, as well as other outcomes are very playable. Infantry fire at long range is not particularly bloody, but short range fire – and its accompanying firefights- can decimate a unit quickly. Although using 28mm figuures, I kept the 15mm movement scale because of the small size of my “big board”. This scale seemed to work just fine, and made working with the rules easier.  While some folks have mentioned having trouble with the conversational dialogue of the rules, I think they are just fine.

For those of you interested in reading more about Red Actions!, here’s some links that might be of help. I know this is an older system (more on that in another post), but it is good one that can be played without miniatures. The link to the website and rules is here. A couple of viable reviews are here and here. The always entertaining Edinburgh Wargamers have a portions of their site devoted to this period. While they use another rule set, it’s a great source of fun and ideas.

Soviet Dawn

Boardgames, Review + Session Report, Solitaire

With an increasing focus on Red Actions! this month, it made sense to try out Soviet Dawn.  This is a solitaire game I picked up on EBay for a very reasonable price.  Originally published by Victory Games, this version was included  in GMT’s C3i magazine Issue No. 27.

Was able to play four (!) games this Saturday afternoon.  The back story as to why I was able to/did this would bore even the most avid reader.

This is a nice card-driven solitaire game.  Easy to set up, with simple rules and plenty of replay value.  A good review of the game can be found over at Web Grognards.

Game play is a real juggling act, holding off Germans, Finns, White Russians, Poles and Western Allies while trying to build international political credibility.  During the first game, I lost track of the Eastern Front, and allowed Moscow to be captured in just 12 turns (cards).

The next two games featured the blitzkrieg generated by the “Denikin Unstoppable?  Objective Moscow!” card.  This punisher allows the White Southern Army to advance towards Moscow until defeated.  A couple of bad rolls, and you are out of business, especially if you allow the Czar to be rescued when the “Czar’s Fate Decided in Ekaterinburg!” card is played.  This gives the Soviets a -1 DRM on all offensive roles.  Not good!

The fourth time was the charm.  I was able to shut down the Poles, Southern Whites and Finns, while getting some nice rolls on the Soviet Army Reorganization Table, and Political Level Track.  Was I lucky?….Sure, but it was nice to beat a very enjoyable and accessible game system.

Game play time is about 20-30 minutes, so with the easy set up, a fun game can be played very quickly in a small space.  I also liked the map.  Here’s an indifferent IPhone photo.

Soviet Dawn

Highly recommended!

 

 

The Damned Die Hard

Boardgames, Review + Session Report, ,

Tim and I decided our next FTF game will be a scenario from War of Resistance (WOR), one of two games in HMS/GRD’s Glory series.

I have both games, so he took the rules for WOR, and I set up the Luzon scenario from The Damned Die Hard (TDDH).  Interesting scenario, with the US player having to decide where to defend against a relatively strong but disorganized Japanese invasion force that is already ashore, and then a fighting withdrawal further south through terrain that is no easily defended.  To make things tougher, the Japanese have air supremacy.

As the British say, “All battles occur at the junction of two maps”, and this game is not an exception.  The break between the two map sheets is right across the best initial line of defense.  I’m going to get copies made and scotch tape the damn things together.

The unit sizes are small – battalions, reduced battalions, and regiments.  ZOCs are reduced for many units, and the smaller artillery units can only support one Regimental Equivalent (RE).   Special rules for jungle, and jungle rough terrain that provide the Japanese with some real advantages, as well as exploitation movement for light infantry and certain infantry units based on their intrinsic movement factors.  So, while it looks like Europa, it isn’t Europa. Closest Europa comparison I can come up with is Winter War. The similarities that come to mind are small  unit size , ZOC limitations, and special terrain features having a real effect on play.

Here’s the link for the WOR designer notes.  These notes are detailed, and give a good feel for the rules.

Company’s coming over so I had to take the game down.  Here’s a picture of the Dec IV turn after the Japanese pushed through the initial US MLR.

DSC01159

Seems like a fun game, and I am looking forward to setting it up again late this week.

War In The Aegean Redux Redux (Turns 3 & 4)

Boardgames, Review + Session Report

Turn 3 is for one impulse, only.  It’s a Day Impulse, with Axis initiative.  German transports and landing craft embark from Greece and Crete, steaming towards the islands, stopping just outside of British naval range.  German airdrops on Kos and the port in Kalimnos are successful.  British air units are able to identify some of the German convoys, but the USAAF bombing of the parachutists are ineffective.  The British refused to attack the convoys piecemeal, choosing to saturate specific convoys with landing craft on the next turn.

Starting out Turn 4 (with three impulses), the British, anticipating German initiative for the next impulse, have set up a CAP to protect their ships.  The Germans set up CAPs over their paratrooper units.  The roll is for German initiative, but a night turn!  How lucky can the Germans be?  Able to elude the intercepting British units, the Germans land on Kos.

British Naval Units With Combat Air Patrol In Position.....But The Germans Will Elude Them Due To Night/Initiative DR
British Naval Units With Combat Air Patrol In Position…..But The Germans Will Elude Them Due To Night/Initiative DR

The British naval units pursue, and attempt to spot and engage the Germans steaming towards the harbor at Kalimnos.  This task force is comprised of transports, which can only embark troops in ports.  But, all three contact attempts fail!

British Surface Units Attempt To Locate Axis Invaders...Without Success!
British Surface Units Attempt To Locate Axis Invaders…Without Success!

Germans now land in Kalimnos, and the Kos invaders push back British units defending the airfield at Kefalo.

In response, the British launched an all-out attack on the invaders, devastating the Axis shipping in Kalimnos harbor.  The Germans must gain the initiative next impulse in order to use their surviving landing craft to ferry troops from Kalimnos to Kos.

After Landings, The Germans Are Attacked By British Naval And Air Units

After Landings, The Germans Are Attacked By British Naval And Air Units

No such luck!  Although the final impulse is a night turn,  the British gain the initiative.  While a night bombing raid over Kefalo is unsuccessful, British naval units sink most, but not all, of the remaining landing craft and transports.  The Drache puts up a valiant fight, inflicting one hit on HMS Carlisle.  After their attacks, the British surface units use their remaining movement to take up NGF stations.

The two surviving German landing craft ferry troops from Kalimnos to Kos.  Torpedo boats finish off HMS Carlisle, but attacks elsewhere are unsuccessful.

War In The Aegean Redux Redux

Boardgames, Review + Session Report

Turns 3 and 4 were wild ones.  All kinds of maritime carnage.  Germans suffered some catastrophic landing craft losses due to very effective British Beaufort attacks – I think the CRT really favors both dive bombing and torpedo attacks.

However, I forgot some reinforcements which might have made a difference.  All that said, and with the number of operational errors on both sides, I’ve reset for the beginning of Turn 3.

Will start up later today.

 

 

War In The Aegean Redux (Turns 1 & 2)

Boardgames, Review + Session Report

Started another game over the weekend.  I’m not all that enthused, but still want to play the game.

Shuffled my way through two turns, and now the action should start as the German’s meagre naval resources, loaded with troops, are steaming towards Leros and Kos.

As before, the British used the first two turns to capture Kos and Leros.  The Italian unit on Kos resisted, elminating the island’s invader.

The Luftwaffe focused on attacking British naval units supporting the invasions.  Several ships took hits, but their AAA fire was extremely accurate – eerily similar to the AAA performance in the recently completed Mission: Grenada game.

These naval units pulled back to Egypt, but cannot re-enter the fray until Turn 4.  So, the British will have to rely on the RAF to blunt the German attacks.

I should get another turn or so in this evening.

Post Card Games: Marschall Vorwarts!

Boardgames, Review + Session Report

I’m putting away the house for Winter. After three days of 90 degree heat with high humidity, it’s rainy and 65. So, why not play a fun game that doesn’t take up too many brain cells between mundane household tasks?

I’ve always liked ATO’s post card games. Paul Rohrbaugh has creatively adapted a basic card draw/dice system to a number of historical scenarios. A list of the games he’s been involved with can be found here. In most cases, his system is ideal for solitaire play.

These games have been offered as inserts to Against The Odds magazine games, or have just somehow appeared in my gaming collection. I have copies made on card, so I keep the original post card intact, hacking my way through the copied components using spasmodic scissors.

Today’s game was Marschall Vorwarts!, one of four games depicting the Battle of Leipzig.

The French player has a classic delay/defend mission. The Allied (Prussian/Russian) commander must press home attacks to seize a key French depot, while ignoring losses and counting on (literally) the luck of the draw.  So Blucher!

It’s a fun little game, and while you can gripe about combat resolutions that favor low odds attacks, it has an ebb and flow that is certainly entertaining.

Mission: Grenada (Pt 4)

Boardgames, Review + Session Report

Final Thoughts on Mission Grenada.

Intriguing Operational Scenario. The US play has to be perfect to win.

Action Points are an effective way of creating operational constraints, especially given the movement penalties for terrain and contour lines.

An accessible simulation of joint operations and the use of combined arms.

Low counter density helps make it a quick game.

“End Game” tough for US. Cannot get sloppy and lose a unit. However, this end game is anti-climatic after the assault and rescue operations. It could be a scenario in itself.

Really, really, really needs a new map. Would be a fun project.

Simple air rules may seem wrong at first, especially the lack of defensive air support, but they work within the overall design of the game, and that’s the important thing.

I’m glad I bought this game. At $5 plus shipping, it’s a lot of game and fun for the money.

Mission: Grenada (Pt 3)

Boardgames, Review + Session Report

Friend gone, weather bad, so why not another try? Set up same as before, except this time the C/G mechanized unit is adjacent to the airfield.

After Action Report

Turn 1 (Night)

SEALs land and spirit away the Governor-General. I can’t see how the C/G forces can prevent this given initial set-up restrictions.

Rangers conduct a night drop to avoid C/G units moving onto or adjacent to the airfield and really making things difficult during daylight. The Ranger drop is good, only the mortar platoon scatters. It lands on top of another unit and is disorganized. The drop is opposed by AAA fire (which increases drop DRM to -2). Because of this, the AAA units are revealed and attacked by air, but with no success.

C/G forces counterattack the Ranger company stacked with the disorganized mortar unit. The assaulting mechanized and motorized units can attack at full strength, with the infantry launching a hasty assault at half strength. The C/G mortar unit supports this 2:1 attack. The US player is lucky, with a D1 result rather than R, which would have left the C/G player in control of the field.

Turn 2 (Daylight)

The SEAL unit lands to rescue the students at Prickly Bay. No luck, it’s a dummy counter.

The Rangers counterattack one of the C/G units. C/G AAA is extremely effective. Odds are reduced to 6:1 with two shifts left for vegetation. The result is a D2. The C/G unit is disorganized and must retreat one hex. The Ranger company reorganizes, the mortar platoon does not.

C/G units retreat from the Ranger ZOCs and will now have to be spotted. Militia units move to occupy the two northern hexes containing students (or dummy students).

Turn 3 (Daylight)

The Rangers attack the disorganized C/G unit. AAA fire attrits supporting air (More 6s!!). However, the AAA units are now revealed and a follow up strike destroys one AAA unit. The Ranger attack works out as a 4-1, with one shift left. The die roll is a 5, for a D result, which eliminates the C/G unit. Meanwhile, the SEALs have located an unguarded student group at Anse Bay. They are airlifted to Salines Airfield. The Ranger mortar unit now reorganizes.

C/G units launch a furious counterattack with all available units. The target is one Ranger unit. The odds are 2:1 with two shifts left for vegetation. The die roll of 2 has no effect on the Rangers. The surviving AAA unit retreats northwest.

Turn 4 (Daylight)

The students are airlifted from Salines. The tireless SEALS land at St. Georges, moving to the north of the two C/G units babysitting the students. The Rangers move to attack C/G units north of the airfield. Since the Rangers are moving to contact, the C/G units are considered to be spotted. AAA fire attrits three out of the eight attacking aircraft units. The 3:2 odds are shifted two left due to vegetation. The attack results in a Contact, which halves the C/G units’ action points. Elements of the 82nd Airborne land at Salines Airfield and move towards the C/G units.

The C/G mechanized, motorized, AAA and mortar units withdraw up the coastal road to link up with units co-located with the students. One 2-4-4 unit is left to delay the US forces. However, the ever-dangerous AAA unit can now support the units guarding the students.

Turn 5 (Daylight)

The SEALs locate the last student group and attack. This is a hasty attack, but with overwhelming air support.  For once, AAA fire is ineffective. The C/G unit is eliminated, without the students being harmed. The students are evacuated to Salines Airfield. The C/G player should have moved into the jungle to take advantage of the terrain. The Rangers, reinforced by the 82nd Airborne, ZOC up the delaying unit north of the airfield, and attack at 4:1, with two shifts to the left due to vegetation. The result is a Contact.

The C/G commander leaves the delaying unit to its fate, and moves his mechanized, motorized, AAA and mortar units to Fort Audodat. The two surviving militia units move north towards St. Georges. With the airfield taken, Governor General and students evacuated, all that is left to the C/G commander is to buy time and lure US forces into an ill-advised attack. The loss of one US unit will make this a close game.

What might pass for analysis will follow…..