More 6th Edition

Ancients, Miniatures, Sessions

Now in Turn 10 of my latest WRG 6th Edition game.  As hoped for, the going is smoother.  Not just rules knowledge, but my tactical sequencing has improved.

By this I mean the staged use of troop types.  Light infantry is given time to skirmish, heavier infantry deploys methodically and, most importantly, the cavalry (especially the Byzantines) wait for the proper time to advance and charge.  I know, basic stuff, but that’s what I lose sight of when grinding through a new rules set.

This sequencing seems especially important with WRG 6th Edition.   If you miscalculate distances between those three troop types, you wind up with units stacked up, without room to maneuver.  The results are ugly and, to paraphrase Dean Wormer “Disordered, Shaken, Burst Through and Routed is no way to go through a WRG 6th game.”

This crummy photo from my first game illustrates what can happen.

I kept the ruler in the photo (all how-to-do-it references for wargame photos stress not to leave game paraphernalia out of any shot – which I don’t get because any table I’ve played on is covered with rulers, dice, tables, charts and rule books) spatial reference.

The Arabs are at the top of the photo, Byzantine cavalry at the bottom.  The light infantry has evaded through the heavier infantry and cavalry , with the infantry now blocking any cavalry response without disruption, either by a countercharge or rout.  And, what the hell will the body guard at the very top of the photo do?

For better or worse, 6th Edition RAW (Rules As Written) won’t let you just slide units all over the battlefield.  No “fast and furious” here.  Sloppiness has its consequences.

As mentioned in my earlier posts, these rules are difficult.  At this point on my learning curve the big problem is that answers to tabletop situations are often spread out through two or three rules sections.  This is especially true for rout, pursuing, and rallying.  While there are sections focused on each topic, the nuance is buried in movement, or dicing for arrival or some other sections.  If I was a stronger person, I’d track all of this down and consolidate into a situation-specific write-up.

Anyway, I’m fortunate that I can enjoy the game at a leisurely pace and not pressed to finish in, let’s say, an afternoon.

Details, Details

Ancients, Miniatures, Sessions

Now in my 12th turn of my first real WRG 6th game. This is where all the shortcomings become apparent. Rules problems effecting play, various combinations of errors of omission and commission, bad tactics, a record keeping system that is not effective, and the creeping feeling that I’ve had enough and need to either reset or try something else.

The latter is, to me, the real challenge in wargaming. Who wants to slug it out, pay attention to logistics, grind through an attritional slog, go to the rulebook one more damn time? Too much like real life.

But, right now, is when you really start learning a game. You have to dig through those rules and read them very, very carefully; looking for nits, buried fractions, lengths and percentages.

Hopefully, this will all make the next game a lot more fun. Because, this one is now dragging

Regardless of this low pitched whining, it is a fun game. Light units have skirmished and scattered, the Byzantine Heavy Cavalry is blasting through the enemy infantry, just about to come into contact with their Arab counterparts. Their Super Heavy supports lagging behind, with Arab light cavalry lurking on exposed flanks.

It’s mayhem that should end in about four turns.

Here’s a representational photo.

Terminally Serious

Boardgames, Sessions,

Our Fall of France game ended during  the recent posting hiatus.  Here’s a screen shot of situation when I conceded.  Ugly.

Tim did a great job of applying unrelenting pressure on a broad front.  He might argue this pressure was too dispersed, but, in the end, his operational approach worked.  Yes, I held out longer than my historical counterpart(s), but the end result was still the same; a French defeat.

This broad, sustained pressure precluded any  concentration for a decisive counterattack, given the Allies’  slender armor and tactical air resources.  Every unit was needed to plug the recurring holes in a shallow defensive line.  The combination of tactical air, armor and strong infantry divisions capable of absorbing punishment was just too great.

A strategic withdrawal in the south would have been an option.  But, a passive surrender of French territory would be politically unthinkable, even though not a real game consideration in terms of victory points lost.

On second thought, maybe the end result wasn’t “the same”.  The British Army is still on the Continent.  No Dunkirk, no evacuation to fight another day.  With this outcome, the entire course of the war changes.  Negotiated settlement?   An interesting “what if” that has started a soft and gentle Siren’s Call to start up a session of A World At War or Blitz.

Now is a good time to replace those entryway lights…………

 

Underway

Ancients, Miniatures, Sessions

Finally have the WRG 6th edition armies discussed some time ago on the table. As usual, the process was not smooth.

I’ m older than when I first started playing this system, but not wiser when it comes to matching up figures and economically compiling an army list. Always was problem. Neat listings very quickly rendered illegible with cross outs and scribbled notes.  Thought I had these things worked out when I ordered the new figures. But, once based and consolidated into an army list using the finished painted figures, the results were less than optimal. Workable, not not approaching optimal.

 Of course, I had the immediate wargamer reaction that the solution was  buying more figures, expanding what I had. But, that was madness given cost and shipment time. Also, the thought of another larger scale painting project just makes me cringe. So, instead of that, it was back to rebasing and finagling the unit mix.

Fortunately, I came up with a very satisfactory mix for each army, minimal figure wastage (only 4 painted figures not used) and a workable 1,200 or so point total for each side. Just right for a game with each side commanded by a single general.

In between sessions of rebasing figures – which for me always includes the nerve wracking prospect of an Xacto knife blade snapping and flying into my eye – gluing and re-flocking, I found time to really dig into the rules.

When you Google up “WRG 6th Edition Rules” the narratives are not positive. There is some feeble recognition that this rule set was once state of the art but the emphasis is on complexity and the availability of newer rules.  However, I find the procedural nature and author Phil Barker’s mannered and arcane presentation (with critical elements of information sometimes taking the form of a single buried sentence) oddly soothing. These rules whisper “Take your time, there’s no hurry, this action doesn’t have to be ‘fast and furious’”.

My first walk through lasted 3 turns on a terrain-less surface. Lessons were learned, some figures rebased (again), lists reorganized and I re-set, again without terrain. I ginned up  army rosters to keep track of orders, casualties, and other miscellany.

Now, three turns into my second game, I’m impressed on how smoothly the system plays.  Especially when there are no Rules Lawyers to deal with – and in my distant memory this system was notorious for attracting/creating them.

Sure, the checklists of reasons to test Reaction, and those for Shooting and Combat modifiers are lengthy, but not so onerous that a quick glance through takes care of any adjustments that need to be made.

All in all, I’m glad to playing WRG 6th again. No need to find a “better hole”. For Now.

 

Return To Kernstown

Boardgames, Sessions

The post’s title evokes images of a Hallmark special movie.

Not really.  This return was a slasher movie bloodbath, attributable for the most part to my ham fisted re-entry into the Great Battles of the American Civil War (GBACW) system.

This is/was my first home board game after the re-organization and re-direction of collection.  The upshot of all that summertime thrashing was to establish a focus on several series of games, rather than any number of one-offs.  The emphasis now is on play, not reading a new set of rules, stumbling through a couple of plays, and then moving on to something else.  Sure, there are several magazine and specific games that I want to and will play, but this new emphasis increases time spent moving counters.

These GBACW games are part of the first series as published by SPI and others, before the revamping rolled out  by GMT. The new rules  seemed far more involved, without a commensurate increase in enjoyment.

So, the decision was made to fill out my collection, and start in on the cycle, using the last iteration of the SPI rules but ignoring, for now,  options and artillery overshoot (ugh).  I relied not only on that set of rules, but also the wonderful GBACW resources developed and published by Russell Gifford over at Boardgamegeek.

Just like Hollywood, my sequel unfolded much like its predecessor.  The Confederates used their cavalry to pin the Union 2nd Brigade, while their three infantry brigades with attached artillery attempted to skirt the Union positions either to flank them and attack, or exit the map.  If successful, either of these approaches would result in a decisive Confederate victory.

This flanking maneuver soon became a fire fight that degenerated into a nobody is moving an inch brawl.

I enjoy the chaos of this game system.  Probably the real Loki of the system is the Ammunition Depletion rule.  If a firing unit roles a “1”, it must check for ammunition depletion.  If that subsequent roll is a “1” or “2”, the unit cannot fire during either the defensive or offensive fire phase until resupplied.  In Kernstown, the Confederates cannot be resupplied.

Here’s an example of the fun.

With four turns left, the Union has five units ready to vaporized Brigadier Fulkerson and the remnants of his brigade,  and then fall on the exposed Confederate flank.  What happened?  Three of the five offensive fire rolls were “1”, with each of the succeeding rolls being either a “1” or “2”.  No “Blammo!!!”***

Despite the general mutual slaughter, the Confederates were able to grab critical Victory Points (VIPs) through Federal sloppiness in dealing with exiting cavalry units, and the Union garnered VIPs by maintaining morale and holding their initial positions.  The result was a draw.

I’m looking forward to playing Volume II, Pea Ridge!

*** The Word Tim B (Friend and Wargaming Opponent Extraordinaire) blurts out when an an enemy stack or unit is eliminated.  Adorable.

Expansion

General

I now have one of the most expensive wargame areas in Central Oregon, if not the state, region, nation or world.  We decided to devote one bay of the garage to our hobbies.  This involved upgrading the lighting (sorely needed regardless) renting storage some 30 minutes away, and building a storage shed (target completion date (10/21) for those chattels, as well as Coach (our Airstream RV), The Baby (2004 Audi TT Roadster), and our other  First World seldom-used-but-can’t-part-with chattels.

I now have a 4×8 surface for board games, enough for two standard size maps, with room underneath to store my various miniatures storage boxes.  I also purchased a heavy-duty metal bookcase for game storage/display.  Not even thinking about the cost per square foot.  Why ruin the fun?

Here it is…..all brand new and ready to go.

And, an In Action shot, with Kernstown on the left and Serbia/Romania on the right.,

Finally

Ancients, Miniatures

Finished up the Wargames Research Group (WRG) Byzantines and Arabs, after way too much discussion and too little action.

Two different forces.  The List #117 Niekaphoron Byzantines with heavily armored cavalry, skirmishers and Pechneg light cavalry.  The List #100 Arab Conquest Army is  a more colorful group with cavalry, Russ, Sudanese and Arab infantry.

A fun match up.  But, like most armies, they go straight from the gloss coating to a storage drawer.  I think Fall will be a good time to get them out.

Here are some poor photos taken in the garage, site of organizing and basing.

Arab Army
Byzantine Army

It Gets Serious: May II Turn

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II,

These screenshots summarize the May II Turn.

 

German armor sweeps past the weak ad-hoc French defenses and advances towards the Marne.  Also, the German commander turns loose “Ants” to disrupt the Allied rear areas.  To the north, German forces grind up the Dutch and Belgians,  advancing to the Dyle Line.

The Allies rush armored/mechanized units to contain the Ardennes penetration, while withdrawing from the Dyle line, using Belgian forces in support.  The Dutch attempt to consolidate their defense in order to tie down German forces for as long as possible.

Painful. But It Must Be Done! Fall of France Through May I Turn

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II,

I’ve bitched about my Fall of France (FoF) game with Tim, but I am now compelled to report it.

As usual with this site, the graphics will be less than ideal, a condition due in equal parts to my ambivalence towards pushing the boundaries of computer literacy and reliving a wargaming hell.

I was able to figure out how to get screenshots on my ancient Dell Windows 8 machine.  However, the screen shots of the JET board are just that; a shot of what is on the screen.  The JET mapboard takes up more than the screen, so the graphic evidence of this debacle will be from north of Frankfurt.  That’s  OK, because that it is where most of the carnage occured and is continuing to occur. We are now in the Allies Jun II turn, and things are looking very grim for the Allies.  But….. we must start at the beginning.

The Germans have  extremely powerful air and ground units.  The screenshots show only the top unit in the hex.  But, below that scary surface, lies even more panzer divisions, supported by motorized units, lots of motorized flak and artillery.

One revelation was how tough the German infantry stacks were.  Three 8-8 infantry, paired with artillery represents a lot of combat power.

Allied units are solid, but lack  mobility, flak and supporting units.I shudder when I think about the German’s powerful ground attack air assets used to support these armored and infantry forces.

Then, there are the historically based operational rules.  They create a difficult framework for the Allies to work within.

The Germans start off with an invasion turn, which includes all normal Europa turn phases except the exploitation phase.

The Allies do have a reaction phase. However, this is scripted because most northern French units and those of the BEF must enter Belgium  to occupy the Dyle River Line, setting up the historical “Sickle Cut”.

While Dutch and Belgian units can move during this Allied reaction phase, they cannot enter enemy zones of control.

With the Allies sucked into Belgium, the Germans start the regular  May I  turn.During the Allied player May I turn,  no unit in an enemy ZOC (Zone of Control) can move, and all British or French units have their movement factors halved.

The Allies are further hampered by the inability of their combat / motorized units to attack a full-strength or move using full movement during their exploitation phase until the beginning of the June I turn.   This reflects a lack of mechanized doctrine.

To make things even worse, during the May I turn any French  non-mech/motorized unit has to retreat two hexes rather than one if it has fought  an attacking German force with at least one panzer division.

One other note about the graphics.  As I mentioned, JET is a real marvel.  However, it cannot do several things within the rules as written Europa framework.  The result is that you have to tweak things, and the file you forward may have a heading (found in the upper left hand corner of the screen) that isn’t quite accurate.  An example:  You cannot fly CAP (Combat Air Patrol) during the Initial Phase.  You have to cheat, and “fool” the machine by forwarding to your Movement Phase, where it is allowed.  So, on the files shown, the heading on the screen may show “German Movement Phase”, when in fact the file really reflects the Allied Initial Phase.  Confused….good…..misery needs company…..and  the weight of Tim’s advance has had me in a daze since early May.

Allied Setup
Allied Exploit – Move To The Dyle Line
You can see the German penetration through the Ardennes.  Now, the Allies must avoid being enveloped.  Will post up later with more carnage….after I do a better job of figuring out the screen shot sequence.