Fast Action Battles: The Bulge first try

Had a game of Fast Action Battles: The Bulge with my Dad last night (when I should have been touching up the paint job on my Norman type army which I am fielding as Early Medieval French this coming weekend in a Field Of Glory competition here in NI) . A game I have had for several months but not managed to get to table until now.
We both enjoyed the game a lot.
Nice system with the combination of Block units and Assests & Events (counters) combined with standard Bulge scenario.
The terrain problems, and Rollbahn restrictions, nicely rendered for the initially powerful German forces with the pesky US Engineers assests proving their worth with ability to blow bridges and/or build or man roadblocks.
We managed a full seven turns (out of 13) which was pretty good for game and system new to us both with our biggest bug bear being having to flit between core rules and those in the Bulge specific playbook.
We did make a couple of mistakes re Victory Points (counting weak units in error) and Assest draws but we found this out quickly and rectified without too much impact on game.
German tide was quickly stemmed in Northern sector and they had moderate gains in South but they did make significant gains in Central sector taking Bastogne and pushing beyond.
However as we finished Pattons powerfull 3rd Army units were arriving and threatening the German flank.
Another fun game added to the growing list of 'we must try that one again' titles !

New arrival Twilight Struggle gets an outing

Managed to get two games of Twilight Struggle in at weekend against my Dad.
First game very much 'a learn as we go' outing as we checked rules (relatively few) and read through both sets of cards as played to get gist of how game plays.
As an aside the USSR won in Mid-War period with auto victory. W
e then re-tried the game in more 'serious' mode and it turned out a much closer game with Soviets just nicking the win by 3 points with last gasp play of Europe Scoring card.
Very enjoyable game despite not being an out and out wargame as such.
Nice balance of Events and Actions (Coups, Re-allignments and Influence placing) with rather different CDG concept of enemy events taking effect if you play the card for your own OPs (inevitable to greater or lesser degree each turn).
Both of us unsure when best to undertake the different Operations in optimum way although with hindsight the Soviet expansion, largely unchecked by US, through Influence placement in Asia & South-East Asia combined with requisite scoring card play gave them a solid lead in Victory Points which USA failed to claw back sufficiently.
A game I expect we will return to often especially as very playable in an evening.

Vassal games update and another new arrival !

Several (well four) games ongoing at present using Vassal (and ACTs for couple).

First up WW2 Barbarossa To Berlin against Greig.
My Easrern Front holding up ok thus far against Nazis with Reds getting some Armoured and Siberian Corps into play.
However I boobed big style in North Africa moving Desert Army too far forward which alloewd a Panzer Corps to slip around behind me taking Alexandria, Cairo and Suez !!! worse still British forces in Eqypt cut off and about to wither on the vine.
Did however manage to Launch Torch invasion so now Tunis in allied hand and still able to contest North African theatre.

Next its Thirty Years War again Mike wherein my Protestant forces are grimly hanging on in face of superior Catholic and Imperial Forces. Badly need Sweden and Mr Adolphus to join in the fray.









Protestant holding Northern Germany but have lost gains in Southern regions.

Next its Paths Of Glory again against Mike.
We have both traded blows on Western Front as things have sort of stalemated in the East.
Allied Powers have assimilated Mid and Late War decks whilst Central Powers still not availing of Late War cards (ie not enough War Status accumulated yet).
Several bloody encounters at Liege bewteen British and Germans with it changing hands several times now.
We are just beginning Winter 1916 period.





Situation in the East

And in the West (far from being all quiet !)

Finally I have just started another game with Norman who chose KingDom Of Heaven The Crusader States with opening First Crusade scenario.
I am leading Holders of the  Holy Lance (and hopefully Holy Hand Grenade !) into the East to try to establish Outremer.
Attrition has bitten already with several losses to my horde after leaving flesh pots of Constantinople and marching into Asia Minor.

And finally this game arrived today !

Not strictly a 'Wargame' more a Conflict based game but one that intrigues and certainly garners rave reviews. I ordered this via Amazon for reasonable £37 and was expecting the 2009 version as pictured however very pleasently surprised to receive brand new 2012 Deluxe Version (2009 version essentially same anyhow I believe).
Yet more time required for rule learning & game playing !!!!

Field Of Glory and Combat Commander picture roll

Played another three Combat Commander games (three Tournament scenarios using RPG) with my Dad and a game of Field Of Glory Ancients (Maurikian Byzantine vs Dynatic Bedouin) with Stephen over the weekend.... most excellent gaming feast.
No time to waffle as such just to stick up a bunch of pics I took during the games.



My Russia Rifle Companys assault German Detachment on hill

My Yank Platoon defends against German Company behind Mines and Wire defence.

 

My Green British Company encounters a Green German Company in fairly dense terrain (western version of Kokoda trail !?)

On the Field Of Glory

Byzantines deployed

Bedouin deployed

 

 

Look what is on my table at present

Answer sod all as I waited in vain for Battle Group Overlord pre-order package to arrive this weekend, me being off and all, but to no avail.......bah humbug.........

 

Postscript just got this on 29/4/13

Dear Gary Barr,

The Plastic Soldier Company Ltd

Order Number: 4602

Detailed Invoice

Date Ordered: Saturday 06 April, 2013

Your order has been updated to the following status:

New status: Shipped

Please reply to this email if you have any questions.

Combat Commander in triplicate

Played 3 games of Combat Commander at Dad's and another 3 super games they were. First up was a scenario from the Normandy battle pack pitting US vs Germans at Mortain.
A night time scenario with SS unit attacking Yanks on some small rises.
But the Yanks have great support from a battery of 105mm (and can use 5 Command Confusion cards as Artillery Requests).
SS got caught a few times by Pre-Registered Barrages (2 allowed in scenario) and under Star Shells and losses were such that they had little left to contest field (1 up to Allies ie moi).

Next game we used the Random Scenario Generator (using a Playing Card deck to sekect map).
This saw a German Line detatchment pitted against a full Soviet Guards SMG Company.
Whilst German defended they were simply overrun by the Guards who had battery of 82mm Mortars in support whose timley use of Smoke gave great cover to Soviet advance.
Another forced surrender on Germans (and 2 up for me).

We went with RSG again this time I had British Line Company assaulting an SS Detachment in fairly wooded terrain.
The large wood and smoke from my light mortars got me right up into SS faces and several successful assaults later I had the key victory locations against which remaining SS battered themselves to destruction (3 out of 3 for Allies !!)
This one had SS in a Bunker on a bridge which they were forced to abandon due to a blaze which spread straight down the road behind them forcing them out of hex and into further blaze of British fire.
I love this sort of stuff in CC.

Pretty poor iPhone pics as I forgot iPad

Regimental Fire And Fury game

An American Civil war game at Stephen's today using the Regimental Fire & Fury set.
Scenario was an 'official' one outlining an encounter preluding 2nd Manassas set in August 1862 (I think it was called Brokenaws Meadow or similar ?).
I took the Rebs against Stephen with Feds.
A sort of meeting encounter although with onus on Rebs to do bulk of attacking.
Both sides started on table with only 3 Regiments, the Feds having some on table and off table Artillery batteries in support.
Feds are from Iron Brigade and Rebs are also Crack but much smaller. Both sides get reserves as game goes on with numbers advantage to Rebs.
Rebs are good quality overall with the initial 3 Crack Regts and all the rest Veterans.
Feds a more mixed bunch with some Trained troops but several Regts are rather strong.
Main objective is a field pretty much in centre of table but both sides score for inflicting over a third casualties on enemy forces.
The game lasts 9 turns with visibility decreasing every couple of turns as dusk then night falls.
Our game ended up in a bloody draw with glorious Rebs in possession of the field.
Stephen (ACW buff) tells me the game played out pretty much as per history with Feds inflicting losses on Rebs but suffering themselves with Rebs taking the objective and Feds being forced essentially to quit the field prior to big attack next day.
RF&F is a very slick set of rules that plays pretty fast once you get going with them and am tempted to purchase them despite not having a single ACW figure.
Having played the original F&F helps of course as a few differences/nuances but with core system the same.
Fun game and nice to try ACW period again.