PBEM catch up and some solo board wargaming

Couple of ongoing PBEM games for which I have neglected to report of late. 

Still in midst of No Retreat! The Russian Front with Mike via Vassal and we are now in Sept/Oct 1944 turn with my Axis forces pushed right back to frontiers of Reich and under huge pressure all along the front. Saving grace is that Russians well off pace in their Victory Point accumulation but that could change.

Breakthrough over Carpathians looking imminent !

Also ongoing game with Combat Mission with NJ John with a newly started game (we finished a Russian Front game last week) set at Cheux in Normandy (but using CMAK data). 

An '88' awaits British (John) advance

Had a solo session with Great War Commander playing through first couple of 1914 French vs German scenarios.

Forgot how enjoyable this version of Combat Commander system is with the various tweaks to scale and WW1 style weaponry, with artillery being especially potent at times as one would expect.

Some excellent counters and general artwork in this one.

L'Art De La Guerre - more practice

Another couple of practice games for Mr B with LADG.

First was his Abbasid Arabs (a later version than last outing) against my Maurikian Byzantines (an army I seldom field), tone set for this one when I had 11 shots and failed to achieve any hits !! Arabs firing back inflicted a few on me. I did have 2 Elite Kavallorii which rolled nothing but sixes all day but their mates let them down.

Second game I used the Khazars and faced Thematic Byzantines and this one decided when I charged in with my Impact (Lancer) Cavalry and failed to win any combats suffering multiple hits in return, no real way back from this in LADG (or any game for that matter). 

Maurikian Byzantines face Abbasids

Khazars face Thematic Byzantines

Ulster Wargames Society Meeting - Combat HQ, Sicily scenario played

UWS meeting (deferred from end of December) and I played in a game using Combat HQ rules that was set up (a good deal of work) and umpired (even more arduous !?) by Mike.

He used a Command Decision (?) scenario from the excellent Bob McKenzie site with action around Pesano and Tobacco Factory in Sicily campaign.

This has Yanks defending (2 infantry Battalions with a Tank Battalion as off-table reserve) being attacked by Pz Grenadiers with tank support (PzIVs) and with options to conduct flanking maneuvers (ie entry points). 

Both sides had artillery support with Yanks having roughly double

Bryn and Mr B took Krauts/Heinies/Nazis and Ian and I the glorious US forces of freedom.

We got to set up on 'blinds' to create some fog of war with Huns coming on from varied directions. 

Ian took the forward US Battalion which were dug-in and on the half of the table with lots of cover (tree lines) whereas my Battalion had much more open half of table but would see the tank support arrive in this area (very conducive to a tank engagement).

So it proved as Mr B arrived on my flank with Panzers and Grenadiers and overwhelmed my Support Coy (an MG a Mortar and a lowly 37mm AT gun). 

Yank infantry on this flank really took little part here as hugging distant limited cover  and outside their range, spotting for Artillery their main activity.

Tank support arrived on third turn and engaged MrBs PzIVs, a Pak40, a Puma and a PzIII (which turned out to be a Flam Panzer).

Shermans outclassed in the end although a single Veteran M10 did kill a PzIV and US force morale faltered. 

To be honest not really sure what occurred between Bryn and Ian, German infantry seemed stymied but they had several Panzers which were pushing forwards, Ian only had a 37mm AT gun and a T30 half track (75mm) with any ranged AT capability (infantry all have Bazookas but of course limited range)

Not played these rules in couple of years and took awhile to get gist of how one uses the various dice as 'strings' or the very flexible 'wild dice' (sixes) along with the Staff Orders but once it clicks it all plays smoothly.

Good fun with a very interesting scenario, kudos to Mike for arranging the game

Not many pics as too engrossed in game (always a good sign)

Initial set up with US on Blinds (mine to rear)

First of Germans arrive on my flank 

Later with 2 brewed M4s and M10 in action (note infantry hugging river bank for cover)

Panzers advancing 

A fresh PzIV company is pushing forward mid-table

The scenario map

Also at club there was a large Sharps Practice, French-Indian Wars game in 28mm,no idea how this panned out but looked great.

 

L'Art De La Guerre - Khazars and Bulgars in action

Another couple of practice games for Stephen today with LADG.

First up I used Khazars again (liking the list) against Abassid Arabs and this was another game on Steppe but with lots of terrain in central sections.

Great game with lots of manouvre with Arabs overwhelming my Slav subject foot to win

Second game I morphed into Bulgars with lots of impetuous cavalry against Carolingians.

This was more one-sided as my lot charged to their doom pretty quickly (not a big fan of impetuous lancer types)

Hopefully all good practice for Mr B

Game 2 (pics assbackward again)

Game 1

L'Art De La Guerre - Khazars and Avars in use

At Stephens today and played two games of LADG (as further practice for his venture at Cork at months end).

First clash I used Khazars (Royal Army) and he fielded Abbasid Arabs with rather a lot of terrain in middle of table despite my attacking in Steppe.

This was great game with lots of manouvre and could have gone either way up until couple of turns when I lost a bunch of units despite inflicting losses.

I was fairly lucky to damage and kill a couple of units of his spearmen with my medium swordsmen but my my cavalry suffered some ill luck.

Second game saw my Avars fielded against Sassanids on a more open field and again was fairly close until I had a truly disastrous turn with multiple units taking 2 hits or dying, including a General and heavy cavalry.

Second game (Blogger keeps reversing order of pics) with Avars facing Sassanids

First game with Khazars attacking Abbasids (I managed to win initiative and invade in both games)