The British Way COIN - a two player outing

Played the Malaya game from The British Way with my Dad and great to see the game in 'proper' two player mode.

I played the extended version (9 cards per campaign rather than 7) and Dad took the British and I the MCP.

Great stuff and easy to teach and play (Dad not up to heavier games anymore) and in the end my MCP won by a mere 4 VP.

No Retreat! The Russian Front again

Another session with this excellent game with my Dad.

I recently acquired (ie this week) the updated 3rd Edition Card Deck and so gave these a run out (along with 3rd Edition rules of course).

Some significant changes (more so to cards) but nothing too onerous to revise in brain.

We started campaign from Fall Blau scenario (second scenario in game) which starts in Turn 7 and played through to Turn 20.

Another great game it was too, with the Russians getting stronger and stronger as game progressed.

Germans were being pushed right back to the Reichs borders pretty much on schedule, with their southern 'Balkan' zone about to crumble but still in reasonable strength up in Poland/East Prussia.

When I got back into board Wargames about 10 or so years ago (after a hiatus following demise of Avalon Hill) this was one of my first purchases and one I keep coming back to as just such a good experience to play.

Is it the greatest game on Eastern Front ever ? probably not but its a damn fine one being so playable with low unit count and yet so much 'feel' of the campaign.

 

No Retreat! The Russian Front played

 

Game with my Dad of No Retreat! The Russian Front.

Such an excellent and playable game of....um...er....The Russian Front.

We started with the standard Op Barbarossa scenario and played through to Turn 12 (March -April 1943) just as Initiative turns to Soviets.

Great game and Dad close to an auto-win on Turn 3 being just 1 VP shy.

We saw Leningrad fall, Moscow threatened and roving Cauldron type battles around Moscow and Kharkov as Soviet strength grew.

Great stuff in a very playable format.

We used 1st Edition rules but will try updated 3rd edition rules at some point.

Poor pics as lighting not phone-camera friendly

Hitler's Reich played

 

Game of Hitler's Reich with my Dad tonight.

Been a while since we played this.

A highly abstract but very fun experience with lots of wild swings of fortune but not much like history !

Axis controlled North African coast at one stage from Libya right across to Iraq !

Italy was knocked out of war in 1942 and Spain entered on Axis side.

Op Barbarossa not launched but Soviets not able to take any of Reich except Poland.

Allies too weak (only 5 card hard and all awful) to launch Overlord and Bagration.

We both got caught up in endless Land attacks and Blitzkriegs neglecting to utilize Events much.

Axis (Dad) won in 1945 with Substantial Victory having higher card allowance than Allies.

Colonial Twilight a close run thing.........

 

Played that most excellent 2-player COIN game Colonial Twilight with my Dad.

We played the full length (5 deck) scenario and it went right to the last Propaganda card (with only 5 Event cards not used).

Dad played as the French/Government and I was therefore the FLN insurgents.

As always a totally engrossing topsy turvy flow of events and actions and tough decisions.

French twice failed by just 1 Victory Point to achieve an auto win but in the end the FLN pipped them at the post by a narrow 2 VP after 'Agitating in a 2 Population area to tip balance from a drawn result.

Such an excellent game.

Combat Commander - couple of scenarios played

Couple of scenarios from Combat Commander: Mediterranean played with my Dad.

First set on Eastern Front in 1941 pitting Romanians against Russians the second a 1940 bash with Germans versus French.

As always two great games (both Allied wins). 

Board Wargame catch up

Couple of board wargames played this week including one with my Dad (so glad to get back to playing with him)

First up I had Breakthrough Cambrai on table as being a Area-Impulse type it is fairly solo friendly.
Only played a couple of turns but great system and interesting subject.

Then it was Great War Commander playing first couple of scenarios to refresh rules in my head.
Such a superb system (Chad Jensen such a loss) and very nice graphics in this one, a bit less functional than WWII version but the Gallic flair shines.

Then a couple of games with Dad of Battle For Stalingrad an abstract but fun card game.
Does seem very tough for Germans at first blush but certain there is a strategy to make them viable just not found it yet.

Vassal session with the 4 Barrs and A Distant Plain

Another session with family via Vassal of A Distant Plain.
This our third go with this excellent game and the Main 5 Propaganda card scenario.
Completed 2 Propaganda rounds thus far and honours pretty even.

Vassal - A Distant Plain more family fun

Another Vassal session of A Distant Plain with Dad, Brother and Son tonight (after waiting a week for Virgin to come back on line for son).
Played through two more Propaganda cards with only 1 more to appear.
None of us really doing that well but Coalition (brother) sitting at -4 and with Surge ability has good chance of winning unless we can thwart him.
Great to get some 'live' wargaming.

Also set up Storm Over Normandy for some quick playing solo fun for VE Day

A Distant Plain - Vassal a second family outing.

Started another game of A Distant Plain on Vassal with Dad, Brother and Son.
Brother staying with Coalition (I can see he has an idea how to use them), Dad now Taliban and Son Warlords with me retaining Government.
We played the Main Scenario again and got through 2 Propaganda cards with Coalition being close to a win just before second Propaganda Card but Warlords managed to use Terror in several key locations pegging the Coalition back by loss of Support.
Good to see they are getting the gist of the game and its many strategies, twists and turns.
Good deal of 'diplomacy' in a 4 player game (as in "fer feck sake do something to stop him !!" and suchlike) and just a bit of back stabbing and double dealing.
Great system COIN, not a 'pure' wargame but nice mix of Military, Political and Economic issues backed by historical Events.
And whilst there is no substitute for me to physical play of game with its tactile feel and visual appeal, Vassal is a good system for such remote (and savable) play with family and/or friends.


Situation at end of 2nd Propaganda card

More board wargaming - solo (Festung Europa) and Vassal (A Distant PLain)

Another session of A Distant Plain tonight with my Government faction winning on 5th Propaganda card with -1 victory total, Brother Coalition 2nd on -2, Dad with Warlords in 3rd on -3 and Son with Taliban 4th on -9.

As this was a learning game we will start afresh in due course with COIN factions remaining same but Warlords and Taliban swapping players.

With only a couple of minor issues (some cards need regenerated/noted as auto-discarded) the game played smoothly on Vassal.










The final positions on Victory Track.

Also managed to get Festung Europa onto table for a solo play.
Not played this much (maybe once before ?) but interesting 'light' CDG game of western front 1943-45 starting with OP Husky.

Vassal - A Distant Plain - more Barr family play

Another session with Son, Brother and Dad tonight of A Distant Plain via Vassal.
We got through a couple more Propaganda cards.
Dad with Warlords was in a winning position at one stage but combined Ops by Government (me) and Coalition (bro) saw them knocked back a bit but still ahead at end of session.
Another session planned for Wednesday which may see game completed.
Great stuff and a gaming life-saver is Vassal !!

 

Vassal - Combat Commander

Played some Combat Commander with my Dad via Vassal.
We managed to complete one full scenario 'Bessarabian Knights' and start another 'Rush To Contact'.
Great being able to maintain some game play by this method.