Great War Commander played

Game with Stephen today and I introduced him to Great War Commander playing the initial 1914 scenario from base game.

We have played WW2 version a couple of times but his first time with GWC.

I took attacking Huns and he the defending Frogs in what turned out to be a very close result.

I had upper hand initially managing to capture a Secret Objective and inflict losses but then lost a couple of units and after a Sudden Death roll (turn 9) I was 2 VPs ahead but Stephens Secret Objective gave him a 3 VP swing for a 1 point French win.

Whilst GWC is of course very similar to CC:E it is different enough (in scale alone) to make it feel to be a  fresh game experience.

Game end with several Blazes burning and Huns pushing towards exit roads

The Victory Point track at end 

Great War Commander - another Verdun scenario played solo

Another outing with GWC and another Verdun scenario ‘Dead Man’s Hill’ with French defending two desolate hill tops against German assault.

First outing for gas bombardments (by nasty Boche) in this game, although did not last too long as a breeze card dispersed the cloud.

A very gritty game with lots of close assaults on foxholes and trench line with Germans decimating French for Surrender win.

Great War Commander another solo session

Another scenario played with this excellent game (even solo) this one set in winter at Verdun  with Germans attacking through a heavily wooded area.

  

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.

Great War Commander - solo play

Put GWC on table after a long hiatus and played first two 1914 French vs German scenarios.

Forgot how gorgeous this game is and whilst obviously very similar to Combat Commander it has several differences that affect game play and overall feel of the game.

Being able to order multiple leaders via the Offensive Order and Cohesion (units not in a leaders command radius going Suppressed each turn) are main ones but with several others coming into play along with new or amended versions of actions and events.

Strategy cards are a nice addition as are Aircraft Sorties.

Artillery has unsurprisingly a potentially larger role especially combined with units now representing Platoons rather than Squads and Tanks (not played with these yet) making a 'proper' appearance in the system.

Rules for trenches, shellholes, wire and various bunkers along with some suitably 'moonscape' maps does engender a WW1 Western Front vibe.

I have the British supplement must give it a whirl.

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.

New acquisition Great War Commander: The British Expeditionary Force

Expansion to base game Great War Commander arrived.

Some great looking scenarios including several 1914 period in Mons area.

Great War Commander - in the trenches

Another couple of scenarios played with GWC, well three actually but I forgot to take pics of first encounter !

Late war stuff now with French attacking entrenched Germans, with their lumbering tanks in tow, heavy bombardments and lots of trenches, foxholes, barbed wire, shellholes and MG nests

Great stuff once more with this excellent game.

Great War Commander - two Verdun scenarios played

Another session with this excellent game with my Dad.

Two meat grinding scenarios set around Verdun one in a wooded winter landscape (late 1915) the other on a 'moonscape' hilly area (early 1916)

Both large (by CC standards) scenarios with 12+ units each time.

Firmly into the era of trench warfare and artillery pounding and indeed the later scenario introduced us to despicable gas warfare (a lingering suppression effect) and flamethrowers.

Both scenarios had some German Guard troops who have high morale making them hard to Break and Destroy.

In addition to gas we realised we had been underestimating the power of the new Offensive order in that I had misread that it was 2 units that it activated, but this is not the case as it allows a single leader (of any rank or rating) to activate (to move and then fire) any chain of adjacent unbroken units in a 'human wave' style attack very reminiscent of 'All Quiet On The Western Front'.

I managed to win both scenarios with defending French but both were close run affairs with the Time Track 'Sudden Death' being my friend.

Great game and no 'bad' rolls to plague me as no feckin' dice to hate me !!

Staying with the Combat Commander theme I purchased this Battle Pack (only one I do not have), not a big fan of 'fantasy/alternative history' backgrounds but expect the scenarios will be fine.