Storm Over Stalingrad and Twilight Struggle played

Managed to complete two board wargames with my Dad at last visit !

First up was Storm Over Stalingrad which is a low complexity quick playing game.
I was Russians (not much in the way of attacking for them in this game) struggling to hold the city.
This turned out to be a close game with Soviets just about holding onto to enough Victory Locations to thwart the Germans.
The cards work well with the low complexity.
Great game for quick set up and play through.

After that we selected Twilight Struggle (more a conflict than war game but still great) with Dad being the good ol' US of A and I the Commies.
Another really close game with USA coming out on top by a mere 4 VPs in the end.















Early Russian dominance in Asia

Twilight Struggle vs my son and ongoing Vassal games

Played Twilight Struggle today against my lad Steven. And low and behold I managed a win for once.
I played as the USSR achieving an auto win in the mid-war period.
Cue much crowing and dancing !
As ever a nice game to play with each turn generating a hand you have to play as best you can whilst trying to achieve your strategic aims.
Not a 'true' wargame as such but a fine and fun game of itself.

Several ongoing PBEM games via Vassal on my schedule at present:

Another Twilight Struggle game (which I have just lost on last turn as USA)

Turning Point Stalingrad game (into its fourth turn 16th September 1942) 

Barbarossa To Berlin (with me as Axis) facing massive Red build up having failed to advance far into Russia.

Hannibal: Rome vs Carthage (using AH rules but newer board on Vassal) with me as Rome. Hannibal rampant in Italy but Varro now in Western Numidia

Bitter Woods (am brand new to this one) with me commanding US troops (AH 2nd edition rules on L2 Vassal map). Yanks are really thin on ground at start ! 

Another Barbarossa To Berlin game with me as Allies this time and early in Turn 2

Twilight Struggle against my offspring (and of course a purchase)

Played Twilight Struggle against my son today (he is due back to University next week) and a great game that went to last turn.
But my poor ole US of A lost again (son beat me in last outing by turn 4 !!).
Enjoyable stuff all the same.



We actually managed to play a few games over the holiday period including his Magic The Gathering game (which I won handsomely), Twilight Struggle (am 3 to zero against son), a scenario from Commands & Colors Ancients (sod won that one too !) and old Battletech CCG (in which I emerged victorious) which I prefer to Magic.

New year old habits as yet another game is purchased and just what I need another Eastern Front game !!!!! too hard to resist..................................................................

Twilight Struggle game with my offspring

Managed to entice son Steven (who is home from University for summer) away from PC and electronic games long enough for a game of Twilight Struggle.
I took Soviets and he the Capitalists.
A really good game that went right down to last turn. Commies managed to reach 19 VPs twice but each time I just could not get that final point before being knocked back down the Victory Track.
As we got into Late War phase the Yanks got a good run of VPs themselves and game finished with them on 14 VP and enough areas dominated to carry the day. Great fun and nice to play a game to completion.
The gloating over 'beating Dad at Dad's game' is however less palatable.

Still gaming........just about !!

Despite bloody G8 being over am still stuck in a cycle of looong shifts with very little free time for game related stuff.

However I have managed to get a few boardgame related stints in (have not had a minis game in what seems ages).


Played couple of games ay my Dads with my son Steven also in attendance (back home from Nottingham University for summer).
He bought a copy of game we played at brothers in Liverpool called Small Worlds a very fast, light and fun fantasy themed strategy game.
We realized during first game we were playing things a tad incorrectly but then managed a win each in next three tries.
I forgot to take any pics so here is a stock image or two

I then umpired a game of Twilight Struggle between my offspring and offspringer (?) a tense encounter it was.
Steven had the Commies and went for an all out 'assault' on Europe and very nearly carried the day however his lack of influence and presence elsewhere in the world allowed the USofA to dominiate in several regions and rack up a lot of points with scoring cards.
So much so that on turn 7 Dad achieved an auto victory.
Great stuff with a game that is not strictly a wargame but has nice conflict basis.

On Vassal I am still plugging away with a Pbem games and having great time (very theraputic) against varied opponnents.


Barbarossa To Berlin game (against Greig) in which I am getting thrashed after my self-inflicted disaster in North Africa.
So many cards for Allies vioded by continued German presence in region (no invasions in Med possible).
This has allowed Axis to obtain near parity on Eastern Front especially as my seemingly unending offensives with Soviets seem to yield very little (even virtual dice hate me !!).

Thirty Years War game (against Mike) has gotten exciting with Swedes arriving, Gustavus dying tout suite (damn dice again !!) but with French now coming to aid Protestant cause.

Paths Of Glory game (also vs Mike) has seen Italy cause Central Powers some grief by pushing across Alps into southern Germany whilst Eastern and Western fronts are largely stagnated.
We have had our own version of Verdun a bit further north at Liege which has changed hands several times and cost us both a lot of combat power (ie soldiers).
Still in balance this one

After having lost Kingdom Of Heaven game to Norman we decided for  some lighter fare with a game of Command & Colours Ancients.
I picked battle of Bagradas with Norman as Carthaginians and I as Romans.
Interesting first outing for this game which whilst quite simple to pick up has bit more depth than is first apparent and is fun to play.

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 !!!!