Vassal - Combat Commander scenario completed

Another online Vassal session with Mike today completing our game of 'Hedgerows and Hand Grenades' scenario.

Game ended as a German (Mike) win over USA (moi) on second Sudden Death roll with 9 Victory Points.

Great to get a 'proper' game in during continuing lockdown and Combat Commander a super game to play via Vassal.

We are hoping to give No Retreat! The Russian Front an outing next.

The game board positions at end

 

Vassal - Combat Commander online and A Victory Lost Pbem

Another online Vassal session with Mike L today utilising the ever excellent Combat Commander.

We started scenario two 'Hedges and Handgrenades' with Mike as Germans defending in Normandy bocage against my US attackers.

I have 105mm Artillery support which has been both a blessing and a curse here, having hit Germans initially it has since blasted my own units die to the very limited lines of sight here in the bocage.

US hampered a bit by a lack of Move cards and costly terrain to move across, so seem to be stuttering forwards.

Thankfully I have managed to avoid the two German MG42s thus far but it cannot last.

Game not finished so saved to complete another day.

Also started a PBEM game with Mike K of A Victory Lost a game I have had for years but never got to the table, so great to give it a try on Vassal.

I am the Soviets in the Ukraine region just after Stalingrad trying to push West with Mike in charge of Axis forces trying to stem tide and possibly conduct Manstein's famous 'Backhand Blow' (assuming I take Kharkov and environs that is !)

A fairly low complexity game but so far slick and interesting with a Chit Pull system but with a few quirks in that both sides only get a limited number of Chits per turn (although Stavka chit allows all In Command Soviet forces to activate).

Not sure on overall strategy, beyond 'take the cities' (that is where VPs are) but fun so far although very early days as still only on 2nd Chit of Turn 1. 

Combat Commander - Vassal game

Managed an online Vassal game of Combat Commander with Mike today (using Discord for voice interaction).

Mike new to system and Vassal version so I selected the introductory scenario 'Fat Lipki' as very basic forces and no special rules or units to get 'feet wet'.

I took Germans and Mike the Soviets.

Maybe not the best CC scenario but it was still very fun (so great to interact in real time with another player even online !!) with Germans gaining a 105mm Artillery Radio (which done a lot of damage to Soviets) and usual heady mix of Snipers, Blazes and great or awful hands of cards and rolls/outcomes.

Germans won after sudden death roll by Victory Points level, but that was not the point of the exercise as we both learnt the nuances of using Vassal (worked very well). 

Hopefully a few more games in pipeline to ease this current Lockdown which personally I am finding much more tedious than last having kind of lost mojo for miniatures games against myself.

However thankfully none of my family or circle of friends have suffered from Covid and hope that remains the case.

The situation at end of game 

The Dark Valley - end of a truly epic PBEM game

Just completed The Dark Valley Vassal game I have been playing PBEM since July 2014 (with one or two extended breaks) with Mike in Canada !!!!!!!!!!!.

We stopped at end of February 1945 as just no way Soviets going to make enough gains to affect the Victory Level (German Minor Win).

Enjoyed the game via Vassal but not sure what I think of it overall as an East Front game.

Complexity is low in terms of pure game mechanics (made larger by sheer numbers of units/scope) but I found it lacking dynamism.

Never felt in Barbarossa phase that Soviet lines would ever break or that any large encirclements/pockets would occur or that any real threat to Moscow or Leningrad never mind Rostov or far flung Stalingrad, although Mike may have been playing conservatively ?

Only Minsk, Kiev, Kharkov (recaptured) and the Crimea fell with Germans retaining Ukraine and most of White Russia along with Sevastapol at end.

Very seldom after 1941 did we have any units Out Of Supply/Communications as solid unbroken lines, meaning the Logistics chit rarely had any effect.

Cannot say we played optimally (certainly my first go with game) but never seemed that either of us could make any truly significant breakthroughs when attacking to really trouble the enemy.

Certainly once Soviets went onto Strategic Offensive they had a torrid time trying to grind the enemy and Mike was able to retire onto river defensive lines (not sure Herr Hitler would have approved) that proved impossible to breach (the Soviet Combat Results table is rather unkind).

From 1944 onward it seemed more of a WW1 Western Front style affair.

Certainly the biggest game I have ever attempted (a mini-monster) and one I would simply not get to the table for more than a brief session so Vassal a great way to actually play.

Overall view of the front at end of Feb 1945  

The northern zone

And the southern zone

The Dark Valley - PBEM situation shot

Ongoing PBEM of The Dark Valley where we have now reached May 1944.
Screenshot shows overall situation and note these lines have been pretty much static since late 1942, and more akin to World War 1 on Western Front.
Just cannot seem to generate enough combat power (my game play likely not greatest) any place to pierce German lines and they are happy to simply hold onto gains.
Despite a good chunk of Russia staying under Nazi yoke, Kiev is only major city objective to have fallen by high tide of German offensives.
Have been playing this via Vassal (with Mike) since July 2014, so in fact longer than the actual campaign !
We have had a few extended interruptions along the way but being Vassal game we have been able to keep it going, no way that would happen with physical game. 

A bit of online Wargaming

Couple of screenshots from PBEM ongoing games to bring this Blog back somewhat on track !





Combat Mission (an oldie but goodie) with a Sherman menacing my Pz Grenadiers near Lingevres in Normandy.

No Peace Without Spain board game via Vassal showing overall at start of 1704

And a zoom in with Prince Eugene threatening the Bavarian Elector at Munich as The Duke in a bit of a stalemate with Villars in Flanders locality.

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 ongoing PBEM games

Still playing a couple of PBEM games via Vassal (such an asset).






The Dark Valley (this has been in progress for couple of years now !) has reached January 1944 and something of a stalemate.
Germans (Mike) never really got close to any major objectives (Kiev only) but have therefore a lot of strength on Eastern Front which the Russians (me) are having problems breaking down despite being at full OOB.

Just started a game of No Peace Without Spain (been several years since I played this) as Bourbons.
Alliance (Prezmek) has launched Marlborough at Liege on first turn but was repulsed.
Bourbons (me) have responded by activating Bavarians to capture Ulm and French have taken Trier.
Early days in this one.

Vassal - more merry Sunday evening mayhem with Combat Commander

Another session with Dad on Vassal with Combat Commander.

We are now into the Mediterranean expansion completing the action at Meleme with a NZ victory over Dads Fallschirmjager and played an action on Poland 1939 with a very narrow win for my Poles.

Set up another for next week with my Soviets about to be assaulted by Romanian force.

Vassal - A Distant Plain again

Another session with family circle and A Distant Plain.
We managed to thwart the Coalition(brother) win but at cost of Taliban (Dad) success after a wave of terror throughout the country.
Warlords (son) finished third and poor old Government (yours truly) languished in last place.

Game 2 end situation 

All enjoying this most excellent COIN game so 'signed up' for a third session which has started with an opportune card for Taliban (a free wave of Terror) and a Surge by Coalition forces.



Game 3 after 1st Card play

Vassal - Combat Commander - keeping my Wargaming alive..............

More Combat Commander Vassal action with my Dad tonight keeping my Wargaming bug alive and well (I do have a Napoleonic miniatures scenario set up but am awaiting arrival of Field of Battle 3).
We finished off last weeks scenario and played another 'Misty Mountain' and have set up another from the Mediterranean set 'Tussle at Maleme'.

Dad won the 'Commando School' scenario routing my Ivans in short order.
I then won the 'Misty Mountain' game with Yanks and now its onto Anzacs vs Fallschirmjager in Crete.





Russian Commandos decimated

Initial US (actually Brazilians in US garb) assault the mountain fastness

Initial set up at Maleme

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

Vassal - more Combat Commander and Thirty Years War

Bit of a dearth of Wargaming activity this week (seemed to be busy with stuff for reasons unknown !?) but did have another Vassal session tonight with Dad using the ever excellent Combat Commander.
We played through two Scenarios (all so far from original game Playbook) Bessarabian Nights and Cold Front and have set up another Commando School for next session.

I did manage also to finish a Vassal PBEM game of The Thirty Years War: Europe In Agony with my Catholics being soundly defeated (I won as Protestants last time out).


Overview

Wallenstein about to be defeated by Gustavus having been chased from Wien.