Lock N Load: Band Of Heroes first outing (and other stuff)

Managed to get couple of hours free today to put this EBay purchase on table and have a go at a small scenario solo.
This is the initial edition produced by Matrix Games with the much denigated 'haloed' maps.
I dont mind the halos but confess not sure of the point of them over standard outlines ? I know new editions have lost the halos. Counters are very nice and are big (especially AFVs).
Game system is rather good too much less complex than SL/ASL but maybe a tad more intricate than CC:E.
Hexes are activated individually (unless adjacent to a leader) and alternately between players which gives a nice interaction.
Combat is pretty straight forward with attacker and defender rolling D6 each.
Depending on if and by how much an attack exceeds defenders morale this yields varoed results from morale checks to casualties to eliminated. AFV and Ordinance combat is similar requiring usual 'to hit' roll in addition.
The game comes with a heap of scenarios and several small geomorphic style map boards.
Initial impressions are good although I still think CC:E (especially as Stalingrad Pack arrived today !!) will be game of choice for awhile yet.
But this does include AFVs/Panzers/Bazookas etc so that is a very big bonus.

As stated above this arrived today and jolly good it looks too with some interesting scenarios and maps and one or two new rules (sewers, rubble, factories and suchlike).
Looking forward to getting into this.

Also accomanying this was my first ever issue of C3i Magazine (in house magazine of GMT) an older issue with some CC:E content. Have not had time to peruse it much but looks good and gives me that same meaty content feeling that the Avalon Hill (RIP) General always did.

Combat Commander another two scenarios played

Another two scenarios played with my Dad of this most enjoyable collection of bits of carboard and paper !

First scenario was from the Mediterranean Playbook covering action between Canadians and Fallschirmjager at Ortona Italy in 1943.
Basically a fight in a built-up area (map mainly multi-hex buildings) with the Cannucks having to advance against the formidable Green Devils.
My Cannucks made decent progress turning the Devils left wing but lost a couple of key Melees for Victory Hexes giving the Germans victory when Sudden Death roll ended game.
We both had Heroes that came and went with some frequency in this one.
And Germans seemed to constantly be able to check my hand and pick a discard.
More enjoyable mayhem on a different map.

Ortona set up

Canadians push on right flank

Fallschirmjager stand firm at key posistions

Second game was a D-Day action at Pointe Du Hoc with US Rangers scaling cliffs against the Gun Casements (Bunkers in CC) and their garrison.
Some interesting special rules in this one with Rural Roads and of course abstracted but fun and playable Cliff Scaling Special scenario rule.
Yanks set up 12 random units at start on beach hexes then make a dice roll to see how many are allowed to scale cliffs onto plateau with a further random batch taking their place on exited beach hexes.
Also a post German set-up rule saw off board shelling by off-shore fleet. 10 Random hex draws saw 2 adjacent Casements destroyed (this was pretty lucky) and a couple of broken German units as only 4 Yank units appeared atop the cliffs initially.
Slow German reaction (ie no Recover or sufficient Move cards) allowed Ranger units to take several Casements (which btw had hidden VP values) and then slowly mop up the defenders.
Germans quickly apprached their initial Surrender level but 2 Elan events allowed them to stay in contest awhile longer.
The Rangers proved much better in hand to hand stakes than Cannucks (opposistion not quite as formidable though) and ended up taking all but one casement as garrison was forced to surrender.
Another great game full of incident.

German garrison sees first Rangers atop the plateau

Initial four Ranger units feeling lonely and rather exposed

Last Casement left in German hands

Rangers dominate the posistion

FOG Napoleonic game..............and an arrival

Played a game of FOGN today at Stephens (who achieved a very good 4th place at last weekends Munster Dbmm competition).
I used 1814 Prussians and Stephen their French equivalents. I had only 3 Mixed 'Brigades' each with 2 Line Infantry, 1 Landwehr Infantry and 1 Landwehr Cavalry units.
1 Dragoon, 1 Hussar and 2 Medium Artillery units rounded out these formations along with several 'attachments' of Cavalry, Artillery and Skirmishers.
French had 3 Infantry Divisions and a Cavalry Division. Lots of Conscripts on both sides with my Landwehr and several 'Marie Louise' Infantry units for the French and one Light Infantry unit.
Stephen used 3 Artillery units and only a couple of Skirmisher attachments. As attacker he gained one Cavalry unit which went with his Cavalry division.
He had a Skilled Corps Commander and Competent Divisional leaders mine we all Competent chaps. Terrain generation saw 3 town sections (2 of which were joined to form a larger built up area) several hills, some rough areas and a wood.
French were able to occupy the large town early (tough to push units out of towns in FOGN) and he sent his Cavalry Division on an out flank on my left (which thankfully I had guarded against).
As always my default is that attack is best form of defence so I launched 2 of my Brigades forward whilst the other guarded my left anchored on a hill.
Part of reason was to get to grips across the board with variety of unit type and qualities as we both are still learning the rules.
Several charges and moves a bit questionable but it did mean we learnt loads today.
In FOGN Disorder and Wavering are difficult to recover from with Average and especially Conscript troops especially as we realised that a Commander can only attempt to recover one unit per Recovery Phase.
Shooting and Combat (ie Melee) flowed quite easily and we have got the Movement abilities of units fairly well under our belts and the Command System.
Still learning uses of the various attachments.
Again we really enjoyed this rule set despite our newness to it, with it not being so much complex due to systems but more due to the various options open to units (ie quite a lot to remember).
Rather than the Warfare show this year we are considering attending the Derby Show in October and playing in either the FOG Renaissance or FOG Napoleonic competitions for a change (big attraction of Derby is we could drive down from Cairnryan in Scotland with figures etc) but if we are to play either we will need a lot more practice with respective sets.
Bit of a toss up which we go for if we plumb for Derby.

Prussians deployed

French opposite

Staring across the abyss.....................

My initial flank guard

Prussian defenders advance

French flank march arrives on turn 2

French advance on their right as a Landwehr Cavalry unit moves to support Infantry on my left

French occupy the town

Prussians advance towards the citadel

Left flank in trouble as French Dragoons see off Landwehr Cavalry

Effective French shooting causes several disorders to Prussian ranks

Defender and assaulter suffer Disorders

And this arrived whilst I was off to war (a very cheap EBay acquisition) and being a Phalanx Games production it has very nice components. I played the old GDW version many moons ago

Combat Commander addiction continues...and FAB Bulge makes appearance

Enjoying this excellent game system so much I could not resist temptation to obtain the Stalingrad Battle Pack (along with an issue of C3i with CC:E content Issue 12). Both hopefully winging their merry way from USA (amazingly cheaper even with postage than buying from UK supplier !?)

Also managed to get Fast Action Battles: The Bulge onto table (several days ago) but no bloody time to try it out !

Combat Commander: Normandy game

Managed to wangle an evening off and so an unscheduled outing to my Dads for couple more Combat Commander gameplay.
Played a couple from my newly acquired Normandy battle pack.
First up was 'New Highlanders' set around Authie with me as Canadians against Dad with 12th SS Hitler Jugend.
Canucks in Recon posture with SS attacking. Both Elite types but with SS having better firepower and support of some nasty 150mm Artillery.
This one proved to be a very close run thing for the Canucks indeed with them down to a single VP point when luckily the game ended on first Sudden Death roll !!
If SS can get into Melee they are very tough hombres especially with a decent leader in tow.
Second scenario was another Canadian vs SS affair 'Graveyard of the North Shores' with Canucks attacking dug-in HJ at Capriquet airfield.
Canadians have superiority in numbers but they have to cross cornfields against the SS who have Trenches and support from 81mm Mortar Battery.
I managed to sweep Hun from right hand side of board but failed to give them any similar grief on my left.
Second Sudden Death roll ended this one in SS favour (we seem to be trading honours evenly in these scenarios).
This one had lots of incidents and events with both sides gaining Heroes and Canucks getting a 140mm Battery support which failed to hurt SS but suppressed and broke several Canucks with one wayward (ie short) barrage !!
Great stuff once more with this hugely enjoyable game and whilst battle pack adds a couple of special rules (only one we encountered was Scouts who are essentially Observers for on board Mortars) there is but nothing sizeable or overly complex.
Some of the D-Day type scenarios look very interesting.

Authie initial set up

SS encroaching

Now getting downright rude coming into our billets !

Capriquet defences

Canadians arrayed against them in the corn

Modern Spearhead game and some new goodies..

Played a game of Modern Spearhead last evening at Stephen B's with him as umpire against another Stephen P (they hunt in packs).
Stephen B set up a game in 6mm pitting Syrians against Israelis in the Bekka Valley Lebanon in 1982. Israelis (Stephen P) had Veteran units comprising 2 Merkerva Tank Battalions and a Mechanized Battalion.
They set up hidden in defence and were classed as Nato 1 type doctrine with some artillery support and 2 Aircraft sorties.
The Syrians (yours truly) had command of 2 Tank Brigades (1 of T72s & 1 of T62s) and a Mechanized Brigade in BMPs with 2 Batteries of 122mm and one SPG battery of 152mm and classed as Warsaw Pact 2 doctrine.
Syrian mission was simply to get 1 Brigade off the Zionist table edge, Israeli mission to stop this and break 2 of my 3 Brigades.
Syrians therefore had a huge numbers advantage (36 Tanks vs 8) but lesser quality and a large amount of real estate to traverse, in 16 turns maximum, as game was played down length of 6ft table for a change.
Stephen P had never played MSH or any modern period game whilst I had never played MSH (despite owning it from publication) but have played WW2 Spearhead.
My plan was brilliant in its simplicity drawing three attacks arrows for respective Brigades straight down the length of the table on the right hand side (basically split in two by a road) to Zionist edge and a simple pedal to the metal subtlety.
Surprisingly this actually worked as Stephen P not being fully conversant with MSH/SH sat right back (on a couple of hills and a central built-up area) which allowed me to proceed unmolested for several turns passing the table centre line before coming under any sort of fire.
I was then aided by several poor throws by Israeli gunners (I blamed it on their having Arab children 'employed' in their munitions factories) which saved several Arab tank crews from almost certain destruction.
I then hurled my Mech Infantry combat teams into close combat with as many Israeli units as I could to stop them firing on my T72 Brigade.
They suffered losses (eventually enough to cause a break test which they failed) but did kill a couple of the precious Israeli units including a Merkeva)
Their sacrifice freed up the T72 Brigade to conduct an end run to table edge after running gauntlet of Zionist air strikes (these were singularily pathetic destroying nothing) and win the game.
Just as well as the T62 Brigade was suffering greatly from the other Merkerva Battalion and was close to breaking point.
Israelis I think needed to be much less passive in their defence and should have moved up from initial deployment area to hold Arabs much further down the table.
They can win the scenario even if they lose every unit but still a tough ask to halt 3 Brigades with 3 Battalions no matter how good quality they are.
Great stuff so good in fact that I only managed to take 2 picks of my initial deployment as I got so caught up in action (always a good sign).
A nice reminder of how fast and playable the Spearhead system is and nice to see MSH in action (adds a bit more complexity due to modern weaponry -ATGWs etc but nothing excessive).

Syrian move on to the battlefield

Also more board game goodies arrived this week........................................

This is supplemental pack for Combat Commander

This one an Ebay second hand purchase (but in great condition)

This one sourced from USofA

Just this very hour received an email from one of chaps from Munster bemoaning my not being able to attend this year (not as much as I am !!!) and attached this rather pertinent picture............