Pulse Of Battle game

Played another Pulse Of Battle game today this time a face to face game with Stephen.
I used my Romans against Carthaginians for a nice historical based match-up.
Great game again using this fun rule set.
We set up terrain using Field Of Glory but used the deployment system of POB.
I had a 15 unit army and Stephen 16 units. Units in each troop type category that were the same were all classed the same for Combat & Defence (just easier to remember when in learning mode).
All went fairly smoothly but we did discuss a few things that seemed a little odd (and came up with simple house rule fixes) such as do we allow Javelin Armed Medium or Heavy Cavalry to shoot ?
We decided no as their Javelins/Light Spears more of a Melee Weapon.
We were less sure regarding Javelin armed Auxilia types, which can be classed as Light Infantry Peltasts or Medium Infantry, we allowed Light Infantry types to shoot but not the heavier type.
Whilst not on table we had a good natter about how Sassanid type Heavy horse bows would be used.
They appear to be quite potent vs Late Roman Heavy Infantry with good Combat dice and ability to Evade, meaning Romans would essentially need a 3 Move Segment roll to get to grips with them if optimally placed.
Whilst they require re-load cards this still seemed a bit powerful.
Not fully sure how we would tweak this but likely by disallowing such Heavy Mounted Bows from evading (much like Medium Foot Bows)

Barbarossa To Berlin at Fathers

Played another game of Barbarossa To Berlin with my Dad last night (we both really like this game) with me as ever as Allies.
Dad used Von Paulus Pause instead of Op Barbarossa and struggled to get VP locations throughout 1941.
I had FDR declares war as early as possible which brought Total War into play before Axis could get to magic 11 VP minimum required for 20 point boost and so by Winter 43 (ie 42/43) with Op Torch and then Casablanca played the Allies obtained an Auto victory by knocking VPs down to nil.
Great fun as ever with a game we do not seem to tire of.

Tigers In The Mist a Bulge (yes another !) game arrived this week in pristine condition despite being second hand.
Lower level complexity than most but does look good.

And this one inbound The Supreme Commander (such delusions of grandeur I entertain)

Turning Point Stalingrad game a blast from the past

After seeing a nice little video of old (well 1989 vintage) Avalon Hill game on Board Game Geek I decided to get this game to table having not played it since first obtained back in 1989 !!
Coincidentally a chap called Stefano from Italy having seen same video contacted me for a game via Vassal and so its a double-dunter with this still rather modern looking game.















Game on my table and how cool does it look !

Vassal version with some action having taken place around Southern Landing area

FOG Renaissance: Early Catholic vs Early Swedish

Played game of FOGR at Stephens today.
I used (just for a change) my Early Catholics with Later Tercios against Stephen with his Early Swedes with their hard as nails Brigades.
Game was excellent with early kudos to Catholic artillery which took out a full Swedish pike and shot unit with 4 hits as Stephen uncharacteristically rolled four ones for death rolls.
He lost a couple of Dragoon bases in similar fashion and was so disgusted he was close to conceding the game.
However he persevered and in familiar fashion once the Swedish Brigades got into combat my Infantry simply could not stand up to their Impact rolls.
Even disrupted but with a Regimental gun they rolled almost same dice as my fresh Tercios but hit on 3's to my 5's.
Even a unit of Cuirassier hitting one on a flank failed to kill the sods !
Their three Superior Brigades ripped my centre apart in short order.
I did manage to get a flank attack on (1 Cuirassier and a unit of 6 Reiters) but it narrowly failed to break through.
We had a lot of terrain today as I picked Hilly and it fell pretty well for me.
Celtic Cup in May is set to have a FOGR competition which I suspect I will enter.

 

Battle For Stalingrad first play

Tried latest game acquisition 'Battle For Stalingrad' from DVG Games.
An entirely card based game with a very low rules overhead.
Accordingly it was very easy to get into the game.
Had two full play throughs of the game both ending in full Russian wins (one wins by capturing all 5 of the starting locations).
The Russian ability to generate units and 'Rations' (sort of Petrol, Oil,Lubricants and Defences) seemed rather tough mountain for Germans to climb.
No doubt further plays will reveal more adept German tactics.
Good quick game and easy to pick up.

We also managed to play the first scenario from Combat Commander: Pacific but I forgot to take any pics.
Dad took the Japanese and eacked out a win !
We did however get Time event wrong as we advance Time and Decks on all double sixes drawn (as this is the Time trigger in Europe version) when in fact this is not case in Pacific (seems to be on double ones).
Great system with high drama as always.

Piquet: Pulse Of Battle solo test

Having recently received new Pulse Of Battle from Brent Omans Piquet stable I decided to give them a whirl today in solo manner.
These are an Ancient period (1500BC - 500AD) set derived from the excellent Horse & Musket period Field Of Battle set. I had forgotten what a super system this is !
I selected a Galatian force of 16 units against a Late Republican Roman 12 unit force.
Romans had some veteran legionnaries and elite Triarii with the Principes and Hastati being a mix of heavy and medium Infantry. They included couple of Velites and heavy cavalry and two units of Peltast types (a form of Light Inf in POB).
The Celts had 12 warband units 5 of which I made veteran (as Gaestati-like types) with 2 Cavalry units (one heavy one medium) and two light Psiloi.
I used the terrain from my last Dbmm game as it was still in situ.
The rules do include points for units but I just went with gut feeling for balance.
Both Commanders turned out to be Poor types (D8 for leadership) with sub commanders a mix (1 x D12+1 per side).
I made all units of same type grade the same for Combat and Defence dice as easier to manage solo.
The Triarii were best with D12+1/D8 the Roman HI D12/D6 and the MI D10/D6.
Velites and Peltats I gave D8/D6 and Psiloi D8/D4.
The Celts were D12/D6 and D10/D6 all MI but their Cavalry was D12/D6 compared to Romes D10/D6.
Army deck quality (I got the very nice printed cards sets in addition to the usual stock cards) was Poor for Celts and Average for Romans.
I added a Warband Charge card to Celts deck and an Advance card to Romes.
Army morale totals worked out at 18 for Celts and 14 for the Romans.
I used my 15mm figs in 3 base units with POB ranges halved which seemed to work fine.
Being FOB based initiative is difference between opposed dice (ie D8s in this instance) with winner going first in solo trial.
I really love this card system and especially the chance to 'steal' 1 initiative on turn of a Lull card and the card system makes for a decent solo game.
In POB units can only wheel on a winning Even roll or a Maneuver card (only 1 per deck) so initial deployment can be important as no guarantee you can shift much.
Although a straight ahead move that is not into contact can shift one or two bases laterally.
Initial clashes seemed to go Celts way with Roman Cavalry getting worst of fight with Average Warband unit.
Romans in this period have a special rule that allows their HI and MI to interpenetrate on a normal move card and this came in handy a couple of times with Triarii moving through some damaged and disrupted Legionaries to inflict woe on warbands.
As with FOB Melee can occur on Even roll on move card that makes contact or on Melee card.
Things get tense with move rolls and card turning when units are engaged or nearby.
Melees can last several rounds (or can cease if opposing rolls are both odd) and the Odd vs Even rolls whether winning are losing are key.
Losing with an Odd roll results in Disruption and every 3 hits cause a Unit UI loss and corresponding Army Morale loss.
One interesting twist (which I do not recall from FOB ?) is that Warband and Cavalry who force back an enemy unit must pursue on an Odd roll and suffer 1 UI loss (but dos not count as Army Morale Loss) although the unit does not physically pursue it being assumed cohesion is lost to a degree but sub-units.
As I did not manage to rally any UI hits of all game this is a different way of simulating blown cavalry.  
After a lot of Melee actions the Romans gained the upper hand in nick of time as they were down to 4 Army Morale but caused Galatians to lose all theirs in same turn (in fact several Morale were transferred to boost Romans total to 7 at game end).
Last card turned in Celt initiative turned out to be an Army Morale check which the promptly failed (rolling a D8 against a D12) and it was Roma Victor !!
With 7 of their original 14 point Morale Total left this worked out as a Minor Victory.
Overall a very enjoyable game with a great set of rules that are nice change from more legalistic competition style of Dbmm and FOG.
Hope to get mate to give these a try.

~~ Note to Norman hope you are happy now !? :-)  ~~


Galatians deployed

Romans

Free for all in center (dice are UI losses 1 per dice)

Army Morale failure for Celts

The rule book and 'fancy' cards

Vassal Pbem two different games but similar outlook pour moi

Couple of screenshots from Vassal games I have ongoing at present

First up Barbarossa To Berlin (I love this game even though I truly suck at it) in an Online tournament I joined at last minute to make up numbers (never a truer word typed !). Playing against a US bloke called Marc and getting fairly drubbed by his Nazi onslaught.

Just about to start Fall (ie Autumn) 41 turn and already Stalin is dead and Moscow under Swastika. Ivans holding on grimly with Axis only 4 Victory Points from auto win.

Next up a game of Paths Of Glory against frequent opponent Mike, and things looking rather grim for Allies here to (I just managed to avoid a Central Powers auto win 2 turns ago) on the Western Front with Hun right up to Paris. 

At least this one is going the course as we into Winter 1917/18.