No Peace Without Spain 1709 turn ends

Another year of this engrossing game on Vassal between Norman and myself is completed.

Year of to rather a nasty start with draw of Famine event meaning we are both reduced to 4 instead of 5 action cards this turn. I drew 4 x 2 actions.

Fairly uneventful year compared to previous with the curtailed Campaigning season. 

Bourbons being in strong position mainly beefed up their army Corps. 

Only in Spain did they manouvre with an army moving to Madrid to thwart my plans there.

For my part (ie Allies) I too restored a few Corps. 

I did lay siege to Ostend with Galway managing to bypass Fortified Lines.

I also moved to besiege Naples which turned out rather risky as the Army involved had no line of communication to home so suffered a -2 siege modifier ! 

Of course Galway failed at Ostend whilst Naples fell to besiegers gaining me 2VPs hurrah !

1710 turn about to begin and first year that Peace Negotiations between Britain and France can occur at year end so will be interesting to see how this transpires.  

Overall situation at end of 1709 (no real change except the fall of Naples to Allies)

Years end in Austria and Northern Italy

Flanders stalemated again

Bourbons consolidate in Spain

Two new games from EBay

Managed to obtain two more board wargames I have been looking for on EBay today.
Looking forward to their arrival hopefully later this week.

Been considering a Panzer Grenadier series game and whilst this one described as not best to start series with I got it at decent price (£25) and subject matter appeals greatly

Again one I have been looking for as it gets decent reviews (seems bit of under appreciated gem) and again the 'Gotterdamerung' subject matter appeals

Much more of this I am going to have to put myself out on street corners as well as the wife !! :-)

WW2 Barbarossa To Berlin some playtime

Managed a few turns solo with this game this afternoon (as off for Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee). Interesting game with lots of possible actions each turn for each side (1 Action phase each in turn 1 6 per turn thereafter) depending on card types in hand (although you can get one operation free ie without use of card for OPs value).
As expected events first turns are mainly in Russia as German OP Barbarossa gets into full swing.
I did later have some fun in N.Africa as a card allowed use of PzArmeeAfrika but it is really a sideshow (as it should be).
Leningrad fell and area around Smolensk fairly wide open as Soviets lost loads of SCUs (Small Combat Units ie Armies) but strong further South around Kiev and Odessa and indeed around Moscow as they put all reinforcement efforts into their LCUs (Large Combat Units ie Fronts).
As 1941 ended the Winter 42 slowed Germans further (this was when Rommel got active) and FDR Declared War meaning US will enter the theatre mid-1942.
Combat, Movement and use of cards for Operations, Strategic Moves and Replacements are all fairly straightforward.
The main complexity comes with remembering several special rules or exemptions (although there are chits/charts to help).
Several cards are contingent on other having already been played and hard on first play through to know if best to hold these cards to allow such an events sequence or whether to use them as Action type cards. Enjoyable solo but unsurprisingly I think it would be really good 2-player (I have a chap from Consimworld hopefully lined up for a Vassal game in near future).

The Nazi incursion into Russia

The sideshow that is North African theatre

World At War Blood and Bridges gameplay

Played World At War Blood And Bridges with my Dad tonight managing to play four small scenarios to completion a fine indication of the quick play nature and ease of understanding of this game and WAW system !
Several difference to the WWII White Star Rising version of course mainly due to Modern (1985) setting. Shooting fairly deadly affair especially from MBTs and Helicopters.
Big difference is the fact that NATO formations can get 2 activations per turn as 2 Formation Chits in mix compared to standard 1 of the Soviets.
This gives them a lot of flexibility despite usually being outnumbered and is certainly in keeping with what is usually perceived to be the way such a Third World War would have played out, or at least its certainly how we in West hoped it would be, thankfully we never got to find out !!

Great fun and we are looking forward to playing more scenarios at later date.
My Dad was quite nostalgic using the Chieftain Mk5 units as he had been a driver of these in old Queens Royal Irish Hussars back early 1970s messing about at Sennelager near Paderborn as part of BAOR.

Chieftains on the Warpath scn

First Contact scn

Field Of Glory Renaissance game

Played a FOGRen game today using my Imperialists against Stephen's Ottoman Turks.
Great game that turned into a bit of a bloodbath with both of us failing Death Rolls left right and centre. Turkish cannon gave a unit of Cuirassier and one Tercio a real pasting.
I flank marched with two units of Reiters but they took rather too long to appear.
My Great General (Pappenheim) lead a single unit of Cuirassier on my left fending of shooting and charges by three units of Turk Cavalry and Spahis light horse.
However a charge by a Tercio and my Tratischer unit failed to break a unit of Jannisaries (awesome shooting) and Turk foot and when this Tercio broke the game was lost.
Great stuff with a complex but playable set of rules.

I still find it strange how much like FOGRen compared to the Ancients version which I try to like but find largely blah..................

Imperial starting posistions

Turks finishing their deployment

Turk foot

Turkish artillery redoubt

Imperial left

Imperial left

Early Tercios advance

 

Turkish centre

Turkish right

Pappenheim hemmed in !

Failed Tercio charge 

Tercio routs past cannon line

Belated arrival of Reiters on Turkish left

Pappenheim and Cuirassier up close and personal

Hard to believe they fought their way out of this unscathed

WW2 Barbarossa To Berlin game on table

Game arrived yesterday and with day off today I had a chance to set it up ready for a try out later.
Usual GMT standard components with a paper map.
System does not look to complicated as largely dictated by card play but there are a number of exceptions to take note of.

No Peace Without Spain (Vassal) End of 1708 turn

Just finished 1708 turn of my ongoing Vassal game with Norman of No Peace Without Spain. Year started with events phase seeing me pull the 'Minorca Falls' card which gives Allied fleet in the Med a +1 roll making things risky for French to launch their Toulon fleet. French draw was 'Death Of Emperor Joseph' which increases chance of successful peace negotiations by +1 making it more likely for Britain to withdraw from the war in 1710. Both sides then replenished troops and re-distributed Leader for the years campaigning. Bourbon now have overall initiative and so went first this year.

In Austrian theatre French moved on Salzburg and a close battle was fought (7 vs 7 dice) when Eugene intercepted. Eugene came out victorious and Bourbon limped back from whence them came. Eugene later done same to another Bourbon incursion at Linz narrowly winning 3 hits to 2 hits and forcing Bourbons back from approaches to Vienna. Things pretty much stalemated in Austria after that.

In Iberian Peninsula Bourbons having ousted Allies from Portugal began to wear down the isolated Portugese forces.  An Allied army moved around the area capturing a couple of unfortified spaces. At years end Bourbons narrowly failed to capture Elvas and thereby destroy the Portugese (one half Corps remains).

In Flanders I tried to draw out and damage the massive (14 dice) French force by moving Galway and his Army to Lille. Villars intercepted with his 14 dice vs the Galways 7 (I hope to at least cause some damage to his force). However things turned out badly for brave Galway as his troops took 5 hits and lost a Corps inflicting only 2 on the French horde. This meant the first Famous Victory of game to French. I then hurled Duke and his army at Bouchain again drawing the attention of Villars army. This battle had 14 French dice vs 12 Allied but the bloody Duke reverted to his ineffectual self losing 5 hits to 4 hits and limping backwards. Restoring damaged and demoralized Corps name of game for both sides after that.

Despite the numerous Battles neither side lost a 'named' Commander something which strangely has not occurred yet !!
Duke not performing is really hurting Allied cause and route to Paris barred firmly by Villars. Allies need a big success in 1709 before British Withdrawl occurs as Austria and others not tough enough on there own I fear.
Some exciting battles this turn with Eugene and Villars showing their mettle but Duke failing yet again.

Opening moves of the year

End of year in Austria

Flanders near years end with 2 Demoralized Allied Armies (yellow outlines)

Spain at years end

Overall situation at end of year 

Another Board Wargame purchase !! Barbarossa To Berlin

I just cannot resist some of the games on EBay/Boardgame Geek especially if OOP titles or at nice price and so..................

Bought this from BGG and hopefully here by next weekend when I am off :-)

Copy I have purchased is 1st Edition but as far as I can tell only a few minor changes between editions.

Seems to be World War II version of the highly rated Paths Of Glory (World War One) which is still a pricey item.

The addiction continues unabated.....................................

DBMM Western Frankish vs Norman

Played a Dbmm game against Stephen using a hastily assembled Western Frankish army versus his newly painted Normans (circa 1066). A good game with two unmaneuverable armies ! Normans got better of terrain selection but had to set up first. They occupied a large gentle hill with dismounted Knights and Bowmen flanked by a mass of Knights a block of Light Inf in a central wood and more dismounted knights holding a gap between woods and a vineyard. On their left they fielded a large contingent of Breton cavalry (whose general counts as a sub-general) My host comprised a central command of Spearmen with Bowmen and Light Inf in support a large Command under the CinC of Knights with a contingent of  Vikings on my right (whose General also counts as a sub-general) and more Knights with some Light Horse on my left.
I set up at an angle to Stephens deployed army hoping that the one piece of boggy ground on my right (placed by Stephen) could delay the Bretons whilst my two blocks of Knights tried to pierce enemy lines.
As suspected the Bretons moved to flank my line and indeed where delayed a couple of turns by the boggy ground (and low Pip dice). Eventually they did flank my Vikings (whose own Pip dice were unhelpful) but the lowly Viking Bondi did sterling service surviving several combats whilst out numbered. In the center I hurled my CinC command of Knights uphill at the waiting foot but had two shot down and two others killed in close combat !! Stephen brought his own Knights forward and whilst they did not die to my shooting they were forced o flee in columns which really messed with Pip usage. On my left two Knight General and entourage attacked the line of foot at first bouncing off but then breaking through the line and breaking the enemy command. Sadly this coincided with my main Knightly array also breaking. When we called time things were drawn but with my Knights if Pips were kind likely to sweep into enemy rear. Vikings were still fighting valiantly (couple had survived rear attacks) but getting badly out maneuvered by the Bretons. In center my Foot were becoming disjointed and in danger but Stephen still unable to bring all his Knights to bear. An interesting encounter between two fairly evenly matched armies full of Inept (all my non lights were Inept) troops and subject to vagaries of Pip dice. KnF are very fragile troop type susceptible to shooting and getting into trouble with lone follow-ups.

Norman deployment

Western Frankish in the open

Initial advance

Bretons begin their sweep

Norman foot holding hill

Norman Knights

Foot holding gap on Norman right

Frankish Knights who eventually broke through

Frankish foot in center

Bretons advance on Vikings