Old School Tactical Eastern Front 1941/42 - first outing

Played Old School Tactical with my Dad the first outing for this title I have had since it was published (5 yrs ago ?) but not tried.
A fairly light tactical (about same as Conflict Of Heroes) game with some very nice components.
The map is huge but only a fraction is used per scenario.
System is based around Impulse Points that are rolled for each turn and spent to shoot, move, melee (each unit can do 2 actions per turn but only 1 full move action).
Downside is a lot of Action Marker on board like Lock 'N Load system.
Movement and Shooting all very simple with a differential system (rather than odds based) and 2D6 rolls.
Morale is covered by taking a 'Gut Check' when called upon to check if Unit is Shaken or Broken, both of which can have an attempt to Rally for an Impulse Point, German Gut Check levels seems on average better than Soviet which is major strength.
All units act and are targeted individually unless a Leader is attached in a stack (max 2 units) to allow a group move or group firing (adjacent hex included), making Leaders very powerful indeed.
AFVs cannot be grouped but can 'melee' with such quirks as 'Tank Duels' with a melee hex and no overrun as such, which is different to most games.
Off-board assets/events are represented by 'Luck' cards.
We managed 2 scenarios although the first was very unbalanced with Elite Brandenburgers against 'Confused' (only 50-50 chance each stack is useable each turn) Soviets meaning it was very one-sided and a bit of a massacre.
Second scenario much better with a German Panzer column (PzIIF, Sd222) racing a Soviet force (BA10 and BT7) to a road junction.
Armour rules seemed ok with Germans having better 'To Hit' numbers, adjusted for usual movement, cover and suchlike.

All in all a fast fun game system with a few oddities but one we intend to try more of.

Rapid Fire II scenario played at Elimination Club (and an ACW skirmish)

Attended Elimination Club tonight and brought along another small Rapid Fire Normandy scenario, this one set 18th July 1944 during Operation Goodwood entitled 'Olemers Counter-Attack'.
This pits elements of Coldstream Guards against 503rd Panzers, so 7 Shermans and 3 Firefly against 2 King Tigers, 1 Tiger, 1 PzIVh, a Pak 40 and a Company of German Infantry with a PzFaust and a PzShreck.
Both sides looking to 'threaten' to exit enemy edge to win in a 10 turn game.
As I brought stuff at last minute this was a nice small scenario with minimal terrain (I do like to support the club if possible putting on a game if I can).
I played as British against Chris again with command of Hun.
A short (played in less than 2 hours) sharp but very fun game it was to.
Shermans simply outclassed by the Big Cats (at best they need a 6 to hit the Royals often no possible hit if movement or cover involved) and even the Firefly struggles at range.
However the 88mm (both types) hit on basic 2+ so lot of brewed Shermans, I lost 1 Firefly with 2 others heavily damaged and 4 Shermans brewed with 1 on Light damage, but did take out the PzIV and the PAK 40 and on last shot of game the Tiger 1 and 1 Royal had heavy damage.
The German Infantry (who started hidden) had no real part to play once the British Armour retired.
Shermans were actually close to achieving their breakthrough but a 'Retire 2 Moves' Morale result put paid to that.
However all the defensive work by Germans meant they never threatened their Exit area so an honourable draw was result.
Another decent game with this fast play set which is perfect for a club game.




The field of battle with British objective the road on right visible.
British start in corner defined by other road

British armour appears

And try to use cover of open woods to advance

Big Cats appear enmass

Two Tigers showing 'heavy damage' late in game

British armour has advanced on right, note Sherman and PzIVh brewed up

Firefly under 'heavy damage'

Sherman brews on left flank

The zenith of British endeavours as a Squadron approaches the road 

But a failed Morale roll sees whole Regiment retire for 2 Moves (24") but Tigers pinned in defence of roadway

No way through this wall of steel.............

Bryn, Simon and Shane (later also Chris and Sam) were playing an ACW skirmish using 'Rebels and Patriots' and Bryns 28mm troops on a nice Cigar Box mat.
They had a quick first rattle in same time as my game but re-set for 2nd game (which I left part way through)

Battlefront WW2 rules played

Another blast from past with a game using Battlefront WW2 rules a set we have not used since well before Blog (ie pre 2009) for reasons that escape me.
Stephen set up the Marnach scenario from rule book and I brought along the German force to battle his US defenders.
A very interesting game system based on Fire and Fury core but with obviously major changes for WW2.
The '1/2 Platoon, in-between scale' size is bit different/odd but does set the rules in niche of their own.
My German Companies consisted of basic 6 Infantry Stands 3 LMG stands and a Command stand.
As with F&F the rules are comprehensive and very well written with numerous clear examples.
Nothing overtly implausible with only the very 'hit or miss and all or nothing' close combat system raising an eyebrow.
I really like the Spotting rules with stationary, hidden units being very hard to observe to fire on effectively (in a built up area its a maximum 4"  to see Infantry often less even if they fire) which seems very WW2.
Of course in todays outing the 'dice demon' was in awesome mode rolling a tremendous amount of 8+ rolls on a D10 wiping out numerous German elements when combined with Ambush Fire and close range factors !
We played through 6 turns (ie up until US Sherman support appears) with it must be said very few rule queries (easily resolved) or problems.
Attacker simply has very little they can actually see to shoot at if enemy in cover.
Ranges are quite short with standard Infantry/LMGs firing only 10" as are Infantry moves being 4" standard (can get double actions to move 8") but this allows some maneuvering prior to contact.
All in all an enjoyable (if bloody) outing with these rules, which are essentially another playable alternative to use with our WW2 kit, not as fast play as Rapid Fire or Spearhead, but similar to Test Of Battle, Blitzkrieg Commander or Panzer Grenadier in scope yet not as low level as IABSM or Battlegroup.



Varying light conditions today played havoc with pics

A Distant Plain - another 3 player session

Impromptu game at mine tonight with Stephen and Richard as their RPG get together cancelled.

So inset up A Distant Plain again with Stephen as Government, Richard as Taliban (his choice) and control of Coalition and Warlords residing avec moi.

Set up the ‘short’ scenario Obama's War (4 decks) although we only managed 2 Propaganda rounds, in just under 3 hours, but they were 21 cards apart !

Government was ahead at one stage but managed to pin them back avoiding possible auto-win.

Coalition done well but Warlords way of the mark as were the Taliban.

Do love the COIN games such a nice balance of game and history in playable format.



Only a pic of set up as too engrossed in playing/teaching the game

Chain Of Command - a game at Mikes

'Tuesday Warriors' night at Mikes with Bryn and Simon (who very worryingly got a hug from Mike !) playing a Chain Of Command game with Mikes very nice 28mm kit.

Set up was a fight over a village between US (Mike 'assisted' by Bryn) against Germans (Simon and I).

Mike had forgone the Patrol Phase to speed set up with a couple of Deployment areas to rear for both sides.

Once again a rule set I have only played a couple of times and that ages ago so bit ropey over several concepts (took me ages to 'get' sections vis teams !) but thankfully the chaps have good grasp of rules.

Nice game with a very good set of low level tactical rules and of course now looking at having further go with them or IABSM :-)





View of village from German 'end'

Sdkfz 250 and more troops waiting to deploy (believe figures are Artizan Designs ?)

Yanks encroaching on our left

A German Section deploys

Yanks line 'high hedge' with 60mm Mortar in support to rear (this proved very effective against Simons troops in the Church - aided by some stellar rolling by Mike)

Sdkfz 222 and M8 Greyhound both ablaze after hits by Bazooka and Panzerschreck respectively (costly for both sides as double 'Bad Things Happen' rolls with loss of vehicle and inherent Junior Leader......ouch).
German Sniper team visible to left of wrecked Sdkfz 222

Liberty or Death - COIN game played

Excellent game of Liberty or Death with my Dad tonight.
I tried British and Indian combo for a change.

We played full scenario and played through to 1779 (5 Winter Quarters cards) with Dads Patriots and French attaining an auto win.

A really powerful card we had not seen before really helped him, Mercy Warren (?) which shifts any one City to Passive Opposition and so targeted New York City yielded a swing of 6 VP as I was at Active Support and took Rebellion to a 12 point difference in Support versus Opposition !

I was never able to get this back and with Patriots having 3 Forts out compared to 3 Indian villages it was curtains for Royalist aspirations............

We had a ding dong battle in Quebec City once French arrived with huge losses on both sides but appearance of General Lauzen (?) to assist French results swung Dads way.

Great game with a lot of Event cards we had not seen before.

Rapid Fire II - Grainville scenario played again

Another outing with Rapid Fire today with a repeat of the small Grainville scenario this time with Stephen as he wanted to try the rules again (with possible view of use for big game in future).
I took British again and he took Nazis.
Another decent game with this fast play set.
We toyed with one of the alternative anti-tank system we found online but felt that it was not worth extra effort for the style and scope of RF.
Only thing we changed today was that we tested Morale by Company rather than Battalion as scenario has Companies operating semi-independently and we tested AFVs as independent vehicles, which all worked seamlessly.
The anti-tank/armour model is fairly basic with the Light/Heavy damage but works in context of fast play game style.
Everything works and integrates well and gives a decent WW2 game with minimal rules overhead.
Certainly may lack some flavour/detail of other sets but certainly does what it says on the tin.
The published Normandy scenarios are a big draw and we are already thinking of using them for other sets.