Category Archives: After Action Report

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Commands & Colors: Medieval Belisarius Campaign Part 2 – Melebasa (528 AD)

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Below is the second in a series of articles from The Boardgames Chronicle playing through the Belisarius campaign in Commands & Colors: Medieval. You can find the first article in the series here. Enjoy! -Rachel

The Campaign

My series of articles describing the story of General Belisarius continues. He was the greatest general of the early Byzantine era – by many regarded as the greatest Byzantine general ever – and his feats against the Sassanid Empire are neatly formulated in multiple scenarios of Commands & Colors: Medieval. That is definitely an add-on bonus to the already good game – we have the possibility to not only to play interesting tactically scenarios, but also to see and feel the historical flow and developments of the Justinian and Belisarius era.

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Commands & Colors: Medieval Belisarius Campaign Part 1 – Thannuris (528 AD)

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Below is the first in a series of articles from The Boardgames Chronicle playing through the Belisarius campaign in Commands & Colors: Medieval. This series can also be found on The Boardgames Chronicle’s blog here. Enjoy! -Rachel

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Normandy ’44 Campaign AAR Part X: June 27th

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The Invasion So Far

This has been quite a campaign. For the most part it’s felt like a brutal slog. After the initial landings by the Allies went swimmingly well, they surged into the beach heads until Axis reinforcements solidified the front line. Then, advancing a single hex seemed like a big accomplishment!

The German line finally did cave in around certain sections of the map. The British landed more and more troops and expanded their front line to put pressure in the middle where the army line between the US 1st and the British 2nd met. The US linked their beaches and then went for the peninsula. Cherbourg fell and the Canadians nibbled around Caen. The British forces oozed along the coast east of Ranville.

At this point, the Allies have surpassed the historical June 27th line with flying colors. Still, without knowing it they have almost lost the game at one point due to casualties. Now Germany will go all out and try o inflict the casualties they need to secure victory.

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A Game of the Ages for All Ages: Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea at Huzzah! Convention in Maine

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The designer (top, center) chortling for some reason early in the game — just before quite literally hell is unleashed upon Mauretania (Blue) and Gaul (yellow) — mostly by each other but with a little help from the others. Note the ages of the players varies from the young lad (Will Valentine) at top left to a young man about 30 and to players in their 40s, 50s and 60s…

To the table came six players from three generations, including a father, his millenial-age son, a lad of 12, and three guys from the late 30s to late 50s. None had ever played Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea before.

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Normandy ’44 Campaign AAR Part IX: June 25th-26th

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The Invasion So Far

After the initial landings pushed the Germans back and secured the beaches, the British repulsed German counter attacks and finished their Mulberry. The US army linked Omaha and Utah by taking Carentan. Both Armies started driving into the interior while the Commonwealth forces focused on Caen and the Americans focused on the peninsula and taking the big port city of Cherbourg.

Cherbourg is pretty much a done deal. All that is left is one more city hex and one last town. The Cottentin army is very much toast and the rest of the line is not faring any better. Instead of containing the Americans at Portball on the western shore of the peninsula, they fell back all the way to Lessay and its airfield. More VP towns south of Carentan fell despite the best efforts of the paratroopers. The rest of the line all the way to the east is a similar story of Axis under-performance compared to the historical line.

This is going to put the Axis in a desperate situation. They will attempt to seek automatic victory by inflicting losses on the Americans and British since it’s starting to look like victory by game score will be impossible.

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Fisher’s Hill: A Death Valley Narrative-Style AAR (Part 3)

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Introduction

This is the third and last installment in my after-action report for “Fisher’s Hill”, one of Death Valley‘s 1864 battles. Like the preceding parts, it employs a “narrative” style designed to display the GBACW system’s level of detail. In all but the final section of the article I avoid game terminology. Nevertheless, the AAR relies solely on GBACW system mechanics, except for invented dialogue between historical figures. While often merely an embellishment, the dialogue at other times serves to indicate the rationale behind player decisions. Any unfamiliar-sounding accounts of unit actions may well reflect series rules changes for the 2019 edition.

For the sake of continuity, I follow the action in a given sector throughout a specific turn before turning to another sector, rather than risk the narrative being fragmented by the chit-draw activation mechanic.

This article covers the scenario’s 1800 and 1900 turns.

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Normandy ’44 Campaign AAR Part VIII: June 23rd-24th

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The Invasion So Far

The US Army has reached Cherbourg and pierced the perimeter under the direction of VII Corps. After cutting the peninsula XIX Corps has turned south, pushing against Axis troops towards Coutances. VIII Corps is advancing south on the highway to St-lô. V Corps is trying to reach the southern edge of the map to split Axis forces in two lines. The British XXX Corps is helping in this endeavor while UK VII Corps continues the grind against Caen. The I Corps is advancing east trying to surround Caen from that direction.

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Fisher’s Hill: A Death Valley Narrative-Style AAR (Part 2)

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Introduction

This is the second in a three-part after-action report for “Fisher’s Hill”, one of Death Valley‘s 1864 battles. Like its predecessor, it employs a “narrative” style, avoiding game terminology but relying solely on GBACW system mechanics for its details, except for invented dialogue between historical figures. Where not entirely indulgent, the dialogue serves to indicate the rationale behind player decisions. Combat details which do not seem to square with the GBACW rules reflect rules changes in the new edition.

In this way I hope to demonstrate how rich a battle narrative GBACW is capable of conveying. For the sake of continuity, I tend to follow the action in a given sector throughout a specific turn before turning to another sector, rather than bouncing back and forth according to the activation chit draws.

This article covers the scenario’s 1700 turn. The third will cover 1800-1900.

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Normandy ’44 Campaign AAR Part VII: June 21st -22nd

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The Invasion So Far…

The Allies spent the first week landing on the beaches, repelling German counter-attacks and pushing inland to gain a viable foot-hold. The second week was spent expanding the bridgeheads while the US and British sectors were united. An ambitious attack by Panzer Lehr was stopped just short of Arromanches and the Mulberry was saved. The US was having trouble at Carentan but managed to link Utah and Omaha. By the end of the third week the US aggressively cut the Peninsula and are attacking Cherbourg, the large port city. As we go into the final week of the Campaign Scenario the Germans are exhausted and nearly incapable of offensive action except for spoiling attacks here and there. There are reinforcements on the horizon but the question is whether it will be too little too late.

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Fisher’s Hill: A Death Valley Narrative-Style AAR (Part 1)

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As a counterpart to the after-action report for the Death Valley scenario, “Carroll Burns the Bridge”, which appeared several months ago in this blog, I now offer this first installment of an AAR for one of the game’s 1864 battles, Fisher’s Hill. This one, too, employs a “narrative” style. I believe the GBACW system is detailed enough to produce a narrative rivaling any I read in battle accounts, except, of course, for first-person accounts and anecdotes.

This AAR relies on GBACW system mechanics. I describe only what happens in the game, but generally avoid game terminology for the sake of the narrative. However, I do take plenty of artistic liberty with the historical personalities involved, even to the extent of supplying invented dialogue. Some of these fanciful interludes simulate nothing more than the kind of color commentary we might indulge in while playing face-to-face, but others serve to indicate the rationale behind  player decisions.