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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. 

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The Arjuna Chronicles #1: An Intro to Gandhi’s Arjuna System

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Gandhi ships soon and includes a brand new Solitaire system, called Arjuna, that replaces the flowcharts that have become a staple of the COIN Series. Players who play COIN Solitaire have asked many questions about how the system works – and don’t fear! – COIN Series Developer Jason Carr is here to walk through the design, ergonomics, and play of Arjuna. This installment serves as an overall introduction to the system and outlines some of the changes you can expect to see when you open the box for the first time.

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Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea: An Example of Competition Resolution

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Introduction

When I was first introduced to Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea by its Designers (Chris Vorderbruegge and Mark McLaughlin) one of its facets which held immediate appeal was that conflict/battles in this game, called “Competitions”, DID NOT INVOLVE ANY DICE ROLLNG!! 

I’ve been a gamer for decades, since playing my first wargame, Avalon Hill’s D-Day 1961, and for all that time have been plagued by strange dice-rolling.  One of my Rockland Guys gaming buddies, Stephen, had a great tee shirt for when we attended conventions: it had in big letters the saying “I win on anything but a one… ARGHHH!” Yup, that’s a gaming garment I’m in great sympathy with.

When Mark and I were play-testing Kutuzov; one of the games in The Napoleonic Wars series, there was a memorable game when my French invaders took eighty-five (85!) dice rolls to take out a two value Russian border fortress. Those of you familiar with the Nappy game series should appreciate what a game-losing feat that was!

So, although there’s still “luck with cards” in Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea… at least there’s no dice rolling to contend with! 

There is a wealth of information concerning this game within InsideGMT.  There are After-Action-Reports with explanations of the game’s cards and Civilizations (each with its special attributes) as well as a rendition of its “near final” map.  But until this article, discussion of the actual mechanics of resolving a Competition was lacking.

This is hopefully now remedied and those gamers, like me, who dread taking dice in hand, can take heart instead. 

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Normandy ’44 Campaign AAR Part VI: June 19th-20th

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The Invasion So Far…

After linking the beaches, the US Army landed two more divisions, the 30th and the 79th Infantry. The former subbed in for the 82nd Airborne which took a lot of casualties in the fighting around Carentan. The latter is forming up between the 1st and 2nd Infantry divisions so greater firepower can be brought to bear against St. Lo. The British Army has also landed more infantry (the 15th and 53rd Divisions) since 50th, 51st an 3rd Canadian have taken a beating while fighting the SS troops in their sector.

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The Significance of Dice Rolling Probability in Hitler’s Reich

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After having played about ten games of Hitler’s Reich, I still find it difficult to really categorize this game into a particular niche. I cannot state if it’s a card driven game, for it is a game which has lots of cards to it; but does not fall into the tradition of most CDG’s. I can state that it is a game where many dice are thrown, for it is, in fact, the game during which I have thrown the most dice in my life (and that is saying something!).

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Tank Duel Scenario 2: Hold the High Ground – Round 10

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Lowering his head, the Commander slumps back into the gulley – this battle is lost. He has failed to take the high ground, and worse – the Germans have a commanding view of the field of battle, and are moving up additional tanks and infantry to secure their lines.

“Get ready to fall back, we need to get out of here!” He shouts to his crew. They grab the wounded driver and slowly and carefully make their way back to some better cover. Tanks are retreating, the battle is lost. Soon they leave their cover and continue their way back to the rear as darkness falls. Tired, bruised and demoralized, they stumble along until finally reaching a first aid station. The driver is conscious but needs blood; the rest of the crew is essentially uninjured.

The Commander leaves his men and makes his way back to HQ to debrief the General. How to tell him that he lost the battle? He will be lucky to survive this meeting… 

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Enemies North, West, and South: Playing Maria Theresa in Clash of Sovereigns

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Who’s in the Hot Seat in COS? Without a doubt, it’s Austria! Maria Theresa and the Austrians face daunting tasks the entire game – for most of it, you’re fighting a three front war – a distressingly focused, but intermittent Prussia to the north, a consistently powerful France to the west, and a lesser but occasionally highly menacing effort by France/Spain down in Italy. The Austrian player probably has the most exciting role in the game – hanging on in Austria up to ’43, counter-offensives west in ‘44-48, repeated tantalizing opportunities in Italy, balanced by yet more large doses of hanging on in the Austrian Netherlands from ‘44-48! The Austrian role is very similar to that of the Prussians in Clash of Monarchs; beset on all sides by foes throughout the game (Austrian, Russian, French/Imperial), but never out of it, thanks to their worthy army and leaders.