Victory in the Pacific

 Lawrence and I started this on VASSAL.  Made it through turn 2 in 3 hours.  The last time we played was 6+ years ago (back before this blog started) so we were both a bit rusty.  Things are flowing once turn 1 was half done though.  We both made mistakes and things are up for grabs.  This game is one of the classics, playable in a reasonable amount time, simple, and reasonably good history too.

His Pearl Harbor raid did not go well.  No ships were removed from the game and a few were able to sail right away.  My choice of battle type rolls were horrible too (lost 2 out of 3 and tied on the last one with a +2 on the roll in two of them).  I made a mistake of putting only one ship in Coral Sea on turn 1 which was sunk by the sub and sending ships to Indonesia which were also sunk.  

ASL scenario To Battle By Air 7

 The second of two small ASL scenarios played today.  This one took roughly 45 minutes to play through once setup was done.

The setup.  The Dutch have to have a single MMC (not DM) with LOS to the circled hex within 2 hexes as well.  It does not have to be Good Order, simply unbroken (so in CC or pinned is fine).

The different color lines roughly show how far the Dutch moved each turn.  The Germans DRs were crap for the most part with the exception causing a big Dutch sniper to DM a squad in the spot were the sniper currently is.  Top it off with a CC going to the Dutch on turn 3 leaving a Dutch squad in position to fire on the bridge bound German reinforcements and the game is over.  This one I might play again someday since it has the Dutch setting up in a defensive spot with reinforcements coming on then German reinforcements coming on.  I'm guessing that even without bad dice it is pro Dutch.

ASL Scenario Race for the Meuse 1

The first of two ASL games played via VASL today.  Once setup was done this only took an hour to play.

To win the Germans have to exit more VP off the left edge by the end of game turn six than the Belgians.  The two big stacks (in the middle and at the bottom) are dummies.

The German motorcycles come roaring on, into deadly fire for the scouts who are killed with K results.  The Belgians (me) press their luck with FPF and and earlier sustained fire.  Breaking the squad and the MMG.  The picture here is the end of German turn three of a six turn game.  A 9-1 German leader at the top was attacked with a big sniper leaving nobody to rally the broken Germans.  To make it worse their attacks on the 2 half squads in a small wooden building did squat for 3 turns.  In the main part of town Belgians gacked another MMG but the Germans were down to 2 Good Order squads versus 3.5 Belgian Good Order squads.  So game one of the day goes to the Belgians.  

Hard to say if this one is balanced.  The sniper killing the prime German leader early in such a small scenario is one of those things that make or break something this large.  Not on my list to play a second time though.

ASL Action Pack 110: Display of Enthusiasm

 Played this one by email.  It helps with my grouchy attitude in regards to Dice Rolls.  This was the final scenario in our ASL 29 Lets Go playthrough.  Although it has a ROAR record of 9 German wins to 14 US my opponent and I do not see how.

The setup.  The Germans can setup either on the left (which I did) or on the right between the German location control markers to the top of the map. Of the Germans can come on anywhere along the top.  To win they have either have an MMC south of the stream at the end of any player turn OR control the buildings (or is it no US in buildings between two lines, something like that) at end of game.  The US has to spread out to defend leaving the Germans the ability concentrate and with the ability to make it to the stream on either flank in two turns barring really bad luck that is a tall order.  Basically I bum rushed the left.

Near the end of German turn 2 movement phase.  After rolling boxcars on two 8fp MG attacks, two tens on OVR attacks, and some bad attack rolls on the US guy in the foxhole (nearly surrounded right now) I still managed to get a squad next to the stream and the US would be hard pressed to get a unit in firing position on it.  The US player was aggravated with this one since it was basically a back to the wall game for him the entire time.  If it was not for a 666 self rallying with a 1,2DR it would have been even worse.  Just to not be totally whiny my 9-1 up top had an 12+1 shot Stun the US Armored Car and the Panther did get a CH on another 666 squad (after the boxcars MG shot).  

Whoever won this as the US, how did you do it barring extreme luck?  Did the Germans not try a bum rush?

Normandy 44 game 2 over

 Turn 6 and game over.  

4 attacks with rolls of 1,5,2 and 1.  The two 1 rolls were 4 to 1 attacks that would only fail on a 1.  Had all I could stand and quit.  If it makes me a big baby I don't give a shit.

Normandy 44 (second playing) end of turn 5

 Playing this one over VASSAL (lovely program) and have finished up turn 5.  Things are looking bad for my UK troops and good for the US.  If the UK can hold on and push the Germans back from the beaches it will be slog.  If not it will be over soon.  Lots of mistakes with the UK and a couple of bad DR (compensated by good DR on the US side) caused the mess there.

ASL Action Pack 109

 Slow month, news is getting to me so I took awhile to posting this and am keeping details at a minimum.

This is the picture at the end of the game.  The US started off to the left and the Germans one hex over from there (the two lines).  Two M10s and a Crocodile (on loan from the UK) with a bunch of troops versus nearly as many defenders with a 40ll and an AA gun (off to the right).  This is where the game was called.  The US had to capture both of the buildings in the red circle and it was looking like a good chance till this turn.  My Germans folded up like a wet book the turn before but then most of them made their Rally attempts and this turn when the US pushed they were broken, pinned, and blown up on every DR.  Down at the bottom a HS get a 2-2 and 1-2 shot pinning the first guy and DMing the second.  Up where the tank is destroyed there is a mine in the road, every US squad that went in to clear it was DMd.  Finally another tank went to cross the bocage and bogged.