Wargames On Your Table - May 2010
Jon Williamson
Canada
Calgary
AB
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Howdy.
Time for this month's installment of the "table" GL. April's list was rather interesting in that folks continued to contribute to it right up to the end of the month, which is a first I think (the list tends to subside after the first week or two). That was pretty cool IMHO. There was the usual assortment of new games and timeless classics, the later making me consider dragging out some of my oldies from their storage boxes.
Unfortunately, my gaming plans were interrupted halfway through April, so my hopes for my initial playing of "Washington's War" and "Barbarossa to Berlin" did not pan out. A gaming tragedy. Hopefully that can be corrected this month. My "Afrika" game with Bill (billyboy) is on hiatus also as contemplation ensues. We may call it a draw as it does not appear that either side can win (after Turn 23).
Regardless, please let us know what you are playing these days. Are you liking it? How did the game go?
Once again, this is a list by us, for us. A community list.
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Darth Pete
Australia
Fitzroy North
Victoria
Dum, dum, dah, dah dah
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Been playing this and having lots of fun. Who knows I might even win a game...
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Christoph Haeberling
Switzerland
Hinterforst
SG
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I am still figuring out how to play this game. I am trying hard to love this game but the many errors and ambiguities make it very hard. Very annoying are the dummy counters. The first version of them were very easy identifiable and the errata counters are still identifiable!
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Piergennaro Federico
Italy
Milano
Unspecified
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Cyberboard game of the Alternative Historical scenario
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M.A.W. Schweizer
Germany
Vaterstetten
Bavaria
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Didn't manage to play a single wargame in April so I was thirsty for one and broke this negative trend with a game of T&G (Austerlitz scenario) on May 1.
We had some entertaining hours and I had so much fun that I even wrote my first session report on this
Austerlitz session report
It's not very long but I hope the fun we had is recognizable 
Hope I will have this mont a little bit more time for some solos at least. I have seen some "old friends" in this list that really should see the table again.
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Will DeMorris
United States
El Paso
Texas
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I've been playtesting the solo rules for this new Volko Ruhnke title on VASSAL. My first impressions are that I really like the interplay of the game's mechanics. Things like the level of US troop commitments affect how many cards it draws, the success of Jihadist plots can increase available funding, making it easier to recruit more cells, etc. I can tell that the designer has put a lot of thought into the game's engine.
As for the solo rules, they are a real kick in the teeth. On my first play the US side lost in 3 turns! I'm sure that's due to my inept play but it is nice to see a solo AI that puts up a fight. However learning the solo rules adds a bit to the rules overhead. In other words, learning the F2F game is easier and the solo rules add value for the exprienced player. I'm very much looking forward to this game's release.
-Will
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J. R. Tracy
United States
New York
New York
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Last week I wrapped up a game of Rout on the Riviera, FT 97 from Le Franc Tireur. My Italians had to capture a fortified ridge from Joe Leoce's French, in a heavy rain. Joe had decent troops and a good position, while I had a *lot* of bodies (22 squads), some assault engineers, and the welcome cover of the aforementioned rain. I managed to claw my way up the slopes, but Joe had one last crack as I was right in front of his heavy machine guns. He rolled, he missed, he failed to maintain rate of fire, and that was it. Not a bad scenario for such a static situation.
...almost there...
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57.
Board Game: D-Day
[Average Rating:5.84 Overall Rank:4166]
G. Harding Warren
United States
Arnold
Maryland
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I needed to avoid burning out on Great Campaigns of the American Civil War, so I opted for this old boy. I used a set up from The General (v.23#2) which leaves the South of France undefended and places almost all of the mobile forces in Normandy and Brittany.
Great see-saw contest which effectively ended once I gave up on scrupulous factor-counting. Two ill-conceived attacks on some urban areas blew out half of the Allied forces.
This game can sometimes seem like a math puzzle, but there are great joys to be had with that rather bloody CRT. I had a very good time--this will come back to the table again, to be sure.
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Keith Medlin
United States
Holly Springs
North Carolina
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Enjoying learning as I am solo playing this one. Not a great solo game obviously, but it's sufficient for learning.
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Keith Medlin
United States
Holly Springs
North Carolina
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Decided to take this sucker out of the box again and try to make some giant scenarios with the boards from Normandy + Base game. I need to get the map pack I think because the graphics in the expansions are so far superior to those in the base game.
Thinking about the East Front expansion that's coming got me excited.
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George Haberberger
United States
Rochester
New York
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Our oldest daughter is off on a school trip to Washington D.C. next week, with a short visit to Gettysburg on the way. It made sense to pull this out.
We ended early since we needed the table for dinner. Most of the fighting was around Cemetery Hill.
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Andy Beaton
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
I have a cunning plan
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I have a couple of scenarios on the go here. The first is ASL122 - Extracurricular Activities, where I'm playing the Russians against Lee "JackFlash" Massey's Hungarian horde. Pretty exciting; I've slaughtered a bunch of his guys crossing the big road, but at the expensive of malfing more AFV weapons than I can spare. It'll be close.
The second is WO2 - Failure to Communicate, where I am playing the French in a battle for the prestigious VASL League Tournament. Early days yet, but that giant swarm of Germans is sure intimidating me.
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Lehr
United States
Unspecified
California
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My buddy and I are most of the way through Scenario 2 - Assault of the Guards. My 63 Guard Rifle Division has made it too the barbed wire in front of the Spanish trenches, but I think I was too slow in my approach, and will not be able to get into Krasni Bor before the scenario ends. Some Spaniards in the peat bog really slowed me down too. Who knows?? Maybe I'll get lucky!
Next up will be Scenario 4 - Melee in Krasni Bor.
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Steve Herron
United States
Johnson City
Tennessee
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I have been working on playing this one. Last weekend I finished setting the game up. Due to its size I have it pinned up on my corkboard wall. After reading the rules I was very impressed with Ted Raicer's design of the game. The big counters are a plus. I had a problem with the font (of the set up hex number) on the set up cards. the number 9s look like an 8, so I had to look close.
On May 1st I was at Tennessee Game Days and got to play Manoeuvre with Craig and Command & Colors with Pete (not Belli). Both were nice guys and I enjoyed playing with them. I was sorry to hear Rick K (the organizer for TGD) lost his car in the flood.
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Jeff Inks
United States
Fayetteville
North Carolina
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I just started the first solo scenario. Nothing to report. I have advanced the allies and purchased a few units.
Might be doing it wrong, I hope I tell myself of any errors.
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Antonio B-D
Spain
Madrid
Madrid
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I have currently setted up the Nuts! scenario for FAB: Bulge as I want to teach the game to a friend this afternoon (we meet at my place every monday to watch The Pacific and we try to get a small game played).
I have decided that this month is the Fields of Fire month and I will pklay a campaign game.
My Afrika 2nd solitaire Vassal game is going slowly.
I got a programmed Vassal game of Hearts and minds with Alphawolf as soon as he comes back from a con.
[Dream] I will be starting a WiF game with Wendell soon, the Jensens and I will be playing Europe Engulfed, Colin is teaching me OCS with Case Blue, Leroy, billyboy, Iain and me are playing a game of Here I Stand. And in between games Joe Steadman will be teaching me ASL[/Dream]
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Lee Koehler
United States
Nashville
Tennessee
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I'm working through the 3rd turn right now, learning the rules.
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Max Coffey
Canada
Victoria
British Columbia
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ramkitty and I ftf this after I had tried out my new lime-green C4 Corner Cutter on this and Storm Over Stalingrad. We followed the example of play in the rules (something is definitely wonky in the example) and then played until turm 5. With setup and yakking and figurin' out stuff, it took us from 7pm - 1130pm. The germans were doing well, but Krasnodar was still in Russian hands.
We both liked the game and will give it another go soon.
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Tim von Bismarck
United States
God's Country
Maryland
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Right now I plan to play some lengthy games this month, starting with this epic slugfest. The game is ready to go, Thad and I are just hashing out an optional rule about a superpower imposed ceasefire to give the game some more tension. Granted, there already is a ceasefire rule in Bar Lev, but we are working on deciding if and when a ceasefire roll should come earlier. So far, we are toying with making some kind of chart like the one found in Operation Kadesh. We'll see.
After that, plans are to unleash The Korean War followed by (possibly) Thirty Years War since we have not as yet had our yearly dose of this game. IIRC, we have played this at least once a year since 2006. Reds! has also been discussed. So it looks like May is going to be our epic game month
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Andreas Lundin
Sweden
Lund
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Playing this mother f****r this coming weekend at a con. Trying to digest the rules. Woohaa! A bit too much to chew for my liking, but By the Gods of Valhalla, I'll get it down somehow!
I'll be playing the russians so I can at least skip some of the rules! Haha! 
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Ryan Powers
United States
Marble
Minnesota
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Got two (simple) scenarios of this soloed last month. But no chariots yet...
Want to get at least two more in this month. Ideally one with and one without runner infantry. Then I'll get a review up.
For now though, the space has been grabbed on my table by...
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Ryan Powers
United States
Marble
Minnesota
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This.
It stole the spot on my table from Chariots of Fire.
I'm currently trying to learn how to fly little bits of cardboard. It's going slowly. Once I get a bit more of a handle on it (or once I get totally stuck...) it'll be time to look for some PBeM action on the yahoo group.
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Ryan Powers
United States
Marble
Minnesota
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Since "table" is ion quotes in the GL description, I think this counts.
Getting a VASSAL game of this started (hopefully starting this evening). Playing El Molino as the US.
I picked this game (and it's expansion) up a while back as a smaller introduction before trying to get players interested in Three Days of Gettysburg and then promptly moved away form where I was likely to find FtF players for this.
Finally getting it to the table though, even if it's a virtual one.
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Ryan Powers
United States
Marble
Minnesota
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This one is an outlier. It arrived recently (same order that Whistling Death came in) and the system really has me interested. I just don't know if it'll get into play before June.
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David Heldt
United States
Unspecified
Unspecified
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It arrived three weeks ago and I must have played it about forty times since.
Polk and Pemberton are now known as Tweedledum and Tweedledee--
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Patrick O'Halloran
United States
Ocean
New Jersey
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Just learning the ropes and playing the Mt. St. Jean scenario solo. Can't believe after all of these years playing Wargames that I haven't fought Waterloo!
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though I'm looking forward to the vassal module being complete.
