January in review

January 2014

It's been an interesting start to the year, with lots of overtime at work impinging on my energy levels to play and arrange games - No Paddo Bearz, minimal Live VASL

Games Played:

• J147 Into the Grinding Mill - VASL - won as KMT vs  John Knowles with an upfront defensive variation. Surprised John with that, and did some damage up front.
• DftB107 StossGruppe Schlicter - VASL - won as Norwegians vs Daniel Takai in the first round of the 2014 VASLeague. Played a good game but was helped by decent rolls on high FP DF attacks
• AP59 Taking Heads - PBeM won as Japanese vs Ivan Kent - Banzais in the end game allowed me to focus on grabbing buildings rather than exits...the .50cal was almost too quiet until it was too late.
• BoF 01 The Marco Polo Bridge Incident - VASL - Lost as KMT vs John Knowles but tight and close game - very nice scenario.
• SV08 Through the Mud and Blood - PBeM - Won as Soviets vs Rick Carter thanks to Human Waves and getting enough troops into CC to deny control - tough scenario for the Finns/Swedes, particularly if the Soviets can keep initial casualties low. Read the SSRs though, the Soviets forgot about their Turn 3 FFE and thought the reinforcements arrived on Turn 3.

Malaya Madness Update:

• Air travel booked and paid for
• T-Shirts and Registration paid
• Hotel accommodation sorted
• Scenario choices finalised
• Setups for Rounds 1, 2, 3 and 5 sorted
• Mapboards sorted
• Round 4 continues to be a major problem for me
• West Of Alamein arriving today to pass on to Jackson K

Still to organise: 

1. ASL travel pack  - Still working on what mix of nationalities to take
2. Checking duplicate of Yanks countermix is complete enough to pass on to Jackson K
3. Learning to use the new smartphone - yes, I sold my soul to the devil.
4. Luggage - have to buy some new stuff to fit within Scoot's baggage restrictions - 20KG is not a great deal of room to play with
5. WO2014 pack - I may just have my copy of this arrive before I leave.

February Games:

Almost nothing scheduled at the moment - PBeM games are all completed, VASLeague Round 2 doesn't begin until March 1st so I have no idea who or what I will be playing. I think I may call February an ASL bust except for Malaya Madness, but I may get 7-8 games done there anyway.

What's new:

• The biggie: I needed to reduce the ancillary items I am taking to Singapore, and the idea of lugging a slightly dodgy (due for replacement) Android tablet plus Camera plus my old Nokia in my carry on just seemed too much like overkill. So I merged the tablet, the phone and some camera aspects into one and bought this:

Samsung Note 3

Add a decent phone wallet case and that's a lot less needed to be included in carry on. I may just be able to fit everything in the camera bag. A bit of a learning curve to make it work for me, the priority is making sure I have enough music, video and ASL docs on the phone to make the travel as stress free as possible.

Still a fair amount to do,  and with all the pre-tourney practice games other attendees have managed I think I'm heading into some ASL experience deficit territory. But really, who cares? I can only play my game as best as I let myself .

Time Just Flies By

While I was unable to access this blog, a small but significant anniversary occurred. Although this (Blogger) iteration of the blog is relatively recent, my first ASL related post was back in September 2004, a capsule review of a pretty decent book and ASL Third Party Publisher .

 So I am now in the 10th year of posting, even if it's only an average of 1 post per month. The other anniversary is that this particular site started in October 2009 and 103 new posts have been added in that time.

The other achievement is that we've now reached our 10000th page view, the last 4000 of which came in the last year.

Just as an aside and because I have often promised pretty pictures, here's a graphic of where my small but valued group of blog readers are located (it';s the most recent 100 visitors):

Thanks, people.

Some celebration is in order and what better way to celebrate than to post about actually playing ASL?

So in the last week, I have started and played to completion two scenarios, started one live VASL game (in progress), set up two ongoing series of live VASL matches against players I've never played before, restarted one live VASL game, restarted two PBeM games and set up a face to face game for the Paddo Bearz meeting next Saturday.

Once all these games get underway, I expect to be playing around 2 sessions per day for the three days I am not working each week.  That doesn't even include the ritual loss to the Cleavinator that occurs every three months.

It's good to be back, but even better to be able to write about actual ASL play.

Pete

The Time is Rapidly Approaching...

...When I will be able to rejoin the active ASL online community:

• The rebuild of the PC is almost complete, and should be home by this time next week.
• The  final pair of monitors will be here by October 17th and set up by the 18th.
• I should be able to retrieve all my VASL games by the end of the month which means I will be able to get started on the visual AARs finally. (Trebled 24" 1920 by 1200 screen real estate will allow much multi-tasking.)

Still have to buy a decent headset/mic combo and sort out the archived data, but all that costs is time rather than $$$ which has been the bottleneck until now.

Time to look at an updated playlist and then post a few challenges, particularly for my UK and Euro ASL brethren as the time zone difference is much less of a hindrance with a three day weekend.

It has been a very long and frustrating seven-and-a-half months, in which time I have truly come to loathe tablets and the iPad as the only conduits to the Internet available for me. This is why the current plan is to have a second PC dedicated to gaming ready and available by the end of the year,
just in case.

Games over the weekend

Played two games over the weekend, plus got another three turns done in my VASL league game.. The first game was FB12 The Black Ravens are flying (awesome scenario title) with me as the German/Hungarian vs Aaron C's Soviets. This is just a freaking cool situation and design. Definitely a keeper. Reminds me a little of MP11 Vulcan's Forge in the potential for melee shenanigans on turn 1. We ended up with a tank each trying to share the same orchard hex in setup, hilarious. Lost but who cares, this was my first game from FB and a bit of prep for Cancon.

The second game was J129 Mountain Hunters from Journal 9 versus John Knowles. Peter Struif one of the designers watched our game over a couple of sessions, and I hope we didn't stun him with the mediocrity of our play, particularly in the second session where we were at an impasse in terms of poor DRs. In the end, it came down to the Stug clearing the way while John's commissars did more damage to his troops than I did. The soviet guns up on the rearmost ridge were very frightening, especially after my 60mm Mtr permanently xed itself during repairs on turn 2. All in all, a very good scenario, belying its ROAR record. Sure I achieved all the VC options, but it was really tight between getting all three and only getting one.

Confusion Reigns is still going strong, I put a good turn's delay on the US 9-2 stack of doom, but that was only temporary as they are back now and making me keep my head down. In my PBeM games, J148 Last Minute War has been notable by the Slovakian ACs bogging every single turn. It's now getting into the real mid game and is pretty fraught as both sides are still very much intact. SP184 Cornered Beasts has been notable for the Panzer III marksmanship in the first two turns, but everything else has been a little lacklustre although Soviet inf fire has been effective. Finally J147 Into the Grinding Mill has been exactly that with the Japanese Banzaiing into the midst of the defenses but at some risk and I am expecting a significant riposte from Chinese fire now....

With 5 games at Cancon to look forward to I think it might be my fastest ASL playing start to a year in two decades.

2012 in review Part 1.

2012 initially looks to have been a less than stellar year in my ASL career, given the intrusions and disruptions of an acrimonious resignation, job hunting, settling into a new jopb and the attendant downsides to all this that saw me switch off ASL for 5 months in total, including a three month period where I didn't even want to look at ASL.

However as I look at my number of games I actually played to a conclusion, and the current games I am involved in, it's beeen a better year than I expected. I'm yet to go through the final numbers but I may actually reach my goal of 30 games for the year, which is frightening.

I played 17 different opponents in 2012, but that should be exceeded easily next year when ASLOK will take care of 20 alone.

I haven't done the final tally or looked at the win-loss percentage as yet, howevre apart from the raw numbers, I feel some of my play backslid while other aspects where great. More than a few games went to the wire but I couldn't close, whereas lately some of the games I have been playing have been seriously influenced in outcome by the dice on both sides.

So not as bad a year as I thought, and still room for a few more games to get finished. Plus I have a few AARs to do for some of the PBeM games I played in 2012, some of which were just full on top ASL experiences.

2013 New Year's Resolutions and Wishlist part 1

Yes it is that time again...the time where I make a whole bunch of promises, predictions and generally put my hopes for 2013 on the line.

2013 Tourneys

Cancon: 

I owe it to myself and to Steve Linton to atttend CanCon - especially given that I am a miniatures gamer at heart and I've been in Aus since 2008 but have yet to attend. This should be achievable as a regular annual pilgrimage as well, now that work situation is settled.

JunoBear

It wouldn't be a Queen's Biirthday in Aus without traipsing to the bearz for 4 games of ASL goodness. 'Nuff Said.

ASLOK XXVIII

I have three more ASLOKs in me before I have to retire from International Jetset ASL. This is the first of those three and the one I have been jonesing for since the return from ASLOK XXV.

ASL Playing

PBeM

Resolution 1: Limit myself to no more than 4 concurrent PBeM ASL games.
Resolution 2: Actively participate and complete all round of the 2013 eASLeague
Resolution 3:Sort out the tri-monitor configuration once and for all.
Resolution 4: get through 3 games every 2 months minimum

Live VASL

Resolution 1: Limit myself to no more than 2 concurrent games
Resolution 2: Be more realistic in my session planning
Resolution 3: No pick up games - I need the prep time

Face to Face ASL

Resolution 1: Attend and play 10 of 12 Bearz meetings
Resolution 2: Play all 3 local to Central Coast ASLers at least twice each
Resolution 3: Play at least 2 ASL games for each day at ASLOK
Resolution 4: 2013 is the year of the DTO

2013 ASL Completed Game Target: 75

Expected number of Face To Face Games: 41

• Cancon: 4, JunoBear: 4, ASLOK: 20, Bearz: 10, other: 3 

Expected number of completed PbeM games: 18 + 2 carrying over from 2012
Expected number of Live VASL games: 20

Thanksgiving ASL update

Well ASL012 Confusion Reigns is now in the final 2 Game Turns and I'm behind the cosh, needing to pick up a deficit of 4CVP to gain the required 2:1 CVP ratio by game end. I haven't seen so much cowering by the yankees since 2004.

FrF45 Totensonntag is getting very interesting, I think I may be forced into an end game victory location rush, an artificial construct of ASL that can be infuriatingly ahistorical. This the result of not pushing hard enough and a turn delay forced by excellent German fire.

Now I just have to work on my Japanese Set up for J147 - I will be interested to see how others approach this scenario, particularly as the Japanese.

6000 and counting!

This blog operates in fits and starts and incorporates content from several prior blogs of mine, but I take a little pride in the fact that I have now reached 6000 pageviews (most of which are undoubtedly spiders).

I'm certainly no Ian from Wall Advantage in terms of content and detailed AARs and mass readership, but I hope that those of you who do visit here find something of interest.

In ASL news, ASL12 Confusion Reigns is now in the mid-game and it's come much closeer in the last turn...whereas FrF45 is looking to be a struggle, with the German defenders not being put under pressure any more as my fire attacks have been uniformly poor for a while.

Three concurrent PBeM games is about my limit with my hours the way they are, so Pierce M (ASL1 from GS) and I are starting a series playthrough of the scenarios from Journal 10, starting with J147 Into the Grinding Mill, which loooks as interesting as the WCW classic Stand and Die.

What's not to like about FIVE Type 89B Chi Ro medium tanks swanning around Boards 12 and 13 as I have never seen them before...

In other news Scott Holst and I are starting off my desert reboot with AK07 Kidney Punch from the El Alamein pack, and hopefully Scott will be able to make it to ASLOK next year for some more desert desserts.

I hope to have a game lined up for the December Paddington Bearz meeting, hopefully something along the lines of Ivanovskii or Sporck's Eleven. I can handle a nice fast game, especially if it's done by 3pm.

Pete

ASL Crack

Two additions to the ASL library arrived today: the original edition of Genesis 48 from CH and also the El Alamein Afrika Korps core pack. TBH, the Genesis Jerusalem map is something I want to look at in detail, but the counters need to be redone, so definitely thinking about making up my own set with decent and standard graphics and iconography.

Interestingly, the El Alamein pack I have features overlays that aren't too much lighter than the large desert map sheet. I'm not sure I will leave the overlays in the shape they are, preferring to cut them as per the older WOA overlays.

I have some ideas for 1940 Western Desert armour/ infantry battles as well as some early 1941 actions, but will need to do more research as the focus will be on the use of A9 - A13 tanks.

In my current PBeM games, I'm doing okay in FrF45 Totensonntag as the Poles while my US paras are whittling away at the defending Germans in ASL 12 Confusion Reigns from Paratrooper module. I think the title refers to my efforts to come up with a coherent attack plan though.

Exciting pace on both games, even with me doing late shift during the week., and I think my play is going okay, despite some silly omissions and mis-steps.

Pete

The Dog is back in the Kennel (for now)

Winston Churchill supposedly referred to his depression as bouts with the "Black Dog", something I'd thought to be under control on my part but as I learned the hard way in August, it's not always the case.

My recent malaise included a sympathetic ASL burnout which was so pervasive I couldn't even face visiting Gamesquad or opening my email client to catch up with my PbeM opponents. Those of you who found our games abandoned without the courtesy of an explanation until now, my sincere apologies.

A combination of the realities of my working week and a general desire to do nothing other than reactive recreation (ie watching Rugby matches and catching up on various TV series) coupled with a somewhat incorrect impression that I was losing every game I played really put me off ASL (and in effect all gaming).

The low point was missing out on the Operation Veritable sale that MMP put on a few weeks ago...OVHS is one of my Holy Grails of ASL, along with ABTF and KOTH, so to miss out on that purely because of timing between paysdid nothing for my PMC.

So that's the bad part of the year out of the way.

The lessons kicked into me after this are pretty straightforward:

1. Don't overcommit to PBeM - 2-3 games concurrently is about the maximum I can manage

2. The VASL League is not for me - Live VASL with Euro players doesn't work when under time pressure - so better not to commit.

3. Live VASL play - only have 2 games running concurrently at a time. Otherwise I get scheduling conflicts.

4. Look to quality of play rather than speed and quantity.

5. Avoid playing anything over more than 2 full boards on VASL, at least until the triple monitors are set up with a 27/30" main screen.

6. Don't feel pressured to accept every offer of a game - be grateful to have enough people wanting to play.

7. Take advantage of the local FTF opportunities when popssible - it gets you out of the PBeM habit and  a mindset that can be detrimental to FTF play.

8. Stick to a playlist - play scenarios that interest you, not because you feel obligated.

9. Don't sweat the hard yards - the results will come, just focus on playing well.

10. Above all, have fun and take a break when you feel playing is becoming a chore.

11. The final one, always look forward to ASLOK 2013 - getting there is half the fun

 

Pete

AP42 Frontiers & Pioneers (AAR) The End Game

Joe and I finished this beastie off yesterday morning. I'll make most of my comments after the turn by turn breakdown. I had hoped to be playing ASL today but domestic duties and the imperative to get all my ducks in a row regarding future employment options are combining to make playing ASL an unlikely option today.

In other news, I've volunteeered my services to Chas Smith as a playtester if required. I'm pretty sure I've got some playtesting work lined up with the Cleavinator for Journal 10 as I enjoyed doing the Suicide Creek stuff, and have been enjoying working on some other stuff with Adam Lunney on one of his designs. Plus I have something from Ian Percy I think I am meant to be arranging a PT session to play soonish.

So as of my last AAR post it was effectively the end of Game Turn 4, and I was looking at driving home the advantage I had with the KV having no functioning AT capability. And so the game went on:

German Turn 5: At Start

German Turn 5 Situation after Rally Phase: Well my worst fear was realised, as Joe repaired the MA on the KV and now it was imperative I used this opportunity to take it out once and for all. My plan was hopefully to draw the Kv's fire at anything other than the FT squad which would have to do an AF phase shot, but the TK odds would be good. I was also concerned that Joe might go for a Motion Attempt to minimise the chances of the PzIII getting a decent BFF shot into his rear, as that PB modifier would be key and the free VCA change would make life difficult for the PzIII. Joe's 9-2 was less successful in rallying his platoon, only bringing back one squad. I would have to take the odds on getting the KV and let the Pz IV and the two other 38Ts in the West do the real donkey work in wearing down his 9-2's redoubt.

German Turn 5: After Preps

German Turn 5 Preps: The Pz IV did a modicum of damage with its 75mm HE, breaking the freshly rallied 447. But the CMG did the real damage with a nasty 2MC that broke everything in the hex and effectively spelled death for the 9-2 and his platoon. At this point I was confident I had the game in hand but if the KV survived I'd still have to be mindful of the CVP cap as two more killed AFVs would make it very interesting and three would be too close for comfort. But this is where I think my instinve gut-driven play style actually is a strength, as I backed myself to do the job. The rest of the Preps were ineffective.

German Turn 5: Movement and Defensive Fire

German Turn 5 Movement and Defensive fire: The start of the end...

With the 9-2 out of the picture, I had the platoon to his south advance in steps to draw the fire of the 447 in the 37O1 building and if they survived, the 9-2 would die Due to FTR. This would also allow me to bring up the FT in relative safety through baiting the D1F with the sqd and LMG. Meanwhile the flanking motorcyclists squeaked past a NMC and started taking control of the North West Village area, a requirement of the VC if I wanted to really force the issue.

The killer blow I think was the when Pz38T B fired his mgs with a point blank 8 up 2, and rolled snakes for a 2mc which broke and elred the 447 in 57T1. That sealed the fate of an entire platoon and allowed me to minimise further AFV exposure.

I drew the Kv into a first fire shot by driving Pz38T A down from the north and although the BFF shots were not successful, I had at least prepared the way. The Panzer II then skipped around the rear, forcing the KV to change TCA and IF. Result! MA malfed again. The initail BFF shot needed to be a HH, which it was, but I needed a 5 to immobilise, 4 to KO. I rolled and dice bot gave me a 6, damn! Possible shock. I duly rolled the NTC and Bam! Shock!  The FT could now take the safer rioute to get into position for that all important AF TK roll.

Joe's Defensive Fire ATR shot bounced and that was pretty much it.  Now all that mattered was the Advancing Fire and the upcoming CCs to clearout the last of the infantry from the 9-2's redoubt.

German Turn 5: Coup de Grace

German Advancing fire through CC: The FT did it's job but only just, with the bare minimum for a KO. the other FT Xed out but still managed an all important PTC which was failed and so it went into CC, after the death of the rest of the soviet defenders for failure to rout. The CC was inclsuive but I did manage to reduce Joe to a hs before it went into Melee. Joe conceeded in his return mail as I expected so the Germans prevailed. A good game I thought, some hot dice in parts but generally I felt I played well and took the right options when necessary.

Conclusion: A good scenario and a good solid game. I found a lot to like about the scenario although it is fiddly in PBeM because of the vehicle numbers. The initial entry for the Germans is pretty scripted as far as i can see, too much risk associated with entering on the central road as one firelane will stop any thought of the motorcyclists traversing to the west.

I feel I played a solid, patient game, particularly on Turns 3 and 4 which helped me set up for turn 5 nicely. I took some calculated risks in Turn 4 and 5, as opposed to a couple of airy fairy decisons on Turn 1 and 2. My timing and sequencing of actions improved, but I still got it wrong on occasions, leaving Joe some opportunities to cause damage which thankfully were not as severe. I completely misread the MOL usage rules and could have suffered accordingly.

I gather the scenario is seen as somewhat pro-German (which is interesting as ROAR has it as 28 to 39 in favour of the Soviets before this game. I wonder if the German players haven't kept discipline and stayed at 7+ hexes to maximise their TH advantage or used hidnrances as a good way of reducing the TH chances equally. Plus the Germans need to use their mobility as a form of defence.) but i feel it's pretty close  to balanced.

It's a good contrast in armour usage and also a good training tool for armour as it's not about a Hit = Kill type AFV slugfest. Make sure the Soviet player knows how the T35 CAs work though as the T35 needs to be in the mid game and can scare the bejeesus out of the German landsers. The 9-2 and KV are the determinans in a Soviet defence so maximising their potential to do harm in the early and mid game (for the KV) is vital.

Recommended.

Pete

AP42 Frontiers & Pioneers (AAR) The Mid Game Part 2

As I mentioned last time, this game is still very much in the balance at the start of Joe's Soviet turn 4. Throughout the game, our fire attacks have been either boom or bust, with either KIAs, KOs or Malfed weapons. Nothing subtle about either the dice or the IF attempts on either side.

Soviet Turn 4: The Situation post-Preps

Turn 4b Soviet preps: Joe's Prep Fire caused me some major hurt this turn. The half-platoon with the ATR in 57O1 took some vengeance with a 1KIA on my 8-1 and broke the 468/LMG with him. I was now down to 1 leader and the brokies would be out for some time. I was a bit preoccupied on the here and now so I didn't consider the effect that shot would have on Joe's movement choices either.

Soviet Turn 4: After the Movement Phase

Soviet Turn 4b movement: Joe followed up his successful Prep by overrunning the broken 468/LMG, something i hadn't even realised I was somewhat vulnerable to, as I was still focused on the potential threat that 76mm could be if/when it repaired. I had a couple of good shots at the KV, but a mniss and a bounce were all I had to show for it. The Panzer III were starting to wonder if they had dud ammo by this stage. Joe's movement of the KV did leave him in a vulnerable position for my FT toting squad however abnd the Panzer III could still get to him, as long as he didn't repair his gun. At this stage I was hoping to use the FT squad as the KV killer in my turn. The rest of the movement was SOP for Joe, redeploying to maintain a workable force on the VC area and threatening the motorcycle flanking party via the 9-2 for next turn. Very few shots taken by me in Def First fire.

Soviet Turn 4: After all Defensive Fire

Soviet Turn 4b German Defensive Fire: the Panzer IV came to the party with breaking the two units in 57s1. Not a critical Hit but the effects DR was nasty enough. Other than that I managed to wreck the MA on the 38T who'd just got it back, the ready round rack  must have been loaded with older ammo again. i was thinking I was now in a position to go hard at the KV with two tanks and the FT squad while the other three tanks concentrated on bothering the main Soviet defensive group before I let loose the other FT squad.

I was now pretty confident that I had the upper hand by quite a margin as long as I could get the Western VC area sorted during my next two turns. We'll just have to see what develops in the Rally Phase as to whether I can let the tanks run free and shoot in the FT and infantry onto the other VC area.

Pete

AP42 Frontiers & Pioneers (AAR) The Mid Game

Joe and I are munching through the logs on a daily basis, and it's getting tight.

When I last updated , it was the end of German Turn 3 Prep Fire and I was going to try and get that verdammte KW1. Things have gone back and forth since then...

End Of German Turn 3: I'm feeling pretty good here, I have a PzIII behind the KV with a good shot  even if Joe starts up to get out of Dodge, although missing out on APCR hurt and the subsequent PB AP shot hurt. My infantry are now starting to pressure Joe's Main line of infantry and he's had to redeploy the 9-2/MMG sqd. The PzIII is out on a limb though and I probably won't survive past the Prep phase.

End Of Soviet Turn 3: Joe started his turn with a hiss and a roar as the KV snaked his PB pre shot and vapourised the Pz III. Unfortunately for Joe, he went one shot too many and malfed the MA trying to get the Pz IV as well.  The 9-2 trundled down the road into the buildings after drawing some ineffective but threatening fire from the PzIV but other  than that it was force preservation on Joe's part. The threat of the FTs is starting to make itself known I think.

End Of German Turn 4: Advancing Fire Phase: I'm looking a little brittle now, 2 of my AFVs have malfed their MAs, another is under a permanent +1 stun, and the remaining Pz III missed out on APCR, and then scored a PB hit on the freaking superior turret (exacerbated by the subsequent TK roll of 4 being low enough for a Mission Killing Immobilisation on the Hull). Joe's central positionn is proving to be a tough cookie, with 2 sqauds and an ATR holding me up, however there is a FT lurking and the 8-1 does have a beadv on the stack, although without a working LMG. I'm almost temopted to use the prisoners and guards to go fetch the 25LL AA and bring it up for some IFE goodness for sheer style points. Thankfully I've been able to make use of two good rallied hs and get them on their Zundapps to threaten the now somewhat unguarded North western Victory locations.

Start of Soviet Turn 4: Well this is where it may have turned in my favour. I managed to repair both MAs and the LMG with three consecutive drs. If Joe does the same however I'm in a world of hurt again. I have a suspicion actually i'm almost 100% certain the concealed stack is the last of Joe's dummies and his double squad aATR position is now under threat of encirclement attacks. This is going to be a very interesting turn...

 Hope you've enjoyed the game so far, I know I'm hanging out for Joe's next VASL log.

Pete

Playing To Do Part II

With my PBeM schedule currently down to one game and given I'm much more up to speed with the mechanics of PBeM now, I've managed to add a couple more games and new opponents just through a quick Opp Wanted ad on Gamesquad.

The best thing is I'll be playing through packs from start to finish so my To Do plan actually survived first contact. Friendly Fire Pack 1 and either BFP's Operation Cobra or High Ground will be the other theme to run through.

I'll be playing Paul from the UK in FrF 01 Jarama Proving Grounds and Whit from the USA in one of the BFP scenarios.

I'm definitely loooking forard to this. The opportunity to be exposed to new play styles and tactical approaches will do my game no end of good. I guess I'm lucky in that I enjoy PBeM a lot and find it a relaxing way to really appreciate the game.

Pete

Currently listening to: Glenn Miller -Signatures

Playing To Do Part I

This is probably the easiest one to get out of the blocks. I'm looking at themes in terms of products and subjects. I'm hoping to get one Live VASL + Skype game done per month and have maybe 2-3 PBeM games going simulatneously. My goal is to hit 50 plus games next year - nowhere near the numbers posted by the hard chargers  in the 100+ games club, but unless I get a new job closer to home, the 4 hour commute each day is a limiting factor.

The basic idea is to get a like minded opponent willing to run through a theme list in partnership. Sure it may mean playing a couple of scenarios that both of us have played before, but generally that will mean playing a solid design anyway.

WCW '96 ASL Open -

Interestingly, I thought I'd played more of the scenarios, but I guess the amount of multiple playings has skewed my memory.

• 01. Will to Fight...Eradicated - Played, but always willing to play again
• 02. Scotch on the Rocks - ROAR Brit 30 vs Germ 20
• 03. Tigers at Merefa - ROAR Germ 21 vs Sov 9
• 04. Cat Becomes the Mouse - ROAR Brit 16 vs Germ 22
• 05. Abandon Ship - ROAR US 74 vs Germ 69
• 06. Los Ejercitos Nuevos - ROAR Rep Span 27 vs Nat Span 21
• 07. Eye of the Tiger - Played, and would play again at the drop of a hat.
• 08. The Last VC in Europe - ROAR Brit 30 vs Germ 20
• 09. Sweep Up
• 10. Stand and Die - played this most recently at ASLOK, I don't think I've grokked this yet, but I like it a lot.

Winter Offensive -
Currently playing through this with John Knowles although we skipped the first for some reason..

• 01. French Toast and Bacon - ROAR US 21 vs Germ 24
• 02. Failure to Communicate - Completed
• 03. Counterattack at Carentan - ROAR US 18 vs Germ 22
• 04. I Don't Like Retreating - ROAR US 6 vs Germ 9
• 05. Astride Hell's Highway - ROAR Germ 10 vs US/Brit 7

Action at Carentan -

This is out of left-field a little, as it's not widely known or publicised but it got some pretty good  press in Desperation Morale, the downside is making the VASL map work unless it's already been fixed. And with four scenarios it's certainly something that could be completed pretty quickly.

• Cole's Charge - ROAR Germ 5 vs US 1
• The Cabbage Patch - ROAR US 1 vs Germ 1
• Green Devils - ROAR Germ 3 vs US 2
• Cooperation Reigns - ROAR Germ 2 vs US 0

After these I'd like to have a crack at Busting the Bocage from CH, another set of scenarios on an HASL style map. Further down the track, Time On Target/KE MM97-99 series and knock off the Friednly Fire back catalog.

Pete

Currently listening to: Glenn Miller - A Portrait of

Being greedy will come back to bite you...

I sent off my latest movement log for AP42 Frontiers and Pioneers, and in my greed to get a point blank rear shot at Joe's KV behemoth, I needed that extra MP to stop , sure enough the ESB roll at +3 (+1 for the extra MP, +2 for pre-Vorsprung Durch Technik German automotive excellence) ended up a 5,6 : Immobilised! Well at leats i'm in the location I wanted to be, sadly the Panzer III will be out of the firing line for the rest of the scenario. Considering I've already ESBed without consequences 4 times in the game, I was due for a fall.

Oh well.

No major updates to report, but the weekend's close so the live VASL game may well finish this time around.

Pete

Has it already been a month?

So this blog was effectively started after ASLOK 2011 finished and I started revisting Gamesquad and playing again.

I've completed two games on VASL (including one playtest), and have two currently ongoing games at their mid-points.

I've started posting in progress AARs with actual pics, and contemplated heretical alternatives to the one true faith. All this while 99% of my psyche was entwined in some torunament revolving around a legalised brawl over an inflated pig's bladder.

P.S. I just noticed that I've just  matched the October pageview total this far into November. Content really is King!


As always, I've been rolling more than my fair share of these during my games:

AP42 Frontiers & Pioneers (AAR) The story so far...

This is my one current PBeM game at the moment: AP42 from Action Pack 5, East Front. Joe Moro is the Soviet Commander attempting to make do with a polyglot mix of slow but beastly and fast but tinny tanks hampered or aided by the Land Battleship T-35. I on the other hand have some mobile light forces with a mix of up-armoured 38Ts and the early Mark III with 50mm. There's even the ubiquitous Pz IVe who is not much chop against armour but is there to provide support (yeah right).

AP42 is a fiddly scenario to play on VASL initially and especially via PBeM. The German opening move involves so many mounted units on motorcycles and really only a couple of legitimate entry routes.

The Soviet set up area and Victory locations:

Two distinct yet adjacent Victory Location areas, with some real manoeuvring required in the mid to late game to even threaten the North-westernmost victory locations.

The Soviet setup as I saw it:

I was at a bit of a loss to see where my main effort would be on turn 1 and 2, as the paucity of German boots on the ground means that it's imperative I minimised risk in the opening turns to allow me to put pressure on the Soviet infantry. I could see that the central route was just a complete no go zone unless I could guarantee SMOKE, but the PZ IV isn't that good. I decided to have the Pz IIIs go through the forest rod in the centre to station themselves at or on 7 hex range to the east of the central 5/8" concealment stacks. The Pz 38Ts would try and get through the Eastern gap by the marsh in 37DD4 with a view to hooking around the wheatfields area on board 57 East.

Here's how the situation looked at the end of German Turn 1:

The initial turn went okay, I confused myself several times and changed my mind about where I wanted to maintain some Infantry, but that was taken care of early on with the first Zundapp riding half squad not getting very far at all. The Panzer IIIs were in a good position, while the 38Ts had gotten away with only a single stunned tank from IFT fire but they had drawn the AA gun out of hiding with no consequences, and had smoked it nicely.

By the end of Joe's Soviet Turn 1 response, I was feeling a little better:

My sniper had been killed saving a CE tanker, but I'd KIAed the gun crew of the unsuccessful AA gun for failure to rout and both Panzer IIIs were now in position to protect the infantry from the KV and also provide some additional MG firepower to any infantry advances. With the Gun now MIA, I felt I could use my positioning on the flank to properly sweep around and force relocation of 1 or 2 concealed tanks while getting into the optimum 7-12 hex range band.

Turn 2 was where the infantry cleared the flank completely and the Panzer 38s did their backyard blitz to the north:

The 38s scooted around, an opportune snakes and one of my better LOS picks paved the way for a take down of the T35 well ahead of schedule, even with a MA malf on one 38T. The infantry were angling their way to the North West but it was slow going, I needed to develop some kind of threat on the western flank, but the KV was protecting units covering the axis of redeployment  so I couldn't go that route as perhaps I should have earlier.

Joe's Turn 2 response was interesting, I think he felt the KV was unsupported and out on a limb, especially as I hadn't brought the FTs into play at all yet:

Here we see the KV lumbering up to scare the 38T in the north, while the remaining gun armed 38T did me proud and took out a pesky BT, again with a good LOS pick and showing the 7012 hex range band working to my advantage. The Pz IV was doing his damnedest to keep the Soviet infantry honest and forced a minor adjustment, something I hoped to take advantage of in turn 4, if not earlier.

We're now into turn 3, and I'm trying to KO the Soviet armour once and for all:

The situation at the end of the prep fire phase, no success with the DI, but the last BT is toast courtesy of an IF shot, the infantry can redeploy from east to the centre, and the Panzer IIIs are now in a position to go KV hunting with APCR if possible. I'm yet to lose a single unit (except for a Sniper that takes out the concealed 8-0 on the forest road , something that hurts me a lot more than Joe may think, as changing the axis of attack is going to be a real issue now with only two leaders.)

Nowhere close to being in the bag, but I'm hoping to get some real momentum out of this turn's movement and advancing fire phases, particularly if the KV1 fails to take out the 38T before I get my next defensive fire.

ASL Games in Progress update

So here are my current games going strongly, one live VASL for the most part, the other pure PbEM:

WO2 Failure to Communicate : Start of German Turn 3

Here the Germans are about to bring on the armour, although the LATW work has once more been spectacular on my part, one CH with the ATR and another KO with an HMG - can't complain if your are me. John must be sick of the sight of my OB containing ATRs and LMGs. The 10-2 Leader Thierry Dusautoir is going to attract either a whole bunch of attention or will be ignored in favour of the rest of the Les Bleus by the Mighty Men in Black Blue-Grey - yes an obligatory RWC 2011 reference.

AP42 Frontiers and Pioneers - Start of Soviet Turn 2.

Ding Dong the wicked witch T-35 is dead! Snaffled by an Adv Fire Phase side hull hit from the Panzer 38T in centre top left after having stripped concealment with a snakes by the Coax only mg. This left me with a base 9 @ only +3 thanks to the size cancelling the hindrance and one of the case C mod of +4. Somewhat balanced by the second Pz38T who had a good shot at a BT after again unconcealing with the mgs before malfing his MA. On balance though, I've come out ahead. I've turned his flank nicely with my armour and I'm outside his optimum range band. although there's an opening for a counterattack, time to read up on Motion attempts versus potential Gun Duels if I stick around to fire.

Damn ASL is fun, especially when you can see your own game improving with each game.

A Good Weekend...

This weekend was pretty impresive ASL wise: I went through approximately 6 PBeM logs, including 4 for AP42 which is a fairly involved PBeM experience early on as the German player develops his attack through probing recce and manoeuvre.

John Knowles and I took advantage of simultaneous VASL time to get cracking on AP13, to the point we finished the game, and it finished really close, as John still had both Factories but ran out of troops to take and hold enough victory locations. If I hadn't held up his backfield squad in Melee, he would have grabbed that last location he needed, as I had almost nothing left myself.

AP13 Shielding Moscow at Game End, German Turn 6

Then this morning I finshed off a playtest with Adam Lunney of a design he's submitting to MMP. The scemnario is set during the Italain Camapign, features Board 60 and has enough meat to offer the attacker several options but the defender can arrange things to put a world of hurt on the advancing Brits. Board 60 has a bit of a bad rep already, but it's so different from the usual hill terrain that it may take some time for people to learn how to meet the cahllenge of assualting urban heights terrain.The game came down to the last CC phase where I had an even chance of grabbing enough VC locations to eke out a win but it was not to be.

So moving forward, this next week I'll be satring a  PbeM/live VASl game of WO2 Failure to Communicate vs John K,  I will shortly be looking at helping Ian Percy with some more playtesting, this time of another 6 turner tourney type scenario set in Crete, again for submission to MMP, and I've got ASL set up for Friday evening at Aaron's and Saturday at the Paddington Bearz.

I still have to go tghrough and sort out all my ASL gear as the last clean up in the study has resulted in me not being able to find a lot of the more recent ASL purchases I made at ASLOK last year. This becomes importantv as CrUcible of Steel is probably arriving sometime this week so I want to make sure all my BFP stuff is in the same place and not scattered to the four winds *.

(I don't think I'll ever get over the loss of almost all of my KE/ToT, early HOB and CH  scenarios from the late 90s to someone who never returned it and droppped out of the NZ ASL community shortly afterwards)