PELELIU: A RE-RUN.

We re-played the Peleliu scenario from Combat Commander Pacific the Thursday after our games day (see previous post). I played the Japanese defenders and Rick took the US Marines.

Initial set up. I set up to take advantage of the enfilade special rule.

The US Marines surge forward under the cover of smoke from mortars and WP grenades.

Despite taking casualties, the marines manage to get round the back of the Japanese positions. While the forward bunkers are assaulted. The Japanese respond with  mortar fire on the supporting 50 Cal.

In the end, the US manage to take all the objectives and win the game.

This game moved quicker as the rules were still in our head and we were familiar with the scenario. Despite early success in causing casualties on the Marines, a lack of fire cards and Rick keeping my forward bunkers busy, my defences were overwhelmed. It shows we can finish a scenario in a night. It may need us to play a block of games to keep us familiar with the game. Maybe next year!

A DAY OF GAMES.

A few Saturdays ago, we had one of our infrequent games days. This is an opportunity to play games that take too long for a evening.

I put on a game of Combat Commander Pacific. We have played a few scenarios on Thursdays and found that we were not finishing them or not playing fully committed so as to finish. We had no time pressure for this scenario. The scenario was Peleliu and saw my US Marines having to take a Japanese held cave system by main force.

Starting positions. Marines in the jungle, Japanese in the safety of the hills, with their sighting marker in the jungle.

Early in the game. The first objective taken by the US. On the right the US try to move forward under cover of smoke from the mortars. In the centre, the US 50 cal thought it had broken a moving Japanese unit, only for Rick to play a 'pillbox' action card, adding 5 to the cover.

Poor manoeuvring on my part and use of  one of the scenario special rules, enfilade, which allowed all Japanese troops able to fire as one activation by giving up the initiative, cost me my flank attackers. A big blow to my hopes of attacking.

It did allow me to use naval support, also by giving up the initiative. This had little effect and the game petered out as a firefight between my 50 cal and the pillbox. Even this ended in failure when I used sustained fire, rolled  a double to break the 50 cal. Rick then managed to trigger an event that broke any weapon of his choice. Guess what he picked? The final ignominy was Rick getting reinforcements through another event, which he used to retake the last objective. Big win to the Japanese.

After lunch, we moved to Rick's and had a couple of games in our continuing Warfighter.

The first game saw us having to take out a VIP sitdown. Success in the previous game had allowed us to get more equipment and squad members.

The four members of our squad make a river approach, which cuts down the number of bad guys.

Rick's squad member.

Rick's character.

The trail is more exposed and we encounter baddies. This is the final opponent from three original units.

We double back on ourselves and cross the same river as earlier. A quick recon before we decide how we attack.

A combination of long range rocket launchers and close range explosives expertise ensures that we get the job done in the final available move!

The success brought me more skills and equipment.

Our second mission of the day saw us having to take down a cartel boss. 

Landing in rugged terrain, we quickly attracted attention.

Despite causing casualties, more of the boss' guards attacked.

The more we put down, the more were attracted to the sound of the guns.

The Boss surrounds himself with expendables.

The combat is getting hot.

More enemy keep arriving. We lose a squad member (he is medivaced). We push on to the target. The mission is all!

A combination of weapons takes down the boss and we complete the scenario.

All in all this was a good day. A break from routine and other distractions. We decided to test whether we could do the Combat Commander Pacific scenario on a week night. We set up the scenario till just before deployment and left it for the next Thursday game. See a future post for the result.

TARGE 2015.

 I finally made it to a Wargames show this year! Targe, in Kirriemuir, is the last show of the year in Scotland. It was a week later this year, to avoid a clash with the Warfare show in Reading.

Here are pictures of most of the tables. Some of the clubs and traders from the south didn't make it due to the weather.

Three photos from The Leuchars Veterans participation game of Operation Michael, the last German attack in March 1918.

The Oldmeldrum Wargames Group's game was Quatre Bras using Blucher rules with 6mm figures on the data cards.

Dunfermline Wargames Club ran a big game, or two connected games, of Commands & Colors Ancients using Hexxon terrain and DBA armies.

Set up for a game of Ronin.

                   Glasgow Games Group put on a Picnic at Jurassic Park participation game.

Brooklyn Heights 1776. Gourock Wargames Group

Retreat from Moscow 1812.

Bolt Action in the Far East by D.W.A.R.F.

                                                           The Battle of Preston 1715.

                                         SAS and LRDG raid on Wadi El Khazi 1941. Participation game.
I don't know if it was the weather, the fact there were gaps (which the host club did their best to fill) or that I was suffering post cold symptoms, but I thought that the mood was a little flat.

The bring and buy was busy, but there was not enough of interest. That said, I did end up with two games, a DBA army and a couple of other things. I did not sell everything I had taken, but managed to cover the cost of my purchases. I managed to do a deal for some GW stuff that did not sell with one of the traders.

I bought very little from the traders. Some Litko markers and a couple of small cases from http://www.figuresincomfort.net/, I pre-ordered the 2nd edition of 7TV with a cultist starter cast. I also took the opportunity to buy the Army Squad figures from http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/.

We did have our traditional bar lunch at http://www.thrumshotel.co.uk/dining/.

I was glad to be able to get to a show in 2015. Not long till Carronade 2016, in May!

THUNDERBIRDS CO-OPERATIVE BOARD GAME.

As we were both suffering from colds, and needed a game with little preparation time, this Thursday's game was a first try of Thunderbirds 50th Anniversary Co-operative Board Game.  https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/160610/thunderbirds

Starting positions.

The concept is the players play cooperatively as International Rescue. The team try to avert disasters and complete rescues, whilst at the same time trying to thwart the schemes of the evil Hood.

To start off with, the team has three missions to deal with. They complete them by moving the required characters, ships and machines to the locations on the card. Once the combination is in place, the rescue is resolved. This usually, but not always, requires a die roll using 2 d6. These are not normal die, as there is no 6. This is replaced by a Hood advance.

When this is rolled, The Hood moves along his track, setting off events and trying to reach his scheme cards. If he reaches any one before the team have the combination to beat the scheme, he wins. If the team beat all three schemes, they win. Some of the disaster cards are Hood advances too.

Disasters on three continents. Which one can we combine to defeat first?

Each player takes a character card at random. This card has bonuses and benefits that the character can use. The character is your active character and needs to be in a vehicle or ship to make it work. This makes it a bit more difficult as the non active characters cannot pilot ships, they can only be passengers. I drew Virgil, Rick drew John.

Another combination needed to avert disaster in North America.

Once we got used to the game and the rules, we managed to avert a few disasters. This was aided by the lack of Hood Advances cards or dice. It took a lot of thought and tested our ability to cooperate and prioritise.

The Hood's first scheme defeated.

Disaster averted in South America.

Bizarre juxtaposition, Scott in FAB 1 in TB2 and Penelope in TB1! The things you need to do to avert disaster.

The Hood's second scheme thwarted.

One too many disasters means we lose the game.

We managed to complete a good few rescues and we even defeated two of the schemes, but it was the number of disasters that did for us. It took a bit of time to figure out how the disasters moved down the line. The secret is to complete rescues to create a gap in the track and then get John to do a 'scan' to move a card into the gap and give a little breathing space. Don't worry, you'll understand when you play the game.

This game really needs three or four players. Hopefully get a chance to play it again soon.

This game has a personal interest. I get a name credit in the rules as a Kickstarter backer.