Tank on Tank Defenders of the Reich: Hunters

I played one of the scenarios from the Defenders of the Reich supplement yesterday, using the much larger maps that come with the scenario booklet. I deliberately chose a scenario using Map F so that I could find out how the river and bridge terrain worked with the rules. The Germans had to wipe out a unit of infantry and a tank destroyer that had been cut off on the wrong side of the river, while a company of M26 Pershings tried to break through via the bridge to save them. 

It was a good game but the Germans managed to eliminate all of the trapped units, effectively blocking the road across the bridge with a lone Tiger for most of the eight turns. The US tankers broke through in the end but it was too little too late. I really enjoyed this scenario and the larger map, which allows a little more room for manoeuvre, so I've chosen another scenario featuring the bridge map for the next game. I think I need to iron out the creases first though!

Tank on Tank Westfront: Last Stand

I re-played the Last Stand 1945 scenario this afternoon, featuring three Tiger I's, a Panzer IV and a Wespe against seven Shermans and a couple of Wolverines. On paper it should be a walkover for the Tigers due to their range and armour but the US player has the advantage of having two command units and twice the numbers, so it isn't as simple as you might think. In this game, the Tigers got pasted by the Wolverines while the Shermans stayed out of range on the flanks, with only two knocked out by Turn 8 in exchange for all of the German AFV's. A definite victory for the Yanks but good fun all the way.

Tank on Tank Westfront: Break In

I'm on holiday again, so have kicked off with a solo game of Tank on Tank Westfront. I set up Scenario 8: Break In from the main rulebook, with a US armoured spearhead attempting to break through the German defensive front lines to re-supply a surrounded garrison. A scratch German Kampfgruppe had to stop them getting the supplies through while holding on to as many towns as possible.

I won't go through all ten turns in detail but it didn't go well for the Americans, who lost an entire tank company, a SPAT platoon and a couple of Armoured Infantry platoons, while the Germans only lost an AT gun platoon and a couple of Panzer IV platoons. The German AT guns were well sited in improved defensive positions and also rolled some impressively high dice, especially against the Shermans which went up in flames before they could break through the defensive PaK screen.

I enjoyed the game and will run some more over the holiday period including some new scenarios from the Defenders of the Rhine expansion.

Table Air Combat Komet

Just found out that Paper Forge have a new aircraft set for Table Air Combat - the Me-163 Komet rocket powered interceptor. I don't fancy trying to fly that as they had an unfortunate tendency to blow up before, during or after take off, let alone crash landing on the way back down!

Mr Jack

I found a half price copy of this game in a gift shop last week, so thought I'd give it a try, especially as I have a few days away on holiday. It looks like a neat little portable game with some interesting gameplay elements, so I'm looking forward to trying it out.

Aquitaine

I had an original version of this simple but fun medieval board game in the Sandhurst Wargames book as a kid, so was really pleased to find a stand alone version published by the Society of Ancients but now out or print. It was on eBay and one else put in a bid, so I got it for less than the price of pint, which is pretty good. I really enjoyed playing this solo when I had my copy, so I'm looking forward to playing it again. I just hope it hasn't aged as much as the TTG micro games that I've been playing recently that are from a similar era? 

Micro Fleet Frigate Action

I played out a simple two ship game this morning, with HMS Spartan (38) intercepting the Perle (40) somewhere off the coast of Brittany. The basic set up was a T shape with Perle crossing the T and Spartan sailing at right angles. The wind was from the South so that Perle had the wind aft and Spartan on the bow. 

In Turn 1 both frigates advanced toward each other, with Perle making a two point turn to larboard, Perle loading her port battery and Spartan her starboard batteries with shot, anticipating some long range fire. In Turn 2, Spartan turned four points to larboard and then sailed 200mm forwards, while Perle did exactly the same manoeuvre in order to close the range.

At this point, the issue of simultaneous movement cropped up, with incremental steps having to be taken once Perle decided to fire on Spartan half way through the move. When this fire was eventually resolved, requiring seven different tables to be referenced and four different calculations, Perle succeeded in inflicting sixteen casualties and two destroyed guns on Spartan's starboard side. 

In Turn 3, HMS Spartan turned two points to larboard then opened fire to rake Perle as she passed, resulting in yet more tedious calculations to inflict only twenty casualties and two destroyed guns, one on each side of the hull. This seemed a little light for a stern rake but there you go. The move continued to the end with Spartan moving straight ahead and Perle continuing her three point turn and forward move.

At this point, I lost interest as I had forgotten how much number crunching was involved with this set of rules and decided to call it a day. The game had moved quite quickly despite all the tables and charts, calculations and head scratching, but in the end I had had enough. I declared the scenario a draw but a tactical victory for the Royal Navy.

There are two main problems with the Micro Fleet Napoleonic rules which, for me, made them far too clunky.

The biggest issue is simultaneous movement and firing, which complicates the turn and forces you to take every move one step at a time. This was very tedious and complicated further by the need to reassess move rates due to changing aspect to the wind, as each move progressed. There was also no initiative rule or order of movement as a result, which meant that both the French and British moved and fired together. 

The other problem was the number of tables and calculations required for just the simplest of actions, making anything more than a couple of ships a side far too cumbersome to manage. When I used to play this game solo back in the '80's I seem to remember having three or four ships a side but how I did that I have no idea? 

On the plus side, the components are still very good and the move templates, firing gauge and wind direction circle are all very well designed. There's a potential game in there somewhere, using the ship counters and templates, but it would require a full on rewrite of the rules to make it a decent fast play system including some rules for initiative and streamlined rules for movement, firing and damage.

Oh well, it was worth a try!