Normandy 44, GMT Games

 

It looks like the game of  Hearts and Minds played by Molina and Jordi has been blocked and they can not continue with their vassal match.

So, at our gaming club last week, we meet all of us and I proposed to play Normandy’44 by GMT games by vassal. This departs from our other vassal games as it is a classical hex-and-counter game and not a CDG. However, counter density and map size are reasonably small to manage in laptop screens, so it could be a good choice for vassal PBEM. Jordi and I have played a couple of turns once a few months ago in FTF and have found the game really excellent.

As usual, both of them agreed and we will play as me as the Germans against Molina as Brit and Jordi with US. Fortunately Vassal module is ready to be played with 2-3-4 players so it will be easy to handle the game.

As it is a typical i-go-you-go game, no much interaction is needed and we may advance in the game relatively fast (depending on family&job’s schedules).

We will try to report after every half turn.

TURN 3 fall 1861 "For the people"

This turn, card hand rises to 6 cards, the rest of the game will be  7 cards turn.

Interphase stuff: This is a special interphase due to 90 days enlistement. No reinforcement this time, just the possibility to move troops by railroad and two new leaders for CSA.

Card 1. Union begins redeploying leaders, and confederacy moves AoNV against Frederick, hard battle there (poor old Beauregard dies) but a southern victory, political control placed in Frederick, next card could bring a first attempt to reach Washington (WDC).

Card 2. Union has a +4 (+2 McLellan +2 fort) at WDC but AoMV is also a +4, so a bad dr could mean WDC falling. So union decides to counter attack, active AoP (just a +1 army) from Culpepper  against Hanover in order to cut supply line of AoNV and to theraten Richmond. Gambit works and AoNV comes back to south to reestablish a supply line and fights against AoP, Hanover battle is another smashing victory of the south, but WDC is relived.

                                           ... no LOC for AoNV so gets back and crushes AoP!!

Card 3. AoP backs to Frederick and reinforces with troops from WDC, then AoNV strikes again against AoP at Frederick, but this time AoP stands (with lots of luck) and  wins a soft  battle.

Card 4. Fort placed again at frederick, this gives AoP +3 against +4 of AoNV . AoNV gets an elite unit (a future +1 for any hard battle to come)

Card 5. then Union arises blockade level by one (to two) and CSA reorganized his leaders

Card 6. Union plays a campaing card (wich let TWO moves) allowing to close Senandoah gate with halleck corps (15000 men) detached from WDC  and Banks moves his men to get Kentucky for the union. (Very good hand card for union this turn 3)...but now another campaign card for the CSA!!. First move: AoNV backs for the other side this time against Halleck at Harper Ferry (AoP haven't cavalry yet, so just a 1 to intercept), another voctory for the south, and halleck retreats to Chambersburg (Pa) with 5000 men. Then for the second activation Van Dorn ("1" leader, it means all cards activate him) takes advantage of the AoNV work and goes to strike Chambersburg. Not enough troops to do a raid, but he could have close WDC rail connection with north in order to reduce reinforcement rate,...but fails the battle and Halleck is new hero of the union.

Turn losses (bloody one):    casualties.                attrition.
USA                                    45000                      5000
CSA                                    30000                      5000

War  losses:  (casualties +  attrition)
USA                       95000
CSA                       60000

SW
USA 104(-) +10 Kentucky joins the union -5war weariness.                   Blockade level=2
CSA  95(-)

Soviet Disaster, WWII:Barbarossa to Berlin

Ok, for the last weeks, we have been playing our first game of WWII: Barbarossa to Berlin.
We have done some mistakes at the beginning, mainly concerning Stalin orders and Combat Cards but not too critical.
Germans (Molina)  sent all their forces to crush the Russians before winter arrives. Russians (myself) did not understand quite well the advance rules and were outflanked by the mobile panzer formations. I think that the game does not deserve a full AAR unless anybody wants to laugh on russian mistakes.
At the end of turn Three (just before winter) Russian played a 5-point card for replacements, running out of cards for the last action. German succeeded to envelop Moscow (with Stalin inside) and with just 1-ops to play I couldn`t save the Red Army and i surrendered.
Here is the final situation of the overwhelming Nazi victory:


We are going to see if Russian has learned anything from this hard lesson and we will begin again with same sides.

WWII: Barbarossa to Berlin, GMTGames

We are back again to continue with our plays by Vassal and ACTS.

After a few weeks deciding what to play and reading some rulebooks, and with Alberto (Titokiza) under a few meters of snow and blizzard skiing in the Alps, we have decide that our souls are ready for a hard fight in Russia. So we have chosen to play Ted Raicer's game WWII: Barbarossa to Berlin published by GMT Games.

This is somewhat like the WWII version of Paths of Glory. We have read the rulebook and tried to understand the differences with PoG. The special rules for Mechanized units and the not-so-critical supply system seemed to be the main issues to catch. We will see how many wrong rules we will apply. Initial strategies however seems to be clear. Axis must push Barbarossa as far as possible, keeping supply lines sure whereas Soviet should exchange terrain for time, waiting for better times to counterattack. How to apply this general lines with your cards will be the main challenge.

TURN 2 Summer 1861 "For the people"

Begins turn 2 after resolving political affairs and reinforcement. No special things to point out this time, excepting the fact that in turn 2, seven USA leaders enter the game (they represent corp leaders, so they are generals with a command of some divisions). Most of them are bad leaders, but there are three specially importants. McLlelan, activation of "3" (worst), zero in attack (worst) but a defense of "2" (rating goes from 0 to 3) and a political rating of "10" it means that wherever he goes, he is in charge. And  Pope (attack =1, defense=0) and Burnside (attack =0, defense=1) both with an activation rating of "2", it means that they can act with cards of value of "2" and "3". This fact is very important as  it usually means that in the first turns of the war USA often  can't almost move due to the hand you drew.

On the other hand confederacy receives three leaders, two average ones (Smith and Bragg) and one very important  Stuart, he is the first cavalry leader in the game, so once in an army (biggest military estructure in the game) it is not penalized in combat and can react much better (drm= -2  for retreating and intercepting). It means that once CSA builds army of north Virginia (AoNV), usually at the beginning of turn 2, it has easily a drm for combat of "+4" in attack and "+5" in defense, and his enemy AoP (northern Army of the Potomac) usually has attack "+1", "+1" in defense. So a hard turn for the union to come!

The first activation for Union is to destroy the raiders already in Pennsylvania, Pope gets his 25000 men and destroys both grey divisions in Philadelphia and Harrisburg. In FtP battles are usually very evenly resolved,  the combat table doesn't consider a lot the size ratios, being much more important supply status or the rating of the leaders. After the battle (when you begin a battle with at least double troups than the defender, and you win,  you can continue with your move) Pope continues to reinforce Dc, Baltimore and AoP at Frederick (Md). Then south creates AoNV, J. Johnston is in charge, it hits in A.J.Johnston ego, with a highest political rating and only a "corp leader" detached in Nashville (Tn), so CSA is penalized with 5 victory points.

Union plays a card to build a fort in Frederick (most direct way to reach WDC) and CSA plays a dvision move (5000 men) from Vicksburg to reinforce Marshal (Tx) to avoid blue advance from Sabine City where 15000 troops are waiting for a future offensive inside Texas.

Next Union card is to rise blockade level, now bkde level=1. It's an abstract way to represent the blockade union navy did to avoid south from receiving war materials.(Each reinforcement phase south has to roll a die higher than bkde level in order to receive 5000 men in a port for each of the forth blockade zones). Then south plays   a  reinforcement card which gives 10000 troops in St Marks (Fl).

CAMPAIGN CARD: Union plays another good card (a minor campaign) it lets your side to do two  movements in a row (minor) or three (major). First was Freemont deploying a garrison in three espaces in Kentucky, that way if they are supplied at the end of the turn a politcial control marker (PC) is placed. The other movement was Burnside spreading from West Virginia to Manassas detaching 1sp (5000 troops) in each espace. It's risky if your enemy can overun you with a 10 vs1 force, but not the case this time. South plays a political event that passed again to neutral three espaces in Ky. North seeing impossible an offensive from Sabine to inside Texas, uses a naval event to reduce the garrison from 15000 to 10000 (it's the maximun amount that do not takes attrition) and with these 5000 men do an amphibius assault to Morehead City (Nc), each Union controled port is a blockade zone near to be closed. Then south moved AoNV aproaching to WDC, in the way a minor batlle were fought that killed poor old Burnside at Manassas. AoNV moves further after his victory in order to deploy more to reduce attrition.

USA SW=100(-)            blkde level=1
CSA SW=95(-)               it changed due to the creation of AoNV

                  turn   combat casualties:                turn attrition casualties     Total (casualties + attrition):
Union:                 15,000                                          15,000                               45000
Confederation:    15,000                                             -                                      25000

Situation in the east before AONV attacks Manassas  (summer 1861)

Kentucky at the end of turn 2, it doesn't join the union due to the political event played by CSA

TURN 1 Spring 1861 "For the people"

BPA SEMIFINAL game of  Trans-Mississippi consolation bracket.

BPA Boardgame Players Association, it is a way for gamers to join and play in an official way. For USA gamers is easy to meet in big conventions, there are several all over the year all over USA geography, but for european players is much more difficult. So BPA is a way to play a tournament, very well organized and managed by fine buddies, who often show you how to play properly. Thus, you learn a game you love, and if you have any question you may ask directly to your opponent or even to the game master  (if you think the question would show the enemy which your next play would be)

In the "For The People" tournament, we began 52 players and after five rounds there were 4 top players with 4 victories, and 12 (I was there) with three victories and just one defeat. As the tournament was already running for two years, and fearing it would longer even more, Don, our GM (game master) decided to do a draw to qualify 4 of us (not me) to the final-final and the other 8 to a paralel consolation tournament called "Trans Mississippi". So here I am, at the semifinal of this tournament, fighting with the North against Mr Michael Mitchell.

I'm again playing north, I think is easier to me achieving a victory with north, but I have played 4 times in this tournament with north and I would have liked to change side this time.


The first turn is the shortest in the game (full hand size is reached  in turn 4 spring 1862). So there are just four actionsrounds in this turn. South didn't campaign so north begins.

With a good card hand North launched an offensive in Senandoah with Army of Potomac (AoP), the only army at the begining of the war. McDowell with his poor leadership was defeated at Winchester by JJ even with a ratio 3:1. South first card was an political offensive in Kentucky placing three PC (political control) markers, it can be done directly in neutral spaces. Second round began with a political counter attack: with a "2" card Union places two PCs at  Grafton (WV) and Bowling Green (Ky). South does the same with a "1" card at Lexington (Ky) in order to close supply exits from Ohio, both sorties are closed politically Loiuisville and Falmouth.

With another "3" card in hand Union activates Freemont from West picking up all dispersed blue garrisons and spreads over East Kentucky to deny South political control. South moves Beauregard with 15000 men (now the biggest South corp in the game) back to Richmond to reduce attrition, secure back door of the capital (Petersburg) and to prepare the launch of last turn offensive.

As the last card play North plays an event to amphibious assault troops in Sabine (Tx), back door of Confederation. Considering South had no enough troops to encircle Dc, attacking first Fredericksburg and then spreading over Maryland . It's a big  mistak. In spite that  it's a good option to force South to reinforce the west with needed troops, it invited South to a dangerous move  (as it did) smashing Fredericksburg garrison and then reaching Harrisburg and Philadelphia (Pa). Not able to put a PC marker due to the lack of supply (goodness sake) but cutting the railroad to Dc in order to reduce the east reinforcements form 40,000 men to 20,000.

USA SW=100(-)
CSA SW=100(+)               ...no change the same as the set up.

                     combat casualties:                     attrition casualties:
Union:              10,000                                          5,000
Confederation:  10,000                                             -

AoP stopped in Winchester (Va) and South offensive with last card into Pennsylvania heart. No rail LOC for Dc, so western reinforcement reduced for the next turn.

"FOR THE PEOPLE" GMTGames

 

There are several reasons that makes this ACW (american civil war) game a "must" for me, ...must own, and must play. It is a CDG game, so it means that you can play it perfectly by mail (vassal or cyberboard) specialy if you use ACTS (fantastic card track system). With all the topics that makes CDG games so special, lots of things to do, lots of possibilities, but you must take just one. You can play all the ACW in one afternoon. You will have to deal with (of course)  military operations, political topics (international  support, trade, etc), naval blockade, and one of the things likes me most is that leaders are ranked  using their political abilities, so if you have in the same space Sherman and Butler it's a pity for you but Butler will be in charge.

I have played the whole campaign several times, and I find that is easier to play with North, lots of men to recruit, cheap forts, all naval power at your disposition, and several places to attack for keeping confederation busy (Texas, Florida, Mississipi forts, Kentuky and West Virginia). Main problems are:  leaders are very bad at the begining (not only in their offensive or defensive abilities) specially in their activation rating. Almost all of them are "3" leaders, it means that with an average card hand you are almost still. A desesperate lack of cavalry, and an eternal worry about not loosing your capital.

On the other hand playing South is very, very funny (...but think tahtyou will likely lose the war). You have better leaders, less activation ratings, lots of cavalry, several places to attack or raid (Senandoah, West Virginia, Kentucky) or even straight to Frederick.  But obviously it is not so easy, you have to deal with very strong problems: lower replacement rates, blockade asphyxia,  and Union power always threatening you everywhere to avoid you crossing lots of points.

I am now playing the FtP 2011-2103 tournament. after five rounds I'm in the consolation bracket (4 victories and 1 defeat) playing semifinals against a tough buddy Michael Mitchell. I will try to make a report of every turn we do.