This link outlines the Chrono Walk thru for 1942 with details all the major battles for the year.

This post here, walks us through what is going on and what the game play plan is or was. Not too much has changed.

I still have a slow burn interest in getting the Coral Sea done as a PBeM event, look me up if you care to play.

This then brings us to a examination of the what else happened in 1942. Lots of action in Afrika. Already widely covered by DAK2, I thought the appeal of playing a classic SPI title was a bit hard to resist as Trail of the Fox is teasing me. So we shall give it a try! At the very least through the 1942 turns.

May ends up being a busy month during WWII with the Coral Sea Battle, the renewed German offensive in the East and Rommels campaign all happening in that timeframe. Therefore we must find yet another East front title!

GMT’s Caucasus Campaign is punched and the rules read, so it might see the table this year, and that would address the East Front without breaking out a monster.  The three aforementioned titles will likely see this year of WWII gaming out for our chronological walk thru.

In other news:

The GTS system almost made it to the table…setup and sorting through my punched copy got the better of me though. Back in the box. This might be a forlorn cause. My 2 plays of The Mighty Endeavour have stalled out, one partially due to me the other my opponent, hoping to get those back on track. Reluctant Enemies continues apace, with about 8 turns left in the campaign, for which I am sadly behind on writing up.

 

Modern Combat

Last week there was a cancelled session of Forgotten Heroes, so that needs to be tabled to happen. Along with a second playing of The Final Gamble so I can play all of it through and do it correctly this time. In the mean time La Vallee de la Mort is on the magnet board and awaiting some die tossing!

Steve and I are wrapping up Supreme Commander and rolling right into The Third World War on the new Vassal module. I shall use Hackett and the Red Army as my guide!! :

While that is underway Sinai from SPI is also feeling like a good next title to try to keep cranking thru the Modern titles currently in the Library.

Napoleonic update.

#Fail. I could not endure much of La Batt, perhaps it is the wrong battle to try, but that was not a rich redeeming experience. COA’s rules are mostly ok to consume, but melee and pointless musket exchanges really make the game a burden to play solo.  the Cav rules seem  ok and the command system is simple but effective. I think The Gamers could take a leaf out of that book for command rules for their Napoleonic system currently under re write.

Le Bat, does stand in stark contrast to the OSG’s tactical system, which  really needs a freshening up and a combat make over. Despite what anybody says about it being an ‘operational game’  the NLB system is tactical in that its scale and unit size make it so, its just that the titles focus is allegedly on the approach to battle and thus the raison d’etre. If you were to just setup the day of battle scenarios the full weakness of the game system becomes readily apparent. Which is why the same combat system used at Divisional level in the Days  Series from OSG is SO GOOD. Its the right level of detail for that scale, with real maneuver possible.

 

The Days scale of 1km per hex clearly demonstrates the Leadership challenges of command, the usefulness of hidden units and the importance of Vedettes. Neither system has meaningful supply rules or penalties for demoralization however. NLB is a cut and paste copy of this Days system or is it the other way around? Lazy design work is what it feels like, which sits at odds with Zuckers fantastic passion and knowledge. Find the Days system folks, and buy them. Great replay value and a quick playing game to boot [Possibly avoid Last Days of Grand Armee, but the rest are superb]!

Thus the hunt for great tactical play without massive overhead continues. That also blows up the proposed side by side play of NBS (The Gamers) Talavera. Tabled for another time.

In the mean time I am reading these rules of the pictured game below to see if a Play by Poll would be feasible. It has potential.

Ancients

On a bit of a roll here. 3 linked battles from C3i #26 complete forming a nice campaign about Magna Graecia and the 330’s in the Southern Italian Peninsula.

Lots of play on Carthage. With a live Face to Face opponent it is a priority that I make the most of the ability to play this system. So much so that a solo game is now setup in the bunker for the 2nd time. See the play throughs on the blog en masse! I am writing up some notes on game play, and some of the rules challenges. Our 2nd game continues face to face as well.

American Civil War

There is now a catalyst to play. After a trip to Gettysburg and a firm offer to trade away my copy of This Hallowed Ground THG) I must soon play Last Chance and THG side by side. Just a smaller scenario but enough to give us all a feel for the two systems.

Thats it.  As always time limits my fervent desires to get games to table. I really would like to play Imperium Romanum II, A Distant Plain, more Musket & Pike, more Panzer and Firepower soon. In November I have a 3 day weekend planned with lots of gaming goodness pre booked, stay tuned for some four player gaming and fun live blogging the weekend of the 14th of Nov.