Back at the end of 2014, I posted a poll, those that popped votes on thanks so much.

The up shot of it was that you want more of the same. More AARs in similar hackneyed style, more video, more narrative and more images. ‘K… So far this year I’ve played a mixed bag of things with some surprising titles being added to the mix.

As you can see here:

The trip to Seattle [Game On con] this year was 99% focussed on Third World War, so plays of new and different titles is way down so far. Plus as a group we have not met to play very much at all, bar a SAGA session and the Quartermaster sessions and the odd CC Ancients thingy.

Projects update-

Chronological Walk Thru of WWII:

Earlier this year I wrapped up a play of Gazala from Revolution Games, and Flat Top in order to round off some elements of the Chronological walk thru WWII for 1942.

You can see progress to date – PreWar and 1939 , 1940 , 1941 here and what we have of 1942 in this link * updated with links to current plays and some new historical images.

So from the above in Europe we are needing to deal with the Caucasus campaign and Stalingrad, in Afrika perhaps on a smaller scale there are a number of battles we can look at such as Tobruk, El Alamein if we come across easy smaller titles. I’ve done a partial Desert Fox and 2 plays of the DAK2 campaign to cover the bases. The big campaign element required now is Tunisia.

The play of Bloody Ridge and Matanikau give us a good feel for ground actions in the Pacific in ’42, while CV and Flat Top round off some key naval engagements. I don’t see a strong need to hunt down extra titles there. Looming in the background is War of the Suns that will get table time once the confidence in the rules re write is high enough.

Three elements in 1942 during  July – November then come to mind:

1. Stalingrad [Currently the only title I own is the monster L2 edition of Streets of Stalingrad (vid)]

2. Drive on the Caucasus [Simonitch’s Caucasus campaign would be a nice change of pace, with perhaps a side bar play of Drive for Oil in Case Blue to compare [?]

3. Tunisia [this would be an OCS title play]

That I fear would run us out of 2015….unless we get busy! 😉 What else is going on?

VASSAL Play:

In the meantime VASSAL sessions of : War and Peace, Third World War and (possibly starting soon) Carthage are on the go. Brad Smith and I finished a learning scenario of Air & Armor, I resigned from my OCS Reluctant Enemies tournament play to take a well deserved loss. Just too ahistorical a play style going on, I am not cut throat enough! Fortunately Reluctant enemies got a streamlined vassal play with another buddy which wrapped up awhile ago. I recommend the game for folks interested in OCS.

Face to Face

Last week I played my first Point to Point CDG on the ACW, For the People. Interesting. This has led to an interest in the Great Campaigns of ACW series (a separate video on that coming.). Look for a new game play soon of Le Retour de l Empereur, as I may have found a willing partner. Pete, Brady, Cisco, Charles and co will no doubt have some multiplayer options going forward. There is talk of a Britannia multi-player session in  May.

Modern War – Help me CHOOSE!!!!

The 2nd Solo of Third World War is wrapping up, with another Soviet failure. That shall do for the Chadwick system for now. Which leaves the question of what is next in the Modern Conflict arena?

You guys pick a title. Post a comment and we will look at setting it up ASAP!

Ancients & Napoleonics

Right now I have a long overdue ‘play test’ of Waterloo 200 pending. The aforementioned Pratzen Editions game and of course the ongoing PbeM Waterloo campaign which is currently set at Day 2 1400. I think most of the players are having fun.

On the ancients front the goal is to wrap up a stop motion video play of the battle of Raphia, then look at either another Leadership Evolved series similar to Caesar v Pompey or find a series of battles to link together.

Other thoughts on Ancients has a re examination of Imperium Romanum II, Hellenes and Successors.