A Superb Pike Block

These came as part of my Parthian purchase.  They are exquisite!

Don't Mention The War - Part 11

In what is becoming standard fare, the July/August 1941 turn ended abruptly (20% chance).  It was a good thing no invasion of USSR was underway, but it certainly stuffed up redeployments by the Axis powers.

However the U-boats sailed, or rather sunk, damaged and aborted their way to their new home at Bordeaux.  For the record two U-boats were sunk and one damaged.

Wouldn't want to be a submariner.

In a brighter note at least the British have ceased their occupation of French territory after making a hurried exit from Bayonne.

Production

With the extra partners now in the European Economic Community production has increased, even though the USSR has withdrawn some of its resources, surely a hostile act?  What is not shown is that Germany sent 3 Oil and 1 Resource to Italy.

September/October 1941

The Allies easily win the initiative, but surprisingly the weather is fine.  The USSR is sending massive forces to confront the Japanese.  The Commonwealth continues to rule the waves although the US is claiming the Pacific, having relocated its fleet to Pearl Harbour. This might be to protect Japan from Soviet aggression.

Germany and Italy launch a special economic mission to get Greece to join the new European Community.  For some unknown reason this horrifies the US Senate (they get two rolls at just 30% and pass both - the US will soon be in the war, hopefully on the side of the Europeans).

German trade mission reviewing a Greek building previously looted by the British

The Commonwealth capture Tobruk and have their eyes set on invading Greece.  Will the Europeans get there in time?  The race is on for Athens.

Imperial looters and their newly created ruins in Libya

which they are attempting to add to their Empire

Germany and Italy deploy superior airpower to the Eastern Mediterranean and surprise the British navy.  However it all goes pear shaped and the Axis fighters are shot down and the antiaircraft fire drives off the Italian torpedo bombers. Germany and Italy each lost a fighter and its pilot but at least removed a carrier based fighter and its pilot. 

Italian naval bombers heading for home vowing that they will do better next time

War For The Union - Part Six

It is amazing for a game in which not much is happening that it took Richard and I around four hours to complete about four turns, poor weather turns at that.  Yes there is some administrative fiddlyness, but most of the time it is indecision about knowing what to do.

The West.

Thomas has rebuilt the Army of the Ohio and is trying to threaten Nashville.

Grant, under that Level 3 fatigue marker,

is doing his best to defeat Bragg.

The East is very quiet except for the sound of the rebels digging in.

Note the casualty pile top left hand corner.

That is from the fighting out West.

The Texas campaign has been a bit of a fiasco.

The Union attempt to blast the batteries defending the mouth of the Mississippi

 has been much the same.

However a successful assault has been made at Pensacola.

War For The Union - Part Five

I didn't appreciate the time gap between sessions and as a consequence had largely forgotten what I was doing as the Union as 1862 entered its last quarter.

Once again Blogger has me mystified with its orientation of the images.

Over in the Eastern Theatre Lee has attacked Hooker

recovering the northern parts of the Shenandoah Valley.

In the West the return of Grant has meant a renewal of the fighting for Jackson.

Thomas with the Army of the Ohio has moved up to threaten Nashville.

The Southern sideshow does little to progress the war.

By the end of 1862 the southern front had actually gone backwards!

In the West Grant's offensive had ground on.

Thomas suffered a severe reverse (he's under that black Level 4 Fatigue marker)

There had also been a huge naval battle on the Mississippi 

which saw one Union and three Confederate ships sunk.

In the East there had been lots of fighting and dying,

but not much to show for it.

And then the Rebels publish this:

Richard had done some rule reading and calculating and claimed the the Confederacy had won, or rather that the Union had lost.  He then issued a recount that implies this might not be the case, but would be soon, based on progress to date.

The Battle of Zama

The idea for this game using the Large Battles option for Basic Impetus 2.0 came from this thread on the Impetus forum: https://impetus.darkbb.com/t1608-battle-of-zama

I created army lists and and overview as follows:

Publius Cornelius Scipio has successfully taken the fighting to Carthage.
The Carthaginians have recalled Hannibal from southern Italy to deal with this.
The Roman pillaging of the surrounding countryside forces Hannibal to face them.
Hannibal has 80 elephants, 36,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry.
The Carthaginian infantry comprise citizen levies, mercenaries 
and veterans from the Italian campaigns.
Scipio has 29,000 infantry and 6,100 cavalry.
Roman infantry includes remnants of the 5th and 6th Legions.
These Legions had been disgraced at the Battle of Cannae and were looking for revenge.
The Roman cavalry had been bolstered by Numidian defectors
Hannibal deployed his forces in three lines.
Elephants, skirmishers and mercenaries comprised the first
The second line was the citizen levies with cavalry on either flank.
Finally the veterans formed the third line.
Roman deployment was similar: Velites, Hastati/Princips and then Triarii

Map

Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Zama

Rule changes

To break the Carthaginian army all three commands must be broken

To break the Roman army both Legions must be broken

        Roman large units with pilum can use this weapon twice at their discretion

Ace in the Hole

Hannibal has Iron Discipline

Scipio has Decisive Initiative

Narrative

With the recent purchase of Republican Romans I was ready to go and Simon encouraged me to give it a go sooner rather than later, rounding in a number of other players.  Only thing was, he had to drop out due to a Covid exposure.

This was how I set it up.

Note it is the inverse of the set up in the map

(i.e. Carthaginians are on the left, not the right)

Mark Woods as the Carthaginian commander, assisted by another Marc,

had other ideas.

The Romans were Stephen N, John and Brad.

Experience with the rules was varied.

I umpired.

The Carthaginian got off to a good start.

Their Numidians besting the Roman's Numidians

But that was as good as it got.

End of the second turn.

Hoping to repeat the success of their left wing cavalry.

the Carthaginians aggressively engaged the Romans on their right.

Note the light cavalry locked in combat top right hand corner.

They stayed that way all game.

The centre is now engaged,

the Romans had been hanging back.

The Carthaginian repositioning of their veterans in the third line,

has paid off and they are now well placed.

It could of gone better for the Carthaginians.

Their left is compromised

and 

Both the Carthaginian veterans and the left Roman legion are close to breaking.

The Carthaginian first line has routed.

The dice are there to show on a critical turn to seize initiative,

both sides threw a double six.

The Roman Numidians who had swept round the Carthaginian left keep sweeping...

It was a bloody battle.

With just the surrounded Carthaginian second line unbroken.

we ended the game.

Note the light cavalry still fighting on, top right hand corner.

This was my first attempt to refight an historical battle using Basic Impetus and I was very happy how it played out.  Will certainly do it again.

Middle Republic versus Marian Romans

My new Romans take the field against Dave's not so new Marians.  Could this spell the end of the Republic?  Would Old Glory win out over even older Minifigs?

With flanks secured by woods and difficult terrain, the two armies line up

The armies advance, but there is a note of caution.

There is a pause while the Marians way up whether to try and charge and throw two pila but get their impetus bonus and receive four pila back at them, or should they hold and throw four pila in defence?

Decision, decisions.

The Marians charge and get the better of the Republicans.

However the Republicans start to push forward on both flanks.

The Republican centre is starting to crumble

But the same can be said for the Marian's flanks.

A sad end for the Republic

 

Don't Mention The War - Part 10 from Facebook

 AUSGAME2022

J/A 1941 – GERMANY FAILS ITS DOW

Return to base, J/A production, Vichy declaration and reinforcements. Vichy Territorial rolls nearly results in a complete collapse of the Free French empire with only the Pacific Islands and French Guiana survive – French Guiana becomes the new home country and Cayenne becomes the new capital. This is a huge benefit to the Axis, as nearly all the French fleet less the BS and CVs had relocated to French Equatorial Africa – CA’s Subs, transports and Convs – now all Vichy. The Vichy French army and air force in metropolitan Vichy France is enormous and very concerning to the British are the 4 Ftrs operating out of Marseille – this may well stop the CW declaring War against Vichy and its territories – another huge bonus for the Axis, especially the Italian. Britain and the CW now Stands alone against Germany and Italy. The US Senate is alarmed about the collapse of France as two chits head to the US German pool.

Drums roll – against the odds the Axis wins both rolls for the J/A initiative, Germany attempts to break the pact and after two recounts of the GV is unable to DOW against Russia as he is 1.5 points short – 117.5 v 119! The German was incredibly unlucky as his two chit draws for the previous M/A turn were two 1’s, if either had been a 2, Operation Barbarossa would have been launched, if the turn had not ended on a 1 in M/A he could have railed an additional 3 units and rebased more air (2 Stukas were on their way) - Operation Barbarossa would have been launched and if the German had built an extra INF or two rather than the oil facility in M/A - Operation Barbarossa would have been launched! Russia does not escape attention though as Japan, not constrained by GV and with guaranteed fine weather (2 Rolled) makes its DOW on Russia. Failing their USE roll, the US gets another chit in the Japanese pool.

Axis 1st Impulse - Italy takes a Naval, sends out its subs to hunt British convoys with a handy find double find in the Atlantic, damaging 6 Convs and aborting 3 – 1 sub damaged. Naval air fly into both the W and E Med letting the British know that they are going to challenge these two see areas, especially now that they can count on extra German aircraft to support them now that OP Barbarossa has been delayed until 42. Germany takes a Land, and aligns Hungary, no USE chit as German units enter Hungary along its border. Seeing the BEF still in France and wanting to dissuade it from remaining ‘on O’lliday’ the German forces drive towards their defensive line – en masse, supported by air and Arm/Mech. Japan takes a Land and assaults Vladivostok, with the help of surprise and IJN in direct support, the Russian city is taken on a +16 Assault with a TOTT roll. The two Russian subs are scuttled in the harbour- both roll 3’s – Japan celebrates her early victory. Japanese Divs operating from the Sakhalin islands cross the border capturing two Russian minor ports.

Allied 1st Impulse – The CW takes a Combined and sails the Home Fleet into the Bay of Biscay under the cover of Ftrs from the UK, embarking both the HQs, Wavell and Gort as the BEF runs away to Bordeaux. Force H sails into the E Med to hunt the two Italian Acft – 8 rolled, no find. British acft fly into the W Med hunting the Italian CA Fume and its covering acft. Both sides find, but mixed result as the British 7 Factor Spitfire is aborted back to Gibraltar and the CA Fume is damaged. Russia calls out its RES and reinforces the Far East and awaits the clash of empires as the 2ndSino-Soviet war begins. With Pearl Harbour now active, 3 US BS arrive as the lead elements of the Pacific Fleet – Japan is not happy with this recent development, but US is now being more attentive and interested in the war as the Hawks in its government start to agitate for my action from the US people and its Government. Churchill is given a direct land line to Roosevelt and the White House and hopes that the US will now start to support the Allies with Convs and some destroyers from their vast stocks.

Axis 2nd Impulse – Weather 6, fine with Rain in the N Monsoon. Germany aligns Rumania – alarmed the US Senate, it is, a chit enters the German pool. Germany and Japan take land actions, Italy takes a no cost Air to rebase all its aircraft, a ‘big’ Nav heads to the French Coast to ‘play’ with the British and 2 Mdm bombers fly to the Bordeaux AO to coax the BEF to leave – not that it needs anymore incentive. Italian and German Ftrs head to the Med. German Land sees the units in France advance to Bordeaux keeping the pressure on the BEF, units’ rail to Romania, including HQs and several mountain units head South to the Bulgarian border. Ftrs and bombers redeploy. Japan takes a Combined and disembarks the HQ Yamashita into Northern Russia to coord and lead the assault against the city of Khabarovsk, Japanese units advance and acft, both Ftrs and Land are rebased to support Land Ops against Russia.

Allied 2nd Impulse – CW takes a Naval and escorts its Convoys, the Med Fleet joins Force H in the E Med but fails to find the Axis Nav and Ftrs rolling another 8, the Axis finds on a 2 but declines combat as it awaits air reinforcements. Another two tpts sail into the Bay of Biscay and embark the two last MECH Corps from Bordeaux – the BEF has left the building, well almost only an 8 ARM XXX remains in Bayonne – but not for long. The British Conv system is also stripped back as the Bay of Biscay ‘pipeline’ is reduced from 9 Convs to only 3 as Axis Acft and Subs can now operate from the W Coast of France (Brest). Russia takes a land and rails units to the Far East, reinverting two, the Polish border garrison and defensive line is significantly changed as units redeploy, now that Rumania has aligned itself with Germany. Another two units are sent to the Far Eats as is the first long range bomber. Three more BS sail to Pearl – and then there were 6.

Axis 3rd Impulse – Weather is a 5, fine with Storm in the N Monsoon. Germany aligns Bulgaria – another chit enters the German pool, as the US Senate is further alarmed about the number of European countries drawn to the Axis camp. Germany and Japan take Land actions, Italy again another no cost combined. Japan takes a land and assaults the Russian 5.5 MOT outside Khabarovsk, and on a +10.5 Blitz attack. rolling average, it is Blitzed to the spiral as Japanese units advance towards their prize, the city of Khabarovsk. Germany rails the HQ Rundstedt into Bulgaria to lead operations against? Stukas and Mountain units also arrive this turn. German units in France liberate Bordeaux and advance toward the British 8 ARM XXX in Bayonne -time to wave good bye to France.

Allied 3rd Impulse – in two weeks as Germany and Japan take a holiday.

An anticlimactical night as most had expected that Germany was to succeed in its DOW v Russia – it should have. Certainly, Germany was unlucky in the EOT roll of 1 and the chit draw of two 1 chit for his garrison, but extra railed units earlier in the M/A turn and a focus on maxing out the build for this turn could have remediated the risk of a 1 ending the turn. It is what it is. Germany and the Axis will now focus on the war against the CW, capturing Greece, and aligning Yugoslavia and turning the tide in the Med against the British – Briton stands alone until the US enters, and the recent cascade of chits (5) into the US entry pools will have significantly helped. The Axis failed every USE chit bar one! One major advantage for the Axis is that Free France has ceased to exist, and the Vichy French army and air-force is large by normal game standards. This will deter the CW from any DOW against Vichy territories which will hamper operations in the Med and benefit Italy greatly.

· EOT – End of Turn

· BP - Build Point

· TOTT – Top of the table a 23 or more

· LOC – Line of Communications

· NCC - No Cost Combined – no oil used

· USE - US Entry

Western Europe - Axis Occupied

The Battle for the E Med begins

Germany occupies Paris

... and the bands played

The new Capital of the Free French

Operation Barbarossa postponed until 42 - missed the GV by 'that much' 1.5 points

The Japanese declare war on the Russians - as if they didn't have anything else to do !

US Entry 5 chits added in this one turn 

2 for Vichy Declaration, 2 for Alignments and 1 for the DOW by Japan

Only Russian losses this turn