AUSGAME 2024 NEW GAME Part 2

 AUSGAME2 2023 – The Weather Pain Continues – No Fine Weather for Germany

JAN/FEB 1940 (Cont)

Allied 2ndimpulse, Germany’s fine weather hopes collapse as the Allies roll another 10 for weather - snow in N temp. The CW declare a Naval and commence the Norwegian mining option, a roll is a 5 dropping to a 4 for a good result. The US Senate fails to appreciate this act of blatant aggression – no US Chit loss. The CW sail escorts to their convs and search for the German Raider Kormoran and find her rolling a 1 after the Kormoran rolled a 1 to find the Convs! The Kormoran barely escapes the surprise of being found and is damaged, aborting back to Germany for repairs. The French, Russian and Chinese all take a NCC as bad weather is their best friend, and they need to do little.

EOT advances by 3.

Axis 3rd impulse. Weather roll and yep, another Storm – weather roll is a 7 but is modified to 10. This is effectively the sixth 10 or more for weather in only 9 rolls (discounting the starting weather set up) signaling the worst winter/weather on record. Germany takes a no cost Land to conserve oil. Italy takes a Naval and searches for the convoy in the Red Sea and finds it and its escort HMS Terror with a handy 9 – 2 split, the Terror is sunk, but the Italian joy is short lived as the search for CW convoys outside Gibraltar sees a 10-1 split in the CW favour sinking an Italian Sub and damaging the other. Japan conserves oil and takes NCC. Germany trips up again and rolls the EOT, which drops the initiative to +1 Axis. Again, the bad weather costs the German the 3 Swedish Resources – 2 BPs lost to the German production – more effective than Strat Bombing.

A Partisan turns up outside Hanoi as the French in Indochina oppress the locals, None for China as the Japanese ‘Hearts and Minds’ program seems to be working in placating the populace. RTB and production. US declare the loan of resources to China, failing the roll they move a chit to tension.

MAR/APR 1940 - More Weather Pain – No Fine Weather for Germany

Axis win the initiative and elect to go first with the hope of rolling high – they have done so all through N/D and J/F. With a +3 on the die roll they have a better than average roll of rolling Fine or Rain in the Temperate to get their plans in Europe back on track. But again, the dice Gods intervene and deliver a 3 +3 (6) for another STORM in the Temp – the German player cannot believe his bad luck.

Axis 1st Impulse, With no prospects of LAND OPS Germany takes a Naval, with Italy and Japan taking Comb actions. German sends its U-Boats and Raider hunting convoys but again roll without any success – enticingly just missing out by 1 on a ‘find’ in several sea areas. Supporting their ally they fly the LR Nav to the Red Sea and also sail their Tpts into the Baltic for later use to reinvert units. Italy’s Comb sees it advance and assault Alexandria. On a +14, rolling TOTT they capture the city and its major port, with no British reserves available the Italian will close the Suez. In the East and with fine weather in the N Monsoon, Japan takes a xx and attempts to GS the defenders of Kweiyang, the Chinese Airforce intervenes and aborts one bomber after being cleared through by a bounce combat – 1 bomber GS 1 Corps, the Japanese defer the city assault. EOT advances by 3!.

Allied 1st Impulse, The CW declare a Naval and sends out its escorts to protect its convoys, holding its Tpts in reserve to support and reinforce Belgium if the weather clears. Force Z sails into the Red Sea, 2 x old CVs and 4 x SCS it will deter the Italian CA in Asmara from interfering, no search by either side. The French take a land to reinforce their front line with the arrival of the 1stFrench ARMD Corps and AT Guns. Russia and China take no cost actions. The Russian build up for their invasion of Iran/Persia is now complete. EOT advances by 3.

Axis 2nd impulse. Weather - players in both camps hold their breath, Germany’s curse continues with him rolling a 4 – STORM again! silence in the room. Germany takes a no cost land to conserve oil and attacks the lone Polish 4.3 Inf on the outskirts of Warsaw, desultory success as the Polish Capital is now surrounded but remains in Allied hands. Italy and Japan take Combined actions. Italy advances towards Cairo and crosses and closes the Suez Canal to Allied shipping. The US Senate is appalled at this event and gains a chit. An Italian Div invades the mines in Cyprus, despite the rain, capturing them intact. With Fine weather in the N Monsoon, Japan takes a Comb and attempts to GS the defenders of Kweiyang again – it’s raining bombs, they GS a second Corps – its on. The Japanese attack on a +12 and despite Chiang HQ flipping to shift a -1, roll 14 (TOTT) and take the city. The Japanese success in capturing the city of Kweiyang is dulled as the Japanese commit atrocities and gift another chit to the US – two out of two failed USE rolls this turn will help the USE out immensely. EOT advances by 3 – Allies can now roll EOT on a 2! A probable two impulse turn so far and all in storm in the Temp Zone – Germany shakes his head!

Summary – A very disappointingly turn for the German (not for the Allies), the Axis weather has been even worse than the previous game – was that even possible? apparently yes. Despite misplaced optimism that the weather Gods would end up smiling on the Axis in 1940 and deliver 1 or 2 fine or rain impulses in 1940, the German hopes and prayers have been dashed by the dice. With no fine or rain and only Storms, for J/F and M/A, Warsaw remains in Allied hands, Belgium has yet to be invaded and France continues to build unhindered its AA, AT and Airforce - all of which creates more than a challenge when eventually the weather breaks and Germany attacks.

Worse, unless the weather clears in the next Axis impulse the M/J invasion of France will be delayed as Belgium will need to be taken before the German can cross the border soaking up at least one if not two impulses of the M/J turn – and there is NO guarantee that M/J will be a fine weather tun as any roll of 3 or less will result in bad weather and further delays. The German has only had two fine and one rain weather impulses in the game so far, and that includes the mandated 1st impulse of S/O 39 – 9 storm, snow and blizzard impulses out of 12 Impulses!

There is a slim hope that the Allies won’t end their current impulse on the 2, and that the German can then roll fine weather – DOW Belgium and clear Warsaw and then end the M/A turn, AND then win the M/J initiative (two rolls) as well as NOT rolling less than 3 in M/J to be able to hit the French line, in France rather than Belgium. This would be extremely unlikely as, the current trajectory of this game, despite the successes by the Italian (Egypt) and the Japanese in China, is not tracking well for the German’s conquest of France by end of 1940.

This game and the German prospects like our previous game will hang on the next three turns, M/A, M/J and J/A of 1940 for victory in France - fingers crossed we have some fine weather.

· ACFT – Aircraft

· Conv – Convoys

· EOT – End of Turn

· OOS – Out of Supply

· Rng - Range

· TOTT – Top of the table a 23 or more

USE – US entry rolls/chits

STORM says it all

Warsaw still in Allied hands M/A 1940

The Italians drive East and close the Suez - slamming the Med's back door closed.

Italy eyes off warmer climes and the unescorted convoys.

Success for the Japanese as another city falls and roads are built.

Minor casualties - Storms will do that.

Huns versus Early Achaemenid Persians

Mark B thought he would try his Persians against the Huns.

Out scouted, the Persians huddle in the corner.

Only a bit of broken terrain between them and the Huns.

The Huns are fast and get straight down to business.

You could say the Persians are cornered.

Fighting on the edge makes the photography tricky,

but I've tidied up the edges as best I can.

It looks like a both armies have reformed their lines,

but that would be misleading.

A large unit of Persians has been pushed off the table.

And the Huns have the Persians almost surrounded.

Victory!

LIFREGEMENTETBRIGADENS KYRASSIERCORPS

I normally wouldn't have put the title all in capitals, but it has been a major accomplishment finishing this unit. These figures have a lot going on with their kit so there was a lot of detailed brush work to manage which is tricky in hot weather (paint dries on the brush before it reaches the figure). The heat was increased as we cut down the tree that shaded my studio (it needed removing. but still).  The "my" studio became "our" studio and my partner, on her six weeks long service leave, decided it needed cleaning out and painting (she has plans to turn it into a granny flat). So, my nicely ordered chaos was thrown topsy turvy.  Very stressful, but sadly necessary. One advantage is I discovered that I had more stuff than I thought I had.  The disadvantage is that I have more stuff than I thought I had.

Now all that remains is the Swedish Guard infantry for their Corps of the 1813 Army of the North. Now where are they? Where are my paints?  Where are my brushes? And where is a cool place to paint?

Barbarossa Turn 39

We push on to the 6th and 7th of September 1941.  The logistics pause is over and there is fine weather.

Army Group Centre attacks towards the southern outskirts of Moscow.

Later the Soviets destroyed the surrounded out of supply German motorised regiment,

at the very bottom of the image - a sign of things to come?

Army Group South works on liquidating the Kiev pocket.

AGS mopping up on the way east.

The Soviet defender was a zero strength unit,

although it still got in some punishing AA fire.

Other AGS attacks around Odessa and towards the Crimea.

The situation at the end of the turn

Army Group North - the forgotten front.

The Soviets have started to make their own thrust from the south.

Can the Soviets find more forces

 to reinforce this push north?

A large expanse of territory between Moscow and Kiev.

Kiev still holds, but the Germans have been able to repair the rail bridge down river.

It will take a few turns before they can get the rail line to link up to the road network.

Six hexes of railway to convert.

It will take at least two turns.

This image and the following one

show the push into the Dnepr bend

as well as the entry to the Crimea.

Our previous game was abandoned after only one post:

https://onesidedminiaturewargamingdiscourse.blogspot.com/2023/08/ausgame2-2023-war-is-declared-again.html

The following is the start of a new game and is Mike's post from the World in Flames Facebook group. Mike is the host, and I am the Commonwealth player.

AUSGAME 2024 NEW GAME

Late in 2023, after a hard-fought win by the Allies with our last game going to M/A 45 – players changed nations, options selected, and plans of conquest were made. Our group kicking off another game in late AUG 23 and played the first few turns before the games host, AKA Japan/Italy took long service leave and went off to Europe for 7 weeks holiday and the RWC23.

We recommenced mid-NOV on the J/A 40 turn and it was a disastrous game for Germany and the Axis. We played through to the end of 1940 with Germany not taking Paris and with few options the Axis conceded the game and we started with no change to the nations players. Fundamentally, the weather rolls killed this game combined with very short turns, mostly two impulses and Germany’s extremely poor attack dice rolls v France – lots of 3’s and 5’s. AUSGAME3 of 2023 – S/O 39 to N/D 40 saw Germany only get 20 Impulses, an average of 2.5 impulses per turn, with only 8 fine weather impulses, against 12 bad weather – see table below. Germany rolled 6 x 5’s or less on attack rolls against French units and only captured Lodz on the N/D 40 fine impulse – the Axis position was untenable.

Weather and Turn Summary – AUSGAME3

F Fine, R Rain, Stm - Storm, Sn - Snow, Blz - Blizzard, IMP Impulses for the turn

1939

S/O – 5 IMP = 1st F, 2nd, F, 3rd F, 4th R and 5th Blz– (10) also init -1 3F

N/D – 2 IMP = 1st Stm (8+2=10), 2nd R NIL

1940

J/F - 2 IMP = 1st Stm, 2nd Sn, EOT 1 also init -1 NIL

M/A -2 IMP = 1st Stm, 2nd Sn, Axis rolled EOT 1!

M/J - 3 IMP = 1st F, 2nd R, 3rd R, Axis rolled EOT 1! 1F

J/A - 3 IMP = 1st F, 2nd, F, 3rd F, also init -1 3F

S/O – 2 IMP = 1st Stm (10), 2nd R, Allies rolled EOT 1! NIL

N/D – 3 IMP = 1st Stm, 2nd F, 3rd Bz (10) 1F

Total Axis Impulses 20

FINE Weather Impulses – 8

BAD Weather Impulse - 12 – 7 being Storm or Blizzard.

Normally our gaming group has tacitly agreed that only the Allies can surrender a game – but we have now changed that for the first time to allow the Axis an option to surrender if Paris has not fallen by the start of J/F 1941 turn. Paris is the key to allowing Germany campaigning options, either 41 Barbarossa, 41 Spain or 41 MED first policy. With France still viable in 1941, with a potential of not falling till late 41 or worse 42, AUSGAME3 was deemed unplayable.

AUSGAME1 2024 - WAR IS DECLARED AGAIN – DOESN’T GERMANY EVER LEARN!

SEP/OCT 1939

With the reset – and all players retaining their previous nations – including a hopeful German, praying for more than 3 clear weather impulses in 1939 and 7 in 1940 (10 in total), our AUSGAME1 2024 launched.

Axis 1st Impulse, Germany and Japan both took Land actions, Italy its mandated Comb. Germany DOW v Poland, USE roll avoided the second chit. Poland aligned with the CW setting up two units in Lodz and the ‘wagons’ around Warsaw. Germany’s GS with a Stuka for each Lodz and Warsaw which were both successful – shocking everyone, with all Polish city defenders flipped.  A +12.3 assault is launched against Lodz, +17 roll for TOTT result. A 2-hex blitz on the hex SW of Warsaw at +19.7 is again TOTT. Italy sailed a sub to Cape St Vincent on a training exercise.

Japan’s Land saw a single attack against the forward Nationalist MIL defender, who was sacrificed for the ‘greater good’ knowing that they gave a Cadre (1BP) and a roll on the USE of 4 or less every city captured. Changsha is captured, no USE and an early attempt to Strat bomb Chinese production with a L/Rng NAV misses. EOT advanced by 1.

Allied 1st Impulse, France and CW’s DOW v Germany costs a single USE Chit. CW and French Res were placed. The CW Naval sent out a 3 x CV based Fleet out to the N Sea and multiple SCS to escort Conv’s. Both Gort and Wavell HQs arrive in France – looks like the BEF will be bigger than normal with the CW committing both HQ’s to France putting the defence of Egypt at risk if the Italians get ‘frisky’. British HQs reinverted their Tpts to enable a second sealift of CW units. France takes a No Cost Land and sends units to the front line and reinverts its Res with their HQ’s. Having learnt from the last game, the German had placed Rundstedt in the woods south of Berlin, safe from surprise GS. French attempted a GS v German Arty in woods near the Belgium border, adjacent AA let a single factor through for NE. China vacated the forest resource hex in SE China and double stacked its line where it could, flipping several units to get into the Mtns. The Communists vacated Sian which was then occupied by the Nationalists.

Russia decided to take an interest in Iranian politics/oil and sent Zhukov to the border to conduct exercises. Russian long Rng Acft arrived for flight training. The 2 x Polish planes are interned in Lithuania with their pilots sent to the UK for retraining on British acft. EOT advanced by 1.

Axis 2nd Impulse, 2ndAxis impulse sees a weather roll of 10 rolled, disastrous for the Axis with storm in the N temp zone – Déjà vu – the first weather roll of the game and it is a 10! Atrocious weather everywhere, and EOT advances by 2. Germany calls out its Res and takes a naval to contest the North Sea and hopefully complicating the Norwegian mining attempts. Search rolls in the North Sea sees a 10- 2 split against the German with the CW damaging 3 German SCS for only 1 CW CA, the Nord Fleet was completely surprised – not a good start for the Kriegsmarine. Both fleets stayed and with 9 and 10 rolled, no further finds. The last remaining German BC will affect the mining of Norway. Sub rolls in Faeroes is a 10 v a 4, no find and in the N Atlantic rolled a 2 (1 needed) v a 7. U-Boat searches fail to find convoys, same, same for the RN escorts. Japan and Italy Comb, Italy sailed a CA to the Red Sea on a training exercise, British Merchant ships wave a friendly hello. Japan’s Comb sees units sail into Canton in anticipation of the opening of the N Monsoon campaigning season, the vacated Chinese resource hex is occupied, and acft rebased South. EOT advances by 2.

Allied 2ND Impulse, Allies kick off their 2nd impulse, CW declared a Comb which saw them postpone the mining of the Norwegian coast and instead move 2 x Tpts out of France through the N Sea. German attempts to find failed as they rolled an 8. These CW Tpts embarked/disembarked 2 CW Corps in France. The CW started the strategic bombing campaign with a pamphlet drops. France took a NC Land and advanced to the Belgium Border. Russia NCC entered East Poland but failed to trigger a USE entry chit – the US Senate remains silent. China took a no cost Land.

Axis 3rd Impulse, The Axis hopes of fine weather continue to be dashed as Germany rolls bad weather. Germany takes a no cost Land to conserve oil, Japan and Italy a Comb. Axis rolls a 3, EOT! -1 Initiative, down to +1 Axis. No Partisans turn up – too cold, RTB and production. US Senate declares Chinese acft production is approved which is barely reported in the Washington post – no tension.

NOV/DEC 39

After EOT actions, initiative rolls see the Axis win, but hand it to the Allies as the weather modifier is +2 an the weather will be bad, and not wanting the +1 to the Axis further reduced the Allies go first. The Allies (US Player) rolls an unexpected 1 giving the Axis their second fine weather in the N temp.

Allied 1st impulse, Both the CW and France take a naval action, dominating the North Sea and escorting Convs. The Allied Combined fleet in the North Sea will deter intervention by Axis and set up the Norwegian mining option. China and Russia take a no cost land actions. The Russian build up on the borders of Iran is alarming despite platitudes from Stalin, the threat of invasion is clearly imminent. China steps back in the North anticipating an attack by the Japanese.

Axis 1st Impulse, with unseasonably fine weather, Germany DOW on Netherlands, NO US Senate. Italy seeing an opportunity to capture the Suez and sink a loaded Tpt DOW on the CW taking a Naval action – no interest from the US Senate as support for the Old Country is on the nose - no USE chit. The Italian subs sail and find in several sea areas cutting off supply and sinking, multiple Convs and the CA Birmingham. Invasion forces are loaded and escorted into the E Med as LAND OPS v Egypt are placed on hold. In Poland the 2 x defending Corps are successfully GS in Warsaw, Germany declares a +13.5 assault – but the dice Gods again intervene with the German rolling a 5, Warsaw is saved, a full invert for the German and only the Polish Div eliminated. Amsterdam is overwhelmed at +20 and triple stacks are moved to the Belgium border. The 19 long range Nav is rebased to Libya to spt the Naval dominance of the Med. Japan

Allied 2nd Impulse, The fine weather collapses – no Belgium DOW as the Allies roll another 10 for weather - snow in N temp. The CW declare a Naval and commence the Norwegian mining option, a roll is a 5 dropping to 4. The US Senate fails to appreciate this act of blatant aggression – no USE loss. ion and the US lose a USE chit. The French, Russian and Chinese take a no cost land. And shuffle the deck chairs as bad weather is their friend.

Axis 2nd impulse. With bad weather, Germany takes a Comb. A Nav flies to the Red Sea and the 2 x U-Boats sail. Naval search rolls all failed, with a 5 in the Red Sea, 6 in Bay of Biscay and 7 in N Atlantic. Italy takes a land, disembarking loaded Tpts and advancing towards Alexandria. Japan’s combined sees reinforcements arriving in China, shipped from Japan, and Acft and land units relocated to help with Partisan control. The Axis fail to roll EOT.

Allied 3rd impulse, The weather roll of 8 modified +2 to a 10 – this is the 4th weather of 10 for only two turns of this game – shades of the previous game. The CW took a Comb and restocked some convoys. With Egypt under pressure, CW rails an ATK gun into Cairo and the other Allies all pass -1 off the EOT roll. Luck is again with the Allies as they roll the required 6 to roll EOT, well done Allies. Minor plus for the Axis as the initiative moves back to +2 Axis. With ONLY the inverted British ATK unit in Cairo – Egypt would have fallen. However there are 2 x Egyptian TER on the spiral which will complicate Italy’s Egyptian campaign. With Norwegian Seas mined, and snow in N temp - no Swedish resources for Germany this turn. No Partisans, RTB and production. US Senate declares that they will provide East Coast escorts but this creates tension in the diplomatic circles of Washington.

AUSGAME2 2023 – The Phony War Begins

JAN/FEB 1940

A new year and Germany declare a shipment of 3 x oil to Italy to support its war machine. J/F 1940 kicks off with the Axis winning and taking the initiative with a roll of 4 v the Allies 3. Despite the prospect of more bad weather and tempted by the lack of CW escorts – most have returned back to base, the Axis elect to go first – Germany and Italy take Comb and Japan Land.

Axis 1st Impulse, A roll of 2 +2 (4) for bad weather and worse, another storm in the N Temp. Germany and Italy take Comb actions. In the Red Sea, Germany’s BV-138 Nav finds in the Red Sea as does the CW CA HMAS Liverpool, the Conv is sunk, and the CA HMAS Liverpool aborts to India. In the Cape St Vincent the Italian Subs, aided by lax ‘lights out’ protocols and few escorts find and sink 3 convoys but the rest escape back to the UK thanks to a handy 1 rolled by the CW. German U boat search rolls fail to find in the Central Atlantic as do the searches in the Faroes Gap. # more Italian land units advance to Alexander as an Italian bomber turns up to assist with the campaign to liberate Egypt from the CW oppressors.

Japan’s Land in the N Monsoon sees a +8 assault in S China fail badly with a poor roll of 5 resulting in a 2/1 loss – not a great start to the N Monsoon campaign for the Japanese – two losses and all inverted on the first attack roll of their first impulse.

END OF SESSION

Summary – Disappointingly, for the Axis the weather has been worse than the previous game, but it is still early days, and the weather Gods may end up smiling on the Axis in 1940 – only time and the dice rolls will tell. Warsaw is still stoically defending against the Germans - the weather has again saved them. Netherlands is conquered and aligned with Britain, and the German Army is on the borders of Belgium just waiting for the weather to clear. Italy is at war with the CW and threatening Egypt while the enlarged BEF drunkenly celebrates Christmas in France bedding down for the winter. The CW convoys have been targeted and has seen some success by Axis subs and raiders despite some excellent low ‘save’ dice rolls from the CW – who has rolled multiple 1’s and 2’s on searches. However, the CW convoys have been reduced to 79, which is starting to impact on CW builds by a few BPs as it has not been able to supply the mandatory 15 Res to the UK factories. Japan has made slow progress capturing two resources but has reduced Chinese BPs with an audacious long-range CAV Corps occupying the mines of Northern China - they could be there for a while. The USE is slower than the previous game in part due to lack of Axis activity but also some 'saved' dice rolls by the Axis, the US is doing what it does best - building stuff. We await 1940 with anticipation and a hint of trepidation.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL THE WIF GAMERS – MAY YOUR DICE BE KIND AND ALL THE BEST FROM THE GUYS IN THE WEST – OZ THAT IS.

· ACFT – Aircraft

· Conv – Convoys

· EOT – End of Turn

· OOS – Out of Supply

· Rng - Range

· TOTT – Top of the table a 23 or more

USE – US entry rolls/chits

The Battle for France has yet to start.

Warsaw saved by the atrocious weather and a 5 rolled by the German

 in the 2nd only fine weather of the game!

China - slow progress - bad weather will do that - only two fine weather impulses in 1939 

and the Japanese rolled a 5 on their first impulse attack roll J/F 1940

Italy advancing against Egypt singing songs as only the Italians can - the British Army is in France.

Casualties for J/F 1940

Average USE at this stage - known chits 3 in the JPN pool and a 1, 2 and 4 in the GE/IT Pool, 1 unknown in each

Huns versus 100 Years War English

Off to a New Year and what better way to start than taking the Huns to face David's 100 Years War English.   

The Huns easily out scouted the English,

but faced an enemy deployed between difficult terrain.

(Aside: Dave was happy to see his village get some use.)

But the Huns spied a gap on their extreme right.

The Huns are fast,

sadly, their skirmishers are not fast enough to run away from some English billmen.

And while the Huns shoot up some exposed Welsh,

a lucky shot from some javelins ruined one unit of light cavalry.

(The Huns throwing sixes in response to javelin fire was going to be a bit of a frequent occurrence.)

The Hun nobles see an opportunity with the now exposed billmen.

The English have turned around to face the threat to their flank.

Another Hun light cavalry units comes off badly,

but the nobles are now in place to charge.

It could have gone better...

In the English rear their knights have gone to face to the Huns.

Billmen have been dispatched,

and the English knights are in trouble.

But the English longbows put an end to the Hun nobles (and their general).

The Hun light cavalry is also getting used up pretty quickly.

Balance restored with the English knights and their general routed.

Both sides are now close to breaking.

The Huns have just one fresh unit left.

But victory was not to be.

:-(