The Caucasus Campaign Game 1 Game End AAR

I finished this GMT east front WWII game, The Caucasus Campaign. It was fun and tense. A lot less exceptions than Normandy '44. I still had to review the rules at least once a turn, but it wasn't too bad.

Some things I'm remembering that I need to firm up next time (and there will be a next time):

• Mobile Assaults and how to best use them (I only used it once)
• Better use of the rail and sea movement
• Keep the Naval Brigades on the Black Sea coast to threaten the coastal towns the Germans may take
• Understand the Total quality of units 
• Keep the Germans together better with a clearer focus of which towns they will capture
• Also - better divide the armor units and air units

Weather was very good, only 3 bad days and the naval support never showed up - pretty lucky for the Germans. Also, the first couple of turns saw the Russians getting limited reserves (ie randomly drew several "None" chits for early reinforcements.) These would affect things in another playing.

And oh yes, this is post 400. Thank you all for your support (131 subs) and comments. My first post was this short post about DieCon 2011. That was June 5, 2011.  That's almost 30 months running averaging about 13 posts a month. That's pretty decent production I suppose. I'm averaging 1,885 monthly views. Or, 141 views per post. I'm not sure what that means in the big scheme of things, it's just fun crunching some numbers. At this rate, i'll be on post 500 around the first of July, 2014. See you then with a new update.

I just looked at my YouTube channel to compare: Began October 10, 2010...which doesn't seem right to me. Because I thought I started my blog way before my videos. But looking back, my first video was an unboxing of White Star Rising (also my most viewed video - it was immediately high because the game company, Lock N Load posted it on their site and it jumped up like crazy.)

54,557 video views, very close to my blog. 285 videos, quite shy of videos. and 276 subs quite higher than here. That's 191 views per video...though that first one skews it.  Anyway, fun times.

The Caucasus Campaign Game 1 AAR Turn 8.5

Good turn for the Germans, but it will be mighty tough for them to get into the last 5 VP they need to win.

The Caucasus Campaign Game 1 AAR Turn 7

It continues and it's looking tough for the Germans.

The Caucasus Campaign Game 1 Turn 5.5?

I'm not sure what I've done here. I was reviewing videos and it appears I've posted 5.5 twice. ? Anyway, two different perspectives.

The Caucasus Campaign Game 1 Turn 4.5

The game continues and it's definitely a test to use limited resources wisely.

The Caucasus Campaign Game 1 AAR

Started playing this game, GMT's The Caucasus Campaign. It's by Mark Simonitch, the creator of Normandy '44. Remember, in that game I was overwhelmed by the exceptions - not unusual in a game at this scale and for the genre. 

This game seems to be getting along much more smoothly.  I'm still referencing the rulebook often. But not nearly as much and I'm way more comfortable with them.  He's also released recently a game called France '40 that I'm tempted to get. He says it's more streamlined that Normandy '44.  I'm hoping that means easier.

Here's my first video, after the end of Turn 2.

Normandy '44 - Turn by Turn Pictures

I took a picture after each turn and decided to stitch them together into a video.  It's fun to see the advance of each of the beaches.

Normandy '44 June 25th GAME END!

Crazy, just realized I never typed up a follow up to end of my game.  I was so excited and posted videos, etc, that I forgot to put up a post.

Fun game, just long.  I don't think I would want to play it one day at a time again.  However, I was, pretty much taking up all my playing time for each turn.  I wasn't purposefully only playing one turn, it was genuinely taking this long to make things happen.  Over 20 hours of play if not 30.  8-10 is expected.

More charts need to be made.  For Disruption effects, Out of Supply effects, what a reinforcement/replacement can do.  What happens with IPs and SPs, etc.

Allied Victory by Auto victory, taking ST LO and Cutting off Cherbourg.

Normandy '44 June 24th AAR

The Penisnsula is nearly cut off.  Though, there are a few German units rushing up to fill the gap.  At a minimum disrupt the operation to cut it off.  If the next turn ended as is, the Germans would be cut off and the Allies would secure an Auto Victory!  However, these are really strong units coming on.

Now the question becomes, do I attack the Amis that are sitting there or do I simply try to build up a line of units to keep supply open.  I don't have the map in front of me to see if this is possible.

Normandy '44 June 23rd AAR

Tigers are back and strong German units are on their way. Utah is making more progress.

Normandy '44 June 22nd AAR

Villlers Bocage is liberated!  Nice, from the Allied perspective to see this kind of progress made.  Though, it will be mighty tough to see an Allied victory at this point.  Though Utah is finally appearing to breakthrough.

Normandy '44 June 18th AAR

I'm approaching a time where we'll have guests and I'm afraid I won't be able to update this daily 'cause I won't be able to get any gaming in.

Blast you allies not being able to take Caen...cue music...CAAAAAEEEEEEEN!

Normandy '44 June 17th AAR

I really should take better notes so I could give you some more detail:

Normandy '44 June 16th AAR

Continuing the battle on Father's Day:

Normandy '44 June 15th AAR

I hate to say more of the same, but let's see what's going on here:

Normandy '44 June 11th AAR

6th Airborne loses 2/3 of their force, Carentan is becoming a nasty siege fight, St Lo is threatened by the US, but the lines are weak on the side of the attack. The mini bulge created is collapsing. Caen is a slog.

Turns are taking me way longer than I thought they would as I got into it. But I'm still having fun making this GMT game happen.

Commands & Colors - Akragas

Finished stickering the game and couldn't resist setting up the first scenario.

This is a battle between Syracusan Tyrants and Carthage. I was soloing this while trying to learn the rules so came up with two different battle plans. The first was with Carthage - I wanted to play them as I've seen a few people, including myself, play this game - rushing my fast units up to do some quick damage and to continue doing this the whole game.

For the Romans I was going to play more conservative. With the emphasis of my first few turns being to get those slow moving heavy units into the battle - and then rushing my fast movers to the rear while the heavies pounded them up front.

Result

Carthage Heavy Chariot Prepares to Charge Light Cav

Carthage moved up those heavy Chariots on the flanks and took a banner fairly quickly on the Syracuse left.  The pic shows the Heavy Chariot before it's charge of the Light Cav.  The bow units and Auxilla sitting to the right of the Light Cav avenge their brothers' destruction. 

Perhaps this was a good strategy.

But it would not last.  A couple later took out the other heavy on the Syracuse right.

A few turns later these Heavy Chariots will disappear

The Syracusans were patient and then at the right time drew a line command card - Holy Roman Empire that is one powerful card. But I'd heard about this card which is why I made every effort to get all my units in a line, led by the heavies. The third picture is right after they moved...

Then the next pic is the result in the main area. And the last is the end result and end game as this light cavalry unit is essentially surrounded and forced to retreat. They have to retreat 4 hexes! They were down to 2 stands, retreated to the back of the board, 2 hexes, and then eliminated 2 stands for each hex they couldn't move back.

5th banner and the game.

All the units have moved into position...

There are so many more choices in this game than Memoir and Battlecry. The unit variation is nice as well as all the nuanced actions the leader has.

And the end result of the massive line advance.

And, I come into this game with little Ancient experience so I'm not clouded by liberties taken to fulfill abstraction requirements. If I remember that C&C is an abstract war game I do a lot better.

I can totally see Dave making 6mm for this with big hexes. You could actually play this board with 6mm figs. The little drawings are about 6-10mm tall.

The last banner of the game, the light retreats off the field

Command & Colors Ancients Mini-blocks Progress

Broke down and bought GMT's Command & Colors Ancients during Geekway to the West 2012.

It requires you to sticker 300 miniature wooden blocks. It's kin of like modeling, sort of.

Finished the Carthaginians tonight and the Roman heavy units.

Speaking of Ancients and the demise of Warhammer Historicals, I really wish I could find a copy of Warmaster Ancients. Why oh why won't they sell it via PDF?

Fighting Formations

Played this Chad Jensen boardgame, Fighting Formations. I've had this exactly one year before I played it. (With my work with Geekway to the West, I should just claim May as Boardgame Month.)

GMT and Chad and Kai and John have done it again. Tremendous.
Nice components
Clear rules (don't interpret - just read them as they read.)
Nice graphics
Smooth mechanics
Very few rule look ups, even after a couple solo plays
Rules and Scenarios posted as pdfs online!!!!
Well tested scenarios

There were times while playing it that I literally laughed out loud and was giddy. So smooth and fun mechanics. There are so many reviews and videos that I don't need to do something here.

The pics below are my from my first game - intro scenario 0 - German crushing victory. I did many things wrong that aided in this rollover. My next playing  - see a later post.

This has also done something that I'm not happy about - I'm tempted to play some early/mid war Germany v Russian in miniature. (Don't do it.)

At set up Russians lined up to take some villages. Tanks should be in "Column" as they go through  town.

Overview of map at start and the order matrix.

The middle town that gets all the attention during the game as the Germans begin to move in.

Midgame

Not quite endgame - didn't finish 'cause it was a clear German victory.

 

Endgame

Here are several Board Game Geek links:
Fighting Formations Review 1
Fighting Formations Review 2
Fighting Formations Review 3
Video review of Fighting Formations 1
One more video review of Fighting Formations 2
and finally, this is the first of eight video walk-throughs of Fighting Formations

The link to GMT page of Fighting Formations