News flash: Africa Korps victorious in North Africa!!

[Don Maddox]

The Sands of North Africa tournament has finally concluded after months of grueling battle. :D

The Africa Korps got off to a very strong start in the battle of Kasserine, but the action at Tobruk was decided by a razor's margin (20.33 - 19.66). With the tournament hanging in the balance, the Allied Forces made a valiant effort to save the day in Operation Crusader, but it just wasn't to be. Siberian HEAT went on to lead his troops to victory!

I would like to thank everyone for their hard effort during this long campaign. This was the first ever "team tournament" for Warfare HQ and I think everyone will agree it was a big success. The ladder has been updated with the latest results and all tournament points have been awarded. This has resulted in a slew of promotions so be sure to check out the TOAW ladder.

Team Commanders, please send out an e-mail thanking your soldiers for their efforts.

[Siberian HEAT]

Afrika Corps Commander's report:

Going into this tournament I felt my soldiers would be no match for the superior manpower numbers and equipment of the Commonwealth forces. I truly felt that Crusader was as skewed as Kasserine and that the game would be decided in a previously unknown scenario called Tobruk '41 by Daniel McBride. I knew we would fight hard, but I had no idea I would see such tenacity from the bulk of my players to achieve that victory.

Kasserine really showed me what my players were made of...in that none of them took that scenario for granted and they studied the situation very carefully. Victory was never a certainty, but with attention to detail the Axis players found themselves with the bulk of the points.

The fact that Tobruk was nearly split evenly down the middle on points is a testament to the spirited play on both sides. Since few of us had ever played it (maybe no one had?), it was purely a situation of once again studying the map and not making vital mistakes. Some were successful, some were not. By keeping things close, we were able to move to round 3 knowing exactly what we needed to do.

Going into Crusader we knew we were in for a beating. We threw it around the HQ as to the best way to hold off the CW onslaught. For several nights we argued and argued with no one consensus being found. However, at almost the last moment we got some advice from one of our key players on how to best conduct a formidable defense in front of our key asset - Bardia. Thus a consensus was quickly formed, and many players successfully held off the allied assault (usually by only the slimmest margins).

While I could hand out medals to everyone for their great play in this tournament and for their volumes of text they contributed to their fellow players, I have two awards (ladder points) to give out in recognition of their hard work and dedication to winning.

Iron Cross, First Class: General Staff (For excellent scenario planning and analysis of Kasserine and Tobruk '41. For countless pages of material to help the new players and old to better fight their battles) +30 ladder points

Iron Cross, Second Class: Makelord (For his excellent scenario analysis of Crusader '41 and planning for a successful defense of Bardia - that contribution helped many of his fellow teammates achieve a draw) +10 ladder points

Congratulations men.

Thanks to Jamiam and the Allied team for great sportsmanship and thanks to Don for hosting this very exciting and interesting tournament.

DAK Commander signing off.

[Reno]

Thanks to the team for an exciting tournament. Guys, we did it!

And thank you for the Iron Cross, HEAT *salutes*. I think I'll put it on the shelf next to those purple hearts and bowling trophies :D

[Major Banned]

Let me be one of the first Allied players to congratulate the Axis on their victory.

[General Staff]

Brian- Thanks for the decoration. And for doing a truly inspirational job in leading us to victory (or avoiding defeat?).

And thanks to the other team, and particularly Fistandantilus, from whom I learnt a lot by watching (and listening? 25 Pounders?) in Tobruk 41. I won't forget the turn I opened and wondered where my 15th Panzer stack had gone. Was there a bug in the TOAW system? Had it spontaneously combusted?

I'd also like to thank Daniel McBride for the one excellent balanced scenario. Just shows that it can be done and stood head and shoulders above the imbalanced Kasserine and Crusader scenarios that we also played.

Finally to my team mates for their help and encouragement- and a belated apology for maybe cramming their inboxes with a little too much...

I look forward to the next team tournament.

[JAMiAM]

Originally posted by Major Catastrophe
Let me be one of the first Allied players to congratulate the Axis on their victory.

Let me be the second, and apologize for being too slow to be the first...:hurt:

Thanks to all who played, on both sides for helping to foster the sense of community that we all will take with us from the tourney - a prize much greater than bragging rights, or ladder points.

It was made known to me, that I would also be able to award 40 points of bonus ladder points to players who helped in special ways. Alas, my sense of egalitarianism was not crushed in the Axis POW camps, and I find myself unable to come up with any scheme other than offering each player who finished a game a point per game. I exclude myself from those and I come up with 42 played games from my teammates. If Maddog would be so kind to indulge me, I would like to offer 3 points to each of the following: Major Catastrophe, Brevet, Grab, Keef, Tex, Satanta, Desert Rat (Rowland Whittle, there are two in the ladder), Tim McBride, Fistandantilus, Sapper, and Alf. I would like to offer 2 points each to Joss, zSolitaire and Greenie. Finally, one point each to ER Chaser, Tiberius and Raver.

A special thanks to those who rushed into the breach, to carry on for the team, when others had fallen.

To the opposing commander and great friend, Siberian HEAT, the first of many rounds of drinks. We worked our asses off herding all you cats, and knowing how lazy I am, can only imagine how much more he deserves them than me.

It goes without saying that my deepest appreciation goes to Maddog, for coming up with the format for the tourney and, even more importantly, maintaining this most excellent website.

[Don Maddox]

Thanks for the kind words. It was a fun tournament, and the OPFOR Challenge is shaping up to be a very interesting sequal.

The ladder has been adjusted with these last few tournament points.

[ER_Chaser]

what a nice match! Congratulations :P :D

[Tex]

It was a fun tournament and my thanks to all the organizers who set up the tournament and ran it. I nominate James for a DSO based upon his service to the Allied cause which went well beyond the call of duty.

[ER_Chaser]

Originally posted by Tex
It was a fun tournament and my thanks to all the organizers who set up the tournament and ran it. I nominate James for a DSO based upon his service to the Allied cause which went well beyond the call of duty.

oh yea, count one vote from me ! :cry:

[Reno]

This is offtopic, but Hilter? Irwin Rommel? I'm of course talking about some poeple's signatures. Is this an inside joke or something?

[Palantir]

My thanks go out to the Axis team, especially Siberian Heat & General Staff for helping out and going beyond the call of TOAW.
Thanks for making the tourney an exciting one.

Also thanks to a gallant CW team for great play.

What's worse than herding cats?
Riding herd on TOAW Tournament players!

Does Siberian have any hair left?

[ER_Chaser]

Originally posted by Reno
This is offtopic, but Hilter? Irwin Rommel? I'm of course talking about some poeple's signatures. Is this an inside joke or something?

It was just a movie line from Tom Clancy's "the sum of all fears" --- it was from the terrorist who was drinking alone and plotting his cruel plan of trap the Russian and American to fight each other ---- using the "sum of all fears". :P

Actually it is about time to change to another line .... just did not come to a good one yet ... :hog:

[General Staff]

I think the spelling was in question- Hilter or Hitler? Irwin or Erwin?

[ER_Chaser]

Originally posted by General Staff
I think the spelling was in question- Hilter or Hitler? Irwin or Erwin?

lol lol ....

I never noticed that at all.... it was so funny .... lol

but... let me just keep it there, see how many else would notice it :D
:clown:

[Major Banned]

Originally posted by ER_Chaser


lol lol ....

I never noticed that at all.... it was so funny .... lol

but... let me just keep it there, see how many else would notice it :D
:clown:

I'm surprised it took this long for someone to notice. I'll have to come up with something different now.