BLOODY BUNA - Latest CH Pack - Nice to have this

macrobo

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Hi All

As usual, may I ask those with CH issues to leave without a message of negativity

I have a particular interest in Buna - This is an early part (after the Milne Bay success) of the one half of operation Cartwheel - what happened in the pacific when Stalingrad was ablaze!! - The One arm going up New Guinea and the other up the Solomon Islands - I had a Old bloke across the road when I was a Kid that participated in the action - he was never talking about it much (nor did my Dad about his stuff in WW2) but its an area where I really enjoy historical depictions
Buna was a shocker for the US troops - A few Battalions of two Divisions 126th and 128th really expected a walk over but found teh going even worse than Guadalcanal - instead of a simple fight in November - It took till January 43 with the help of some tough Aussies to crack this formidable integrated Bunker/Fortification defense - deep in the jungle

SO usual CH pack
Large Historical Map of the area - Map Panels (Yes They are hard)
2 page History/Special Rules
10 Moderate scenarios and 1 mega scenarios
1 x big counter sheet of IJA and 1/2 Counter sheet of Aussie/US in that period

What I like
The Buna terrain is nice and nasty jungle and coastal stuff for that area is represented well
The US have FP but is matched nicely by IJA Fortifications - makes for repetitive nasty assaults which can go either way
The funny here is when the Aussies arrive they bring in the tanks to tip the scales!! - not the USA - They only had a few 37LL ATGs that were really tough to get around

Anyway Thats my quick look at a product I have always wanted

Cheers

Rob :)
 

Sparky

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yeah Rob... been waiting on this one for some time and it has not disappointed in the least.

It is a damn awesome map and though it takes a PhD in CH map panel management to get those 20 map panels set perfectly it was worth it. Playing the large one now and it is a frickin blast. Damn near 100 US and Aussie squads against 50 or so Japanese with (as you noted) a boat load of fortifications and E1.16 is in full effect for all concealment terrain for this setting.. which means.. the Japanese get a lot (including Panji's!!! Needed to brush up on those rules) but nearly 90% of the Japanese OOB sets up HIP and stays HIP until they choose to drop it. Good times... so far I'd rate it as one of the best CH products in some years (since Maxim Gorki). Fabulous map, good rules and light handed in their application, and the scenarios look good and so far the large one is playing awesome.... one of the best PTO HASL we have seen so far. Really puts you there.. the way a good HASL should...

snapped a few pictures... really is two battles here with the swamp and heavy jungle separating the two areas.. took a few of the eastern half while setting it up.

7992799379947995
 

dlazov

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Hopefully for the map area challenged a VASL map will be released too.
 

PTY

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What are the counters like? Anything interesting?
 

TopT

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The original, Those Ragged Bloody Heroes, was one of CH's better releases. I have not played the CG but I do not think that I have ever heard anything bad about it.
 

witchbottles

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The original, Those Ragged Bloody Heroes, was one of CH's better releases. I have not played the CG but I do not think that I have ever heard anything bad about it.
TRBH is Gona Mission and its environs, rather than Buna - this does not appear to be a reprint of TRBH. the TRBH scenarios are quite small as is the Cg itself, overall. The TRBH map is quite a bit smaller than this, as well. :)
 

Sparky

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no it's not a reprint of TRBH/Gona. It's a brand new one covering the eastern portion of the larger overall battle. Makes one wonder if we'll see the middle area connecting Gona and Buna, the Saranananda Track, at some point. The last emailer did hint at more New Guinea to come. I'd bet a Harriet Tubman on that being the next on deck

What are the counters like? Anything interesting?
in a word.. maybe.. if you are a bit on the kinky side. You got a full of sheet of Japanese naval infantry that likely came from the Wake product, would have been interesting if not for they look as if someone at CH world HQ pissed all over them ... what a ghastly color man. I joked that in my review of Buna that I hope Ray is merely just getting rid of those ghastly looking Japanese counters from earlier products and clearing way for doing v.2's with the mustards which he has said will be the standard Japanese color moving forward with CH products.

You also got 2 half sheets which again were toss off's from earlier products, a half sheet from a later version Gona, and one from the digger pack of some years ago, which have more of the ghastly urine favored Japanese but at least have the Aussie digger counters and one can never have enough of those.
 

TopT

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no it's not a reprint of TRBH/Gona. It's a brand new one covering the eastern portion of the larger overall battle. Makes one wonder if we'll see the middle area connecting Gona and Buna, the Saranananda Track, at some point. The last emailer did hint at more New Guinea to come. I'd bet a Harriet Tubman on that being the next on deck.
Ah, I see my error. I was thinking that this module was a 3rd edition but I guess not. CH does put out stuff that no one else does, that has to be some kind of a plus.
 

TopT

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I think there was something in the MMP pipeline on that battle. Better to wait for quality stuff
I don't think MMP is working on anything Buna/ Gona. I was at ASLOK (6 yrs ago?) and had heard something about a person working on a Buna/ Gona module but have heard nothing since. There is also no mention in any of the 'MMP pipeline' threads about the subject either. I am not saying that this is not being worked on but if so, they are being tight lipped about it.

Those Ragged Bloody Heroes is a good HASL.
 

TopT

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Thanks Mr T, I was starting to get tempted...
If you could get your hands on TRBH it is well worth it.

New Guinea is a reprint BUT putting the 20 map panels together would test anyone's patience. Gona is the same with map panels. I cannot recommend any of the products with the map panels.
 

Whiskers1123

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One scenario uses all 20 map panels. The others use 2, 3, or 4 map panels. Just like an MMP scenario that uses 2, 3, or 4 map boards. Same thing. Not a big deal but because it's CH some people make it a big deal anyway. I like the map panels. I like all of CH's maps. They are high quality maps and the map in this module is real nice.
 

RRschultze

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I’m looking forward to the Leningrad modules that should be coming soon. Nice early war stuff with Czech 35t’s. map panels are good, no creasing unlike some other maps from other publishers.
 

macrobo

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I think there was something in the MMP pipeline on that battle. Better to wait for quality stuff
Really? - I thought that the long list that had ahead of them did not do much in the Pacific - Will be very happy if they do

Rob :)
 
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