ABtF AAR!

Legion

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The next in the AAR series (18AM) will soon be out!

But i am interested to know what people think of these AAR's - hey if you dont like em, fine, but if you have constructive criticisms then i/we would endevour to adapt our AAR's to meet them.
 

Legion

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To start with i might say that whilst i LOVED the recent KGP AAR's, the storyline aspect of them was excellent i found that there is little in them that would help a newbie to the CG learn about how to (or how not to!) fight it.

This is one thing we are endevouring to do, present our plans and game as a learning tool.

This is important for me because i often check all available AAR's for a CG before i play it, just to get ideas and to help myself find the little oddities that each CG can allow a cunning player to exploit.
 

The Purist

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"i found that there is little in them that would help a newbie to the CG learn about how to (or how not to!) fight it."

I agree but it was never my intent to present the classic AAR. :D I leave it to the reader's imagination in drawing a picture of how the CG date progressed.

I have also found the 'classic' AARs interesting reads but have not really looked to them as a guide for play. However, the blow by blow account cannot be really recreated by the next player as there is simply far too much variation in possible set-ups and purchases in the CGs. With few exceptions there are no "do this to win" in the CG (except, perhaps, RB) situations (except to roll low). As a general guide and AAR is fine but everything changes with "first contact with the enemy". :horse:

Maybe players should post a "Strategy and Tactics" guide to describe what the plan for the CG date was and then follow it up with a description of how things went.
 

Legion

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The Purist said:
I agree but it was never my intent to present the classic AAR. :D I leave it to the reader's imagination in drawing a picture of how the CG date progressed.
I apologise if i was taken the wrong way - i think you understood that the content of what i was saying was not a criticism but a point about the decision i made when writing in my own AAR's style.

The Purist said:
However, the blow by blow account cannot be really recreated by the next player as there is simply far too much variation in possible set-ups and purchases in the CGs.
I totally agree with this, and after the PB AAR i came to decide that i wanted to turn away from directly writing the 'what' i did, to the 'why' i did what. I hope the current AAR will come closer to being less blow-by-blow and more flow-by-flow
The Purist said:
Maybe players should post a "Strategy and Tactics" guide to describe what the plan for the CG date was and then follow it up with a description of how things went.
Now THIS is an excellent idea... I have been trying to incorporate that into the 'Objectives', 'Aftermath' and 'Conclusions' sections of my AAR, but why not write a separate piece with all the lessons learnt!
 
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The Purist

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"I apologise if i was taken the wrong way ..."

No fear,...no offense taken. Just clarifying my point. :D

" i think you understood that the content of what i was saying was not a criticism but a point about the decision i made when writing in my own AAR's style."

Absolutely correct :smoke:
 

Legion

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Priest said:
Pictures would help.
Yea, i didn't include pictures in the first 2 as there was not really a defence to examine nor a decisive front line either.

In the next AAR (currently Turn 2 of the 18PM a.k.a. "The Panzer Graveyard") there will be much more graphical content...

How useful are the 'frontline' diagrams and the Block Control diagrams? I sort of figured that the flow of the game might be better represented like that...
 

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New AAR

The 18PM game is finished and with it the hopes of the Germans for a quick end to their British infestation problem.

With a dearth of blessed DRs and almost as many rules 'irregularities' as the US elections it has been an interesting game, but more than anything else the CVP loss (60 German against 9 British) tells the sad story.

With an idle chit pulled for us both in 18EVE there is no doubt that the Night game will cause us to meet and discuss our grievances again!
 
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Reepicheep

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18PM (Germans) is now uploaded into the AAR section. (quick link at the top of this page).

18PM (British) has been entered in the AAR competition, and so won't be appearing for a little bit.
 

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Sorry all, but the 18PM for the British aka "the Great Wurst Shoot" :devil: does not look like it wil be up for a while... :cry:
 

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Block Designations Guide

It has been suggested to me that i am arrogant in assuming i am the only person on this board who cannot afford to buy EVERY ASL publication.

For that reason, and for the benefit of those who might not see the ABtF map first thing in the morning and last thing before bed (and sometimes in dreams too) i have quickly put together the Block Control map used in my AARs with the Block designations i am using.

I am trying to avoid over-use of hex numbers (for those who do not have a map handy) but it is impossible to explain the game without the Block Designations; this is due to the CGs Control Zones being defined by Blocks, not perimeters like most other CGs are.

So for your edification and delight i present...
 

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18N game

Just finished the 18N game and hope to have the AAR up within a few days; whilst this game lacked the action of some of the previous games it did set the scene for the real battle that will follow.

JP has claimed Blocks V, W, X, Y, Z and Q; this is essentially the entirety of the Eastern edge - it has taken him a LONG time but let us not forget that 17N going for 8 turns has giving him quite some handicap.
 

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OK, the AARs should be up soon (if not now) in the AAR section
http://www.warfarehq.com/index.php?page=after_action_reports/aar.shtml

Having read the rules i can now see the terrible mistake i made with CG24 (German Reinforcement Night Entry), so do not all rush to point out the error! I made the mistake last time we played and so i guess it is poetic justice that i should pay for it this time in defence!

As always the British report is verbose and the German one is more succinct! :cheeky:

We have gone Idle for 19AM and there is a German Attack for 19PM - with 4 turns of reinforcements and the Eastern edge of the board held the SS might be able to regain some of their shattered confidence... then again it could be just another turkey shoot!
:coolban:
 
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jasperdog3329

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For those of us without the module but interested in how the CG plays -- what was the German reinforcement rule mistake?
 

Jay White

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I've heard that there's some CG End rule about occupying a certain block, that significantly restricts the defenders strategy.

I know I'm not being very specific, but a lot of people were complaining about it on the ASLML a couple years ago, saying something like "the CG VC must be fixed for ABTF to be a decent game"

Do you two know what I'm talking about? Any thoughts on it? I haven't noticed any comments from you two on this.

-jay
 

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jasperdog3329 said:
For those of us without the module but interested in how the CG plays -- what was the German reinforcement rule mistake?
We had made the mistake by not fully reading CG24... this states that German reinforcements at Night may not enter until they roll a dr < the turn # or until the German Defenders are attacked. Had i pointed this rule out (or even noticed it :whist: ) then i am sure that JP would not have been able to grab Block Q and W and thus would have been significantly slowed in his Eastern edge land grab.

Live and learn...
 

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Jay White said:
I've heard that there's some CG End rule about occupying a certain block, that significantly restricts the defenders strategy.
This goes for CGI the German must gain Blocks H, I, J, K and L.

We are playing CGIII, it is total ownership of the city that counts! By the end of the CG (21EVE - each day is AM, PM, EVE and N) the Germans must take the whole city... as you will see in my next AAR i am turning Block H (aka The Alamo) into a fortress of fortified buildings, trenches and later AT-mines.

While i agree that the Defenders do not have a huge amount of options, what does one expect? An airbourne division drops in, siezes a city with a brigade (if you ever get to Arnhem take the ABtF map and see how small the area of the defence was!) and then gets hammered by SS and Armour for days; not much chance for grand strategy!

I find the CG to be very historically accurate - then again i enjoy playing accuracy in CGs - I dont feel like i cannot sleep at night unless i am a WINNER!


Jay White said:
I know I'm not being very specific, but a lot of people were complaining about it on the ASLML a couple years ago, saying something like "the CG VC must be fixed for ABTF to be a decent game"
Yes, i have heard this, it has been raised recently too on these boards. I would definately say that the only reason i am doing so well (apart from natural brilliance :halo: ) at this stage of the game is that the first game went on for 3 turns longer than it should have - this has given me a huge advantage...

When the roles were reversed the last time we played the CG i massacred JP and the game was over by this cuurent date (we are playing 19EVE now). But i would say that in that case his defensive tactics were flawed; he hunted for German troops and tanks... i on the other hand am making him come to me, giving up ground and HS here and there to slow him down and force him to expose troops. In other words, i am using the only tactic that i think is valid for the Brits, 'cat and mouse'. Again i think that these are not called HASLs for cosmetic reasons so i have decided to approach the battle like the Para's did - mind you they DID lose! :cry:

I have not writen a 'grand strategic overview' as i/we intend to keep that for the end - i also hope to write an AAR in similar style to the excellent work by The Purist. But there are lots of CG Dates and battles to go till then!
 
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