Campaign for North Africa Slurp-fest !

[dlazov]

Due to space limitations and with all my board games in storage, I have been using VASSAL for most games and VASL for ASL.

However I have been working with some folks on an electronic Europa system.



This is from the Enter Rommel scenario. The program keeps track of movement points, AECA/AECD/ATEC, engineering ratios, air combat, ground combat etc.

Its pretty neat.

 

[Marshal Lannes]

I think vassal is a good idea......but you can never beat the sheer scale and impression of a huge map board-game. I am happy that I have the space now.....without having to use the dining room table...........and I find that you get more intimate with your units/forces when you have to pick them up and place them; there is some kind of neural link in this process between your fingers and brain which is lacking in using a mouse pointer and aids in remembering stuff rather than quick mouse pointer clicking.............it would be a good idea to shove the Europa Russian front on vassal system. .

 

[Marshal Lannes]

"SSsssshh !"...............Top Secret Communique........Beep !.......Coded transmissions have been intercepted between Decision Games and the Fuhrer-Bunker.....Beep!. ...........decipherment has been difficult and from what can be pieced together from said transmissions.......Beep !..........our intelligence operatives have managed to decode that the announcement of the date of release is imminent...... Beep !.......This information is classified and if you spread it; I will deny everything.....plausible deniability.....Beep !.....

DO NOT FORGET TO BUY YOUR WAR BONDS !.....

My feeling about this is that it has been too long a wait and my enthusiasm has waned in proportion.......this may change if it is a viable and fantastic piece of work ; like Atlantic Wall but even with computer admin aids in play - it may still be a Sand Dune Too Far......Beep ! ................................... End of Transmission......... .

 

[dlazov]

View attachment 29706

"SSsssshh !"...............Top Secret Communique........Beep !.......Coded transmissions have been intercepted between Decision Games and the Fuhrer-Bunker.....Beep!. ...........decipherment has been difficult and from what can be pieced together from said transmissions.......Beep !..........our intelligence operatives have managed to decode that the announcement of the date of release is imminent...... Beep !.......This information is classified and if you spread it; I will deny everything.....plausible deniability.....Beep !.....

DO NOT FORGET TO BUY YOUR WAR BONDS !.....

My feeling about this is that it has been too long a wait and my enthusiasm has waned in proportion.......this may change if it is a viable and fantastic piece of work ; like Atlantic Wall but even with computer admin aids in play - it may still be a Sand Dune Too Far......Beep ! ................................... End of Transmission......... .

Pity DG is reworking it, it won’t be the same, as the original, DG track record sucks on these rehashes.

 

[Marshal Lannes]

Pity DG is reworking it, it won’t be the same, as the original, DG track record sucks on these rehashes.

I think with this one; the expectation will be too high; as the original has almost legendary status, so they will fail to a fair degree, whether they like it or not. Better that they have a GO !......I give them points for that. .

 

[Marshal Lannes]

Early this morning, 16th December, 80 years ago; the last desperate offensive of the Wehrmacht was launched against a thin and surprised American defence in Belgium.............................the " Wacht am Rhein ".

Lots of fun was had as a teen with the original SPI Version, ( perhaps not so, for my nail-biting American side opponent ), for some reason my favourite unit was the 3rd Fallschirmjager Division and this drama and learning experience has continued with the WDS PC game and eventually with the updated Decision games version which stands proud on my shelf next to Atlantic Wall.

To my mind - you are only a true board wargamer if you have the triumvirate, which is - 1.Bulge , 2.Waterloo and 3.Gettysburg.......... .



and here's the Christmas squirrel version. .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Bought some,........some................,some chrit, ................chrisssmussmuss booze. ........ today...................bit urly .........jus won ltttle drink..............jus had one glass.........celibate.........No ! .....No ! ' ........Noooooooooooo !!! ............celebrate Bulgey asnd................... kissmass.............................that's rite............Kissmuss ...................celibutt kisssmuss......................................Urghh! .... .

" General Macauliffe sounds like my sort of guy ! ".. ...............Hic ! .

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



" A guud driiink and book on...... Bulgeey ........are....................... all you neeeed for............ kissmuss ! " Hic ! .

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



This map was perused and fought over more times than I care to mention. A dream ticket game at one stage but has been overshadowed and superceded by the new, superior Decision Games version which has a spectacular map.

Relegated to the Hall of Memory....................along with SPI's Wellington's Victory. The Initiation games...........they were ........................Good stuff ! Oh , Oh ! I am getting a bit melancholic...............that means, time for another drink........or maybe two, .................... .

​

................................................................................................................................................That's done the trick..........Hic ! ...................................................................................................



Attack on the Schnee Eiffel Highway

Loaded up the " Bulge " - look at all that lovely artillery supporting the two German Divisions ; four full stacks of rocket launchers. If only that was available everywhere.

Must remember to update and mod the bridges.............. .

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Von Lauchert's 2nd Panzer within spitting distance of Clervaux....... . ( End of GT .7. )

​

 

[Marshal Lannes]

Battle of the Bulge - Situation at end of Game Turn 7 - 16th December - German ( Human player ) vs ( Allied A.I. ) - No advantage slider...... Can you do better ? .

 

[dlazov]

Just to give some folks some context, this is the 162 turn scenario as the Germans.

A zoomed in view.

 

[dlazov]

Another game I have been enjoying lately (its very old school but at 7.5 km per hex and mostly divisional level (NA scenarios and Norway have regiments) its quite fun (once you get over how the UI works).

High Level view:

Mid Level view:

Low Level view:

 

[Marshal Lannes]

WDS - Battle of the Bulge - #16-14s - Herbstnebel Scenario ( 198 turns - Company level ). Situation at end of Game Turn 8. 9.00pm - 16th December. ( German - Human vs Allies A.I. - no advantage slider).


First thing to note is that American loss is half that of the same time period in the battalion level game with some company breakdown for the Germans. That means that the A.I. is performing better in this total company treatment of the battle.
I am aware that I am playing more cautiously as it is my first time; so you can add about 15 - 20% loss rate for both sides which is still markedly less than the battalion level game.

Interesting that the paratroop drop of Von der Heydt behind enemy lines north of Malmedy has a headquarters unit and 7 indivuvidual unit counters rather than 4 in other scenarios.

Still too early to see if this is a much harder task for the Germans until the end of day 3. Hopefully , the Northern shoulder will not break as easily as it does in battalion level scenarios.

Nightmare amount of units to move but the small unit actions seem to be a lot more imteresting as a 4th company of heavy weapons in German battalions is individually delineated.

There was a stupid move by the American A.I. to abandon Monschau without a fight for a German engineer company to walk in and some abandonment of American improved positions but difficult to blame totally by intuitive retreating.

There is a surprising level of sneakiness in wherein on numerous occasions, a single American unit has retreated and then on moving forward with the same , you find yourself facing a larger force...........and units where you think they are per se the battalion level game ,have been somewhat rearranged.................

Overall; very interesting and definitely more involving than the battalion level scenarios..................................................... .