First Impressions of J12

Gunner Scott

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Hi ya-

Received both my WO pack and J12 yesterday and I gotta say I am really impressed by the articles in J12. Very well written and very enjoyable to read. Pete did a great job on dealing with armor attempting to sleaze freeze enemy units. Johnny and Phil did a great job with Konevs Cross a great scenario in its own rights. Advanced Nuggets by Paul S. was another nice article on rules you tend to forget in the heat of play. Ghost killers seemed to dry for my tastes, kinda put me to sleep lol. And once more another great article from Paul S on how to attack in ASL. Single hex groupology was also a very nice and informative article on when and how to fire those single hex stacks of guys. Belgian Blizkrieg and Taking some Flak really jumped out at me and are on my must play list.

A very nice job indeed.

Scott
 

Doug Kirk

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The 3 scenarios from WO pack look really good to me. I like the size and the options they present. Hopefully they are balanced, I know scenarios with options can be tricky to balance out all the possible iterations. The journal scenarios look just so so. Certainly all appear playable and decent...standard fare if you will. But only Belgian Blitzkrieg and In Deadly Combat jump out at me as must play after a quick perusal.
 

Gunner Scott

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The articles are awesome in J12, MMP and company as usual did a great job writing articles on very difficult subjects. As for the scenarios, most are small, 4 to 7 turns and use at most two boards with only the desert scenario using 4 boards. So there is kind of a sameness with the scenarios but as I said else where, if you enjoy that sort of stuff more power to ya, its just not my cup o java personally and do hope that the next journal has a little bit more variety as far as bigger scenarios and more expansive terrain.

I did play Belgian Waffles and its ok, not much in the way of tactical maneuver or attack options, the German either take building Z6 or they bludgeon their way to try and take other buildings with in I think 5 turns.

Deadly Combat is not a bad scenario but I don't want to say more because the designer is very sensitive about feedback and no need to get into a personal tit for tat over a goofy wargame.

Scott
The 3 scenarios from WO pack look really good to me. I like the size and the options they present. Hopefully they are balanced, I know scenarios with options can be tricky to balance out all the possible iterations. The journal scenarios look just so so. Certainly all appear playable and decent...standard fare if you will. But only Belgian Blitzkrieg and In Deadly Combat jump out at me as must play after a quick perusal.
 

clubby

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Love the first article I've read so far, the sleaze freeze article. As a novice to armor, I learned a lot about why it's used and how to potentially combat it when you're light on AT weapons. The leader being stacked with the high morale unit to aid in passing the TC was a real eye opener too as well as using residual to slow down the infantry movement that's sure to come. I hope all the articles are as good as that one. Keep up the good work gents.
 

MikeO

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I am really enjoying the articles, too, particularly 'Sleaze Freeze' and 'Single Hex Firegroup'. Still in the process of reading the other articles. Another excellent job by Chas, and of course all the contributors.
 

Ray Woloszyn

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Hi ya-

Ghost killers seemed to dry for my tastes, kinda put me to sleep lol.
Scott
Given its length it was the last item I read through and I did enjoy it as I am looking forward to the Korean module. The article reminds me of those from Steven Swann. It will be interesting to see if these marines will appear on counters.
 

Mister T

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The 3 scenarios from WO pack look really good to me. I like the size and the options they present.
Yes, and no night scenario this time, so better value. You may want to try in particular "The Price of Non-Compliance".
 

Aaron Cleavin

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Yes, and no night scenario this time, so better value. You may want to try in particular "The Price of Non-Compliance".
I must admit the title does seem to have more than a passing resemblance to the kind of work issues and areas you might be involved in :)
 

Kevin Kenneally

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I just checked the MMP website for my order and discover that the Journal 12 has been "Dispatched".

I'm sadden to see this. I didn't even get a chance to read it, before MMP "Dispatched" the Journal.... I just wish I had the chance to hold onto the Journal before it was killed.

Oh well, I can now build a Memorial Wall (Virtual World) for my suddenly dispatched Journal....

Hopefully the Winter Offensive 2017 Pack makes it through alright.
 

Mr Incredible

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I just checked the MMP website for my order and discover that the Journal 12 has been "Dispatched".

I'm sadden to see this. I didn't even get a chance to read it, before MMP "Dispatched" the Journal.... I just wish I had the chance to hold onto the Journal before it was killed.

Oh well, I can now build a Memorial Wall (Virtual World) for my suddenly dispatched Journal....

Hopefully the Winter Offensive 2017 Pack makes it through alright.
You need one of these......

 

von Marwitz

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I'm sadden to see this. I didn't even get a chance to read it, before MMP "Dispatched" the Journal.... I just wish I had the chance to hold onto the Journal before it was killed.
Well, you better make darn sure then that you don't ever set foot into the Bunker. Dispatches from that haunted part for years on end...

von Marwitz
 
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Despite having less pages than J11, I enjoy the last Journal more. The articles about rules and tactics (Intensive Fire, single hex FG, antifreeze) are more interesting for low/med. level players like me rather than a dozen of pages about old SL scenarios conversion.

There is something that I don't understand after several decades of ASL Annual/Journal (and my little experience in editing "Le Franc-Tireur" magazine). Why articles are still cut in several parts ? Is it so difficult to lay out articles in one block only ? In addition, the end of articles are not indicated by a specific symbol (like a black square) so you don't know if there is something else to read (and find) in the magazine or if you have reached the end. A little bit disturbing.

About the scenarios, many of them just shout 'play me!', a good point for sure :)

To summarize, a very good issue IMHO.
 

Mister T

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I liked Paul SnJ's article on the often-overlooked rule items (many interesting items to (re)discover here) and Peter S's article on antifreeze. On the latter, the topic is not new (there was already a nice article in a recent VftT), but care has been taken to present the issue clearly, with a 2-turn tutorial. Nicely done. In addition, the article rightly stresses the importance for the attacker to declare how many MPs are spent in the frozen location to allow the defender to assess his options. The article also rightly points out that players should not be outraged when VBM clearance is checked.

IMO one should guard against the inpression that antifreeze tactics are the panacea against VBM sleaze (it is not what the article implies but a possible conclusion readers may have). "In net terms", VBM freeze remains very advantageous, and in addition, there are some "anti-antifreeze" tactics available to the discerning attacker.
 

von Marwitz

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There is something that I don't understand after several decades of ASL Annual/Journal (and my little experience in editing "Le Franc-Tireur" magazine). Why articles are still cut in several parts ? Is it so difficult to lay out articles in one block only ? In addition, the end of articles are not indicated by a specific symbol (like a black square) so you don't know if there is something else to read (and find) in the magazine or if you have reached the end. A little bit disturbing.
Truth spoken!

von Marwitz
 

von Marwitz

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IMO one should guard against the inpression that antifreeze tactics are the panacea against VBM sleaze (it is not what the article implies but a possible conclusion readers may have). "In net terms", VBM freeze remains very advantageous, and in addition, there are some "anti-antifreeze" tactics available to the discerning attacker.
As Peter Struijf does very much dislike VBM-freeze (at least that's what I have seen him express on occasion), I wonder if his article does include "anti-antifreeze" tactics, too. Terrain permitting, there is a tactic that can go a long way to save the "freezer" if he neglected to think about the correct number of MP to spent upon entry of the VBM-hex.

von Marwitz
 

klasmalmstrom

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...Terrain permitting, there is a tactic that can go a long way to save the "freezer" if he neglected to think about the correct number of MP to spent upon entry of the VBM-hex.
If you are thinking about D2.4 ("A vehicle may end its MPh in Motion without expending all of its MP only if it has insufficient MP remaining to enter the next hex it wishes to enter.") - then, yes, that is mentioned in the article.
 
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