No Retreat and Combat Mission

No game this week (due to dental appointment) but did manage to get in a solo session with No Retreat! The Russian Front which is always entertaining.

The low unit count and moderate complexity makes this a fun game.

Germans currently threatening around Minsk and Moscow with Russkies doing their usual scrambling to hold in initial turns.

Also an ongoing Pbem game with Combat Mission Afrika Korps with John with a Tunisia scenario 'Hells Hill' with John as Huns and me as Brits

Early stages but the Sherman pictured has just managed to take out a PzIV on turret at 800m with 3 shots.

 

No Retreat! The Russian Front - solo play

After sorting out a Prussian 1814 list and associated figures for a game of Glory Is Fleeting this Thursday I decided to have another solo board wargame session and selected No Retreat.

Was going to use the solo system I have for the game but decided just to do 'standard' two handed solo style.

Such an easy to play game even in 'lonely pint' mode and as ever the Germans came close in 1941 to auto victory but again they fell just short (2VP) and were then ground down by inexorable Russian build up.

I finished on Turn 19 as it was clear the Red Army was crushing it and Nazis simply too weakened to resist the onslaught.

No Retreat! The Russian Front - Vassal game ends

Vassal game of No Retreat! The Russian Front with Mike has just ended with Soviet (Mike) Auto Victory on Turn 24 February 1945 has he was 2 VPs beyond the 8 required on this turn.

My Germans came close to auto-win in 1941 and 1942 but once Soviet replacements started to crank up I tried to form a solid defence line as far east as possible.

This worked for a time but when Strategic Initiative shifts to Ivans (better card events a real boon) a couple of breakthroughs saw several Hun units pocketed and a losses mounted as I failed to extract all but a few.

The inexorable advance of the Red Army then ensued and cities changed hands with VPs mounting in Soviet favour, and their early entry into Romania saw loss of Polesti oilfields and writing on wall for my lot as Soviets ground down the Whermacht and entered Germany itself.

This was a truly excellent game experience and by far the furthest I have ever gone with this game in physical form as either an earlier auto-win or simply running out of time usual game enders.

Never been to into 1945 phases and this only rule section we struggled with as to how to recalculate VP levels otherwise pretty smooth sailing throughout which is seldom the case.

As Germans I felt the elation of early offensives and near misses and then the relentless pressure of Red Army (literally turning from low factor brown units into high factor red units) and other world events (like Italian Invasion, D-Day) becoming a drain on German abilities.

Weather was pretty much historical (first winter is brutal) with only a couple of turns when I could have done without the extra mud conditions.

Whilst highly abstract NR retains a deep historical flavour and full immersion in the grand campaign with a low unit density and not too many special rules or exceptions, the cards doing a lot of heavy lifting in this regard, one of most enjoyable games I own.

Overview of game end with imminent German collapse fully evident

German sector with weakened forces and strong Soviets units poised for drive on Berlin

Southern sectors with Budapest, Belgrade and Vienna all in danger

The Turn and Victory Tracks at end of Turn 23 and German losses evident (so hard to rebuild units in later part of game)

PBEM catch up and some solo board wargaming

Couple of ongoing PBEM games for which I have neglected to report of late. 

Still in midst of No Retreat! The Russian Front with Mike via Vassal and we are now in Sept/Oct 1944 turn with my Axis forces pushed right back to frontiers of Reich and under huge pressure all along the front. Saving grace is that Russians well off pace in their Victory Point accumulation but that could change.

Breakthrough over Carpathians looking imminent !

Also ongoing game with Combat Mission with NJ John with a newly started game (we finished a Russian Front game last week) set at Cheux in Normandy (but using CMAK data). 

An '88' awaits British (John) advance

Had a solo session with Great War Commander playing through first couple of 1914 French vs German scenarios.

Forgot how enjoyable this version of Combat Commander system is with the various tweaks to scale and WW1 style weaponry, with artillery being especially potent at times as one would expect.

Some excellent counters and general artwork in this one.

No Retreat! The Russian Front - a Pbem update and some Andean Abyss solo

Still in midst of a Pbem game of No Retreat! with Mike and we are just starting Turn 16 (Nov/Dec 1943) with my Germans just about holding a line in Russia.

About to lose 2nd Panzer to event and I took several losses last couple of turns (which are expensive to rebuild in situ) so Hun line thinning out.

Ivans are looking very strong with bulk of their units improved.

Got to make a decision soon whether to hold (as per Mr Hitler) or to withdraw towards Reich to shorten line whilst no giving up too cities (hence VPs).

Great game

 

As no minis game this week am continuing to learn Andean Abyss, with close wins (in solo mode) for Government, FARC and AUC so need to concentrate on how to use Cartels.

PBEM catch up - No Retreat! The Russian Front and Combat Mission: Barbarossa To Berlin

Quick update from couple of ongoing PBEM games I have in progress.

First up Vassal game of No Retreat! The Russian Front still in progress with Mike and we are now up to Turn 13 (May/June 1943) with Russians looking rather powerful as they gain strategic initiative, although I have just about managed to form an unbroken line of defence.

Also have an ongoing PBEM game with NJ John of (the venerable) Combat Mission: Barbarossa To Berlin.

We have been playing one of the Operations (mini campaigns) entitled 'Dergatschi Roadblock' set in March 1943 and now coming to a crunch as Johns Nazis forcing their way into town enroute to bridge objective beyond but time now against them.

Fascists in town center

My T34 force has been decimated by much faster firing Panzer foes !

 

No Retreat! The Russian Front - Pbem update

Pbem game of excellent No Retreat! Russian Front still ongoing with Mike and we are now well into 1942 (Turn 9 Sept/Oct) with my Germans I fear pretty much at their high water mark as Russians building strength and quality after a torrid set of winter turns for my lot.

Such a great playable game this

Turn 9 Soviet Combat phase with my having just placed three counter blows (a lot of strong red units now in Soviet arsenal !)

No Retreat! The Russian Front Pbem progresses and preparation for UWS game

Just completed Turn 4 of ongoing Vassal Pbem of No Retreat! The Russian Front with Mike and my Germans stagnant due to Snow (and a Long Winter turn upcoming) but did manage to survive several Russian attacks mainly by backing off. 

Need to get through these awful Winter turns and into summer 1942 to try to get some progress Eastwards before worm turns..........

Also planning another Field of Battle 3 game at club on Saturday so sorted out terrain and OOBs for Action at Gilly 1815, a smallish scenario (as I cant stay til the death this week) adapted from a GDA version.

The busy life of a Wargamer in retirement with a bit more solo dabbling, some Pbem and missing pics.

Been dabbling and dibbling again this last few days with various board Wargames but also made a couple of purchases (!!) and did manage to play a minis game but photos seem to have gone AWOL ?

On board Wargame front I set up (always prefer physical game to Vassal as excellent as that is) and played through several turns (up until I realised Axis were stuffed in late 1943) of WW2: Barbarossa To Berlin a CDG type I have always enjoyed.

Then I got Battle of Britain onto table this being the Plastic Soldier Company version (bought a while back for bargain £15) of an old TSR game (which I own). 

A fairly simple but quick playing game. 

Ironically despite being by PSC the plastic aircraft are rather underwhelming so I used those from old TSR version as these are much crisper castings.

On Pbem front game of No Retreat! The Russian Front continues with German (moi) Turn 3 having just ended. 

Ivans (Mike) looking rather thin on ground but they will have 6 cards in their part of turn to 'spend' to restore units and they have a few reserves arriving as well so should look better for them.

I also played with Stephen a Napoleonic minis game using the superbly priced (ie free) Valour & Fortitude Rules for a bash with my Prussians against his French. 

Stephen used an old (V1) GDB scenario based on action at Gross-Gorschen 1813. 

This was mainly to try out a couple of house rules concerning Open Order units as we don't like how they play as written and are trying to make them more akin to pure Skirmish formation. 

Went well but I whilst I took photos they seem to have gotten deleted from my phone/Google account accidentally I assume. 

The rules (and other stuff) are downloadable at https://www.perry-miniatures.com/valour-fortitude/vf-rules/

And then I bought a couple of items the first being the long awaited second edition of General D'Armee by Dave Brown which is a pre-order due 4th of March or so.

Also made an EBay purchase of one of the expansions for Fire In The Lake game namely 'The Fall Of Saigon 1972-1975' a title I have been on lookout for to expand this hugely enjoyable COIN system game.