Messages

1291

After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins 2006

« on: July 13, 2006, 10:56:50 AM »

The Battle for the Pacific rages on in the Winter of 1942.  This is from Saturday's game!  The Japanese player was tenacious and managed to overwhelm and take Australia (weep  ) Even though it was his first time playing.

But the Allies have managed to launch a counter-offensive of their own in the Central Pacific - taking back the Gilberts, Marshals, Solomons, and New Britain.

It looks like things are boiling down to another nasty naval confrontation off of the Marshals though - the Japanese have clearly had enough of this American incursion.  Will the Combined Imperial Fleet sink another US carrier group?
Answer:  Yes   -  Keep those ship yards working 24/7, boys!

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1292

After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins 2006

« on: July 13, 2006, 10:49:27 AM »

Summer of 1941 - The Japanese have just taken French-Indo China, Siam has joined the Axis, and the Kwangtung army has pushed deep into China. . .

The Brits are building up a significant army of their own in Burma though!  The Germans must not be putting enough pressure on them in the Middle East. . .

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1293

After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins 2006

« on: July 13, 2006, 10:46:04 AM »

Our firends over at Armchair General have written their final report from their own experiences at Origins and featured WWII: The Struggle for Europe and Asia in their summary.
You can check out the publication and their summary at:
http://www.armchairgeneral.com

1294

After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins 2006

« on: July 13, 2006, 10:40:39 AM »

This is Spring 1941 from Friday. . . How historical - German paratroopers have taken Crete and the Italian Army in North Africa has advanced into Egypt.

It looks like the RAF is striking back at the Italians in the Aegean though!



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1295

Rules questions from first edition / Re: Q & A

« on: July 10, 2006, 02:52:08 PM »

"After flying defensive air support, do my air units have to land back in the territories they intercepted from?"

Yes, unless the territory they intercepted from is no longer friendly occupied at the conclusion of the combat phase.  Per the rules on page 16:

After defensive air support, defending air units must return to the territory or carrier that they intercepted from.  If the original territory / carrier is no longer available to return to due to enemy occupation, battle or it is sunk, the intercepting air unit must fly to an alternate territory / aircraft carrier within range of half its movement from the battle territory or sea zone.  If no carrier or territory exists within this range, the air unit is eliminated instead.
 

1296

Rules questions from first edition / Re: Q & A

« on: July 10, 2006, 02:49:10 PM »

"Can mechanized units attack in the mechanized phase after they are landed via amphibious assault during the movement phase?"

No, per the Mechanized Phase rules on page 27:

Mechanized units may either move into a friendly territory or into an enemy owned territory (combat) during the mechanized movement phase.  Mechanized units may not move into combat by moving into enemy owned territory if:
1)Â  It is a winter turn in a non-arid/desert territory.
2)Â  The mechanized unit was landed as part of an amphibious assault on the general movement phase.
3)Â  The mechanized unit was moved via strategic land (rail) movement during the general movement phase.
4)  The mechanized unit is moving into or out of a rough forested or mountainous territory.  

Mechanized units may still move into friendly owned territories during these conditions on the mechanized phase – just not into enemy owned territories.

1297

After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins 2006

« on: July 06, 2006, 02:50:38 PM »

This was fun and I think from Friday's game at Origins:
The Germans sent their surface navy out into the Atlantic to do convoy damage and to (more importantly) sink destroyers so that the u-boats could do more convoy damage. . .

Well, the British player went all out to sink the Bismarck (and the rest of the German navy), pulling in ships from the Med, South Atlantic, and anywhere else he could get his hands on them.

The Germans got lucky on the first Allied "hunt" ducking into fog and a storm front to avoid the Royal Navy (aka: bad British dice).

Heartened by this "victory", the Germans amphibious landed troops in Iceland in order to give the Kriegsmarine some air cover so that it might make it back to Norway. . .

To no avail, though - the Germans lost most of their surface fleet the following turn - though they did manage to save their transport.

At least, as Admiral Raeder put it in 1939, "they managed to die gallantly. . ."

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1298

Strategy Tips / Re: Any ideas on how to start U Boat production early?

« on: July 06, 2006, 02:40:47 PM »

We played three games at Origins - the Axis won only the last one.

They did not build many subs.

They took Cairo (for only one turn via amphibious assault) and triggered Turkey.

And then they launched the most overwhelming barbarossa I have seen in a while - drove the Russians back to the Urals. 

The Western Allies did well, knocking Italy out in Winter 1942 and landing in France in the Summer of 43 - but by then the Russian front was over. . .

This might be a good Axis strategy to win.

1299

Strategy Tips / Re: Any ideas on how to start U Boat production early?

« on: July 06, 2006, 02:36:15 PM »

"I don't think you are getting it - building German factories early does not affect the size of total German ground forces (by about the time of Barbarossa / late '41)."

I DO get it - I said "If, you can get away with that and still knock France out effectively. . .  I agree your break even with troops by Barbarossa.

The question is can you build subs and factories and still take France out. . . I think that could be risky with good Allied play - or else the Axis throw Italy into a precarious position from the get go.

1300

After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins 2006

« on: July 05, 2006, 02:31:50 PM »

First of several pics I will be posting from Origins. . .
The Fuhrer's gaze is frmly fixed on the Russian front while Tojo is happy about the direction of the Pacific War. . .



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1301

After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins 2006

« on: July 05, 2006, 02:11:23 PM »

We had an awesome time at Origins!  Â
3 Days of gaming go by just way too fast!  
We met a lot of great players and sold a few games to boot.  The Origins staff set us up in the war room and we had plenty of like minded folks all about - I have to say the Origins experience for me was better than GenCon and I look forward to coming again next year!

Thanks to everyone who played and thanks for the dice towers Yoper - I don't know how we got by without them in the past!

1302

After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins 2006

« on: June 27, 2006, 04:54:47 AM »

Thanks Yoper!

you are right - your text conveys the meaning of front line and support status much more clearly - I'll edit the text in that section.

Look forward to 3 days of gaming!

1303

After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins 2006

« on: June 25, 2006, 04:37:57 AM »

Yoper,

Thanks for the feedback - I can see what you mean about the verbage in the rules regarding support units - I will try to make that more clear.

Essentially, there are front line units and support units for ground combat in the game.  Front line units are infantry, fortifications, paratroopers, all types of armor, panzergrenadiers, AT guns, AA guns and 88's.

Support units are all types of air units, artillery, Katyusha Rockets and Naval gunfire support.

For a support unit to be "supported", you must have equal or greater number of front line units.  Support units in excess of this number are considered  "unsupported" and have a combat value of only "1" instead of their normal 2,3,4 or less combat value.

For example, if the attacker has 5 infantry, 3 artillery and 3 bombers attacking a space, the attacker would have 5 "Front Line" and 6 "Support" Units.  The attacker would have to pick which one of his support units is "unsupported" and place that unit in the "1" column on the combat board instead of its normal spot.

I'll make these dynamics more clear in the rules - but hopefully that clears things up for next weekend.

Thanks,
Mark

Oh, I think John is bringing a couple of the basic games to Origins.
Look forward to playing you there!

1304

Strategy Tips / Re: Any ideas on how to start U Boat production early?

« on: June 22, 2006, 05:34:07 AM »

Well, instead of building 2 factories out of the gates, you could build 6 U-boats: That should put a lot of pressure on the British very early.  If, you can get away with that and still knock France out effectively, of course.

1305

After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins 2006

« on: May 19, 2006, 08:01:04 AM »

Yoper - You'll be hooked on Thursday!  Come on over whenever you are free. . .

If you take off at 5 on Friday - we'll just plan accordingly - that should get you through 1942 - so, you should maybe play one of the countries that is in the action early, rather than the US or a power that has more action later.

See you there!

Mark