Feb 3rd Hartford Game (w/Pics)

[Mark]

Rommel advances through Kasserine pass and kicks the Allies out of Eastern Algeria and the Axis continue to hold the British in Egypt.

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[Mark]

Winter 1942 - the Germans advance to the gates of Stalingrad and Moscow on the Russian Front.  The Japanese take the Philippines in the Pacific.

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[Mark]

The Americans redeploy their fleet off the coast of Australia.  Patton pushes the Germans back out of Algeria.

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[Mark]

In the Winter of 1942 - the Allies building up in Englandm the American fleet advances into the Solomon Sea, and the Chinese take back Kwangtung.

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[Yoper]

In Southeast Asia things went better.  I took Singapore, Hong Kong, the Dutch East Indies and isolated the Philippines.  Monty and Rommel continue their test of wills at El alemein.

How did the Japanese player end up with two air units in Singapore when there isn't an airbase there?

Craig

[Yoper]

In the Winter of 1942 - the Allies building up in Englandm the American fleet advances into the Solomon Sea, and the Chinese take back Kwangtung.

How is it that there is a Chinese infantry and marker in Northern FIC?

The rules state:

Chinese units may only operate in mainland China, Manchuria, Korea, Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Tibet.

Craig

[Mark]

Hey Yoper - you are correct on all counts.  That 2nd Japanese bomber should have been landed in Siam - not Singapore - as it was in the following Autumn turn picture.  I may have forgotten to land it, or had not moved it yet when the picture was taken.

As for the Chinese - we tried a couple different things with them in this game for fun (like being able to build artillery and AA guns) - we also let them move into territories adjacent to China in Southeast Asia to see how it would work.  None of these things are in the rules.

[Yoper]

I read about the extra units that they could build, but you hadn't talked about the movement restriction being lifted.

Craig

[Micoom]

Did it have a big influence on the game? I mean giving China more "tools" ?

[Mark]

Hi Micoom,

There were several inter-related tweaks that we made in this game do to using the 'event driven' entry rules for the US that we wanted to try out.  Most of them worked I believe.

I think giving China the ability to build artillery and AA as well as move outside of China is a bit too much.  I think an appropriate adjustment might be to start them with an artillery and an AA gun (which they cannot replace) and still not let them move out of China.

I know a couple Chinese divisions operated in Burma during the war - but it was pretty limited.  Chiang wanted to conserve as much of his army as he could for the big fight with Mao.  If folks really wanted to let the Chinese move outside of China, I think it would have to be something like 3 units maximum or something.

The other thing we did, was to say that all of the Japanese units that start in Manchuria are frozen in Manchuria until the Russian garrison restrictions are lifted.  So that made the Japanese in China a little weaker too.

[Mark]

Ahhh,  Springtime in the Med. . . What's this?  Reinforcing Monty with some Yanks?  That's not fair!

Meanwhile. . . on the Eastern Front. .  .The German's decide to launch a panzer attack on their mechanized phase into Moscow!  It was rather Kursk-like - all those nice tanks up against bunkers and AT guns. . . I really thought the Germans had a shot - but they rolled horribly and the Russians smoked them.  After one round of combat, the Fuhrer called it off and retreated the armor in between Moscow and Leningrad. . . that should give the Russians something to think about. . . the Germans dropped a paratrooper back in Kazan too - in order to prevent any rail movement up to Moscow or Leningrad. . . very sneaky indeed. . .

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[Mark]

The Japanese decide to reinforce Rabaul and make a stand in the Bismarck Sea.  The stage is set for a major naval showdown. . . unless the Americans flinch.

All is quiet on the Western front.

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[Mark]

The Kriegsmarine has sortied again to wipe out some destroyer and transport trying to reinforce the British position in Norway. . . In North Africa, Rommel is running out of armies to fight with. . . maybe its time to recall him to Berlin for a rest period. . . at least the Italian fleet and the Luftwaffe are keeping the Brits at bay.


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[Mark]

The Allies launch an amphibious assault behind John's famous "Graziani line" cutting it out of supply.  They also land a whole mess of reinforcements for Monty. . . where does he get so many wonderful toys - our poor Italians are eating shoe leather in their bunkers waiting for the inevitable barrage to begin. . .

And, Todd does not flinch - and we have a major naval engagement in the Bismarck Sea. . .

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[John D.]

Mark- Great job with the pics! I feel like I was there!