Author Topic: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play  (Read 39708 times)

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John D.

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #45 on: July 01, 2014, 07:35:08 AM »
Crazy!

PS: 3 V-Weapons?  A little excessive, don't you think?

We take vengance seriously.  >:(

Yoper

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #46 on: July 02, 2014, 03:45:20 AM »
Looks like you guys had a nice table situation.  More than enough space for the charts, etc.  (Though I don't see any dice towers!!!)

Did the venue work out for you?

John D.

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #47 on: July 02, 2014, 04:15:20 AM »
Yes - it was a great vacation and great audience! I think we are going back! 8)

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #48 on: July 02, 2014, 05:39:35 AM »
Winter 1943-44 - End of Turn

Italy just looked like too tough a nut to crack, so the Allies staged an Amphibious landing in the South of France.  It coincided with an amphibious assault into Brittany by Montgomery as well.  The early invasion of France caught the Germans by surprise with most of their forces in Italy expecting an Allied assault there - perhaps our misdirection of FUSAG in Tunisia. . . At any rate, the Allies are ashore in France with minimal losses.

In the South of Russia, The Soviets liberate Rostov and bring their armies up on a broad front in the South.  The Germans again retake Maikop, but with the front in the North being pushed back, it may just be a brief recon-en-force. (I don't think the Russian builds have been placed yet, so Rokossovsky will be reinforced).

Quote
One of the big advantages that Russia has always had, in my opinion, is their ability to build new units right on the front.  The Germans get to deal with new Russian Armies simply appearing in their faces
I really like how this works in the game - it really throws the Germans off having a tank army that they knew nothing about attack them.  It simulates the fog of war fairly well on the Russian front - it is one of my favorite things to do.

In the North of Russia, the Germans were able to bomb away the river flotillas on Lake Ladoga, cutting Leningrad out of supply as a preliminary move for their expected attack against Leningrad.  Will the Soviet army there hold until relief can come from Koniev and Vatutin?

« Last Edit: July 02, 2014, 05:51:53 AM by Mark »

Wolf

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #49 on: July 02, 2014, 07:08:10 AM »
Ack!

I have always thought of Southern France as a sincere weak spot in Fortress Europa, but ah, that stings!   Going to give the Germans a huge logistical headache getting any serious forces into France to slow up the Allies.  Two full turns early.  I would have needed a drink, after that.

Prediction: bypassing Italy, and leaving it in the game, bites you in the bum, later.

Wo ist Manstein?  He was hanging out in Southern Russian with his 50,000 closest friends, and now he's gone?

Reconn in force is correct. Two SS Tigers?  I would not want to tangle with that without at least 10 friends.  And still no armor in the south.

I bet this was one of those games where there was an open bottle of Tums near the table at all times...

Hey, I just noticed.  The u-boats are almost out of places to park...

John D.

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #50 on: July 02, 2014, 02:24:57 PM »
Well - the Italians took out Greece all alone - so they got the morale bump. Vino per tutti!

Wolf

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #51 on: July 03, 2014, 04:44:15 AM »
Aha!

That explains a lot!  I was noticing the Italians were pretty air heavy, for Italians, and I was wondering how you were doing that.  The increased max builds help out a lot.

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #52 on: July 03, 2014, 04:57:16 AM »
Spring 1944  -  End of Turn

In the Med, the Allied fleet is ported at Tunis with a small amphibious corps under Dempsey for a potential invasion of Sicily in the Summer.  Italian defenses still look formidable, however.  Also, Italian morale is still good as they managed to take out Greece all by themselves earlier in the game and are receiving the morale bonus for that.

In France, Bradley and Montgomery captured Paris and Normandy with minimal losses.  The Germans are retreating faster than we can advance back to Belgium and Alsace-Lorraine - but, are digging in to make a stand there.  In Southern France, the U.S. Third Army under Patton and the British 8th Army under Leese advanced rapidly to seize the mountains and the passes on the border with Italy.  However, Kesselring has scratched together a pretty strong army consisting of jagdpanzer units, AT guns, 88s, and lots of AA support. . .breaking into Northern Italy will be tough.

In Southern Russia, Zhuhkov and Rokossovsky have pushed the Germans out of their Don-Donets River line and are advancing in force.  What is left of Army Group South has fallen back behind the Dnepr to establish a defensive line under the command of List.

In Northern Russia, the Germans gave it their all to try and take Leningrad - and they almost succeeded. . .but Vasilevsky managed to hang on after losing all of his fortifications and fighting down to a handful of remnants.  Now, with new river flotillas in place, Leningrad is back in supply and is in a much more secure position.  Vatutin liberated Smolensk and Koniev is massing to drive the Germans out of Novgorod and break the siege of Leningrad for good in the Summer.

While the Allies are advancing on most fronts, the VP conditions continue to be very close for an Axis victory.  The Allies need to continue to take VPs back at a good pace or will lose the game.

John D.

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #53 on: July 03, 2014, 09:18:48 AM »
One of the best dynamics of the game is the Victory Point system for defining win/loss. The historical progress comparison insures continued pressure on both sides to beat the "historical clock". It's really fun to see Allies under pressure to make sure the Axis lose "fast enough" because the Axis can "win" the game by losing slower than they did historically. 8)

Wolf

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #54 on: July 03, 2014, 06:31:35 PM »
I have made it to the end game yet, but I do see substantial Axis airpower, both in Italy, and Northern Russia.  I can see the Allied airpower coming up, with lots of P-51's and Typhoons on the board, but all those Axis planes have to be giving the Allies fits.

I am thinking that may be one reason the Allies are a little "behind".

John D.

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #55 on: July 04, 2014, 07:58:17 AM »
Correct - this particular game - I went very heavy air. I heard Mark say "how did you get so much air!" several separate times throughout the game...
Go where you have the advantage - or don't go at all - unless you are desperate.  Simple.

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #56 on: July 07, 2014, 01:43:42 AM »
Autumn 1944 - End of Turn

Sorry - it looks like we did not document the end of the Summer 1944 turn.  Perhaps too much excitement. . .

In Southern Russia, the Soviets have made significant gains over the last two turns, liberating Kharkov, the Crimea, Kiev and Odessa.  What is left of the German army in the South is retreating toward the Polish border.

The Germans have been pouring most of their reserves into the Baltic States and Minsk to defend against Soviet attacks in Northern Russia.  Here, the German defenses have held pretty strong as the Russians have smashed themselves up against the Axis with little gains.

In Southern Europe, Patton sliced across Northern Italy in the Summer and then turned South to capture Rome in the Autumn.  The Allies desperately needed the 3 VPs to stay in the game.  Italy has still not surrendered, though they are operating at a negative morale modifier.

In France, the Allies advanced into Belgium in the Summer, but were stopped cold in Holland and in Alsace Lorraine in the Autumn.  Bradley smashed himself up pretty bad trying to take Metz - lost all three paratroopers.  It was like Market-Garden, but in the South instead of in Holland.


John D.

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #57 on: July 07, 2014, 10:46:08 AM »
The end game is really fun. As the Reich collapses in on itself the game seems to move so much faster...

Mark

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #58 on: July 09, 2014, 03:09:29 AM »
End of Game

And that was it.  The game ended before the end of the Winter 1944-45 turn with the allies conceding they would not have enough VPs at the end of the turn to prevent and Axis victory.

From an Allied perspective, I think the heavy economic losses the British took for much of the game really paid off for the Axis later in the game.  The Allies invasion of France was made with much lighter resources than I would have liked and I did not have enough units to keep it plowing forward.  A couple of big attrition battles in Northern Italy and Alsace Lorraine really sapped Allied strength to continue to push forward.

Also, the delay in taking out North Africa and in trying to force Italy out of the war hurt.  Too many Axis VPs in Italy and the Western Allies did not have enough resources to take out both Italy and force a way over the Rhine in late 44.

In Russia, The Soviets got too aggressive too early I believe.  We had a few terrible offensives in 1942-43 that killed off a lot of Russians for little gain which sapped Russian strength in 1944.

One of the learnings that keeps coming back to me as an Allied player in PATIENCE.  Jumping on the offensive too early seems to cost them later in the game.

Was a great game though - had a lot of fun and it could have gone either way.  Lots of good moves and bad moves on both sides.  Tension was really good throughout the game!

Uncle Joe

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Re: ConsimWorld Expo 2014 - Game Play-by-Play
« Reply #59 on: July 09, 2014, 09:31:23 AM »
Great summary!  I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!  You guys must have had a great time.
Would have liked to have seen pictures of the game at the end, though. . .just to how things ended after all that 'struggling'  ;)