Detroit/southeast Michigan area (w / Pics)

[panzers]

I missed my grand opportunity to play this game at origins, however I have since been told that the're are a few of you out there that have a copy of the game. I would love to be a part of it. Plese write back if anyone out there is interested in playing a game. Steve(panzers)

[Yoper]

I have a copy of the game.

I will be taking it to my regular Friday night gaming group tonight and we will see about playing it.

I will pm the contact info and direction to our gathering if you are interested in checking it out.

Craig

[Yoper]

I introduced the game to my regular Friday night group.

Two of the other three regulars were present and also there was a new player that I happen to contact from him posting this thread here in the AAR section.

We ran through a practice turn and went over the basics for the game.  I had sent the rules to the other guys but since they only had them for a couple of days, they had not read much.

I was the "knowledgable" player with only one read through and some game time at Origins.

We will get back to the start of a full game next week.

I am going through all my various plastic pieces to get some consistent sets for each country.

I am also going to cut the map into four sections- each 2' x 3'- and placed them into poster frames that can be lined up side by side.

It is the only way we can keep a game set up from session to session.  My friend, whose house we play at, can then take the individual sections upstair to a spare bedroom and store them there.  Anything bigger will not fit through the bedroom doorway.

If we played at my house, then we could keep it set up.  But I live out from the Detroit metro area and his house is the logical meeting place.

More next week.

Craig

[Yoper]

I have successfully () partitioned the map into four parts and placed the parts into separate poster frames.

Now it is protected from usage wear and can be properly stored between game sessions.

I will take some pics of our game sessions for posting once we get going.

Craig

[John D.]

Great- Looking forward to some feedback!

John

[Mark]

Yoper - good luck tomorrow night!

Remember:
Amphibs (except for the Japanese) and para drops cost $
There are certan garrison requirements that countries must maintain until they are at war.
Air to air combat proceeds every round of naval or ground combat.
Planes can only be killed by AA or other planes.
You must garrison captured territories to get money from them.

Those are the most common mistakes folks forget about their first time playing.
Feel free to post or email any questions that come up

[Yoper]

We were doing all those things right.

It was the German submarine being attacked out in the Atlantic that I did wrong.  I had us resolve it on the Naval battles chart (which it can be done on, but on which I shouldn't have chosen it to be done on!).

I will do it next time on the Strategic so as to save my subs.

Craig

[Mark]

yeah - subs are hard to hunt and kill. . .

Instead of introducing complex or time consuming seperate find and attack rolls, we decided this was a better way to model it (since, almost opposite to surface engagements, destroyers are your best sub hunters and battleships are pretty much ineffective).

Things don't hunt and attack subs as effective as they defend convoy zones from subs (destroyers attack subs on a "1" but defend zones against sub attacks on a "2 or less")  I think this is an important characteristic to model.  Early in the war, when Churchill was Lord of the Admiralty, he advocated chasing subs all over the Atlantic like cavalry rather than escort duty - to disastrous results.  destroyers were busy trying to find subs to kill while convoys were getting sunk at an alarming rate - it did not take long for the British to change tactics.

The game tries to reflect these strategies:  when you don't have a lot of destroyers and planes - you are better off defending your convoy zones.  Eventually, if you have lots of destroyers and planes, it might make sense to form hunter killer groups as well and chase the subs down.

anyway - my 2 cents - others have different strategies in dealing with subs. . .

[Mark]

So Yoper - did you get a chance to try things out on Friday?

[Yoper]

We started a '41 game.

Between setting up and getting a feel for things we only got through one turn.

We will be continuing tomorrow night and hopefully things will pick up. 

We are playing with four player again and the new guy wasn't there.  Our other regular was back and so he was checking it out for the first time.

I am in the process of rereading the rule book to brush up on different things that were cropping up.

I did send away for a few of the metal miniatures.  Just for a few of the specialty units like the Kaytushka rockets and the IL-2s.

Craig

[John D.]

Craig,
    What nationality are you playing?

John

[Yoper]

I am the European Axis.

Craig

[Yoper]

We have gotten in three turns so far.  The first night was set up and the first turn.  The second night was the second and third turn.

While we have had certain questions that needed clarifications, we have done quite well at getting a handle on what is going on.

I think that things will pick up as we continue to play.  I figure that we will get in a minimum of three turns per night once we get rolling.

Once my wife is back with the digital camera, I will start taking pics of the progress that we are making.

Craig

[John D.]

Hi Craig,
    It does take about 3-4 turns to get in a rhythm. After your first game or 2, the overall strategic approach will be the addiction (when the rules are well known).

Have fun!

John

[Mark]

Good to hear, Craig - after you get a couple games under your belt, things move much quicker. Â

For us, playing the 39 game, the first 6-7 turns take about 30 minutes each, then the game slows down when the Germans go into Russia - the middle 10 turns of the game (through 43) take up to an hour each. Turns in 44-45 speed up a bit again to about 45 mins a turn on average. Â A full 39 game usually runs us about 15-16 hours to the end. Â The 41 game shaves about 4 hours off the game. Â You guys are grinding through the long turns right now - lots of action with Barbarossa and the Japs going to war.