What the last rules set you played in 2022

Started by pierre the shy, 15 January 2022, 10:03:09 PM

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pierre the shy

15 January 2022, 10:03:09 PM Last Edit: 15 January 2022, 10:08:07 PM by pierre the shy
1) What ruleset did you use in your last game? - General Quarters 1 and 2
2) What armies were confronted? - RN/USN vs IJN somewhere in the South China Sea December 1941 
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - Yes, very
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - No, I've been playing them since 2013.
5) How many players were in the game? - 3/4 (Paul is umpiring the campaign but wanted to run the USN destroyer flotilla).
6) What went well? - For RN/USN pretty much everything, for the IJN not very much.
7) What could have been improved? - IJN cruiser gunnery

This was the first game in our refight of the "Defence of the Malay Barrier" Campaign by Old Dominion Game Works 

The RN Wesforce, based in Singapore, with a USN destroyer flotilla attached, sortied to intercept a Japanese invasion convoy that had been spotted by the RAF off the East coast of Malaya (as it was known in 1941). The sighting report was not that accurate (The brylcream boys reporting carriers rather than cruisers!  :o) ).

The interception was sucessful and Wesforce deployed with Exeter (flag), 3 old D class light cruisers and a total of 12 (mainly WW1 vintage) RN and USN destroyers facing off agianst an IJN invasion convoy of 11 transports, 2 Mogami class heavy cruisers and 8 modern destroyers.

Each IJN cruiser mounts 10 x 8" guns, agianst the Exeter's 6. The D class light cruisers only mount 5 x 6" individual centreline mounts.

Exeter opened fire on the leading cruiser at fairly long range and hit her 3 turns in a row, slowing her significantly and damaging her enough to force its withdrawal from the action. Meanwhile the one flotilla of 4 relatively modern destroyers was sent in to attack the head of the Japanese formation. While still relitively undamaged they were able to mount an effective torpedo attack on the Japanese flagship, which was hit by several torpedoes and literally exploded when its magazines lit off, taking the Japanese admiral and many of the crew with it.

Meanwhile the Japanese destroyers frantically laid smoke to protect the lumbering transports. The Exeter, hardly touched by Japanese fire, on the opposite course to the convoy was able to sight the tail-end ship of the nearest column and engage it. Exeter's good fortune continued, hitting its target squarely with a with a full 8" broadside. This caused this ship to explode as well, since it was carrying ammunition and other flammable supplies.

My destroyers did start suffering quite badly and the cruiser line is about to turn away with Japanese destroyers approaching.

But I think I have done enough damage to force the Japanese to withdraw since the Admiral's flagship failed morale and there are losses amongst their transports which (if I read the campaign rules correctly) means the whole force withdraws (or at least has to test morale....which is a bit of a novelty in my naval gaming experience). I just hope the umpire agrees with my reading of that particular section!!  ;)  :-\

As Admiral Palister was present on Exeter's bridge he has directed his flag secretary to prepare a recommendation for the immediate award of a suitable decoration for the Exeter's Captain and Gunnery Officer.

Tally Ho!                         


   
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
we are not now that strength which in old days
moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.

paulr

Quote5) How many players were in the game? - 3/4 (Paul is umpiring the campaign but wanted to run the USN destroyer flotilla).
I wanted to introduce a little inter-navy confusion to the Allied side ;)

I agree with your reading and once you decide what you will do if the Japanese break off Roy and I can finish the action off.

My account of the action will appear in this thread in due course
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Steve J

Well it certainly seems to be a good start for the ABDA in the campaign. Fingers crossed their luck holds...

Steve J

1) What ruleset did you use in your last game? - Practical Wargmaing by C Wesencraft.
2) What armies were confronted? - Generic Ancients.
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - Not bad given it was my first go with them.
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - Yes.
5) How many players were in the game? - Solo.
6) What went well? - Not bad for a first run out with the rules, that look to have plenty to offer. You can see how Neil Thomas took these rules and updated them.
7) What could have been improved? - Not much really. The game then allowed me to spot bits I'd missed etc. I certainly look forward to giving these another run out soon.

paulr

QuoteWell it certainly seems to be a good start for the ABDA in the campaign. Fingers crossed their luck holds...
X_X  X_X  X_X
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Chris Pringle

1) What ruleset did you use in your last game? Bloody Big BATTLES! (BBB)
2) What armies were confronted? Austrians vs Prussians - Trautenau, Austro-Prussian War, 1866
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? Yes
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? No
5) How many players were in the game? Four players, one umpire (Crispin)
6) What went well? A stonking good fast-moving game, fought to a finish in two hours flat
7) What could have been improved? I was on the winning side but in a way a draw would have been even better - honours even is always a nice result.

I report this mainly because I'm so pleased with the scenario that generated a nice mobile game, plenty for both sides to do and a nice 'shape' to it. Full AAR here:
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2022/01/back-in-bohemia-trautenau-1866.html
Scenario available from the BBB group:
https://groups.io/g/bloodybigbattles

T13A

Hi

1) What ruleset did you use in your last game? - General de'Armee (Napoleonic)
2) What armies were confronted? - French v Late Prussians
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - No
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - Yes
5) How many players were in the game? - 3, with two of us playing and one trying to understand/interpret the rules.
6) What went well? - Not a great deal from my point of view. These rules just didn't grab me which surprised me as I really like 'O' Group by the same author and the good review they got on on Little Wars TV. Some of the mechanisms seemed overly complicated and in particular I didn't like the way skirmishers were handled (it seemed a bit like a game within a game).
7) What could have been improved? -  :-\

Cheers Paul
T13A Out!

T13A

Hi

1) What ruleset did you use in your last game? - Live Free or Die (AWI) by Little Wars TV
2) What armies were confronted? - Rebels v British
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - Fairly
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - Second time.
5) How many players were in the game? - 2
6) What went well? - The rules 'flowed' well and were easy to pick up. Will use them again.  :)
7) What could have been improved? - A couple of things could have been explained better in the rules (which are only four pages long) but nothing serious that we couldn't make our own decisions on.

Cheers Paul
T13A Out!

fsn

1) What ruleset did you use in your last game? - Nobby's WWII Air War Rules
2) What armies were confronted? - 1941 USN vs Japanese Navy (12 Wildcat vs 8 Zero & 8 Kate)
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - Yah.
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - Nope ... played a few in development
5) How many players were in the game? - 1
6) What went well? - Lot happier with the rules now. The "feel" is getting better.
7) What could have been improved? - Still not good. Needs less paperwork.

Wildcats intercepted a raid by the Kates escorted by the Zeroes. The Kates fared badly (lost 4, further 3 damaged) but the Wildcats lost out to the Japanese fighters (4 Wildcats down,5 damaged; 2 Zeroes down, 1 damaged)

US victory I suppose, in that the Kates didn't manage to press home the attack, but the cost was high.   
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Ithoriel


QuoteUS victory I suppose, in that the Kates didn't manage to press home the attack, but the cost was high.   


 "Another victory like that and we are done for." - Pyrrhus of Epirus  :)
There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

paulr

Not at the rate the US is building planes and training pilots ;)
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paulr

1) What ruleset did you use in your last game? - DBA 3.0
2) What armies were confronted? - 1373 French & Scots v English & Free Company
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - Yes
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? -Not by a long way
5) How many players were in the game? - 4
6) What went well? - The French Knights on the left distracting most of the Free Company and the Scots push of pike
7) What could have been improved? - The English & Free Company PIP rolls at key points

The English chose to dismount all their men-at-arms and deploy them to support their long bow. The Free Company was deployed on the English right with the English and French men-at-arms dismounted. The German and Spanish Knights remained mounted.

The French deployed on the left and right with their mounted knights on the flanks. The Scottish pike were massed in the center.

The French knights on the left went wide forcing the Free Company mounted knights and reserve to cover them. The French knight on the right were forced into column to avoid riding through ploughed fields



The English long bows disrupted the French and Scottish attack and quickly overwhelmed the French cross bows on the hill on the right. This left the dismounted French general on this flank somewhat isolated



The English had deployed their two commands one behind the other, this meant that one command was fighting both the Scots and the French right. Casualties mounted on this command while the other English command could only bring some of its forces against the French left. Eventually the first English command broke and the second command was then demoralised by mounting casualties against the Scots pike.



The Free Company was unable to bring the majority of its troops to bear against the French left as almost half its troops were drawn off to oppose the French Knights on their wide sweep around the left flank and the remainder struggled to get into action against the refused inner flank of the French. When they did the timely intervention of the French Peasant levy supported their dismounted Knights as they charged down off the hill

Victory to the French, perhaps John of Gaunt's Chevauchée was not going to be as great  :-\

This was the first time we had used the earlier version of the French and English armies which have a different character to the Agincourt era armies. Both the Scots and Free Company gave a good account of themselves in their first time on the table
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steve_holmes_11

You've upped the ante for 2022 with photographs.

DecemDave