#consimworld

Another view on LFT’s Battle for Seoul map. So, I’ve been finding ASL’s interpretation of the Korean War quite interesting in The Forgotten War module. Then I read Mark Pitcavage’s really interesting critique of it on his excellent Desperation Morale site, and I think he makes really good points - particularly about how Chinese forces are portrayed, as well as several “grudge” rules additions (bayonet charges, HEAT ammo deflection). I haven’t been totally sold yet on the Infantry Platoon Movement rules just as a game mechanism, but Mark points out that they are also highly suspect historically (as is the nerfed Chinese leadership structure) as the CPVA units that intervened in Korea were battle-hardened and capable units; certainly more tactically proficient than many early Soviet or Rumanian or late-war Japanese units which suffer no similar penalty in ASL. Now, I get that it’s a game and you make choices to evoke a historical flavor and that means by necessity heightening contrasts. The baseline 6 morale for US units has always been a choice that was maybe hard to defend on strictly modeling grounds, but when combined with their 6 firepower rating made US units play differently and in a way that did heighten different approaches to small unit tactics that could easily have been lost if the had been rated more “realistically”. The CVPA and the US, ROK, and other UN forces did fight quite differently in the Korean War, and the design does portray that quite well by exaggerating differences in a similar way. But I do suspect that extra restrictive rules like IPM probably went too far, and the game would have been better off without them. Anyway, if you play ASL, go read Mark’s writeup on desperationmorale.com, as well as the designers’ response in the comments. I like the module and am glad to have it; but Mark makes excellent points. #advancedsquadleader #boardgamegeek #boardgames #consimworld #aslkorea (at Game Kastle - Santa Clara) https://www.instagram.com/p/B85BJTVBrv0/?igshid=13sg19tn8x1d5

Gaming News with GloryHoundd: Board Games, War Games, Miniatures, RPG's and Magic the Gathering Gaming News with GloryHoundd: Board Games, War Games, Miniatures, RPG's and Magic the Gathering

Battle Above the Clouds, the Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge scenario. This is another series of games that has been on the shelf too long since my regular opponent left the area. I wouldn’t say this scenario is particularly interesting - Hooker singlehandedly blew it for me by botching two corps assaults - but it’s short and compact and is typical of the set-piece-assault type situations. The two gems in the scenario mix here are McLemore’s Cove and The Battle of Chickamauga. I actually hadn’t played this one before; it’s fine, but doesn’t showcase the best bits of the system. Anyway, I’m really glad this system seems to be having a bit of a resurgence, it really is a great piece of design, albeit one that went through a fair amount of refinement and maturation over a decade or so of play before it got to its current state. The game does continue in its tradition of over-rating confederate leaders and forces in the name of heightening contrasts - Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan all get short shrift in the system - but I’ve made my peace with this, kind of. The system needs differentiation to be interesting and there is only so much range to work with on a d6. I’m still not super-comfortable with the occasional flirting with lost-cause-ism that the games do, but it’s gotten much less problematic over the years as the campaigns being covered have diversified (the otherwise excellent Atlanta is Ours’ minor nods to the execrable - and, ahem, fictional - Gone With the Wind being an unfortunate regression). Anyway, well worth playing if you have the chance. #bgg #boardgamegeek #mmp #gcacw #consimworld https://www.instagram.com/p/B2D1swxB4tJ/?igshid=enxcemasd1wn

The Last Hundred Yards, scenario 8. Breaking out the tanks to test out some combined-arms tactics. Panzer Vs, still extremely nasty; it’s very tough to manage if all you have is M4s. I’m hitting a point with this where I’m quite enjoying the gameplay, but the problems with the rules make it hard to nail down everything and get the play running smoothly. I like the core initiative/action/reaction/command structure of the gameplay quite a bit; I actually think this structured approach works much better than the free-form impulses used by games like Lock n Load, Conflict of Heroes, or even Panzer; as in ASL, the constraints reflect doctrine, and doctrine was important. You still have a lot of flexibility. Anyway, I see the first expansion for this was just announced - I definitely have some hope for this. It’s not a simple game and it does really need some work on the rules - in terms of presentation and clarity - but if that can get done, I think this has promise! #bgg #boardgamegeek #gmtgames #consimworld #thelasthundredyards https://www.instagram.com/p/B1pSp5_h1Le/?igshid=14kumi5fu7la5

FAB: Sicily, from @gmtgames. The Allies get ashore easily but then are quickly stymied by aggressive counterattacks, a disastrous British second airborne drop, and a lack of offensive elan. If the Allies lose an airborne unit - which is a distinct possibility with the constrained options and mandatory jumps, especially for the British - the early sudden death VCs start to loom large. This is one of those games that I’ve played a fair amount (maybe 5 times?) and have always enjoyed but it’s not totally clear to me how the Axis is supposed to win (the auto-victory thresholds in the FAB games have always seemed a bit odd to me; on turn 9 the Allies need 7 VPs for the auto-victory while the Axis only need 3; but if the US doesn’t have 7, then in the next instant when the game ends they only need 1. It’s a bit weird). So anyway, it was cool to see the Allies lose when the Axis played aggressively, although it was a closely run thing. So now I want to give this another try sometime soon. FAB is a good system and it’s not complicated per se but it’s *just* persnickety enough that it’s a bit of work to get going with it again after a break. I also wish the games were a bit shorter. But once I get going with them I always enjoy them. #gmtgames #boardgames #wargames #boardwargame #consimworld https://www.instagram.com/p/Br9akMFD1Zn/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=bgenxj9ehaic

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Fields of Despair. End of the 1915-16 scenario - the CP got fatally behind on attrition in the first turn, losing a lot of troops to big (50+ SP) allied attacks. By the end, the whole north flank had been blown open and the German army severely battered. The game really forces you to be very aggressive, even in the middle years - the trenches aren't super-strong defensively so you can't let your opponent get comfortable and mass his forces; you have to keep him off balance. You also have to play the game of bluff; you have to defend the spaces you think your opponent will attack and try to dodge and weave. I've really enjoyed the game. You can tell it's a first-time designer; it has a couple oddities and edges that more experience would have filed off, but still, a lot to like. #bgg #boardgamegeek #consimworld #boardgames #gmtgames

I've never really done the Print 'n Play thing, but I was really intrigued by John B. Firer's Age of Bismarck. It's basically a 4-player rebuild of Hannibal: Rome vs Carthage, set in the unification campaigns in Germany and Italy in the late 1800s. A little rules-y, but with so much taken directly from Hannibal it should be manageable. Not a high-percentages play I guess, but looking forward to giving it a try. #bgg #boardgamegeek #consimworld