Old Dog, New Tricks?

 I have one set of rules I have been playing since 1988, my second longest playing rule set is from 2014, these two continue to be my favourites although there are a couple of other sets/games I have played for some time or go back to now and again. I enjoy, in the main, what I play and am willing to try things outside my comfort zone, but suspect I would not pick up on a completely new set anymore.

This week I was introduced to 'O Group', a company level WW2 game with elements of Chain of Command in it, it has to be 'abstract' to a degree in order for the game not to bog down, all well and good but a lot of abstraction niggles me. I was the French and defending against a German assault in 1940, I had less numbers than Matt but was defending, I put two companies on the table and left one in reserve, Matt did basically the same thing. I got off to a decent start and wiped out his recce armoured cars and I think I got one of his Panzer II's later, while he got both my anti-tank portee units, by the end of the night he had not got very far and I still had a company in reserve.

Can you make a call on a set of rules having played only one game with no clue as to what your are doing, probably not but I do know I would not hurry back for another game of 'O Group', despite Matt taking the time to explain everything for me.

My second foray into a new rule set was yesterday at the Gin Pit in Grange where Rob once again organised a large Napoleonic game to test them out, some small games had been played at the club but this was the big one, seven players and umpteen brigades on both sides using Valour and Fortitude from the Perry brothers, and they are free. Needless to say they are a fast play set for big battles and once again therefore with a fair bit of abstraction.

Basically the Russians and Austrians were holding ground to prevent a French withdrawal, the French I am told outnumbered the Allies but looking along the table I was not so sure about that. I held the French left and my three brigades were well outnumbered by the Russians opposite and they had much larger battalions to boot, this will no doubt not surprise Napoleonic players but it came as a shock to me. Anyway I had decided not to attack and simply hold the Russians, who duly forgot they were defending and instead launched an attack all along their line ably commanded by Stewart.

French centre.

French left, me.

Good looker third from right, me.

My division.

We learned that skirmishers were simply used as a suicide squad to soak up fire as your attack went in, there was no closing fire if you were charged and I was not convinced of many of the other mechanics, yes they were fast but did they feel like I had been commanding a Napoleonic division, nope, but then as I said, I do not know much about Napoleonic warfare despite being an admirer of the big man.

Erik moving on the Austrians.

Cavalry fight.

I grab the village.

My right in trouble.

Anyway Stewart did launch a successful attack on my right and took out the brigade on that flank, I stopped going forward and reorganised my line to at least attempt a speed bump before the Russians steamrollered me. I did manage to build up an attack by my left hand brigade and it took an objective just as the shutters came down, so a win for me and an overwhelming win for the French as victory points were tallied up. As I waited patiently for my turn to move, a huge cavalry combat had occured way over on the French right between Rob and Paul which had destroyed the Austrian and Russian cavalry while Stuart and Erik managed to overwhelm Michael around the centre of the battlefield.

The rules certainly were quick and I think the consensus is that they will overtake Black Powder in the Gin Pit battles, personally these types of rules are simply not for me, I don't have massive Napoleonic armies and although I like big battles they are generally under the figure count of these games. I do very much enjoy spending the day with friends and moving wee sojers around however and as long as the lads keep me on the straight and narrow will continue to turn up, but I will never quite understand the rules.

Ah, now for the sting in the tail, Matt came around to play our latest game in the Smolensk Campaign, I felt fairly good about this meeting, my platoon was back to full strength and I took a PzII and in anticipation of Russian armour paid for a heavy anti-tank rifle, which should be enough to support my boys. This hope was kept alive until I heard the clank, clank of tank tracks and Matt drove a KV1 onto the field. I had also not done my homework and it transpired that the large area of scrub in the middle of the battlefield prevented me seeing anything behind it apart from the damn KV1.

Panzer II arrives.

The monster and battle winner.

Soviets.

I hid my troops from the nosy Red monster and Matt set his in a corner on overwatch apart from a forlorn hope in the centre, the amount of firepower on the Russian left was against me quickly moving forward. I therefore moved my PzII on and took the Russian forlorn hope under fire as vehicles could see over the scrub, this was going nowhere fast so I decided to move the tank up at the same time as the heavy anti-tank rifle and hopefully kill or at least damage the KV. Twice the AT rifle failed to spot the thing, yes, a KV1 became invisible, gah, this also happened with the PzII, the return fire when it came brewed the panzer and routed the AT rifle.

"What if we go that way Hans?"

It's all over.

I called a halt with two men dead and withdrew, I was not prepared to sacrifice a platoon to try and win an uphill struggle. I did think later that I could have just put everything on the front line and hope that Matt would take heavy losses and his morale dropped before mine, but as the KV was sitting waiting with two MG's supporting all the infantry on overwatch I simply despaired of winning anything. The initiative now belongs to Matt who can still win the game with two turns to go, he might even get a major win if he chooses the right tables, there is a very slim chance the Germans could cause both sides to lose but the ball is in the Russian court for now.

Alright I could have organised better and should have taken into account the terrain but this game threw up one of those Chain of Command regulars where the game is just no fun at all, and this effects both sides, Matt had travelled an hour to come and play a game and although we had a laugh and chewed the wargame fat, he deserved better for the effort, he did enjoy it though.

I recommended Vagabond on Netflix last post, if you do listen to me on these things stop watching at Episode 13, and consign the last three to the dustbin. I am still furious over the ending having enjoyed the series and spent hours watching it, it is as though they simply switched everything off and went home, completing nothing and leaving half a dozen plot lines to simply hit the buffers.

 There are quite a few jokes (or are they memes now?) about Napoleon the movie, here is a sample.