Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Fort Worth Gamers: gaming session 01/06/24
5 views
Skip to first unread message
Michael Ward
Jan 7, 2024, 1:38:58 AM1/7/24
to
Saturday, 01/06/24 1:00 PM to 4:41 PM at the Hulen Mall food court, in southwest Fort Worth, TX
This was another of our regularly scheduled Saturday afternoon game sessions. We had two gamers on this slightly cool afternoon.
Today’s game was my Memoir ‘44, well known to Jeff G and myself. We played the rest of the scenarios from the Memoir ‘44 Mediterranean Theater scenario booklet.
First up, scenario #7 “Into the Cauldron.” Yet another North African dessert battle. We’d played it once already, a month ago. Now we picked up where we left off. This time I ran the Allied/British side, while Jeff commanded the German forces.
Jeff’s Germans received a morale boost on his first turn when he sent one of his infantry units into the British minefield that surrounded his troops, and found a “zero” strength mine on the first try. That alone earned him his first victory point, without firing a shot!
Eleven of the German’s thirteen units began in defensive terrain: either behind sand bags, or on ergs (hills), or both! So theirs was a waiting game. Therefore my British units would have to carry the battle to the Germans.
The overall result was, as expected, my British tanks took the brunt of the hot lead the German’s dished out. My British tanks took a beating, with losses almost twice the German rate. And yet... in the end my British Tommies prevailed. I lost 13 tanks to Jeff’s 8. But more significant, I lost zero British infantry, while Jeff lost 16 German figurines. So overall my Brits killed twice as many Germans figurines.
Scores: Michael W / British 6, Jeff G / Germans 4. Duration: 36 minutes.
Our next battle was scenario #8 “Escape via the Costal Road” Jeff ran the German side, while I controlled the British forces. There were only two terrain features; a 15 hex long road running laterally across the board, and eight escarpments. Escarpments are basically hills that are too rough for any unit to enter/cross.
Jeff’s Germans (five armored units and four infantry units) all began on his back row. He also had command of two Italian infantry units, behind sandbags, on his extreme left flank, blocking my exiting the road that way. .
My Brits began mostly strung out along the lateral road. I could gain VPs by exiting units off the board at the ends of the road. Yet Jeff’s Italians blocked one end of the road.
Jeff’s Germans with their faster tanks soon closed the gap between our forces, and battle was joined. Jeff’s panzers slaughtered a great many of my infantry who were sitting out in the open.
I eventually managed to exit three of my British infantry off the ends of the road (for a VP each). Yet Jeff’s Germans took quite a toll on my British units who didn’t escape quickly enough off the board/road edges.
My Brits ended up taking almost twice the figurine losses that Jeff’s Germans did. Yet they also finished off more German units. At scenario end my British had lost 22 figurines, while Jeff’s Germans had lost 14.
Scores: Michael W / British 6, Jeff G / Germans 4. Duration: 36 minutes.
We then turned the board around and played scenario #8 again. Now Jeff ran the British and I commanded the Germans.
In the end Jeff lost twice as many British figurines as my Germans. Yet he still managed to win.
Scores: Jeff G / British 6, Michael W / Germans 4. Duration: 23 minutes.
Well, that was the end of the Mediterranean Theater scenario booklet. But we had some time left, so I opened up the original Memoir ‘44 box and we played a golden oldie from the original Memoir ‘44 box. I picked Pointe-Du-Hoc, scenario #4. Its a D-Day landings scenario with rather low unit density. All units are infantry except for one German artillery unit.
Eight of the nine American infantry units begin in the water (supposedly on landing craft that were not included in the game until years later). The Germans defenders have a mere five infantry units, plus one artillery battery ensconced in a bunker, which sits on a promontory that almost juts into the sea. This terrain feature is what the scenario’s title is named for.
Jeff handed the German side, while I commanded the invading Americans. Overall it behooved the Germans to just sit in their defensive positions (bunkers and behind sandbags) and wait for the American to come to them. Eventually my Americans got ashore, climbed up the bluff and began firing at the Germans in their defenses.
Jeff’s Germans managed to kill a lot of my Americans as they popped their heads up over the sea bluff. Yet in the end figurine losses were almost the same ( 13 Americans to 11 Germans). But the actual VPs showed a more stark contrast.
One of Jeff’s medals was for occupying one of the two forest hexes on the German’s back row.
Scores: Jeff G / Germans 4, Michael W / Americans 2. Duration: 24 minutes.
We then turned the board around. Now Jeff commanded the defending Germans. While I ran the attacking American forces. And... the scenario played out almost the same, in reverse.
Scores: Michael W / Allies 4, Jeff G / Americans 2. Duration: 31 minutes.
This was another of our regularly scheduled Saturday afternoon game sessions. We had two gamers on this slightly cool afternoon.
Today’s game was my Memoir ‘44, well known to Jeff G and myself. We played the rest of the scenarios from the Memoir ‘44 Mediterranean Theater scenario booklet.
First up, scenario #7 “Into the Cauldron.” Yet another North African dessert battle. We’d played it once already, a month ago. Now we picked up where we left off. This time I ran the Allied/British side, while Jeff commanded the German forces.
Jeff’s Germans received a morale boost on his first turn when he sent one of his infantry units into the British minefield that surrounded his troops, and found a “zero” strength mine on the first try. That alone earned him his first victory point, without firing a shot!
Eleven of the German’s thirteen units began in defensive terrain: either behind sand bags, or on ergs (hills), or both! So theirs was a waiting game. Therefore my British units would have to carry the battle to the Germans.
The overall result was, as expected, my British tanks took the brunt of the hot lead the German’s dished out. My British tanks took a beating, with losses almost twice the German rate. And yet... in the end my British Tommies prevailed. I lost 13 tanks to Jeff’s 8. But more significant, I lost zero British infantry, while Jeff lost 16 German figurines. So overall my Brits killed twice as many Germans figurines.
Scores: Michael W / British 6, Jeff G / Germans 4. Duration: 36 minutes.
Our next battle was scenario #8 “Escape via the Costal Road” Jeff ran the German side, while I controlled the British forces. There were only two terrain features; a 15 hex long road running laterally across the board, and eight escarpments. Escarpments are basically hills that are too rough for any unit to enter/cross.
Jeff’s Germans (five armored units and four infantry units) all began on his back row. He also had command of two Italian infantry units, behind sandbags, on his extreme left flank, blocking my exiting the road that way. .
My Brits began mostly strung out along the lateral road. I could gain VPs by exiting units off the board at the ends of the road. Yet Jeff’s Italians blocked one end of the road.
Jeff’s Germans with their faster tanks soon closed the gap between our forces, and battle was joined. Jeff’s panzers slaughtered a great many of my infantry who were sitting out in the open.
I eventually managed to exit three of my British infantry off the ends of the road (for a VP each). Yet Jeff’s Germans took quite a toll on my British units who didn’t escape quickly enough off the board/road edges.
My Brits ended up taking almost twice the figurine losses that Jeff’s Germans did. Yet they also finished off more German units. At scenario end my British had lost 22 figurines, while Jeff’s Germans had lost 14.
Scores: Michael W / British 6, Jeff G / Germans 4. Duration: 36 minutes.
We then turned the board around and played scenario #8 again. Now Jeff ran the British and I commanded the Germans.
In the end Jeff lost twice as many British figurines as my Germans. Yet he still managed to win.
Scores: Jeff G / British 6, Michael W / Germans 4. Duration: 23 minutes.
Well, that was the end of the Mediterranean Theater scenario booklet. But we had some time left, so I opened up the original Memoir ‘44 box and we played a golden oldie from the original Memoir ‘44 box. I picked Pointe-Du-Hoc, scenario #4. Its a D-Day landings scenario with rather low unit density. All units are infantry except for one German artillery unit.
Eight of the nine American infantry units begin in the water (supposedly on landing craft that were not included in the game until years later). The Germans defenders have a mere five infantry units, plus one artillery battery ensconced in a bunker, which sits on a promontory that almost juts into the sea. This terrain feature is what the scenario’s title is named for.
Jeff handed the German side, while I commanded the invading Americans. Overall it behooved the Germans to just sit in their defensive positions (bunkers and behind sandbags) and wait for the American to come to them. Eventually my Americans got ashore, climbed up the bluff and began firing at the Germans in their defenses.
Jeff’s Germans managed to kill a lot of my Americans as they popped their heads up over the sea bluff. Yet in the end figurine losses were almost the same ( 13 Americans to 11 Germans). But the actual VPs showed a more stark contrast.
One of Jeff’s medals was for occupying one of the two forest hexes on the German’s back row.
Scores: Jeff G / Germans 4, Michael W / Americans 2. Duration: 24 minutes.
We then turned the board around. Now Jeff commanded the defending Germans. While I ran the attacking American forces. And... the scenario played out almost the same, in reverse.
Scores: Michael W / Allies 4, Jeff G / Americans 2. Duration: 31 minutes.
0 new messages