Warwell's Wargames

Although I have been off work since last Wednesday, I have been lethargic with respect to wargames. I have no updates on that front. However, the 12 Games of Christmas has continued. Here are the games we played since my last update:


Carcassonne
We were in the mood for something quick on Wednesday so we pulled out Carcassonne.

The final board We have already counted pieces

Here is the final tally. I'm blue and my wife is yellow. It looks like I'm ahead, except that Elizabeth lapped around twice while I only did it once. That makes her tally = 50 + 50 + 12 vs. my tally = 50 + 46. Too bad for me.

Dead of Winter
Because of family stuff, we did not play on Christmas Eve. However, we decided to try out a new game on Christmas night. It was my gift for Elizabeth - something befitting the season. Yep, a zombie game.

Box cover

Because there were only 2 of us, we played full co-op (with more players there is a possibility that one is a traitor). We succeeded in our mission, although we lost 4 characters along the way. I guess Edward and Jenny will need to work together to re-populate the earth.

Our characters are at the bottom. Only Edward and Jenny remained alive

We also played Saturday with my brothers. Things did not go so well. One of my brothers was the traitor but we kicked the wrong one out of the colony. From then on, luck turned against us and we ultimately succumbed to the zombie apocalypse.

Speaking of Dead of Winter, here are a couple of related YouTube videos:

• Tabletop episode
• Spoof with Felicia Day and Brandon Routh (Superman)

Castle Panic
My wife was tired but Tommy wanted a game so I pulled out Castle Panic and played solo (I controlled 2 hands). It turned out to be a tense affair. Early in the game, I felt confident, even though a large enemy horde was approaching, I had a bunch of knight and swordsmen cards so I expected to winnow out the attackers. Then successive plagues struck and my forces were depleted. The enemy broke through, destroying a couple of towers.

I rebounded, and managed to whittle the monsters down. At the end I was down to a single tower while the Troll Mage made the final, desperate assault on my castle, It was approaching the castle grounds and there were no walls to stop him. Bur then a swordsman and a hero joined forces to cut down the Troll Mage. The castle was saved!

The tense ending

Ticket to Ride
Tonight, we pulled out the Nordic Countries version, which my wife calls the Christmas version because of the reindeer on the box cover.


My wife was purple; you can see her expansive routes below. I had already completed 5 routes and was close to completing another 2 (worth 10 points each). I only needed to claim a short segment for each of the remaining routes but Elizabeth ended the game. As a result of having incomplete routes, I lost 20 points! She handily defeated me 110 - 76.


And Another Blog
Instead of playing wargames, I've been spending my mornings writing another blog - this one devoted to LARPing. It tells the story of my LARP character from a first person perspective. Although I only have a few posts published so far I have written another half dozen. I am just trying to spread out my posts.

How did 2015 go for my gaming? Let's review.

The year started off with the Grayrock Revolution in full swing.

Nieuville - rebel victory

Hargrove Hill - Bluderian victory

Kramer's Crossing - rebel victory

Hemlock - rebel victory

Hemlock witnessed the decisive defeat of the Bluderian forces. Grayrock had won its independence! (and I finally finished a campaign!)

I started a new horse & musket campaign (the Tweenwater War) but I only played one battle. I did managed a simplified version of Waterloo in memory of the 200th anniversary.

Waterloo - One Hour Wargames style

I began an experiment with block armies but that fell by the wayside when I discovered Magister Militum's 3mm miniatures.

A Redgravian block army

A Zamundan block army

My 3mm Bluderians

I was so impressed with the 3mm figures that I sold off my 2mm and 6mm horse & musket figures.

Lothar's invasion is defeated

Since then, I've played a lot of Star League and blogged about my new LARP kit.

My holiday vacation has not yet begun but we have already started this year's version of the 12 Games of Christmas. So far this year we've played the following:

The Senate card gives me the victory.

 Takenoko
On Monday, I once again rallied for the win. This time, my wife completed her 9 objectives, triggering the end game. In my last turn, I completed 2 objectives (circled below) for 10 points.

My winning objectives

Dungeon
Last night we pulled out Dungeon. I played the warrior and was doing pretty well, amassing about half the treasure I needed. The cleric had hit a rough patch, losing a couple of melees so I was feeling pretty confident. I went into battle against a gargoyle, needing a 5 or better on 2D6 to beat it. I rolled a 3. Then I rolled a 12 to see what happened - DEATH! My character was gone and my treasures lay in a pile in the chamber.

I started a new character - a wizard. This was a mistake because I needed 30,000 gold to win. My wife had got back on a winning streak and was nearing her goal. I rushed to the chamber where the warrior died, defeated the gargoyle, and recovered the treasure. It was not enough to win so I had to search for more. By this time, my wife amassed her fortune and was headed to the door.

The board at the end

 I was too late. She made it out and won the game.

My wife's haul

I am definitely in a wargaming lull and instead find myself distracted by LARPing and video games. Well, a new distraction has arrived:


My wife has been wanting a Playstation 4 so I got one for he birthday, along with Fallout 4. So now I am wandering the wastelands of the Commonwealth.

Following up from yesterday, here are some more items I'd like:

• I think this jerkin is more English Civil War era but it will look fine for a fantasy ranger. From Outfit4Events.

A while back, I mentioned how I am changing my LARP look to correspond to the changes with my character. My goal is to look ranger-ish, somewhat like this:


Here are some ideas for my basic kit:

Tunic
I was toying with the idea of getting a sleeveless surcoat, but I am now leaning to getting a standard tunic. And there is none better than Linengarb's tunic (short style for me). I currently have one in white:

Me in my Linengarb tunic

It is hands-down the best piece of garb I ever owned. I'd like to get one in green.

Hosen
Or tights. I have a pair of modern tights in black but I want to get these (in brown)

From Kult of Athena

Shoes
I have shoes but they have hard leather soles, which are very slippery in battle. I'd like to get a simple pair of fantasy boots, like these (again in brown):

From many places. The pic came from HistoricalClothingRealm

Belt
I could also use a new belt. Kult of Athena has a nice one for a very reasonable price but they always seem to be backordered.


Hood
No medieval outfit is complete without headwear. My preference is for a nice hood. Linengarb used to offer a nice one (I have it in red). I'd like one in dark green or dark brown. If I can't get one from them, Revival Clothing has a nice one.

From Revival Clothing

Aside - Revival Clothing has a lot of nice stuff, albeit a bit pricey for my budget. Some day.

Today, Family Game Night featured a round of Courtier between my wife and me.

Courtier board Picture from http://www.wired.com/2013/02/courtier/

Courtier is a card/board game of influence peddling in the Renaissance-like city of Tempest. Players play cards to put down tokens on the various members of court (on the board). By gaining influence in the court, you can fulfill petitions, which earn victory points.

I thought I was doing well because I had completed a few high-point petitions. When the game was over, we counted up our victory points. Sure enough, I had a sizable lead - 42 vs. 23 points.

But wait, there was more. Due to controlling the artists (the Culture area of the court), Elizabeth had racked up 7 VPs that I had not noticed. She also had another 3 from a card she had played during the game. Finally, she controlled the Senate at the end of the game, which gave her another 10 points.

If you're doing the math, you'll know that the final tally was 42 vs. 23+20 = 43. She edged me out by a point! ARGGGH!

Anyway, congratulations to my wife for a surprising but well-deserved victory.

I've been cranking through games and have finished season 8. I made one big change; I extended the season to 20 games per team. To simplify the schedule I play 2 game series, otherwise the schedule works the same as prior seasons.

Galactic Division
The defending champion Blitz started off slow. After 8 games, they posted a losing record. Meanwhile, the Knights rode a 4 game winning streak to take a 7-3 record and the division lead. The Dynamos were also in the hunt and were tied for 1st place after 14 games. Then the wheels fell off for the division leaders. The Knights went 2-4 and the Dynamos went 1-5 to finish the season. This opened the door for the Blitz, who won their last 6 games to take the division crown.

Stellar Division
The Electrons were the talk of the division. After starting 7-1, speculation arose whether they could be the best team ever (could they tie the 9-1 record of the season 1 Canopans and season 8 Knights). They fell in game 9 then lost 2 games in week 7, allowing the Helix to draw closer. A loss in week 9 allowed the Helix to tie the division with 13-5 records. The rivals played each other in the final week. Because the Electrons held the head-to-head advantage, the Helix needed to sweep the series to win the division.

In the first game, the Helix took an early 1-0 lead. In the waning seconds of the half, the Electrons scored to tie the game. They added another goal early in the 2nd period and then held the ball for most of the half. With time running out, the Helix gained possession, pushed up court, and shot. Blocked! The save preserved the Electron victory and clinched the division. The Electrons won the next game in overtime to finish the season 15-5.

Star Cup
The Star Cup featured a rematch of last season - the Blitz (13-7) vs. the Electrons (15-5). This time, the Blitz were the underdogs. They looked it in the first half as the Electrons jumped out to a quick 3-0 first half lead en route to a 3-1 victory.

The Blitz fortunes changed in game 2. They scored twice before the Electrons answered with a goal to close the margin to 2-1 at the half. The Blitz played tough defense for the 2nd half. With time running out the Electrons managed a shot. SCORE! The game went into overtime but the Blitz scored early to tie the series at 1 game each.

In the final game, the Blitz again took the lead. The score stood 1-0 at the half. Early in the 2nd, the Electrons scored. A few minutes later, the Blitz set up a shot. Goal! They now had a 1 goal lead. The Electrons pressed but the Blitz stole the ball, rushed down court, and shot. Goal! Now up 3-1, the Blitz defense tightened and the Electrons could not respond. The game and series went to the Blitz, who avenged their upset from the previous year.

Historical Notes

• After winning the first 3 Star Cups, the favorite has now lost 4 of the last 5.
• Although the Electrons set a record for wins (15) in the regular season (due to the longer season) they are only 8th in winning percentage.
• The Blitz have now tied the Knights for most division titles (3) and are second in Star Cup championships (2 vs. the Knights' 3).
• Despite their recent success, the Blitz still have the worst all-time record with a .406 winning percentage, The Knights lead with a .694 winning percentage. The Dynamos (.550) and the Helix (.506) are also over .500.

Battle 2 of the Lucranian Campaign

Background
After conquering Osmar Mountain, the Empire of the Iron Fist pushed deeper into Lucranian airspace. In order to proceed their air forces needed to maneuver through a narrow mountain pass.

The Lucranians had a surprise for the invaders. They had gathered reinforcements for a a counterattack. Furthermore, they knew the way through the cloud-enshrouded mountains on either side of the pass. They hoped to use these secret passages to sneak around and smash the Imperial forces.

Scenario
Once again, I am adapting one of Neil Thomas's One Hour Wargame scenarios to a high level air battle. This time, I am playing Scenario 18 - Counterattack. In Thomas's version, the invaders are trying to take a bridge across a river, but they are unaware of fords that allow the counter-attackers to circle around their forces. I emulated it using a cloud banks as impassible for the Imperials, but the Lucranians could cross them.

To win the scenario, one side needs to hold the airspace over the pass and over Osmar Mountain (on the Imperial baseline)

Opposing Forces:

• Imperial squadrons - 3 pursuit , 1 attack , 1 bomber, and 1 dirigible
• Lucranian squadrons - 4 pursuit, 1 attack, and 1 dirigible

Battle Report

Apology Time - I forgot to put the SD card back in the camera so now this battle's pictures are stored on internal memory until such time as I figure out how to transfer them. Sadly, a written-only report will have to suffice. :(

As the Imperials advanced, one lone Lucranian squadron circled in the pass, ready to interdict any intruders. Imperial pursuit squadrons engaged, and a swirling dogfight ensued.

Meanwhile, the Imperial attack and bomber squadrons circled, waiting for the pass to be cleared so they could engage their next targets.

Then, the Imperials were taken by surprise. A pair of Lucranian pursuit squadrons zoomed out of the clouds. Those mountains were supposed to be impassable! These unexpected squadrons engaged the Imperial reserve squadrons. The bombers fled to a nearby cloud bank for cover.

A stalemate continued in the pass but the Lucranian flank attack pushed on toward Osmar Mountain. Then, a series of attacks broke open the center. The Lucranians held the airspace over the pass and the mountain.

But the Empire would not easily relinquish its gains. A variety of its craft swarmed around Osmar mountain and destroyed a Lucranian squadron. The other flanking squadron fled back to the pass.

Despite its efforts on the center, the Empire could not break the Lucranian defense. Their control over the pass continued/ As night fell and the opposing forces broke off, the situation remained as it was in the morning. The Empire held Osmar Mountain but the Lucranians had protected the pass.

Aftermath
Back in the Imperial capital, Air Marshal Gruber slammed down his telephone receiver. "Idiots!" he shouted. "How could they let the puny forces of Lucranian defeat them?!" He slumped back into his desk chair with his head in his hands. If this invasion failed, the Kaiser would have his head. After a few minutes in that position a smile broke out on his face. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise, he thought. The Lucranians were focused on Osmar Mountain, but there were other routes into Lucrania. Perhaps he could use Osmar as a decoy and then slip a force into the heart of Lucrania elswehere.

Game Analysis
Technically, this battle was a draw, so the score stands as 1 Imperial win and 1 draw.

This was a very quick game, largely because I kept failing activation on the first unit, ending that side's turn. According to the Song of Blade and Heroes mechanic that I use, 2 failures ends the side's turn. I typically roll 2 dice for a unit. The odds are that I will roll 1 success but my luck was bad this game and I kept rolling double fails. It was only after a few turns when it dawned on me that I could roll 1 die, which I did often for the remainder of the game!

It's Thanksgiving in the US and I am off work for the extended weekend. I'm thinking of getting out some miniatures and doing some gaming. However, the dark side is calling me. OK, maybe not as dark as WoW. I have been doing a lot of video gaming, however. My latest addiction is:


 I'm not sure what started it but I got on a post-apocalyptic kick so I pulled out Fallout: New Vegas. I had started it a while back but let it lapse. I'm now back in and making progress.

One flaw with Fallout is that my wife and I cannot play together. So I have been thinking of making a post-apocalyptic themed miniature/board game. Characters represent Vault Dwellers who have been tasked to venture into the Wasteland in search of precious commodities to help the Vault survive. Although I plan to make the setting a bit generic, it will be inspired by my home state of Florida, featuring locations such as the National Space Center and the Magic Land theme park. I'm still sketching out details.

Anyway, I wish all a wonderful day, whether you're stuffing turkey in your mouth in the US or it's just a regular day in your neck of the world.

Fallout Boy wishes you a wonderful day

I mentioned last week that I have been playing a lot of Star League. Well, I have completed Season 7. Here is an overview

Galactic Division
Despite an early defeat in game 1, the Knights continued their winning ways. Halfway through the season, they were in first with a 4-1 record. However, they were matched by the Avengers. Then both leaders began to stumble. The Knights lost 4 in a row and the Avengers lost 4 of their last 5. This opened the door to the other teams. The Dynamos surged into the lead with 6 wins in a row. One game behind were the Blitz, winners of 5 in a row.

In week 10, the Blitz and Dynamos met. The Dynamos scored a quick goal, and looked like they would clinch the division. But the Blitz struck back, scoring 2 goals late in the 1st half. The second half was a defensive struggle, and the Blitz managed to quell the Dynamos attack. With the win, the Blitz tied the Dynamos with a 7-3 record.

Star League tiebreaker rules are based on head-to-head match-ups. In this case, both teams won 1 game in their series, so a playoff game was in order. This time, the Blitz opened up the scoring. Then, the game settled into another defensive struggle. At halftime, the score was 1-0. Early in the 2nd, the Blitz broke open the game. First one then another shot found the goal. The Blitz controlled the rest of the game for a 3-0 victory and the division crown.

Stellar Division
Early in the season, none of the teams in the Stellar division distinguished themselves. At the midpoint, 3 teams were tied for the division lead with a 2-3 record. The Electrons then pulled away with 4 straight wins, enough to clinch the division in week 9. A loss in the last week left them with a 6-4 record, the worst record ever for a division winner.

Star Cup
The Electrons did not pay much attention to the criticisms leveled at them for winning with such a paltry record. In Game 1, their offense came out blazing. They controlled the ball for most of the 1st half, allowing them to build a 2-0 lead. The Electrons continued to dominate in the 2nd half (the Blitz only managed 1 shot) en route to a 4-0 victory.

Game 2 looked like more of the same, as the Electrons raced out to a 2-0 lead. However, the Blitz showed some life early in the 2nd half, scoring a goal to pull within striking range. From there on, the Electron defense dominated; the Blitz failed to get off another shot. With their 2-1 victory, the Electrons brought home the Star Cup.

Plans for Season 8
I'm toying with some ways to simulate a game without playing it all the way through. I can complete more games that way. As a result, I'm thinking of expanding to 20 games.

In honor of Veteran's Day, my brother posted a picture of my Dad, Richard W. Kearney, from his Air Force days. It is my pleasure to share it on this blog.


He served during the '50s, flying B-57 Canberras like the one pictured below.


I am grateful that he is still around so that we can enjoy his company. I don't visit as much as I would like, but I appreciate it when I can.

Anyway, here is a picture from a few years ago. My parents were celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2011.

Thanks Dad for your service to our country, and for all you've done for our family!

Sometimes I just want to roll dice but I don't want to set up a game. That's how I've been feeling lately. As a result, I have been playing a couple of computer dice-rolling games.

• I've been hooked on an online Yahtzee game.
• I have also been playing a lot of Star League (my pseudo-soccer, sci-fi sport game)

We had a little Halloween party last night. Not a big thing, just a few family/friends for some gaming.

All month I had been hoping to play another battle in my Lucranian campaign. However, I have been very busy and too tired to set anything up. Instead I have been thinking about my campaigns. Unfortunately, they have been drawn out over time. Many are unfinished. Here is a list of campaigns I have played since starting this blog:

Following the battle at Raider's Ridge, the Legate Dumias retreated southward toward the capital. He was able to recruit some less-than-enthusiastic replacements to replenish his ranks. Meanwhile, Lothar the Lascivious pursued relentlessly. Finally, Dumias took up positions on Shadowcrest Ridge and prepared to meet his nemesis for a climatic battle that would determine the fate of Meditera (and perhaps the Empire itself)!

Scenario Notes
Today's game was scenario # 29 - Shambolic Command from Neil Thomas's One Hour Wargames.
See my complete list of OHW scenarios here.

Lothar's Redgravian raiders are attacking with 4 units - 1 elite infantry (Q3/C5), 2 heavy infantry (Q4/C4), and 1 archer (Q3/C3)

Dumias's Imperial defenders consist of 6 units - 3 knights (Q3/C4), 1 archer  (Q3/C3), and 2 levy (Q5/C3)

I used my medieval rules, which are heavily based on Song of Blades and Heroes. In Thomas's version, the defending side may only command 2 units per turn. For my version, I only allowed the Imperials to roll activation for 2 units. Of course, depending on the rolls, fewer than two units might actually move in a turn.

As per Thomas's scenario, the board includes a long ridge in the center, which is the objective of both sides. I randomly added some additional hills and woods.

Battle Report
I took pictures but unfortunately I'm having issues with my SD card and cannot download them.
NOW WITH PICTURES

Dumias positioned a unit of cavalry, the archers, and levy on Shadowcrest Ridge. Dumias and the remaining cavalry stationed themselves around a hill on the left flank

The Redgravians advanced in a line, with Lothar's Hearthguard in the center and the two warbands on the flanks. The Hearthguard rushed forward, routing a unit of archers off the ridge. The Imperial knights on the hill tried to dislodge Lothar but were themselves repulsed.

Commanding the warband on the Redgravian right, Snorri son of Sigurd slowly advanced, hitting the retreating archers and driving them further back. Dumias sent in one of his reserve units of knights. They smashed into Snorri's warband, but the Redgravians held firm.


The Redgravian left, led by Bryti and supported by archers finally drove off the levies on the hill. As the sun reached its highest point, Lothar's troops held the hill.

But the battle was not yet over, the Imperial knights launched charge after charge until Snorri's warband broke.

The knights continued, rumbling uphill into Lothar's warband. After a bitter struggle, the knights broke. Lothar still held the hill.

The situation looked bleak for the Empire. The archers remained and pestered the Redgravian warbands with their fire. The levy still stood but they refused to advance on the hills. Dumias had no choice but to enter the fray. Covered by archery, his Guard charged uphill towards Lothar's Hearthguard. A bloody melee ensued, but, inspired by a desperate courage, the knights prevailed. The Hearthguard broke. Unbeknownst to all, Lothar had fallen in the retreat.

Dumias turned and charged Bryti's warband. Now the knights were irresistible, and Bryti was thrown from the hill. He counterattacked, aided by the Redgravian archers.

However, the knights would not be denied. After more bloodshed, the remaining Redgravian's broke.

Thus ended Lothat's attempt to conquer Meditera. Dumias would return to the capital to a triumph. Soon, he would be seeking an even greater prize.