Market Garden and the Scheldt Estuary

Gents, The latest update on MG as per today's update at Battlefront.

http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=3686

Also included are the bundle packs of other period books! and for the eagle eyed, a mention that something is stirring in the D-Day books, perhaps the much anticipated reprint!
Whatever it is, Phil will be addressing it in his year end address next week.

Happy holidays everyone!

Brad "Panzerkommanduer" Sainsbury

2000 pt Tourney - "Nuts"

Ok Guys and Gals,

As previously advertised we're going to hold a 2000 pt "in house" LW tourney starting 15 Jan 13 and ending 12 Apr just before our MW tournament - "Paths of Glory 13". Here are the details:

a. Concept: 3 x rounds of play. Each round of play (RoP) is stretched over an approximately 30 day period. Matched opponents will schedule their own game based around their personal schedules;

b. Time limit per game: none.  Game ends when a knock out blow occurs to your opponent in accordance with the victory conditions stated for the scenario;

c. Registration: signup sheet is now available at the shop (see Gary). All players must be signed up no later than 14 Jan. Players will not be accepted after that date. $10 registration fee to cover the cost of prizes. Should a player drop out of the competition at any time for any reason their $10 registration will be forfeited;

d. Scenarios: scenarios will be determined by die roll the day prior to the next round of play. There will be one selected form each of the 3 major categories. 1st RoP: Mobile Battle (15 Jan to 15 Feb) / 2nd RoP: Defensive Battle (16 Feb to 15 Mar)/ 3rd RoP Fair Fight: (16 Mar to 12 Apr). All battles will be conducted on the same table and terrain for each RoP. Terrain will be altered for each RoP. Note that we have designated a table that will be strictly reserved. When scheduling your game with your opponent ensure you reserve the table;

e. Prizes: TBD based on the number who register and the amount of registration money collected;

f. Scoring: Battlefront Tournament software will be used based on the following formula: 80% generalship / 10% sportsmanship / 10% army presentation. Scores from the tournament will not be used as a regional qualifier and therefore not registered with Ranking HQ.  Results of the tournament will be announced on 14 Apr 13 as part of our Paths of Glory activities;

g. Army: Any approved V3 list will be accepted. There will be a dress parade (date and time TBA). No changes can be made to your army once the tournament commences.

Good Hunting !!!!

Bob

 

Battle Cry 2012 - AAR

Hey Guys,

I know that we have received plenty of pats on the back with regard to our recent tournament on Sunday, but what about some constructive criticism.  I'm essentially looking on feedback on the following 3 topics:

1.  Winter Tables - any glaring concerns from those who actually fought on one of the two tables?  As you know we came up with our own modified movement distances and then threw in a couple of rules from " Devils Charge".....

2.  Night Fight - In hindsight I probably lost my 2nd game because of this (fortunes of war) and I know that this was a surprise too many.......any concerns??

 

3.  Player ratings - this is the first time we used player ratings in the software and I personally think it worked out for the best, particularly in the first round of play.  However, a valid comment was raised to me about the criteria that was used to rate each player.  For this tournament it was relatively subjective.  Those rated as expert were those that have been rated nationally in the top 10.  Experienced were those folks that have been playing for some time and have tournament experience.  Average were those that have played off and on and may have had limited to no tournament experience. Inexperienced were those relative beginners that have recently learned the game and have had essentially no tournament experience.  It was suggested, and I certainly see the point, that if we are going to use the player ratings we should perhaps have a firmer definition.....thoughts???  The spectrum of player experience was spread out from at least two guys who had not yet even played v3 to the top of the list where there were 4 that are rated in the top 10 national listing.  If this is worth pursing I'd like to amend our tournament pack to include something on the issue.

Cheers.

Bob

FoW - Sell and Swap - 25 Nov

Hey Guys,

Gary and I were talking yesterday and decided that as part of the upcoming tournament on 25 Nov we should take an opportunity to have a "Sell and Swap".

So if you have any FoW you want to sell or items you're prepared to trade (doesn't matter how big or small the numbers) or maybe you have some "bits" that might be useful to other players...bring them along.

At lunch time we'll have a table set aside where you can display what you want to sell or trade.  We suggest that if you want to sell some stuff you have a minimum selling price in mind.  If you have lots of small pieces whether they be "bits" or miniature soldiers you may wish to bag and tag them...again with a price in mind along with your name on the bag.

So.....if you've been thinking about downsizing or have some extra stuff you just want to get rid of, bring it along on the 25th.  Cheers.

Bob

German Warrior and Independent Teams - Stormtrooper

OK....................Dan C. brought to my attention at our last gaming night the little known rule found on pages 68 and 70 (MRB) that states Warrior and Independent teams that are not permanently part of a platoon move as a platoon on their own.  He therefore felt that German Warrior and Indepnedent teams could Stormtrooper move on their own.  I dismissed this out of hand at the time but have since given it more thought.  I therefore submitted the following observation and question to Battlefront:

"The rule on making Stormtrooper moves is clear "Any German platoon with a Platoon Command team may attempt..."  To date we've played that Warrior and Independent teams that attach themselves to a platoon can certainly Stormtrooper as long as the player has declared such before

the actual die roll.  However, it was brought to my attention at our last game night that Warrior and Independent teams that are not permanently part of a platoon move as a platoon on their own (pages 68 and 70 of the MRB).

My question therefore is:  Can German Warrior and Independent teams make Stormtrooper moves on their own without having to attach themselves to a platoon?"

Blake's Coster's response at Battlefront was:

 

Thank you for your e-mail regarding Flames Of War. Yes, Warriors and Independent teams can attempt to Stormtrooper without being attached to a platoon. I hope this helps."

 

Drew........DON"T GET ALL "I told you so !!!!!" on us.................

 

Bob

Dice Devil's Fall FUBAR!!!

Dice Devil's are prepping to host the first ever Fall Fubar Mid-War FoW Tournament

Fall Fubar 2012
Saturday, October 27th @ 1:00 PM

Details:
1625pts
Mid-War
3 two hour games
Cost = 20$
First paid first (re)served
Early payment required to reserve spot as well as which faction you will be fighting for (once chosen you cannot change sides)
Payment options: Interac money transfer or cheque or cash in person
Please contact Brett at Pripyat at gmail.com for payment or questions
(previously referred to as Fall Flank 2012)

Format:
Scenarios to be determined
100% Blue on Red
10 Axis Spots 10 Allied Spots
Standings to be submitted to RankingsHQ

Army Restrictions:
Please bring 5 copies of your army list and a copy of the FoW rules and army list source
All armies' sources require approval by organizers prior to Oct 20th
All lists must be seen and approved prior to 1:30 PM Oct 27th
Official Battlefront PDFs are subject to approval
Unofficial Battlefront PDFs are not accepted
Non-Battlefront PDFs are not accepted

Location:
The Barrhaven Legion @ 3500 Fallowfield Rd., OTTAWA rcl641 dot ca

Schedule:
Check in at 13:00 (1:00 PM)
First Game at 14:00 (2:00 PM)
Second Game at 16:30 (4:30 PM)
Dinner at 18:30 (6:30-7:30 PM)
Third Game at 19:30 (7:30 PM)
Awards at 22:00 (10:00 PM)
Bar is open till you stop drinking!

Awards:
Best Overall
Best Axis General
Best Allied General
Best Army
Best Sport
Darwin's Blade
Murphy's Luck

Miscellaneous:
On site bar
On site ATM
The Works, Domino's Pizza (in the same mall)
MacDonald's, Quizno's, Tim Horton's (1km or so away)
Loads of parking
Near the Fallowfield Bus and Train Station

Sneaking up on Tanks

 

A discussion ensued last evening with regard to "sneaking up on tanks"  that I thought I would do a bit of follow-up on.  Here appears to be the general consensus on the forum:

 

"The key for no DF from assaulted tanks is that the infantry which did not shoot moved only 4" (assault range). The Infantry also has to assault from concealing terrain (buildings or woods or crop fields). And this affects only the tank team within 4" of concealing terrain. Any other defending tank team outside of 4" (within the 8" bubble) gets to defensive fire. Since this has all been mentioned before, view this as a summary."

 

Furthermore, trenches themselves IAW the rules are not considered to be concealing terrain.  It appears, therefore, that infantry that are concealed in the open cannot benefit from the "Sneaking up on Tanks" rule even if they are dug in.

 

Bolt Action WW2 Rules Review

My Copy of Bolt Action from Osprey just arrived.  I've had a chance to read through and thought I'd share.  Just so everyone knows what I've done here:  Normal font is from the rules while Italics are just my opinions.  The closest WW2 rules set to this that I have played is Disposable Heros, Coffin for 7 Brothers by Iron Ivan.  Referred to as DH here.

Some highlights:

Turns:

Instead of 1 player activating his entire army, each player is much more engaged.  The way this works is you put a token for each of your units into a cup and then tokens are drawn from the cut.  If its one of yours, then you activate that unit.  A bit more random than DH.  Personally I like this idea.  I do not enjoy games where 1 person manoeuvres his entire army and then its the next player's turn.

Orders:  

Each unit is given one of 6 orders.  A unit is a full section, single vehicle, arty piece, etc.

Advance: Move and shoot with a -1 penalty to shooting. Personally I like DH where you can move then shoot, or shoot then move.

Run: Double move

Fire: Remain stationary but fire with no penalties

Ambush:  Basically put on hold.  Shoot in reaction to something the other player does.  eg, he runs across a road.  You can ambush him and shoot as he is in the open.  Anything that survives can continue the move.  I like this.  Similar to other game systems, but huge potential to make best use of your units.  

Down:  Basically go to ground to make it easier to survive being shot.

Rally:  Remove Pinned Markers.

Shooting:

Starts at a fixed to-hit roll, and then modified.  Modifiers such as Range, Cover, Movement, etc...

RoF dependant on wpn.  German MGs get a higher Rof then others, M-1 Garand has no negative modifier for shooting when advancing, etc...

Pretty simple system

Once a unit is hit, regardless if it takes damage, it receives a pin marker.

Other items:  No shooting through other fr units.  Unless you can not possibly damage it.  eg, a rifle section can not shoot through an other fr rifle sect.  No shooting within 1" of other fr.  However, a rifle sect advancing behind a tank can shoot "through" it because small arms can not possible hurt the tank.  

Pin Markers:

Pinning reduces effectiveness of units.  More Pins= less chance of it moving.  Enough pinning can route a unit.  This appears to be general mechanic.  You do not necessarily need to kill everyone, just fix them so you can out-maneouver, or force him to flee.  

Wpns:

Weapons are grouped into broad classes.  Makes it fairly simple.  Special wpns have special rules.  

MMGs (Vickers) and HMGs  (.50) have the same range.  Range is not that great for some wpns.  I do not like this:  I actually like that in DH a MG in the SF role can dominate.  That's what they are for!  However I seem to be the only one that thinks this way, so I digress.

Vehs:

Very simplified compared to DH (Can't speak to Rate of Fire) and some of the other WW2 Games I have.  Vehicles all fall into broad classes: Sherman is a Medium tank, M-8 Greyhound is an Armoured car, King Tiger is a Super-Heavy.  Each class has a specific # associated with it.  Therefore King Tiger is an 11.  To penetrate it you need to beat an 11. (Not so easy)  This system reduces the need for all kinds of charts etc.  Veh Weapons are classed in a similar fashion.  Better AT wpn, higher penetration value.  So essentially the King Tiger and the IS-2 are basically the same in game terms.  Not sure if I like this.  I like the ease of play this will cause, but I'm not sure that a Tiger and a M-26 Pershing should be rated essentially the same.

The only vehs that can be damaged with Small Arms are soft Skinned ones.  (There are rules to deal with Open Topped, so it is possible to deal with a 1/2track with sect wpns.  Doesn't look too easy though...)

Assaults:

Very nasty.  Need to use the Run order.  1 round of fighting.  Looser destroyed regardless of # casualties suffered.  While this seems pretty harsh, it also seems pretty difficult to make a successful aslt so it may not be that bad.  Again, I like this.  I prefer games systems that are more dependant on manoeuvre and fire than on throwing a super-tooled up unit into hand-to-hand.  At least for WW2 games anyway...

Army selection:

Each force has Nation Specific rules.  4 Main Forces in the rulebook: Germany, USA, Commonwealth, and Dirty Commies.  

To make a force, you must have:

1 X HQ

2 X Infantry

You then can add:

0-3 more infantry sects

0-1 pretty much anything else.

So, max 2 fighting vehs (1 Tank, Tank destroyer, SPAA, or SP Arty AND 1 x Armoured car)

You can get transport vehs 1 per infantry and arty gun.  These can be Armoured (ie 1/2tracks) but there is a cost associated with them

Force selection is all based on points, points are driven by how experienced your troops are.  Therefore Veteran troops are more costly per man than green.  Very flexible system to add upgrades to a sect.

Some other items:

-uses D-6

-no pre-measuring

-Good rules for FOOs and FACs

Overall this looks like a very solid, playable rules set.  Looking forward to trying it out with a willing volunteer...

Obstacles in Ambush

We’ve had some discussion at the shop and the general feeling is that the issue remains controversial and it’s therefore necessary to institute a local ruling on the subject.

Here is what is proposed and remains open for discussion at the moment:  In missions that use the Prepared Positions special rule (see page 263 and 264), obstacles may be placed in your own deployment area or no man’s land (page 262).  Obstacles include:  wire (either cat wire or low wire entanglement), mines, booby traps, and tank traps.  They must be placed at the beginning of the game.  Therefore any pioneer / engineer supply vehicles held in reserve would lose the benefit of placing obstacles.  They cannot be placed such that teams would be in impassable terrain or have crossed impassable terrain to get where they are (Battlefront ruling).

However, as platoons that are held in ambush are considered to be placed on the board at the beginning of the game, mine and booby trap obstacles may be held in ambush and not revealed until the ambush is sprung.  All other obstacles such as wire and tank traps must begin the game on the board. As only platoons can be held in ambush, supply vehicles held in ambush must be an integral part of or attached to a platoon at the time the player determines which platoons will be held in ambush prior to their deployment.  As well, transport teams, in this case pioneer / engineer supply vehicles, that do not have passengers (page 46) must be attached to Combat or Weapons platoons in the same company (page 260).

Comments please.

WANTED !!!! - FOW Pictures

I'm looking for some photos we can post to our website.  Anything FOW related is fine but please provide a caption with the pic.  Send the photo(s) to our gmail account at:  petminisoldiers@gmail.com.  I will subsequently scrutinize and then post to the photo page of the site.

Registered Club

Hey Guys....it now official we are registered with Battlefront as a club on their FOW website.

FOW Tournament - Battle Cry 2012 - 25 Nov

The club will host its 3rd annual LW Tournament - BattleCry, on Sunday 25 Nov sponsored by Perkins Hobby House.  This year we've raised the number of points to 1650 and opened the competition to 22 players.   Full details and the Tournament Pack have been published on our web site at:  https://sites.google.com/site/petminisoldiers/home/calender

To reserve a spot, send an e mail to: petminisoldiers@gmail.com or phone Gary at 613 687 6394.  Cost is $10 per person, payable at the door on the day of the tournament.

Early War (EW) Escalation Tournament - Results are in !!!

All,

The EW Escalation Tournament has officially ended.  All scores have now been sent to the Tournament Organizer  (TO), Dennis Campbell.  He is in the process of sorting through the results and will announce the findings as time passes....hopefully sooner than later.

 For all those that participated, well done.  By all accounts we surpassed the DDs in participation and scores.  By my count we played 25 games in total.

Bob