Friday, December 9, 2016

Barbarossa - The Day of Battle


Note: This games day was run in September, but for a variety of reasons I've been worrying away at this report for a little while. 


The Soviet High Command putting their heads together
Comrade Siskey (left) has clearly been marked for purging and didn't get the memo.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Barbarossa Campaign in Memoir '44 Campaign Book One.  It is a campaign of two player Memoir '44 games linked together.  The campaign is divided into Army Group Centre, Army Group North and Army Group South.  Each player takes on control of one of these groups and plays through a series of games that advance that particular part of the grander campaign. All the players draw from a greater pool of reinforcements which are assigned at the beginning of the game.

The game is divided into two phases.  The first phase consists of two scenarios, after which each side can deploy their reserves across the whole front.  The second phase consists of another two to three scenarios.




The dastardly Germans doing the same

I had set things up before most of the players arrived so we were actually able to get the show on the road reasonably quickly. Du Gourmand had not need able to make it, but had generously lent me his copy of the Campaign Book so that we were able to give each side a copy each. Sydney brought his along as well - which speeded things up admirably. 




A soviet excursion party by the River Bug thinking "There are an awful lot of Germans over there."

Over the day we had ten players, some of whom were able to stay for the whole day and others who weren't - but everybody who wanted one got a game. I was happy with that.  One advantage of the single board format rather than our more usual Overlord is that the players can play at their own pace, rather than playing at the pace of the slowest player. 

The German assault started with the traditional drubbing at Bug River.  This is one of the most unbalanced scenarios in the game, so much so that the German player must win by a margin of three medals to count it as a win.  It does run up the German medal count though and Mr. Target really struggled with the Commissar rule. 



The panzers are laying all about them at Brody

Meanwhile, the Soviets at Brody were dealing with a massive penetration of German armour and again were on the back foot from the word go.  Mr E began the game damning the Commissar rule and it was a refrain that lasted for the rest of the day. Brody wasn't quite the kicking that Bug River was, but it was still a German win. 

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the Commissar rule. In Memoir '44 each player has a hand of cards which he can use to activate his units.  Each turn he plays a card and then draws another.  The Commissar rule simulates the often crude command arrangements of the Red Army in the early portion of the war, when it struggled to overcome the legacy of the purges, which had stripped it of senior leaders. 

Rather than playing a card from his hand, the Soviet player must take a card and place it under the Commissar chip. This card is then played NEXT turn, where it may have been totally superseded by events. 


"Sergei, does that look like a lot of tanks to you?"


Cut off at Pripet marshes - the Soviets launch a counter attack. 

Kiev - a grudge match between Mr E and Savage

This was, if memory serves, a very tight game. The armoured train proved tough and childhood foes Mr E and Savage, conducted a close fought match.  


I'm no poker player, but I think Comrade Siskey's Ivanskoye counter attack is going rather well. 


As I only had one Commissar button, so Savage produced this thing. 

Lady's and germs that is a gold Kruger-rand. I can only presume he hand forged it from gold he pulled from the teeth of his enemies. 



It's all getting a bit too much for Savage as Mr E takes that last roll of the dice. 


And fluffs it. 


Phew! A win for Team Nazi.


Meanwhile, the Germans mount an amphibious landing on the Baltic islands.  

I was very happy with how this turned out.  The beach landing setup was the first outing of my beach and sea overlays. I made these using a stencil from Litko accessories and felt.  They were laid over the standard green mat and shingle added with cat litter. Ultimately the plan is to try some of the D-Day scenarios, but that might take a little while and the addition of some landing craft. 

If I recall correctly, Siskey had a hard time dealing with the German onslaught.  The combination of an amphibious and a paratrooper assault being too much for his defences. 


Mr. Target is looking distinctly nonplussed at the Gates of Moscow 

It's all very serious here. Sydney versus Lorcan Hibernia McEireanneach





Well he's not happy with that dice roll. 

But even less happier when a German flanking force shows up in his rear. 



And the dice are on fire at the Gates of Moscow. General Creaner and Mr Target can't even look...



After a hard days gaming, we retire to the bar 

The end result was a major German victory.  Looking back on the campaign, the German team were able to stack up a commanding lead in the first few scenarios of the campaign.  As their resources began to peter out, the Soviet numbers began to bear, but the Russians were unable to make up the ground.  This is the second time we've run this campaign and the second German victory.  I wonder perhaps if it might benefit from just a shade of rebalancing, perhaps scoring the Bug River scenario differently might be an idea. 

After the battle, the tidy up. 

I really enjoyed the day, though I'm not sure I would do things the same way again. Because each player was playing his own game against his opponent as an individual and there was no concluding Overlord battle which brought all the players together, I think it lacked some of the shared experience that I've found so rewarding in our other games. 

That said, playing so many individual battles allowed everyone to play at their own pace and ensured that no-one was stranded in a "quiet sector".  There may be a case for a middle ground approach* to a games day which combines a series of two player games with a multi-player Overlord to finish. A series of starters with a main course to finish? 


All the boxes must go back on their shelves before Kinch can declare the game over. 

But dissecting the technical aspects of the day aside- it was an exceptionally pleasant way to spend a few hours in the company of good friends, who turned up and played the game in the best way possible. 


NOTE: I've received a couple of emails wondering where exactly "Joy & Forgetfulness" has been of late and suggesting that I should get a wriggle on and write something. Thank you for taking an interest in the blog - I'm always mildly astonished that people do so, particularly so much so that they take time to write. 

I'm afraid that I will not be able to post to J&F as much as I would like for at least the next couple of months. There are two reasons for this.  The firstly, I've become a father, which is wonderful and of which more later.  Miniature Kinchs demand a great deal of time, which sadly leaves fewer hours in the day to write for you lovely people. 

But secondly and to be honest, the far more limiting factor at present is that I'm recovering from a brain injury.  A confrontation in work in August resulted in me taking a blow to the head from which I have yet to fully recover.  Fortunately, the Good Lord has blessed me with an unusually thick skull so I've avoided all the nastiness of a depressed skull fracture, but it has left me with balance problems, headaches** and even more frustratingly, difficulty concentrating for prolonged periods of time. This has impacted on my reading and, even more maddeningly, on my writing.  I have to ration my attention carefully and make the best use of available resources.  Unfortunately this means that I have to prioritise and J&F has had to take a back seat for a little while.  

Thankfully, there is no permanent brain damage***, but the recovery time is a little longer than I'd hoped.  I'm still writing, just slowly and in small bursts. Facebook is proving a useful means of keeping my hand in in the mean time. 

But J&F is not going anywhere. It's just catching it's breath. 






*Ok, so some days I'm more Anglican than others.
**I will never complain about another hangover ever again, so help me God.
**To quote my darling father, Mr Kinch Senior "How would they tell?"



42 comments:

  1. What a wonderful game fest. My friend has M'44 that never comes out - our loss I think and something we need to address obviously.

    Congratulations on Fatherhood and the safe delivery of little ones into the world - that should keep you busy for ...... oooh about 16 years :-)

    Sorry to hear about your dreadful injury and obviously pleased to hear that you are recovering and nothing is permanent. I think in this day and age, when hospitals tip you out within hours or days of quite significant procedures and the workplace is very demanding on absence, that we have all got rather blasé with necessary recovery times and tend not to recognise that the body takes longer to heal than our fast and impatient world allows - I hope your situation allows nature the time to take its deliberate course.

    Thanks for a very enjoyable post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are certainly doing their best Norm. I've learned that fatherhood is learning to do everything one handed.

      It was a great day and we had a lot of fun. M44 has drawbacks, but I think it's virtues over shadow them. I'll forgive a lot of a game I get to actually play rather than talk about.

      Delete
  2. Shocked to hear of your injury, God speed you to full recovery old chap.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sounds like a great day's gaming. The tables look fantastic too.

    Congratulations on the arrival of the little one! Much weariness, but much joy.

    Very sorry to hear about the head injury and the resulting problems.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a cracker. The one thing I can say is that my years as a shift worker have stood me in good stead when dealing with the small ones.

      Delete
  4. I'd love to play some combined Memoir games like this, they look like great fun.

    Congratulations on the Miniature Kinch, and all the best in your recovery.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I cannot recommend them strongly enough. The idea of playing games as a team, not just multi-player, but using mechanics that are specifically built to support multi-player games has transformed my wargaming. I cannot recommend them enough.

      Delete
  5. Sorry to hear about your injury - take care of yourself especially with the added responsibility of offspring - congratulations to you and Mrs K on this matter , tony

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many thanks Tony. I'll keep the old flag flying.

      Delete
  6. Stick at it, Im certain you will bounce back, but hopefully not on your head.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds like a lovely time. My further sympathies on the blow to the head!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was - Lord knows when I'll get to organise another one.

      Delete
  8. Hi Conrad,
    1. Looks like an awesome game session. You are lucky to have such friends.
    2. Hope your injury heals quickly and you and your expanding family can start the new year happy and healthy all around.
    3. For the Bug scenario, how about if after their 2nd medal the Germans only get one medal for every 2 earned? I.E. they have to put 2 figures (for 2 eliminated units, or a spare medal counter for capturing the bridge) on the 3rd medal before they can start on the 4th medal. That means they will need to earn 8 out of 12 possible to get to 5 medals. If the Germans still win too much, make it 2 apiece after the first medal, requiring 9 to win.
    Thanks for sharing, especially under the circumstances.
    Regards,
    John

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for that John. I might give that a shot if we get to run this again.

      Delete
  9. Congratulations upon Dad-hood. Small persons have their demands, and things can be pretty rough for the first few weeks, but they usually settle down. i'm told. Not sure with twins. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's all proving rather exciting here. Lots of new discoveries.

      Delete
  10. That looks like a great day indoors with your pals! Hoping you have a full recovery from your head trauma. Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congratulations, Kinch! I wondered if the bundles had arrived. Heal up, get better - but know that it's likely the blog will continue to be curtailed; fatherhood will do that. It is entirely worth it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The price of entry was steep, but definitely worth it!

      Delete
  12. Many congratulations on parenthood, I hope the whole family is doing well. Take it easy and don't overtax the old noddle, it will heal itself. Great game report, thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you for writing a splendid and well-written report! Game mechanics are fascinating. Memoir 44 is totally new to me.
    Best wishes about the little Ks and injury recovery.
    Respectfully,
    Bill P.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it Bill. Memoir '44 is a boardgame and the basic mechanics were pitched to be intelligible to a seven year old. Obviously you can add a lot of additional rules and chrome on top, but the base mechanics are very simple.

      It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I find that it's simple enough that players rarely struggle with the rules and can therefore concentrate on the tactics.

      Delete
  14. Is it 15mm or 20mm scale models that you used?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Many thanks - I thought so, but sometimes its a bit difficult to judge from photos.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Really great campaign report. Memoir '44 is such an enduring game. A speedy recovery to you sir, and I look forward to your next post, whenever it will be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much Dale. I'm glad you liked the report.

      Delete
  17. Conrad, great AAR! It looked like an awesome time and a great event you hosted.

    I'm very sorry to hear about your injury. Having gotten a few concussions over the years from playing ice hockey I can empathize. Wishing you a Speedy and full recovery sir!!!!

    Cheers,
    Sgt. Guinness

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much Sgt. It was a cracking game - we had a lot of fun with it.

      Delete
  18. Glad you are on the mend Conrad but where the hell do you work where a blow to the head is an occupational hazard?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Phil. I'm a policeman by trade, so getting knocked on the head happens occasionally.

      Delete
  19. Looked like a great time...the hex cloth mats...where'd you get them and what is distance either point to opposite point or the flat to flat sides
    I'm looking to get some for the Epic command & Colors...I need 4" flats

    ReplyDelete
  20. What is the size of the hexes you have on those table cloths and where'd you buy them...I'd like to do same for Le Grand Battles in the new Epic CnC Napoleonic

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you very much for your kind comments Pat. The hex cloth mats are by Hotz and they are five inch hexes (flat to flat). They are (if you are willing to use some half hexes) exactly the right size for epic CCN.

    ReplyDelete