"BGPG Deluxe AAR - "Izdeshkovo"" Topic

Well our first full game with BGPG Deluxe was an interesting ride!

"Izdeshkovo" is from Robert Avery's excellent scenario campaign book "Vyazma or Bust" designed for IABSM. After adapting the scenario conditions and OOBs it was a great starter choice for 15mm Deluxe. "Izdeshkovo" is an attack/defend scenario that takes place in heavy terrain and fields light, medium, & heavy tanks, halftracks, infantry, MMGs, trenches, AT guns, flamethrowers, mortars, observers, and even a sniper – just what we needed!

You can check out the ARR at "Gary's Command Post" here,

link

It's a long read but has plenty of photos and some comments at the end about Deluxe. Our group quite enjoyed playing this scenario using Deluxe and we all wish to continue our next game using these rules, of course adding in a few of our pet house rules!

Gary

Nice job. I loved the arrows that show movement paths. Wish more folks would do that. It really brings the reader into the action. Thanx!

Looks a good scenario to try out – will have to give it a go in the near future.

Now using Deluxe as well and as you state in your review it does speed up play without losing the "feel" which the 2nd edition gave as well as the extras such as the Exploit phase which gives a good feel of how those hard won advantages can be built on.

I'll keep an eye out for any other scenarios you post as they make for a good read. Keep having fun with the Deluxe set.

warhawkwind – Thanks, glad you liked it. I tried to make the AAR tell the story through just the photos alone, in case some didn't want to read all the text.

baz – Yes, as you say the "feel" is still there with Deluxe. In our case I'm not sure the games are moving any faster than V2, any time saved streamlining is compensated by the additional rules. We may even continue to use some V2 rules that we like (eg. artillery accuracy). However, our group always plays very slow so a game can last 2 or 3 game nights. Perhaps we like to wring all the tension we can out of the game play!

I wonder if it would have been easier to start playing BGPG with the Deluxe version without playing the previous Version 2. My poor brain keeps accessing V2 rules while we are playing Deluxe which sometimes leads to me appearing as a rather confusing moderator at times!

How did you find the switch from V2 to Deluxe with respect to remembering the changes in the rules?

Glad you liked the AAR!

Gary

Gary,
The switch from V2 to Deluxe wasn't too bad as I tend to use the fast play sheet to "drive" the game. What I mean by that is by using the fast play sheet in Deluxe as you move through the turns, its the sheet which I refer to and not the rule book. Example is the infantry fire sheet which in deluxe gives the platoon fire rather than the individual with supports in V2.

Occasionally I need to refer to the book for a rule which is seldom used but I have deliberately put V2 to one side so there is only the Deluxe book to refer to.

My stance on the game length is similar to yours. We do not rush a game as part of the enjoyment, as far as the group I game with, is a leisurely game where individual success or failures can be celebrated or ridiculed (all done in good humour of course)as part of the game! Having said that we have played large games where we do rattle along at a fair pace if required – each to his own and it works well either way.

I think you have also found one of the great strengths of the system. Its flexible enough to allow for bits of V2 or your own mods if required to be added without tipping the balance of the rules too far one way or another.

Happy gaming and keep the battle reports coming!

baz,

Yes, I'm also trying to run the game from the QRS sheets as much as possible. I blew up all the QRS sheets to "real big" and taped them to the wall near our game table and that helps a bunch! The new matrix based Fire and Close Assault Tables are a big plus. For me the biggest change from V2 to remember during game play are the procedures for Close Assaults and for forming Defensive Fire Groups.

Thanks for pointing out that the flexibility of Deluxe is a strength. I hadn't thought of it that way, but you're right! You can add in a few V2 rules, or local house rules, and the core game just absorbs them and keeps on ticking.

I'm hoping to post the AAR from our wargame group's next scenario around mid-March.

Cheers,

Gary