greenknight4 | 05 Jul 2015 3:58 p.m. PST |
Friends I have finally started my replay of the first day of the Battle of the Bulge using GMT Games "The Bulge" and Memoir 44 in 28mm scale. I have uploaded the short intro video here. dayofbattle.com/the-bulge The full first game played solo is loading now and I will place it's lick when ready. All the best Chris P. |
greenknight4 | 05 Jul 2015 4:34 p.m. PST |
Friends I have now loaded the entire game. This video was shot in pauses so each half turn is 3-4 minutes but the total length is 28 minutes. I had a lot of fun. I hadn't planned on playing it solo but my partner was sick and couldn't make it. |
normsmith | 06 Jul 2015 5:39 a.m. PST |
Thanks I really enjoyed watching that – well presented. The only thing I was left wondering was at the very end of play, how do you take the damage and loses in the figure game back into the boardgame? |
greenknight4 | 06 Jul 2015 5:43 a.m. PST |
Thank you – as I went back and watched I noticed the odd mistake I made here and there. For one I forgot about the hit on the first US tank on turn 1. Anyway what i will do is reduce the losing unit one step. Seems the easiest way to do it. Also I am only playing the first day which is still 15 or so battles. Chris |
Durban Gamer | 06 Jul 2015 11:04 a.m. PST |
Hallo Chris Great reports, and thanks for posting in video form. Does this mean you are back in South Africa?? PS we play a lot of Memoir 44 at the Durban Historygamers' Club. |
greenknight4 | 06 Jul 2015 11:49 a.m. PST |
I thin k you have me mixed up with another Chris Parker. i live in New Hampshire – USA. |
Martin Rapier | 07 Jul 2015 6:08 a.m. PST |
Very enjoyable, thanks. I am always on the lookout for Memoir 44 modifications – would I be right in thinking that you rule that non-activated infantry units automatically dig in? I already use a version of the grenade rule – no effect for ranged combat, only a result in close combat. |
greenknight4 | 07 Jul 2015 9:47 a.m. PST |
Martin Yes I allow inactive infantry and guns to dig themselves in , seems reasonable as I am playing regimental level so a maneuver unit is a company. I am not going to field heavy weapons companies as I feel they are among the grunts all ready. I may adopt the winter war rule that allows grunts to fire with 1d out to 4 hexes if stationary. No grenades in my game unless the target is artillery. I treat armored units as elite troops meaning they may move 2 and battle. I also allow any unit on either side to spot for artillery. |
GamesPoet | 07 Jul 2015 8:22 p.m. PST |
A great report on that first game, way to go! |
greenknight4 | 08 Jul 2015 5:05 a.m. PST |
Thanks, wish you could have been there. |
greenknight4 | 09 Jul 2015 7:00 a.m. PST |
Next up is the advance into Uderbreth where I believe the 99th Infantry takes on 2 VG Divisions. The 2nd Division is also involved. This will be fought this coming Monday evening and I will post the video soon afterwards. |
greenknight4 | 09 Jul 2015 9:18 a.m. PST |
I'm also thinking of doing a what if on the first battle I did where originally there were two VG division slated for the attack. However one division was bled off to guard the extreme right of the German army and a regiment was bled off the remaining VG division. |
greenknight4 | 20 Jul 2015 5:16 a.m. PST |
A short update. My next game that I mentioned above is nearly ready. I had to paint up more German's as the action is larger then the first. No pictures of them yet but they are nearly done. To refresh your memory I reduce each unit one level. So this battle pits the US 99th division against two VG divisions. So the US are represented by 1 Regiment as are the Germans. Here is how I am creating the forces. Again a unit in a hex is called a company. Each strength point on a block is equal to a battalion of the basic troop type of the regiment. Two or more battalions get a command company and 1 Divisional asset company, I dice for type. If the entire regiment is present then I also include all regimental assets and 1 divisional company as an asset as well. Now if a force is only 1 battalion I dice for assets. I use a d6 and a 1-4 gets the unit an asset that I dice for. If it succeeds I roll again with a 1-2 getting a second asset and if that roll succeeds I roll again with a 1 getting a third asset. I use this formula for every blcok in tha ction. |
greenknight4 | 07 Aug 2015 12:55 p.m. PST |
Ok Second game is done. It is the Battle of Udenbreth. It pits the US 99th Infantry Division against the 12 and 277th VG Divisions. Took me awhile to find time to paint up enough German infantry for two VG Divisions. I have simplified the results going back to the maps and blocks. If one side is a sure winner one block is reduced one point. If it is a close run game or a tie each side loses 1 on 1 block. I doubt if I will go any further than the first day of this anyway. Once done if I really liked it I might play out the Bastogne scenario which is provided in the game on it's own map. This game is broken up into three clips. Enjoy
dayofbattle.com/the-bulge |
greenknight4 | 14 Aug 2015 5:29 a.m. PST |
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normsmith | 17 Aug 2015 2:53 p.m. PST |
Thanks – I enjoyed the play-through. It has been ages since I have done M44, so it was nice to dip back into the system. Also, I have been using 10mm on the 4" hexes and have been thinking about putting some 20mm forces together, so I was interested to see how the bigger scale fared on your cloth. |
Russ Lockwood | 17 Aug 2015 8:26 p.m. PST |
Nice videos…been a while since I played M44. Interesting that M44 was featured in Saturday's Wall Street Journal as an example of a 'fog of war' hex-based wargame that is much simplified from other WWII boardgames. Pity the column didn't mention Colombia Games (or for that matter, various GMT Games or even Battleship) as a fine fog of war game system, but it is the WSJ, not a wargaming publication. Who knows, they might even do a mkiniature wargame one day… |
greenknight4 | 20 Aug 2015 11:01 a.m. PST |
Thank you both, Russ that sounds like an interesting story. Is it available online? Chris |