B- 17 Queen of the Skies - Mission 159 - Target: Aschersleben Aircraft Factory

I'm part of a 'Play by Forum' group at BoardGameGeek who play the solitaire board game B-17: Queen of the Skies together.  The group is run by BGG user 'jasta6' and represents the fictional 281st Bombardment Group (Heavy).  The 159th mission is an attack on the Junkers aircraft factory at Aschersleben, Germany on February 22, 1944.

This is how I went...

After Action Report:

Pilot: 2Lt. Christopher B. Whitman
B-17: 'To Prussia With Love' (B-17F-65-B0 42-29711 ) (2nd Mission)

Squadron: 153rd Bombardment Squadron, 281st Bombardment Group (Heavy)

MISSION: 159 (This bomber 2)
Date: Tuesday, February 22, 1944 (1 day from last mission)
Primary Target: Aschersleben, Germany. A/I (Junkers Aircraft Factory)
Secondary Target: None
Tertiary Target: None

Position: High

Crew Status: LW=0 / SW=0 / KIA=0 / FB=0 / POW=10

Position – Rank – Name – Missions (n) – Status
Pilot – 2Lt. Christopher B. ('Toffee') Whitman (2) - POW
Co-Pilot – 2Lt. James J. ('J.J.') Scott (2) - POW
Bombardier – 2Lt. Matthew S. ('Payload') Kelly (2) - POW
Navigator – 2Lt. Luke K. ('Wrong Way') Wray (2) - POW
Engineer - MSgt. Howard D ('Wrench') Rubin (2) - POW
Radio Operator - TSgt. Norman B. ('Mad Dog') Morgan (2) - POW
Ball Gunner - Sgt. Ernest J. ('Serious') Reed (2) - POW
Port Waist – Sgt. Roy M. ('Burnin') Bridges (2) - POW
Starboard Waist - Sgt. David M. ('Deadeye') Garcia (2) - POW
Tail Gunner - Sgt. James L. ('Back Door') Herrera (2) - POW

Key:
½ = Half an Enemy A/C KIA
* = 1 Enemy A/C KIA
# = 5 Enemy A/C KIA

Bomb Run: DNB
Bomb Drop:
Accuracy:

Enemy Fighters Encountered: (KIA – 0 / Prob – 0 / Damaged – 0)

Claims:

B-17s Disposition: The 'To Prussia With Love' was hit by flak outbound and crashed in the Netherlands.

Mission Debriefing:

Outbound
Zone 2: No Encounters
Zone 3: No Encounters
Zone 4: Three Me109s that were all driven off by fighter cover.
Zone 5: The 'To Prussia With Love' was hit by flak outbound over the Netherlands. The aircraft appeared to have suffered a fire to the starboard wing fuel tank. The pilot was seen to dive the B-17 in an effort to put out the fire but was unsuccessful. The aircraft was then seen to fall out of control in flames. 10 parachutes were seen to open. Presumably the entire crew escaped safely from the aircraft and were likely captured.

Game notes: It was only this aircraft and crew's second mission. So disappointed to find a random sporadic flak roll outbound in Zone 5 ended up with a fuel tank hit causing the aircraft to go down in flames. Only positive was that the entire crew bailed out safely. Sadly, as they were over the Netherlands they were all automatically captured and became POWs. I have submitted a request to the moderator for a replacement aircraft for Mission 160.

B-17 Queen of the Skies - Mission 158 - Target: Diepholz Aerodrome

 I recently joined a 'Play by Forum' group at BoardGameGeek who play the solitaire board game B-17: Queen of the Skies together.  The group is run by BGG user 'jasta6' and represents the fictional 281st Bombardment Group (Heavy).  They have completed 157 missions over the last several years.  I created my B-17 'To Prussia With Love' and crew and was assigned to the 153rd Bombardment Squadron.  My first mission was number 158 targeting an enemy aerodrome at Diepholz, Germany on February 21, 1944.

This is how I went...

After Action Report:

Pilot: 2Lt. Christopher B. Whitman
B-17: 'To Prussia With Love' (B-17F-65-B0 42-29711 ) (1st Mission)

Squadron: 153rd Bombardment Squadron, 281st Bombardment Group (Heavy)

MISSION: 158 (This bomber 1)
Date: Monday, February 21, 1944 (1 day from last mission)
Primary Target: Werl, Germany. A/F ( Diepholz Airdrome )
Secondary Target: Diepholz, Germany. A/F ( Diepholz Airdrome )
Tertiary Target: None

Position: Middle

Crew Status: LW=0 / SW=0 / KIA=0 / FB=0

Position – Rank – Name – Missions (n) – Status
Pilot – 2Lt. Christopher B. ('Toffee') Whitman (1)
Co-Pilot – 2Lt. James J. ('J.J.') Scott (1)
Bombardier – 2Lt. Matthew S. ('Payload') Kelly (1) **
Navigator – 2Lt. Luke K. ('Wrong Way') Wray (1) *
Engineer - MSgt. Howard D ('Wrench') Rubin (1) *
Radio Operator - TSgt. Norman B. ('Mad Dog') Morgan (1)
Ball Gunner - Sgt. Ernest J. ('Serious') Reed (1)
Port Waist – Sgt. Roy M. ('Burnin') Bridges (1)
Starboard Waist - Sgt. David M. ('Deadeye') Garcia (1)
Tail Gunner - Sgt. James L. ('Back Door') Herrera (1)

Key:
½ = Half an Enemy A/C KIA
* = 1 Enemy A/C KIA
# = 5 Enemy A/C KIA

Bomb Run:
Bomb Drop: Off
Accuracy: 5%

Enemy Fighters Encountered: (KIA – 4 / Prob – 0 / Damaged – 1)

Claims:
2Lt. Matthew. S. Kelly: 2 x Me109s
2Lt. Luke K. Wray: 1 x Fw190
Msgt. Howard D. Rubin: 1 x Me109

B-17s Disposition: The 'To Prussia With Love' landed safely with only superficial damage. Crew and aircraft will be ready for the next mission.

Peckham Points: 10 points (1 x No Effect Hit from P4 (Radio Room) [5 points], 1 x Superficial Hit from B5 [5 points])

Mission Debriefing:

The crew and I were all eager for our first mission with the 281st and to put all our hard training to use in defeating Hitler and bringing peace to Europe.

The weather was fine for our take off and the 'To Prussian With Love' quickly rose into the clear skies over England. It was not long before we rendezvoused with the rest of the bomber group and as we settled into formation within our new bomber squadron, the 153rd, I silently prayed we would live up to their motto of 'Guaranteed on time delivery!'.

We were appreciative for the outbound presence of the P38 fighter escort from the 55th Fighter Group. For us the flight to Germany was uneventful. As we neared the target we noted it was mostly obscured by cloud cover. Thankfully the Pathfinders had gone in just prior to our arrival and so we were able to make out the Diepholz aerodrome in the distance.

As we approached the target we noticed some flak but it was very light and soon stopped. It was at this time that we were attacked by a wave of four Me109s. Our fighter escort drew two of them off while accurate shooting from 2Lt. Kelly and 2Lt. Wray destroyed the remaining two Me109s.

We commenced our bomb run but were dismayed to find we were off target and the majority of our payload missed. Our bombardier 2Lt. Kelly believed we may have done some minor damage to the airfield.

Regardless, we had stirred up a hornets nest. As we turned for home we were jumped by two waves of fighters, presumably from the airfield we had just bombed. The first wave consisted of three Fw190s. P47s from the 56th Fighter Group drove off two of the Focke-Wulfs. The remaining Fw190 was seen to erupt in flames and fall out of control after a burst of machine gun fire by 2Lt. Wray who was manning the starboard cheek gun.

The second wave of enemy fighters came in immediately after the first. This time it was three Me109s. Our 'little friends' were busy elsewhere and could not help us. The Messerschmitts came in from the front, firing at us from head on. We were lucky that none of their bullets hit and they did not come around for another pass.

As the 'To Prussia With Love' crossed into the Netherlands and Zone 6 we were intercepted by two Focke-Wulfs. One was driven off by our fighter escort while the remaining FW190 evaded our defensive fire and came in firing from 3 o'clock level. Thankfully he missed and we did not see him again.

Just north of Amsterdam in Zone 5 we were attacked by one Fw190 and three Me109s. Our fighter escort failed to chase off any of the enemy aircraft but 2Lt. Kelly firing from the nose turret managed to damage one of the Me109s. We took hits to the Radio Room from the Fw190 but thankfully there was little damage and Tsgt. Morgan and the radio were spared.

The three Me109s broke off contact but the Fw190 came around for a second pass. This time he came in from 1:30 level and managed to score some superficial hits on our fuselage. All crew who had the opportunity to fire their machine guns did so but the wily Fw190 pilot managed to evade. The cheeky kraut came in for a third attempt from 12 o'clock level but thankfully missed us this time. He must have thought he had exhausted all his luck with his three attacks because he did not make a fourth.

We entered Zone 4 and were happy to see the North Sea far below. England was now not far away and we were all relieved the worst was behind us.

Our thoughts of home were quickly dashed as we entered Zone 3 and were attacked by one Fw190 and two Me109s. Unfortunately our fighter escort was unable to intercept any of the enemy aircraft. However, 2Lt. Kelly again proved himself by destroying one of the Me109s and I must commend Sgt. Reed who was able to drive off the other Me109 with sustained firing from his ball turret guns. The remaining Fw190's aim was no good and he then disappeared.

The rest of our flight was uneventful and we landed safely at base.

Pilot: 2Lt. Christopher B. Whitman
B-17: 'To Prussia With Love' (B-17F-65-B0 42-29711 )

Game notes: Very relieved to survive our first mission. Being in middle position and some lucky consecutive 6's on defensive fire certainly helped. The persistent Fw190 pilot in Zone 5 inbound was an Ace. Looking forward to our next mission to drop some further 'love' on the krauts.

Monday Football

My mate Steve and I coordinated a day off work today during our childrens' school break for some gaming.  While our wives were at work I met him at his place for a couple of games of Paydirt.  Paydirt is published by Avalon Hill and is a board game that simulates a game of American football, AKA gridiron.  Steve's version of Paydirt has the team charts for all the teams in the 1991 NFL season.

While my kids and his kids were happily playing Minecraft via LAN in another room, Steve and I sat down at his dining room table and randomly drew teams for our first game.  Our goal is to play through all the teams in Paydirt once, randomly selecting them for each game.  I ended up with the Washington Redskins and Steve got the Phoenix Cardinals.

Paydirt

This version of the Paydirt team charts are based on the statistics of how well the teams did during the 1991 regular season, playoffs and Super Bowl.  The Redskins had a regular season 14-2 win-loss record that year and went on to win the Super Bowl in early 1992 and their team chart certainly reflected that they were the best team of that season.  Steve's Cardinals only had a 4-12 win-loss record in 1991 and his team chart certainly exhibited those statistics.

I won 72-7.  Although there is player choice on which play to make (9 offensive plays consisting of 4 runs/5 passes, and 6 defensive formations) ultimately it comes down to dice roles and chart referencing.  With evenly matched players, a very good team should invariably trounce a very bad team due to probability and their individual team chart.  I guess in that way Paydirt could be called a good simulation.

Does that make for a fun game though?  I suspect casual players and those not interested in American football would not enjoy Paydirt where there is a very real possibility of playing a game with such mismatched teams.  Steve and I do enjoy watching NFL games (him being a San Francisco '49ers fan and me a Philadelphia Eagles fan) and so playing a simulation of a game, irregardless of how mismatched the teams were, was still fun. We must have a rematch of this game in the future though.

For our second game I randomly selected the LA Rams and Steve selected the San Diego Chargers.  In this game our teams were fairly evenly matched with the team charts reflecting statistics in which the LA Rams had a 3-13 season and the San Diego Chargers had a 4-12 season (in other words - both equally crap teams).

This was a much closer and exciting game and was won by Steve's Chargers defeating my Rams 17-14 with a last minute field goal.

2014 - My year of gaming

Looking back over 2014 I note that the time I've spent gaming has mostly been taken up by playing the early access PC game DayZ Standalone which was released in December 2013.  As a result of this the number of my boardgame plays during 2014 have certainly suffered.  I'm not necessarily saddened by this as it is good to try new things and I have thoroughly enjoyed the time spent playing DayZ.  I've played DayZ so much, almost on a daily basis, that I've ceased logging plays of the game.

Here is a list of tabletop games I played in 2014.  I was particularly pleased to get in some plays of Memoir '44 and Commands & Colors: Ancients.

Coda	6
Drag Strip!	6
Jenga	5
Memoir '44	5
Rebound	5
Gloom	4
Memoir '44: Campaign Book Volume 1	4
Star Wars: Episode 1 – Clash of the Lightsabers	4
500	3
Blokus	3
Car Wars: The Card Game	3
Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game	3
YINSH	3
Commands & Colors: Ancients	2
For Sale	2
Haunted Castle	2
The Legend of Landlock	2
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game	2
Munchkin	2
Words with Friends	2
Battle Line	1
Buccaneer	1
Cartagena	1
Clash of the Gladiators	1
Friday the 13th	1
Gloom: Unfortunate Expeditions	1
Gloom: Unhappy Homes	1
Gloom: Unquiet Dead	1
Gloom: Unwelcome Guests	1
Guillotine	1
Gulo Gulo	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Defenders of Kinsland	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Malliddon's Prophecy	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Orm's Return	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Road to the Forgotten Forest	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Thora's Vengeance	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Utgar's Rage	1
Heroscape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyrie	1
Labyrinth: The Card Game	1
Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation (Deluxe Edition)	1
Make 'n' Break CHALLENGE	1
Memoir '44: Eastern Front	1
PitchCar Mini	1
Risk Express	1
Der schwarze Pirat	1
Star Wars: Epic Duels	1
Wildlife Safari	1

2013 - My year of gaming

The majority of my gaming over this year has certainly been video games.  Unfortunately my board game plays have fallen, partly due to my mother only visiting on alternate Saturdays, and partly due to my own board game burnout.

Here is a combined list of video and board games I played in 2013.

ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead	46
Grand Theft Auto V	25
Minecraft	12
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar	8
Pass the Pigs	7
Formula Motor Racing	6
The Last of Us	5
Battlefield 3	4
Make 'n' Break CHALLENGE	4
Haunted Castle	3
Jenga	3
UNO Stacko	3
Blokus Duo	2
Château Roquefort	2
Gulo Gulo	2
PitchCar Mini	2
Reiner Knizia's Amazing Flea Circus	2
Blood Bowl: Chaos Edition	1
Cartagena	1
Coda	1
Forbidden Island	1
Hey, That's My Fish!	1
Pick Picknic	1
Pow Wow	1
Quicksand	1
Der schwarze Pirat	1
WobBally

Happy New Year and good gaming to all for 2014!

2012 - My year of gaming

The majority of my gaming over this year has shifted from board games to video games.  2011 was the first year I decided to record the plays of video games via the VideoGameGeek website.  The method I choose to record my plays was that if I played a specific video game on a particular day I would record only a single play, regardless if I played the game for 5 minutes or 5 hours.  This allows me to easily track how much I use a game on a daily basis over the full year.  

Here is a combined list of video and board games I played in 2012.

ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead	58
Minecraft	42
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar	40
Battlefield 3	20
Pass the Pigs	19
Just Cause 2	11
Max Payne 3	9
Grand Theft Auto IV	8
Call of Duty: Black Ops II	5
Call of Duty: Black Ops	4
Pick Picknic	4
Alien Swarm	3
Diablo II	3
Die Mauer	3
PitchCar Mini	3
Sherlock	3
The aMAZEing Labyrinth	2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2	2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3	2
Gran Turismo 5	2
Haunted Castle	2
Portal 2	2
Risk Express	2
Der schwarze Pirat	2
The Settlers of Catan	2
Snorta!	2
UNO Stacko	2
ArmA II	1
Batman: Arkham Asylum	1
Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers	1
Cartagena	1
Château Roquefort	1
Dungeons & Dragons Online	1
Formula Motor Racing	1
Gotham City Impostors	1
Half-Life 2	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Defenders of Kinsland	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Malliddon's Prophecy	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Road to the Forgotten Forest	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Thora's Vengeance	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Ticalla Jungle	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Utgar's Rage	1
Heroscape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyrie	1
Heroscape Master Set: Swarm of the Marro	1
Just Dance 2	1
Lord of the Rings	1
Microsoft Flight	1
No Thanks!	1
Samba De Amigo	1
Scrabble	1
Through the Desert	1
Tutankhamen	1
Wii Sports Resort	1

ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead was certainly my most played PC video game over the course of 2012.  The main reason for this was to play the DayZ mod for this game.  DayZ is a zombie survival game which I find so much fun to play. Minecraft was another game I spent a lot of time playing in 2012 on PC.  This game was a lot of fun playing multiplayer with my daughters Maddie and Georgia. Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar or LOTRO is a great PC game that Maddie and I play together online.  Happy New Year and good gaming to all for 2013!

2011 - My year of gaming

The majority of my gaming over this year has shifted from board games to video games.  2011 was the first year I decided to record the plays of video games via the VideoGameGeek website.  It's a bit more difficult to record what constitutes an actual play of a video game.  The method I chose to record my plays was that if I played a specific video game on a particular day I would record only a single play, regardless if I played the game for 5 minutes or 5 hours.  This allows me to easily track how much I use a game on a daily basis over the full year.  For example, I played Call of Duty: Black Ops over 30.4% of the days in 2011.

 Here's a combined list of video and board games I played in 2011.

Call of Duty: Black Ops	111
Minecraft	78
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2	27
Battlefield 3	25
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves	16
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3	14
Assassin's Creed II	13
Call of Duty: World at War	13
Forbidden Island	6
Red Dead Redemption	6
Batman: Arkham Asylum	5
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare	5
Mario Kart Wii	5
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune	5
LittleBIGPlanet	3
Portal	3
Commands & Colors: Napoleonics	2
Haunted Castle	2
Monopoly	2
Der schwarze Pirat	2
Terminator Salvation	2
Wii Fit	2
Battle Line	1
Battlefield 1943	1
Burnout Paradise	1
Dead Nation	1
For Sale	1
Gears of War 2	1
Half-Life 2	1
HeroQuest	1
Hey, That's My Fish!	1
It's Mine!	1
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar	1
PitchCar Mini	1
R.U.S.E.	1
Snail Game	1
Super Smash Bros.	1
Vegas Stakes	1
Wii Play	1
Wii Sports	1
Wii Sports Resort	1

Call of Duty: Black Ops was certainly my most utilised video game over the course of 2011.  This was due to the accessible online multiplayer gameplay as well as many enjoyable evenings spent playing the excellent Black Ops Zombie maps with my brother.

Minecraft was another game I spent a lot of time playing in 2011 on PC.  This game was a lot of fun playing single player as well as multiplayer with my daughter Maddie.

Other gaming highlights for me in 2011 were playing and completing Uncharted 2: Drake's Fortune, Assassin's Creed 2 and Portal.  I also recently obtained Battlefield 3 which has quickly become my First Person Shooter (FPS) of choice, quickly racking up 25 plays in just over 6 weeks.

Happy New Year and good gaming to all for 2012!

Imperial Rome

Milsims had a online discounted sale last month and I had ordered two expansions for one of my favourite war games of all time - Commands & Colors: Ancients by Richard Borg.

They didn't have Expansion #4: Imperial Rome available at that time so it was put on back order for me.


I arrived home today to find it waiting for me. Now, to affix the 586 sticky unit labels to the front and back of the 293 wooden blocks.

Oh joy ;)

Epic Ancients

I arrived home today to find a parcel waiting for me. Milsims had a recent online discounted sale and I had ordered two expansions for one of my favourite war games of all time - Commands & Colors: Ancients by Richard Borg.

I have the first three expansions for C&C Ancients but decided to take the plunge and order the two remaining ones - Expansion Pack #4: Imperial Rome, and Expansion Pack #5: Epic Ancients II. Hey, I'm a completest.


Unfortunately #4 Imperial Rome was out of stock so they have back ordered it for me at the discounted price, but I now have #5 Epic Ancients II in my hot little hands. This expansion allows up to 8 players to fight larger historical battles on a double-sized map board and contains a number of updated scenarios including Marathon 490 BC, Gaugemela 331 BC and Lake Trasimenus 217 BC. It can also be played by two players with each commanding a side.

It was while writing this post and referencing BoardGameGeek that I became aware that GMT Games will soon be releasing a further expansion for C&C Ancients entitled Expansion Pack #6: The Spartan Army.

Cool!

Gaming with Grandma - 122

Another Saturday morning gaming with my mum (AKA Grandma) and 9 year old daughter Maddie. Our game of choice today was the recently acquired Forbidden Island by Matt Leacock, the designer of Pandemic.

Players in this game play explorers searching an island for four powerful artifacts. They must locate all four artifacts and lift off the island in a helicopter to win the game. The only problem is that the island is quickly sinking into the ocean and the players must work cooperatively to shore up flooded areas and find the artifacts.

The island - pale blue tiles are flooded and the gaps are tiles that have sunk

There are six different roles randomly assigned to the 2-4 players. Each role has special abilities to assist in the mission. In this our first game Grandma was the Engineer, Maddie was the Explorer and I was the Diver.

There is also a water level track. We started off on the Novice level which starts the water at the lowest level.

The mechanics are fairly straightforward with players taking up to three actions, taking two treasure cards and then taking a certain number of flood cards depending on the current water level. Maddie quickly picked this up and was soon suggesting actions for Grandma and I. I was pleased to hear her exclaim during the game "This is really exciting" and "This is fun".

We went on to win our first game at Novice level.

Later that afternoon after Grandma had left Maddie requested another game with just the two of us. We started at Normal level with her being the Pilot and me the Messenger. We did win, but it was fairly close. We'll up the difficulty to Elite level in our next game.

Some new games

I can't believe it's been over a year since I last purchased some board games. I've certainly got a list of games on my "to buy" list but haven't been tempted until a recent Milsims Games overstock sale.

I picked up the following games for some good discounted prices:

• Forbidden Island
• BattleLore: For Troll and Country
• BattleLore: Epic BattleLore x2
• BattleLore: Call to Arms
• BattleLore: Horrific Horde

Sir Arthur takes one on the chin

I had the opportunity to try Commands & Colors: Napoleonics this morning with an old gaming opponent of mine, Chris (AKA BGG User Banjo666). Chris taught me how to play the miniatures rules DBM and it's probably been a good 8 or 9 years since we last saw each other or gamed together.

We played Chris' copy of the game and he had the first scenario set up for me when I arrived. It was the Rolica1 (French First Position) 17 August 1808 scenario which was historically part of the Peninsular War. I played the British/Portuguese army under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley (more famously known as The Duke of Wellington) versus the French under the command of General Henri Delaborde.

Historical Background

After landing unopposed at Mondego Bay, Sir Arthur Wellesley led a Portuguese/British army of some 15,000 men south towards Lisbon. Opposing him was General Henri Delaborde, with a force consisting only of some 5000 infantry, 500 cavalry and 5 field pieces. Delaborde resolved to fight a delaying action against Wellesley’s advance while awaiting reinforcements from Generals Junot and Loison.
Delaborde chose his first defensive position in the hills just northwest of the village of Rolica. Wellesley advanced in three columns against the French, ordering the Portuguese troops under Colonel Trant on the right and Fergusson’s column on the left to turn the enemy’s flanks, while the artillery and infantry in his center were to engage the enemy in the front and hold them in position.
The British attack was underway by seven o’clock in the morning on the 17th. Although the French were hotly engaged all morning, Delaborde’s outnumbered force still held onto the hill position. However, by early afternoon, the wary Delaborde could see that his position was being outflanked and quickly moved his forces back to a second defensive position to the south.
The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in command. Can you change history?

The field of battle at the end

It was to be an unhistorical result to the real battle of Rolica with my British/Portuguese force eventually losing 3 banners to 5 against the French.

I love the Commands & Colors series of games by Richard Borg. C&C Napoleonics is a fine new edition to this series and although similar in play to other games in the series, it does capture the feel of warfare in the Napoleonic period. I loved the rule for Infantry being able to form square when threatened by Cavalry, and also the rules for Combined Arms Combat and national differences to similar types of units.

I'm looking forward to further games.

2010 - My year of gaming

As the end of 2010 draws near I find myself reflecting on my gaming habits. Gaming for me crosses many different genres. I don't consider myself a board gamer, or a role player, a miniatures gamer or even a video gamer, though at stages in my life I have focused solely on each of these game types. Rather, at this point in my life I consider myself a gamer with multi-faceted tastes, a 'multi-gamer' if you will.

2010 has seen a marked decrease in my board gaming. This has mainly been due to a resurgence in my exploration of the video game genre. I've very much enjoyed online multiplayer gaming action first with a Microsoft Xbox 360 in the early part of the year and then since May with a Sony PlayStation 3. Online shooter games such as Call of Duty give me an adrenalin rush that I just can't get sitting at a table playing a board game. Don't get me wrong, some board games can be very tense and exciting, it's just a different sort of rush to a video game.

Another reason for a reduction in board gaming is that after 8 or so years I just feel like a bit of a break. Mum still comes around every Saturday morning but I haven't initiated the playing of any board games since July. I'm sure though that we will see further Gaming with Grandma sessions in 2011. My younger daughter Georgia turns five next month and will be starting a full-time Preparatory Year at the same school as her older sister Maddie. Georgie's reaching a maturity level where she'll soon be able to join in games with us.

So here's a look at my board gaming plays in 2010. Top of the list is Blue Max, the majority of these games being played online at fellow Brisbane gamer Justin Walduck's Hexcell Games site. I recommend Hexcell Games which offers free multiplayer Blue Max games as well as Deduce or Die games.

Blue Max	28
PitchCar Mini	6
Battle Line	2
Diamant	2
Escape from Atlantis	2
Liar's Dice	2
500	2
Antike	1
Cartagena	1
Cloud 9	1
The Downfall of Pompeii	1
For Sale	1
Gulo Gulo	1
Hearts	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Defenders of Kinsland	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Fortress of the Archkyrie	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Malliddon's Prophecy	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Orm's Return	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Thora's Vengeance	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Ticalla Jungle	1
Heroscape Expansion Set: Utgar's Rage	1
Heroscape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyrie	1
Heroscape Master Set: Swarm of the Marro	1
Ingenious	1
King Me!	1
Money Money Money	1
Pass the Pigs	1
Quicksand	1
Red November	1
Der schwarze Pirat	1
Wanted!	1

2010 was definitely the year of the Western for me. I played the Red Dead Redemption video game for several months and had a fantastic time. I also watched a ton of western films which I also greatly enjoyed. I have to say that I'm now pretty much over anything western related for the time being. My western fad has passed but I'm sure it will return in the future. Unfortunately the enthusiasm this time for all things western didn't extend to painting the many 25mm western miniatures I have. Ah well, perhaps in 2011.

The early part of the year did see me devote substantial time to painting some Lord of the Rings 25mm miniatures. I fully painted and based 112 miniatures, comprising 88 Warriors of Minas Tirith and 24 Mordor Orcs an accomplishment of which I was very satisfied. I still have hundreds of these miniatures sitting in a cupboard and look forward to painting more in 2011.

Off-topic, but on the work front 2010 saw me move to a new building which was one train-stop further and at the other end of Brisbane's central business district. I also travelled a lot more with work in 2010 than the year before, flying a total of almost 9,500 km (5,900 miles). 2010 also saw my work area restructured and although I am still doing the same role I have been integrated into a different Government department. Change is a constant in the Australian Public Service and I look forward to the challenges that await me in 2011.

I also look forward to where my gaming interests will take me in 2011. I can see my video gaming continuing due to it's accessibility and immediacy however what other gaming will I be doing? I'd love to get back into role playing games at some point, especially with my daughters. Perhaps when Georgie can read and write. I'd also like to spend more time painting miniatures and playing with different miniatures rules.

Time. Time is the issue. Still, as long as you're playing games with your friends or family then it's time well spent.

Happy New Year!

Epic Heroscape battle

I was looking after the kids today while my wife was working. Maddie has been bugging me to play HeroScape for a while now so we decided that today would be the day. Coincidentally it's been just about one year to the week since we last played. Also coincidentally I faced the same opponents across the table the last time we played; my 9 year old daughter Maddie and family friend 9 year old Jackson. They beat me last time but would I have my revenge this time?

My opponents - Maddie & Jackson

Maddie organised their armies the previous evening. We had decided on armies with a maximum point value of 600. She took Raelin the Kyrie Warrior, Kelda the Kyrie Warrior, Jorhdawn, Chardris, Warriors of Ashra and Fyorlag Spiders x4 (600 points). Jackson's army consisted of Charos, Sonlen, Ulginesh and Venoc Vipers x2 (600 points). I was very impressed with her army creation skills.

I ran two armies. The first consisted of Tor-Kul-Na, Ne-Gok-Sa, Grok Riders, Marro Drudge x2 and Marrden Nagrubs x2 (600 points). My second army was made up of Taelord the Kyrie Warrior, Deathwalker 8000, Krug & Mimring (580 points).

Each army had an artifact glyph sitting on its base line. Victory would be achieved by either of two ways. Either totally wipe out the opposing army, or grab the opponents glyph and throw it into the well in the middle of the raised tower in the centre of the board. The first team to achieve either of these objectives would be declared the winner.

The view from my side at the start

The view from my opponents' side at the start

My strategy was to get Deathwalker 8000 to the top of the central tower and snipe the enemy. As they focused on the threat in the centre I would use my fast moving Grok Riders and Marrden Nagrubs to race down the flanks to threaten their artifact. Meanwhile my heavy hitters like Tor-Kul-Na and Krug would move down the sides for support while I left Mimring the dragon guarding my own artifact.

This strategy worked fairly well and Deathwalker 8000 was able to pick off several enemy. His downfall came when the mighty dragon Charos flew to the top of the tower and destroyed him a few turns later. The fighting was fierce and due to my fast moving attacks the battles were all on my opponents' side of the board. During the entire game they never did make it on to my side.

There were many ferocious battles. Brave warriors fell on both sides. At one point one of my Marrden Nagrubs grabbed my opponents' artifact and headed back to the central tower. The fighting was fierce but in the end I prevailed and totally destroyed both their armies.

Krug and Taelord attack the two Elven Mages, Jorhdawn and Chardris

I have to say I didn't pull any punches and was playing to win. However, every turn I gave Maddie and Jackson advice on their options and tips on tactics. I wanted them to learn the game as well as give me a challenge. When I gave them options and explained the tactics they invariably chose the best moves. After a while I didn't have to tell them to look for terrain height advantage or remember to use their character's special abilities or any other tips. In the end they were conspiring and even asked me to leave the room on occasions so they could assess the battlefield and make plans.

It was a great game and we all had fun. They even helped me pack everything away...with a little persuasion.

The eve of battle

The jungle is quiet this evening.


Tomorrow morning these ruins will echo with the sounds of battle. Weapons will be clashed, magic will be wielded and blood will be spilled.

From the chaos of combat one side will emerge victorious...

Gaming interrupted

A rainy morning. Perfect weather for playing Escape from Atlantis with my mum (AKA Grandma) and daughters while my wife was at work. Not so perfect weather for a plumbing mishap. Unfortunately a washer in one of the shower taps went and the water just wouldn't stop dripping. And it wasn't just a slow drip, it was a fast drip, almost a steady stream.

By this time Grandma had arrived. So after a quick cup of tea I left her in charge of the kids. I grabbed an umbrella and trudged out to the front yard, located the sunken box which contained the main tap and turned off the household water. I then prepared myself with the necessary tools to change a washer.

Now the innards of our shower taps are probably original from when the house was built back in the 1970's. I've had the displeasure of working with them on a few occasions since we've been here and they're certainly showing their age. So much so that as I was undoing a screw it broke off, leaving half of it in the spindle (jumper valve). Grrr!

So I borrowed Grandma's car and drove through the rain to the local hardware store. When possible I try to support this small store with my business as they're close and offer excellent knowledge and service that can't compare to the large chain stores like Bunnings Warehouse.

I tried to buy a similar jumper valve but found they no longer make them (I told you they were old!). So I purchased two new ones as well as some washers. While I was there I decided to pick up a couple of new tap handles as well because the old ones were looking a bit worn. I then made my way home through the rain.

Back in the shower, as I was preparing to insert the jumper valves, I realised the chrome flanges (the circular covers that go against the tile and into which the tap handles sit) were also a bit old and grotty. D'oh! I should have bought a couple of those as well when I was at the hardware store! Fast forward me trudging out to Grandma's car, driving through the rain, entering the hardware store, buying the said items, driving back through the rain, stomping upstairs.

Back in the shower again. I now had new (21st century!) shower taps ready to install. After all that preparation I found the installation the easy part. Everything fit in and together as planned and before I knew it I was done. All except the sealer that needed to go around the edges of the chrome flange. D'oh! Not another trip back to the hardware store! Thankfully I found some sealer from another household job I'd done in the past so was able to finish the job.

So, a couple of hours after I'd started, the shower was once again drip free. I stood back to admire my handiwork and felt a sense of satisfaction.

However, by this time I wasn't really in the mood to play a board game, and the kids were playing the Wii, and I just wanted to sit down and relax with a hot cup of tea, and so unfortunately we'll have to wait until next week to play Escape from Atlantis.

An evening with Friendless and Scrabblette

I went over to Friendless and Scrabblette's place this evening to play Antike with them. Antike is a strategy board game about evolution and competition among ancient civilisations. Players can create cities, build temples, sail the seas, and discover new principles of science and technology. Your legions and galleys create new settlements and defend their people against attacks from their enemies. Players choose from Greeks, Romans, Germanic tribes, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Persians, Arabs, Egyptians, and Babylonians.

The board at the end of the game

Every nation tries to win kings, scholars, generals, citizens, and navigators for themselves. The nation that acquires a specified number (depending on the number of players) of ancient personalities first wins the game.

As we played with three players the winning target was 10 points. Friendless played the Arabs (yellow), Scrabblette played the Persians (blue) and I played the Greeks (green). This was the second play of the game for Friendless but the first time for Scrabblette and me. Friendless taught us the rules in about 15 minutes and then we started.

We each employed slightly different strategies, with Scrabblette going with a military strategy, Friendless with a gold strategy and with me I think somewhere in between. Friendless went on to win with 10 points, I came 2nd with 9 points and Scrabblette was 3rd with 7 points. The game took us about two hours to play. I found Antike to be an enjoyable game and one I'd want to play again.

And to top off a great evening Friendless very kindly and generously gave me his copy of Atlantis! This game (AKA Escape from Atlantis, AKA Survive!) is one that I've been wanting to get for many years and I know it will see a lot of play with my family.

Some New Games

A parcel arrived for me today. A parcel of new games. You won't believe this but it has been 12 months (one whole year!) since I last purchased a new game. I was shocked when I realised this. What is happening to me? Am I reaching a point of board game saturation where I'm satisfied with the games I have? Say it ain't so! ;)

MilSims recently had an overstock sale with some great titles for only $15 each. I ordered Lord of the Rings: Friends & Foes expansion, Lord of the Rings: Sauron expansion and Quicksand. I would have also ordered Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation - Deluxe Edition for $15 had I not already had it in my collection.


Alas, they'd sold out of Lord of the Rings: Friends & Foes Expansion by the time they received my order. I'm looking at introducing the Lord of the Rings cooperative game to Mum and Maddie in the future so was looking at picking up both expansions. Ah, well.

Quicksand looks interesting, sort of like The Great Balloon Race which is a game I quite enjoyed playing.

I'm off to crack open some shrink wrap.

Local Gamer Wins National Settlers of Catan Championship

It was cool to see a board game related article in today's issue of mX, a free newspaper available to commuters in Brisbane.


The article features local Brisbane gamer Danny Frahm (BGG user FinalAttack), and recognises him winning the fifth Australian Championship of Settlers of Catan, held at the Australian Games Expo (AGE) in Canberra last month.

I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Danny in person, but am aware of him from BGG, and he games with some people I know. Congratulations Danny, and it's great to see the board game hobby being celebrated in the media.

A Toilet Fit For a King!

As I was recording a play of King Me! on BoardGameGeek I noticed there was a mini-expansion (of a single card) to this game entitled King Me! - The Toilet which was released in 2004. I looked on both the Mayfair Games and daVinci Games sites but couldn't find any trace of it.

I decided to make my own. I copied an image from BGG and manipulated it with the GIMP. I then printed it out and glued it onto thick card. After that I trimmed it with a craft knife and finally gave it a spray of protective gloss varnish.

Voila! One toilet fit for a King!

My home-made Toilet expansion card

The rules for this expansion state: Before each round, put the toilet next to a floor (3, 4 or 5). The toilet is a special space that you can move a character to, from that floor, instead of moving him to a higher floor. There can be only one character in the toilet at a time. A character in the toilet is still counted towards the 4 character limit for that floor. You may move a character from the toilet to the next higher floor as a normal move. If a character is in the toilet when a new king is elected, he scores only 1 point.

My home-made toilet expansion card next to the the Crown card from the base game

My home-made Toilet expansion card on the King Me! board. It blends in quite nicely!

This expansion sounds like it will add a little fun to the game. I'll try it out next time we play.