Selected AARs from 2004:
Played an awesome game of THE ROYAL NAVY with Joe C. who was visiting Norfolk from California for the holidays. Joe was a long time, and excellent, TANG and TAG member before moving to sunny Cal. We played scenario 7, Bismarck vs. Hood. I took the Brits and got smashed hard. Joe sent Prinz Eugen in to close with the Brit battlewagons while Bismarck took Hood under accurate long range fire. I ignored Prinz Eugen, concentrating on the game-winning Bismarck. This was a mistake, as close in, Eugen's 8 inch guns started to cause considerable damage. The British ships tried to withdraw at mid game, with Hood going under at game end. A German victory. An excellent day playing naval wargames.
The rain and wind outside only served to highlight what a great afternoon it was to play Close Action inside! Five players showed (Ryan S., Al B., Joe C., Dan K., Rich K.) to play this awesome game of warfare afloat in the great age of sail. No sissy "hiding behind terrain" land games for us! The scenario (scenario 10 from the Close Action American Revolutionary module Rebel Seas) pitted a British squadron of 4 small SOLs and two frigates vs. 4 French SOLs in chase. A very interesting opening situation indeed.
Play heated up quickly as the British turned to attack the lead French SOL which, by set up, was too close to the British line without proper French support. An attempt by the British frigates to slow the remaining three French SOLs from closing its hard pressed leader only highlighted the futility of a frigate taking on a ship of the line. Play ended after 10 turns, with a 4 Brit / 3 French SOL battle developing. Post game discussion had it a very close game with no clear lead for either side. I would play this scenario again as it has lots of strategy and tactical options to try for both sides. A lot of cool, awesome play on a rainy day in January!
The age of sail game this weekend was simply awesome. Saturday’s strategic and operational play pitted two of TANG’s very best, Dan K. and Chris D., in a hard fought match to outwit both foe and game master. The result was a spectacular British chase of the French across the Atlantic and end game squadron action off Jamaica in early January 1782. Sunday saw 14 TANGsters show for play of the resulting tactical battle using the Close Action rules.
It was a superb sight to see all 14 players gathered around a large floor map with one inch hexes and 23 or so ships of the line. The French had the weather gauge though the British initially faced only the French with the Allied Spanish fleet trailing way behind. Potential disaster loomed on both sides. Play lasted from noon to 7:00 PM with 12 turns completed before nightfall allowed the battle to lapse, each fleet sailing slowly away to repair damage and reorganize. Albert later provided a more detailed account (in RTF format) of the battle and its effects. Highlights of the game, for me, were:
Eight TANGsters showed for play of IRON BOTTOM SOUND II today. An awesome turn out for this fine game of tactical WWII action afloat. This game is simply a blast to play. Attendees: Chris D., Joshua D., Ryan S., Eric S., Kevin T., Joe C., Al B., and Bob J. We played scenario seven, a historical night action off Guadalcanal, Nov 13, 1942. An IJN force with two battlecruisers is intent on bombarding Henderson Field, but is intercepted by a USN cruiser/destroyer force. A five turn scenario with very short visibility ranges (5 to 6 hexes) forces the action to be close in.
As expected, a very bloody, mix-it-up-furball developed. The USN cruiser and destroyer force split into two lines, trying to box in the approaching IJN forces. This strategy worked well at first, as the first two turns saw the USN dishing out well coordinated punishment, seriously damaging three IJN destroyers and sinking a light cruiser. The US Navy five inch gun really is a killer, chewing up the IJN light forces.
A large Long Lance torpedo salvo on Turn 3 put two USN destroyers under and finished a light cruiser. This seemed to turn the tide of the battle as the action then separated into many separate smaller battles for the last two turns. A very confusing plot, with one blue-on-blue and one blue-on-red collision resulting. While several more IJN destroyers were sunk, the USN lost in exchange a further two cruisers. The IJN battlecruisers, largely untouched, started to smash with their massive 14 inchers. At game end the VP total was 33 VP for the IJN and 20 VP for the USN. An excellent game and I would play this scenario again in a heartbeat.
Seven TANGsters showed (Ryan S., Chris D., Josh D., Eric S., Joe C., Tom E., Dan K.) for our first TANG play of TRIREME, a game of ancient oared galley warfare put out by Avalon Hill a while ago. Enhancing the game was use of Navwar 1/1200 scale triremes miniatures, a blue hex matt, and green foam board cut outs for the shoreline instead of cardboard counters...
We played Scenario 2, a 480 BC battle between an Egyptian force, as an ally of the Persian king Xerxes, of 15 average ships (1 trireme, 10 Libernians, 4 lembi) vs. a Greek Cornithain squadron of 10 expert ships (7 triremes, 3 pentankonters). I know the ship classes are hard to get a feel for but basically the trireme is the queen of this battle, with the Libernians being a close second, and the remaining ship classes all being light craft. A quality vs quantity match up. Victory conditions required the Egyptians to exit 7 ships past the Greek line and exit the map.
Play commenced with the Greek and Egyptian line advancing until a general melee developed. First exchange saw an indecisive ram of a Greek trireme, and an exchange of an Egyptian Libernian for a Greek trireme in a large mid-board battle. Soon superior Greek ships started to give the Egyptians a rough time, downing another Libernian and snatching up three of the small fry Lembis. Egyptian forces pressed doggedly ahead with superior numbers and broke through the Greek line after several hard fought battles, rams and boarding actions. End game saw five Egyptians having a clean run to exit the map and the remaining two needed for victory in a close race with pursuing Greeks hot on their tails. The game was adjudicated a probable Egyptian win, though exit of the last ship was not a sure thing.
Very well done all around, especially for our first play through. Game play revolved around an intricate movement system. Lots of cleverness to the game only apparent after a play through. Several rams are required to put a ship under, while boarding actions will be bloody but take several turns to take a ship out. This game was a blast to play and is definitely on my replay list. Seven players at the same time, along with the superbly painted ship miniatures, added to the realism and fun.
Just completed a five player (Ryan S., Eric S., Joe, Bob J., Dan K.) game of IRONCLADS scenario 27. This scenario is from the expansion kit and features an 1864 attempt by the CSS ironclad Raleigh to break the Union blockade off Wilmington, NC and get a blockade runner off map. Scenario attractions are complex shoals in the river leading to an open sea, a cool Confederate ironclad Raleigh, and a speedy blockade runner Stag clocking 16 knots. Is there a faster ship in the game? Also, the battle occurred in late evening so there are some neat low visibility rules, with visibility getting worse as the scenario progresses.
Action opened with Raleigh and two small escorts steaming downriver to meet the blockading Union fleet of 7 wooden ships. Stag was kept up river out of harms way until time was ready for the big escape. With 25 turns, the Confederates planned to clean house and let Stag move off map near games end. The Union plan was to stage ships along the map at key points roughly 16 hexes apart to ensure Stag is caught no matter when she came out. Initial events seemed to confirm the South’s battle plan as one lead Union ship went under and a second was severely damaged. Then the CSS forces became separated with powerful Raleigh going too far down river, allowing the Union forces to dispatch the two CSS escorts with ease. Raleigh steamed back up river but it was too late. Game was stopped, due to time, at turn 12 with a swarm of Union ships around Raleigh, all trying to get a killing shot in. Raleigh, still an effective fighting ship, was starting to feel some pain with one area of casemate armor severely damaged and flotation hits starting to add up. The game was adjudicated a probable Union win though we missed out on playing Stag’s escape portion of the scenario.
This game is a real kick. IRONCLADS is just way awesome, even more so in a multiplayer environment as we played here today. Players should be careful with the map alignment in this scenario set up as it took a bit, by one bright player, to really figure out the intended map arrangement. Also, it looked to us as if one set of shorelines was missing from the scenario instructions -- next play through we will add these map alterations as I think they will definitely improve the play of this already excellent scenario.
Fought a four player Close Action game this morning -- a surprise game as the ASL players that showed all wanted to play Close Action instead! Four TANGsters (Ryan S., Joe C., Kevin T., Eric S.) sat down to play scenario 5, five low quality French 74s chasing two high quality British 74s. A quality vs quantity match up. This is the scenario TANG played back in December 2003 as one of the players wanted to try it again with a better, different British strategy.
Today's second play through had a much stiffer battle, with all sides getting in some good licks. In the end one, British 74 was dismasted and surrounded and finally dispatched by loss of all crew. The second British 74 was roughly handled but had dished out some serious punishment as well. 74s are beautiful ships to fight -- can take lots of damage, good gunnery but still can turn fairly quickly. MVP goes to Eric S. who played his two poor E morale ships expertly - blocking a down wind escape of the British 74 Alexander, boldly raising sail at the opportune time, as well as having his second ship close the fray from upwind at precisely the right time as well. Well earned, and a chip off the old block if I do say so myself.
Played an awesome three player game (Ryan S., Eric S., Joe C.) Tuesday night of Iron Bottom Sound II - scenario 6. This is a somewhat unusual scenario in that is a Med '41 action, Italians vs. Brits even though the game usually emphasizes the Pacific War IJN/USN actions. The Ities have a convoy with 6 DD escort with distant cover provided by 2 CAs with 4 DD screen. The Brits attack with a paltry 2 CLs and 2 DDs. Sounds lopsided - right? Wrong! The Italians are under first, second and third turn gunnery restrictions and speed limitations due to the surprise appearance of the Brits. In addition, the Italian ships are set up in an anti-air formation, creating numerous blocking and interfering positions limiting surface combat options.
The result of our game? The Brits closed the convoy, smashing 4 merchants, including two tankers, while severely damaging one of the distant CAs. In a surprise move the Brits drove into and through the convoy, shooting it up as it passed. Numerous collisions between the Italian ships as they turned to respond. Italian response damaged the two CLs but the two Brit DDs steamed away at high speed, looking back on a scene of flames, debris and destruction. A Brit win and great fun with this action - I would play it again as I want to try a different strategy with the Brits and see if I can get a victory without losing the two CLs. This is an excellent three player game with one player having the Brits, the second Italian cruiser force and the third player the Italian convoy and escorts.