Over the past 4 weeks a few of us have been re-newing our acquaintance with the current set of PBI rules as we had to basically take a year out (can't remember why ????mmmm) down in my new Wargames Cabin. Slowly but surely things are ticking along nicely. Scenery is getting painted more and more as each game progresses, Mats the either had lop-sided squares or no squares at all have been marked out and our understanding of the current rules is starting to make its presence felt.
Hopefully ready for 2020 version to be played very shortly. Another 2-3 games ?
One day I am hoping I might be able to get my winning ways back also ? Those dam Germans !
My thanks to Mike, John and Colin we have had a few interesting games so far testing as much of the rules as possible (hopefully putting the world to right also ? Lol)
Miles
(https://i.postimg.cc/FYWb7G8g/66-AE2237-5-BC2-41-C1-91-E5-42-C05-C6846-ED.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FYWb7G8g)
Well done for getting the advance under way Miles.
I like Colin's bike.
martin :)
Good on Miles. We had a 1941 desert game. I was the DAK, Miles the 8th Army. I attacked in what became a real slogging match. I eventually took one objective, but Miles held the other two. Final score 49-46, so a draw. Looking forward to my next game.
John
So when are you coming over next ? John ?
Miles
Quote from: martin goddard on June 05, 2021, 08:16:16 AM
I like Colin's bike.
martin :)
Is it a bit rough your way, Miles, and someone would have nicked Colin's bike if he'd left it in the garden? ;D
Simon
Well there are a few Millionaires living just up the road ? So yes you could say it is a bit rough around here ? Living near to some of the best beaches in this country is a downside ? Posh hotels, Rich people, luxury cars and their speedboats etc.
The things you have to put up with ?
Miles
Yup - I had thought it was tough where you are :D
Simon
My area is a bit rough.
It used to be the street where cars were dumped en masse.
Drug dealers operate outside my house.
Even Colin didn't ride his bicycle down here.
When Colin visits this area he brings a dog.
I like to stand in the front garden, wearing my vest, shouting at passers by (just like Simon's area?).
However, I have fixed the front gate catch. Much more secure now.
martin :)
I'm more concerned a out the phone on the table. Hopefully it's just for photos!
I really do like the look of your tables Miles. So much going on, on them. Very thematic. I need to up my PBI table building credentials.
Good looking table Miles, the castle looks good as well. Getting that ready for Mexico?
Quote from: martin goddard on June 05, 2021, 02:38:30 PM
I like to stand in the front garden, wearing my vest, shouting at passers by (just like Simon's area?).
Wearing a vest? That is posh. It's all shellsuits and onesies around here, Martin ;)
Simon
"I'm more concerned a out the phone on the table. Hopefully it's just for photos!"
Those of us that game with Colin Often, he has his phone out for his home situation, it's part of gaming with him.
Must admit I have my phone/tablet on hand at home as it's the only way if I know if someone rings the doorbell, as we are at the bottom of the garden, but I need to control the tone a bit as it is a bit annoying, but we learn from our mistakes.
I think the slightly bigger pieces donating "Partials" look better makes the table look more concentrated and not so Huge !the Partials will look better when painted fully too!
Miles
Miles' cabin is an excellent venue and of course allow easy access to his amazing array of scenery.
The PQBI game featured in the photo was a win for the DAK force but Miles plucky 8th Army chaps held on to the crossroad Objective and very nearly re-took the central objective with an all-out last turn assault.
The German heavy weapon platoons proved mostly ineffective due to poor D6 rolls. However, Colin effortlessly moved the 2 PAK guns around the table to finally defend the central objective with some foot bases.
The Panzer 2 tank looks small compared to later war models but it does the job. The combination of HMG and Main Gun AP caused us all some head scratching as we struggled to remember the rules after lockdown.
We decided HMG shooting is 1 ap per shot vs foot where as Main Gun vs armour requires 4 AP to get a hit on 8+, max 3 shots of either per turn.
We also opted to limit the HMG D6 rolls to 7 per turn - not 9 as per the rules.
This early war desert German company has no SMG except for the PC, so assaults need some mg fire support if the D6 allows.
I have been using the Crete GbJ force as specified by Simon for our scenario and it is fully motorised.
Paying for trucks is a real plus as it speeds up reinforcements and gets them quickly off the base line and into action.
Cobwebs mostly brushed away, I am looking forward to the PBI 2020 rule revisions.
Mike
Thanks for sharing these details, Mike. And I'm delighted that your mountain troops are getting an outing.
I'd like to run through the Crete pre-game sequence and maybe give one of the landing scenarios an airing once I'm safe (?) to be out and about again.
Simon
Simon you welcomed to come down to a relatively safe, definitely spacious and Airy cabin for a game or two with a 6 ft table and plenty of scenery anytime you feel is right. Most of us have had our 2nd Jab, I know yours is up soon ?
We can definitely cobble together most of the scenery for any scenario to some form of useable satisfaction. As each week passes I am able to add more finished pieces to my growing collection, as the summer weather is the best time to get and make and paint up such things, as the drying time is hours and not days !
Miles
What a great gaming cabin - that would be my dream solution.
It's also Family entertainment room as we thought it a better solution than a conservatory. As our back garden is SW facing, it can get really hot in High Summer, so in a 'glass house' 40 degrees plus wouldn't be unheard of; as we recorded 35 & 37 degrees in my wooden cabins last year. But the wood en cabin doesn't cool down quite as much in the winter either.
It makes the lawn area smaller too ? Which is a bonus in my book...
Miles
My game space has a LOT of glass and is currently too hot to use! Boo hiss.
My advice Norm is to announce to one and all
"What a great sunny summer this is ".
That should bring down the cooling rain and probaly some snow too
martin :)
Norm get some tomatoes in for this summer then.
John came again today.
I can actually report a win today.
My first in the cabin.
Must thank John for coming over.
Miles
(https://i.postimg.cc/tsqP8ghh/057-E5934-6-F39-4-A4-D-BD6-A-3-CC2-D87-E523-A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tsqP8ghh)
(https://i.postimg.cc/bGdnNFVr/9-D9-F596-B-D35-D-46-B2-8-ABE-ED50-FF0-EC0-BB.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bGdnNFVr)
(https://i.postimg.cc/2qJZqFgw/BFB4297-E-DA60-4-B47-8-F90-7-AD7-ADAD376-B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2qJZqFgw)
(https://i.postimg.cc/8J6rLfSV/C7-D40472-63-FD-466-C-B84-D-90181-A195718.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8J6rLfSV)
Well done both - and they're nice looking boards, Miles!
I see that John borrowed Colin's bike. Can't be too careful around all those millionaires.
Simon
So John cycled over for the game.
The table looks great Miles.
Yes, a good looking table and opponent Miles.
Glad that Colin's bike is getting good use.
John is very fit and the 20 mile ride is easily done by him.
martin :)
Great pictures and great to see some face to faace gaming. I think you forgot to say cheese though to get John to smile! :)
Sadly Sean I had nothing to smile about. My veteran Afrika Korps, Rommel's elite, got well and truly smacked by the Desert Rats. We didn't even count up at the end. I had two Pz IVs, a company commander and a platoon commander on the table at the end. Miles shot all my defenders on the crossroad objective and then walked into the other two objectives when my first platoon broke. The second platoon arrived too late to affect the result but carried out suicidal assaults on the two objectives and duly died in the attempt.
Still a good game. Thank you Miles.
John
PS I am thinking of entering the Tour de France next year.
Ah, the fortunes of war, John.
It took both Colin and I to win through against Miles last time and it was still close up to the last turn. Perfidious Albion is turning the tide against the Reich.
Mike.
I think it might be something to do with home advantage in Miles's case?
Simon
Not really Simon that's the first game I ve won in that cabin. Losing and/or drawing the last 5/6 games. I was starting to think that I was sitting on the unlucky side or something?
I had some very fortunate dice rolls yesterday. Twice hitting one of his objectives with 2 MMG and an LMG 24 (48 in all) dice a turn and getting 13 6's; even Veteran's can't sub stain that kind of firepower. But his PC wouldn't die....
Also an HE asset pinning one objective and pinning his mortar unit and killing that PC helped too.
Miles
It's things like the PC surviving all of that firepower that create the narrative of a game for me. In an old version of the game I remember having a PC for US Paras needing to run across 2 open squares to get to a couple bases who were in trouble. He recieved Opportunity fire from all over the place but dodged every bullet before leaping over a hedge into cover.
An example of what a great game PBI is when it creates moments like this.
Maybe there's an idea for a Forum competition, Sean - "best game narrative in 1,500 words and 10 pictures, or less"?
Simon