I've booked 3 tables for us on 14th May 2022 (so, just a year later than initially planned, and 20 months after the cancelled play test day....) at Entoyment in Poole
The two main scenarios (as tested at the Weymouth Weekender) seem to be working well. The third needs some more work, or else dropping and replacing with a Prison Valley game (which I'd initially been struggling to fit appropriately on the tabletop, but can revisit), to give John's Greeks a run-around.
Simon
Thanks Simon,
My Fallschirmjager have been withdrawn from frontline service for intensive training ready for May
Stewart
Good news Stewart - we will overcome!
Simon
I'll make a note in my diary. Greeks are available, if required, and soo is a large force of partisans.
John
Simon, not available as at footie, Ben may be free if not away on geology field trip.
D&B
I will bring 3 kettenkrads too. (Pretty useful??).
martin :)
Quote from: martin goddard on April 02, 2022, 12:47:20 PM
I will bring 3 kettenkrads too. (Pretty useful??).
martin :)
Thanks Martin - I think they will make all the difference 🙂
Hopefully the 5th New Zealand Brigade New Zealand Expeditionary Force will be available to join you and do good service.
Quote from: Leslie BT on April 02, 2022, 07:07:09 PM
Hopefully the 5th New Zealand Brigade New Zealand Expeditionary Force will be available to join you and do good service.
It is indeed ready for action. It was very kind of you to train it so well and make this force available to us, Les.
Simon
Simon,
Love to play please - as a novice. Or just watch if you have enough players already.
Richard
Richard,
You're on the list! Definitely space - first come, first in.
I'm trying to get a historical lecture (not by me, you'll all be relieved to know) added to the day too.
Simon
So, I think we have as definites:
Martin
Stewart
Miles
Big Mike
Richard W
Simon
Dave and Les are, I think, sadly not coming.
Possibles:
Ben W
Sean
Weymouth Mike
Colin
Chris
John W
Is all that right?
Can we convert any Possibles to Definites?
Anybody else like to come?
Simon
Thanks Simon, is worth putting in on the PBI page?
Stewart
Good point Stewart. I have posted a link on the PBI board to this thread, and locked the PBI thread to reduce confusion.
Simon
Some good news today - historian and former University of Birmingham lecturer in War Studies Toby McLeod has confirmed that he will be giving a talk on the Crete campaign at the end of our games day at Entoyment on 14th May.
Toby says:
The start time will be 6:30 pm upstairs in the gaming area at Entoyment in Poole and the talk will last for around one hour, including time for questions. Refreshments and snacks will be on sale and the retail facilities at the store will be open to those attending for the purchase of hobby requisites.
The cost per participant will be just £5.00, payable on arrival - cash is preferred but other methods of payment can be accepted by arrangement with Peter Valinski.
I will try to make it pithy and relevant, taking into account the latest information available to researchers.
I do hope that this attracts a good audience - and of course you don't need to have played during the day to come along in the evening to enjoy what I'm sure will be a very informative, entertaining and maybe even slightly controversial talk!
Simon
I am in for that
martin :)
Excellent Simon, well done for organising this lecture
Stewart
So, we're in May already, and I'd ideally like to sort out who's playing who across the 3 tables in good time.
Are we still just at:
Martin
Stewart
Miles
Big Mike
Richard W
Simon
Anybody else coming out to play?
Simon
I won't be there. Playing CWB with Alan (published author) Curtis and Derek.
John
Quote from: John Watson on May 01, 2022, 06:33:00 PM
I won't be there. Playing CWB with Alan (published author) Curtis and Derek.
John
Sorry that you and Derek won't be with us, John, but thanks for letting me know, and I hope you all have a good time playing CWB.
Simon
Simon
Good news/Bad news.
The good news is I am off on Saturday 14th. the bad news is my Friday shift does not finish until 0230 Saturday morning! So I will be there, just a little late.
Chris
Chris,
You will be most welcome, and will have a cup of coffee waiting for you on arrival ;)
I hope you can stay / stay awake for Toby's talk in the evening too.
Probably best not to put you in command of the first wave of paras though...
Simon
Simon,
Yes. I will be there on Saturday, but not for the evening talk, sadly.
Toby is excellent, as many of us know from his past talks. I trust Miles will be able to heckle him as is the tradition.
Mike
Hopefully Toby has done his research. To be honest I am still learning with this campaign. I ve been looking more at the "bigger" picture with this area of conflict. Hence why I am interested in doing a "desert themed PBI day" soon.
Miles
Unless we have some last-minute additions (who would be very welcome), I think we're now at:
Martin
Stewart
Miles
Big Mike (sadly leaving before the talk)
Richard W
Simon
Colin
Chris (arriving fashionably late)
This should give us enough to run all three scenarios (I had been getting a little worried) on the day, with plenty of time to play things to a conclusion and then settle down for Toby's lecture.
I'll send an email to all concerned to see who wants to play what and on which table.
Simon
Thanks Simon,
I would like to play on the airfield table please as I have the Fallschirmjager force for that table
Stewart
Thanks Stewart - that is indeed the plan!
Simon
I suppose I have better play table 3 as I am doing all the scenery !
I ve got 8th Army for both Tables 2 and 3. I have a load of tanks available, plus transports.
The only thing I am short of is a 25 pdr. I ve only made up 2 not 3 !
I ve got a load of Casualty markers for the British within reason, for table(s) 2 and 3.
I ve got smoke and HE markers in my Box of Bangs.
I can even provide Stukas.
Miles
Warning Order 10 is now out (if you're coming and haven't received the email, then please shout!).
As long as everyone can please bring along what they have during our trial games, along with the extra bits and bobs people have kindly offered to bring along this time, all should be fine.
Looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday.
Simon
Hello Simon
I don't think I have the warning order.
Can you send it to me.
martin :)
That was deliberate, Martin. Stewart thought he'd have a better chance of winning if you didn't know the rules ;D
Hopefully rectified now.
Simon
A very nice day out at Entoynet.
A nice bunch players (as usual).
Good weather.
Refreshments.
Great looking scenery and great games.
Thanks to Simon for organising and all those that attended
I really enjoyed Toby's talk on Crete too.
martin :)
Yes, I echo your comments Martin.
Simon should now be dubbed Sir Simon of Kilgore for creating and delivering such an epic multi-scenario game.
Excellent.
Mike
I echo the same comments and would add the talk by Toby was very good and informative.
I hope some one took some decent pictures.
I have one of the players and the melame game
Stewart
(https://i.postimg.cc/HVK9B3bV/08-FE2-F41-7728-41-E5-8-A01-E3-BC59-F6-E9-D5.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HVK9B3bV)
(https://i.postimg.cc/jCMXJR56/A56-AFD55-8-A4-B-41-E6-937-A-A36-BA83957-C9.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jCMXJR56)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3kvC6pZ9/E9-AAE4-DC-EA31-4146-8047-C098727-DC852.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/3kvC6pZ9)
Brilliant day - great company; beautiful set ups (well done to all those who did the hard work!); and fun, interesting games. Thanks to Simon for the staff work!
Richard
Thanks to all participants and contributors of figures and scenery yesterday, as well as to previous play testers, for bringing this 2.5-year project to fruition.
Some pictures of the start of Mike and Miles's rearguard action (aka "The Cheddar Gorge" game!):
(https://i.postimg.cc/9rR28Gqd/20220514-103959.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9rR28Gqd)
(https://i.postimg.cc/0bTsLbpL/20220514-104003.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/0bTsLbpL)
(https://i.postimg.cc/v1MdZk2h/20220514-104011.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/v1MdZk2h)
And the final position after some hard fighting around Imros village:
(https://i.postimg.cc/hJMNPjd4/20220514-153854.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hJMNPjd4)
A very close game with both players claiming some degree of victory!
Simon
The Maleme table before the start of hostilities:
(https://i.postimg.cc/4HVVgf6S/20220514-104351.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4HVVgf6S)
(https://i.postimg.cc/zLQgHbpQ/20220514-104355.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zLQgHbpQ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/G4CwrXC7/20220514-104408.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/G4CwrXC7)
(https://i.postimg.cc/2bf2LK0M/20220514-105014.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2bf2LK0M)
(https://i.postimg.cc/PPrvKnNh/20220514-105008.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PPrvKnNh)
Les's Aussies acquitted themselves very well, despite being so far from home:
(https://i.postimg.cc/dDDLTmft/20220514-105033.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dDDLTmft)
(https://i.postimg.cc/2LpRyDJW/20220514-105208.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2LpRyDJW)
Simon
Another closely fought game on the Rethymno table. One more turn and the Commonwealth forces may have retaken the airfield.
(https://i.postimg.cc/D4KGgSHw/20220514-110942.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/D4KGgSHw)
(https://i.postimg.cc/FYDsCYdH/20220514-110947.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FYDsCYdH)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7fLxGxQv/20220514-142402.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7fLxGxQv)
(https://i.postimg.cc/nCf5jZVF/20220514-151319.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/nCf5jZVF)
Here are a few pictures from myself.
Miles
(https://i.postimg.cc/jC4JS7qZ/0-F4085-D1-C1-A8-4906-B865-2525322-F8-FA3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jC4JS7qZ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/q6VgvpWf/664-A7-C56-98-B2-4-D1-A-8-A8-D-64-C28049-B7-E0.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/q6VgvpWf)
Great to see you all had a great day out gaming.
Simon you have done really well to get it all onto the table.
From the meal we had in Weymouth three or was it four years ago when you proposed it, just look at all that's happened and you still got to play it.
Thanks Les!
It all started down the pub in Weymouth in November 2019...
We got a whole new range of figures from Martin and several practice games in too to check and refine things.
It's been somethung of a slog, but very nice that it finally happened. Toby's talk was the icing on the cake.
It would be nice to get one or other of the scenarios out again from time to time - maybe next at WWW 2022?
Simon
I think we should get the PBI rules nearly completed before doing it again, then we know "what" book we are reading from ?
I would love to play the table you were on Simon at sometime ?
I thought the picture of the Olive Factory looked lovely as well ?
Miles
Miles,
That would be very easy to do now we have all the toys sorted out - we have everything for that table between us.
And yes, your Olive Oil Factory looks fab :D
I'm more than happy to put it on for WWW, once the PBI 2020 rules have progressed further.
Simon
Well done Simon. Even Covid and lockdown couldn't beat you.
John
Thanks John. I may need to go and take a long lie-down now before the next one!
Simon
All.
I am sure the rules were not a problem as Crete is still in the simple part of the war without much of an arms race going on. Crete is also mainly infantry with only a few armoured vehicles.
Spot on Les.
On our table, Colin and I didn't refer to the main rules once, with only the occasional question to Martin.
The core of the new rules runs very smoothly indeed.
Simon
Funny that is it not Simon when you play PBI with infantry.
Try this video, very interesting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaUUV3Udu2s