W Game Observations

[Dex13]

Terry and I had another run through of the rules this evening. We are still getting used to the mechanics in detail and it didn't help having a few weeks break since the last game.

Setup, scenery and initial deployment all ran well. No issues. We hadn't brought a river so side stepped that element.




I ended up as attacker and went with one each of militia, regular and professional adding to the militia and professionals and supplementing with tanks, technicals and a couple of mortars. Terry went similar but opted for a helicopter in place of the technicals and HMGs rather than mortars.

Terry deployed his initial two units aggressively quite far up (row four). I deployed my four, militia and technicals on the right and regulars and tanks on the left. With a lucky first move I pushed up my militia and managed a sneaky assault on the end of one his units. Then my communications phase brought a devastating pair of artillery strikes which wiped out the unit I had assaulted and badly damaged Terry's other unit.

This seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game. Whether it was our dice rolling or something else but almost every turn, for both of us, ended up with mostly artillery strikes or air attacks arising from the communications phase. Those units which had got on table, on both sides, quickly went to ground and the majority of subsequent kills were down to the artillery or the air attacks. Movement was stifled and the last turns of the game were just a dice rolling exercise with neither of us really daring to try much movement. I ended up with one flank of the board and Terry the other. Discussing it at game end, we both really felt that the communications phase was too powerful in the support on offer, and that it really bogged us both down. Admittedly, we were playing it wrong in that we did not choose to vary our comms level, instead just taking the max and adding that to the dice roll. That 'might' have made a difference but not that much. Apologies if that sounds a bit negative but the game seemed to stagnate at this point. One of the observers had some direct experience of the Rhodesian/Zimbabwe bush wars and our general discussion was of artillery not being a factor in much sub-Saharan conflict until the South Africans get really involved later in the period.

The other problem for us was cross referencing from the Play Sheet to the main rules. I appreciate it is still an early draft but including either the section number or the page number from the main rules, on the relevant table of the Play Sheet would be a big help.




Otherwise, all the other basic mechanics seemed to work well where we remembered them. Unit activations, action points, movement, shooting and morale all seemed straight forward enough. Due to curfew we did not manage to get through the game end to determine the winner. With a couple of observers did discuss the 'board game' view of a grid based game and our unanimous opinion was that we were not playing a board game but rather a wargame without the need for a tape measure!

Anyway, here's a gratuitous image of my general surveying the battlefield.




Cheers

Dex

[Dex13]

We did have one proper query!

Can helicopters be a target for, or affected by, either the airstrike or artillery options from the communications phase? The former felt possible, the latter less so.

[martin goddard]

Thank you Dex.

This is exactly the playtest feed back we need.
We have 3 groups playing now. Yours, Sean's and the weymouth group.  More groups would be fine, but
3 will do.

1. I will put something in about the helicopters and air/artillery strike.
2. The board game topic has been aired here and probably best ignored. There are always such folk hanging about and willing to allow you access to their opinions.
3. There is no problem with using the maximum communication level every time. That is fine. However, gaining airstrikes and artillery might mean less reinforcements and  damned militia?
The damned militia is a great communication, as it saves units from destruction.
4. The artillery option might be better called HE as it represents mortars which were widely and thoroughly used in African wars? Artillery is a word that is easier for many wargamers. I can change it to HE if we think that a good idea?  Not a problem.
5. Any thoughts from your club member's combat experience  are certainly worth a good listening to. Which unit was he with? Infantry would be perfect. Although choppers and AFVs would be equally great. Hook us up please.
6. I can add section numbers, that is easy.

Pictures also are very helpful in letting me see if the games look good. that is part of the AK "aim".

Thanks again.

martin

[Sean Clark]

Great write up Dex.

Last week I had a complete melt down and had the players rolling 2D6 On Communications for the first turn 🤣

As Martin says  if you're going high on your Comms, you're unlikely to be getting reinforcements or the Damned Militia result. Did all units arrive on table?

On the board game look...I have in the past had more wiggly templates to break up the lines. I don't have a grid on table and just use dots at the corners of the squares. It's an argument as old as the hills and one I don't tend to hold much truck with. The question came up at my club a couple of weeks ago. So it goes!

I'm playing again tonight, introducing 2 more new players to the game along with Kev for a 2 v 2 game, which is my favourite style of game. One of the new players played Vietnam a couple of weeks ago so he must have got over his fear of grids 🤣

[Dex13]

Did all units arrive on table?

Actually they did.

[Dex13]

I'm playing again tonight, introducing 2 more new players to the game along with Kev for a 2 v 2 game, which is my favourite style of game.

That got me thinking Sean as I have struggled to both play and reference the rules at the same time. And it's mostly been me and one other. I am wondering if having a 2v2 game might spread that burden a little.

Hoping to get another game or two in over the next three weeks so may strongarm some additional 'volunteers' for playtesting.

[Sean Clark]

If I have enough players, I'll umpire to keep the game running, but if not I'll join in. I still forget at least one important rule per game.

[martin goddard]

Dex and Sean. You can pass on/e mail the pdfs on to the players if they  wish to  read them before a game.

martin

[Dex13]

Dex and Sean. You can pass on/e mail the pdfs on to the players if they  wish to  read them before a game.

martin

That's very gracious Martin.

[Sean Clark]

Thank you Martin 👍

[martin goddard]

I will get a new version out ASAP but the changes are very small.
That does not mean no big changes will happen but none at the moment.

Recent changes
1. All situations allow a player to start with 2 foot units.
2. Pinned bases can move 1 square.
3. Victory points added for communication difference.
4. River
5. Token change to 4,5,6 shooting.

martin