EA Turn 5-6 Retrospective: A Staff Meeting

SCENE: Conference room aboard the Orion-class station Victoria in orbit above Gustaviv’s Regret. Eight Earthforce officers are seated around an oval conference table set against a large picture window in which TF PEGASUS and its supply elements are framed holding station above the planet. Admiral redcoat668 activates a holotank which displays a rotating representation of the sector map.

redcoat668: All right, let’s hear it. (motions to his ADC)Petheridge?

PETHERIDGE: The last set of re-enforcements from Earth built us up to 12 ships of the line, plus capital-class support elements and full fighter complements. We’re officially back to where we were before Saguntum III and Caesar’s Folly.

General mutterings and unhappiness as this name is brought up.

redcoat668: I know…I know. That entire experience was pretty much crap, and it knocked us out of the game for about two months. Fortunately, while the rest of us were getting our butts lovingly spanked by the Centauri, General Yun’s exploration fleet was filling in our map of the sector. General?

YUN: We’ve added around eight new systems to the catalog, some of them with deposits of both germanium and Q-40. We’ve also established two jumpgates at Da’Valk and Tubanos. We’ve also got a bunch of random anomalies, ship graveyards and comets and whatnot.

PETHERIDGE: Commercial traffic is starting to flow through the gates and the Joint Chiefs sent us an entire battleship group to protect our new interests in the sector. May I introduce EAS Prospero, Morgana, and Maerlyn. (the holotank image displays three Warlock-class destroyers)

GENERAL CARRIERE: whistles. So they’re finally deploying the new Warlocks?

redcoat668: Just our “trial” battlegroup, and EAS Warlock herself which is staying in Earth orbit, firmly in the public eye while our three beauties undergo combat trials out here where nobody’s watching. I understand there’s some kind of stopgap “hybrid” ship program going on as well, but the President refuses to let those be deployed outside Alliance space.

general eye-rolling. GENERAL KAER suppresses the urge to make a wanking motion.

redcoat668: They’re just in time too, because our new Centauri “friends” are eager for us to begin joint offensive operations against the League.

KAER: And you told them that we’re not even close to being able to take on the League and their “Emperor,” and that even if we were we have a Presidential Order forbidding us from doing so, right?

redcoat668: I told them that we’d meet our treaty obligation to defend the Minbari, and that, gentlemen, is what I intend to do.

The holotank displays a map of the Minbari/League front:

redcoat668: We’re calling it Operation MARATHON. Essentially, we’re cutting down the Centauri front and repositioning to defend our new jumpgates and assist the Minbari before their crystal-waving and interpretive dance is erased from the sector by the Brakiri.

We’re going to concentrate at Moshelle, which, thanks to General Buechner is now squeaky clean and Raider-free. That way, we’ll be positioned to use either the Tubanos or Da’valk gate on the attack, and also to defend against nasty surprises coming out of either gate that the system defenses can’t handle.

CARRIERE: And if the Fanheads decide to break our agreement and roll up our systems?

redcoat668: I’m hoping that they’re going to be too occupied with the League to think about that for another couple of months. By then, hopefully, my request to the Joint Chiefs for additional fleets will have been answered.  We’ve got a sizable fleet at the treaty base in Caesar’s Folly, and Gustaviv’s Regret is only a jump away from Moshelle. Besides Emperor Cartagia and President Clark both have their signatures on that agreement, and we all know what that’s worth.

repressed snickers  

redcoat668: All right then…let’s get it done.

a scuffle is heard outside the room. suddenly the door bursts open and JULIE MUSANTE enters, followed by a sheepish-looking Earthforce marine with an SBS patch on his shoulder. 

MARINE: I’m sorry sir, she insisted on-

MUSANTE: (interrupting) Admiral this is the FOURTH time that you’ve held a staff meeting without informing me. Do I need to show you the Executive Order requiring a Political Officer to attend all such meetings yet again?

redcoat668: Hey now…let’s not get all crazy here. This isn’t actually a staff meeting…it’s more like an informal chat since I’ve got the privilege of having all my Task Force commanders in the same place for once. Look: we have donuts!

MUSANTE gives him a withering look and then stares significantly at the holotank which is still displaying the fleet deployments to Moshelle. The other officers try to look like they’re not paying attention.

MUSANTE: That had better be a defensive redeployment I’m looking at, Admiral.

redcoat668: Yes Ma’am, it is that thing.

MUSANTE: Good. Because I don’t want what happened before I arrived to happen again. You know…where you almost scuttled President Clark’s treaty with the Centauri…

YUN: (muttering) The one where we embarrassed ourselves by letting them pound the Narn back to the stone age with mass drivers?

MUSANTE: …with your completely unauthorized attack in Saguntum III.

redcoat668: Ms. Musante, I can assure you, on the life of the dog that regulations do not permit me to keep here, I am not planning ANY offensive action this month.

MUSANTE: Good. And next time you hold a staff meeting, Admiral, I’d better hear about it. (she leaves)

redcoat668: All right…donuts are gone, let’s get going.

the officers file out except for CARRIERE and KAER, who remain behind

redcoat668: Sometimes I actually envy Sheridan. Nothing to do but sit on Babylon 5, rake in the funds from commercial traffic, and complain about the government. No Nightwatch, no Executive Orders, and no effing Political Officers. Plus he did not-

CARRIERE: I know, I know…he did not sleep with that woman.

redcoat668: She was so much nicer before I did.

  

With the Loyal American Regiment at the Hancock House

The 2008 campaign season officially started for us with the re-enactment of the 1778 “massacre” at the Hancock House in Hancock’s Bridge, New Jersey.

Back in 1778, the house was the stately residence of Judge William Hancock, a prominent local Loyalist. Unfortunately, Hancock’s Bridge in general and Hancock’s house in particular were smack in the middle of the “Crossroads of the Revolution” as the British Army based in New York and its Rebel opponents commanded by George Washington used New Jersey to forage for food and supplies, leading to constant skirmishing. Hancock’s house was taken over by the Salem County militia and used as a watch-post.

By the early Spring of 1778, the British had had just about enough, and made concerted efforts to get rid of Rebel watch-posts like the Hancock House. On March 20, Colonel John Graves Simcoe took 300 of his Loyalist Queen’s Rangers by boat up the local waterways and was guided to the house by other local Loyalists. Arriving before dawn, the Queen’s Rangers broke into the house and bayoneted everybody inside without a shot being fired…including, unfortunately, Judge Hancock, who had remained in the house to keep the Rebel militiamen from walking off with any of his property. Simcoe was naturally embarrassed; his journal refers to what happened on March 20th, with characteristic British understatement, as ‘the unfortunate event at Hancock’s House.’

Classic anti-partisan warfare! Unfortunately it doesn’t make for much of a show for the public, so we preface the actual bayoneting with a smart little fight around the grounds of the house, as well as some general Q&A about 18th Century life.

That’s the hearth in the Swede Cabin next to the Hancock House, with our lunch and dinner cooking. Note the chicken on the right, spinning over the coals on string and some skewers: a “poor man’s jack”.

The Rebels, portrayed by the 11th Pennsylvania Regiment, getting ready to make us welcome.

The Loyalist 1st New Jersey Volunteers quickly demonstrate that resistance is futile. Note the painstakingly re-created 18th Century parking lot (Hancock House is a small site).

The Loyal American Regiment attacks from the flank to finish the job.

The survivors run for the house…

…but the Loyal American Regiment is close behind.

Nothing left now but to make a little profit on the side (hey, you never know what these guys might be carrying)…

…and to retire for chicken. Chicken can make anything better.

Turn 6: War by Proxy

Two great alliances of convenience have been formed out of the battles of the previous five turns:

1. The Centauri Republic, its clients, the Narn Regime, and the Minbari Federation, and their ally the Earth Alliance.
2. The League of Non-Aligned Worlds and their provisional member, the Tza’sol Narn.

Neither the League or the Centauri have a position to attack each other without a costly jumpgate battle, so both sides are building their forces and either attacking through their own client states, or attacking enemy client states. The winner of this round will have the advantageous position next turn when the two great empires strike at each other directly.

The Narn Regime started out the new round of operations by attacking the League staging point at Ope’diar, and moving to confront their breakaway cousins the Tza’sol Narn at Business Mission, whose own impending assault was disruped by the arrival of the fleets loyal to the Kha’ri. The Narn Regime fleet in Ope’diar was joined by a Minbari task force, eager to strike back against the League. The Centauri continued to hunt down the Tza’sol forces in Defiance, and the League moved to defend their own flavor of  Narn in Ancona. The Earth Alliance, meanwhile, positioned its fleets near its newly discovered jumpgates, ready to strike against its enemies when their forces had moved into position.

 Battles to be resolved this turn:

• Business Mission (F11): Narn Regime/Tza’sol Narn
• Ope’diar (C8): Narn Regime/League of Non-Aligned Worlds/Minbari Federation
• Defiance (F8): Centauri/Tza’sol Narn (2 battles)
• Ancona (G7): League of Non-Aligned Worlds/Narn Regime

Entertainments for all Seasons: Easter Lunch

Unlike President’s Day, Easter did not appear to lend itself to edged weapon use in 1904. Instead, the redoubtable Entertainments for all Seasons suggests an Easter Lunch. Repeatedly.

An Eastertide Luncheon: …Send out your invitations at least one week in advance, and as formality is always formidable, let them be more friendly notes, which may read as follows:

14 Lothrop Square

MY DEAR MISS BACON:

I am inviting a few friends to an Eastertide Luncheon, on Wednesday, April second, at half past one o’clock. It will give me great pleasure to have you come.

                                   Cordially yours,

                                                       MARION STONE

March twenty-sixth

Having enticed your circle of friends with this kind of friendly sentiment, you could try this:

…Another clever idea is to make a huge egg of crepe paper, and also a ladder of wire with twisted paper rounds. Tiny, fluffy chicks should be set on the rounds of the ladder as if they had just “peeped” from the egg and were coming down. Other chicks should have their small heads thrust out of the egg, ready to make their exit. The egg may hold favors if desired.

Kids! Who’s helping mom make her insane crepe egg? YOU ARE…wether you like it or not.  

If your guests aren’t creeped out yet, try this:

…A huge flower-pot is placed on the center of the table, in which are planted some artificial lilies to carry out the idea, and under the flower pot are gathered the ends of many strings, each one of which must be appropriated by a guest. These strings cross and intercross about furniture and corners, of course, and give opportunities for many tete-a-tetes…At the end of each string must be found a candy Easter egg, which can hold the name of some guest and a tiny trinket. It can be arranged by the colors of the strings to have a gentleman find a lady’s name, and vice versa, and in this impromptu way partners may be chosen for either a game of cards, or the introduction to a good-bye dance or so, as the hostess wishes.

And of course, no 1904 party would be complete without a little healthy competition:

…Small candy eggs may be hidden in various places in the room. This childish game will have a grown-up interest when the hostess explains that all the charming Easter souvenirs are ”for sale” to those bidding the highest number of candy eggs. Viewed as currency, the eggs assume an added dignity!

For added fun, award the kids their Easter presents on the same basis, make sure there’s only one two-foot tall chocolate bunny, and watch things become Darwinian very quickly.

Of course what’s an Easter party without food? Here’s a couple of things straight from the book to experiment with:

Boneless Birds: For this, use a very tender beefsteak. Cut in pieces about 3 to 4 inches wide, and 5 to 6 inches long. Sprinkle salt and pepper on one side; put in a narrow piece of bacon, 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide; a piece of carrot the same size. Now roll the meat like a thick sausage in the shape of a bird, as much as you can, and wind about with string. Then rub with allspice, salt, and pepper, and roll in flour. Brown well in butter, in which you have grated an onion, then add stock or boiling water until covered. Cook slowly for two hours; then take out the birds, strain gravy and thicken with one teaspoonful of flour, made smooth in a little water; add a pinch of salt. Untie strings, being careful to retain the desired shape; garnish with watercress, and serve hot.

Easter Cake: Cream together 1 cupful of sugar and 1/2 cupful of butter; add yelks of four eggs and 1/2 cup milk. Then stir in gradually two and a half cupfuls of flour, sifted with 2 teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Add a teaspoonful of lemon juice, and stir in lightly the whites of four eggs, beaten very stiff. Bake in four layers, and fill with the following: The grated rind of one and the juice of two lemons; one cupful of sugar, one egg, 1/2 cupful of water, 1 teaspoonful of butter, and a heaping tablespoon of flour, cooked over hot water until it thickens. Cool before spreading. Ice the top with boiled frosting, and decorate with rings of candied cherries, alternating with seeded raisins and small pieces of citron.

However you decide to spend your Easter (I’m making a small Gigot en Croute and watching my new Battlestar Galactica Season 3 set), may it be happy.

see more crazy cat pics

   

The Battle for Defiance: Centauri vs Narn

Turn/Time: Turn 5/April, 2261

Scenario: Annihilation

Situation: In retribution for the Tza’sol Narn raid on Sparta Hill the previous month, Centauri Fleet Sector Command deploys two battleship squadrons and their supporting elements and a prototype Adira-class dreadnought to the Defiance system to “teach those primitives a sharp lesson.” They are met at the system’s jumpgate by a Narn border defense fleet, and a massive battle ensues as both sides attempt to destroy their most hated enemy.

Terrain: One density 10 asteroid field on the left corner of the southern table edge, and one small planetoid in the right corner of the southern table edge. The jumpgate was placed in the center of the Centauri deployment zone on the northern table edge.

ToE:

Centauri Republic:

• 2x Octurion (HMS Jupiter Fulgur, Manlius Aquilius)
• 3x Tertius (HMS Durus, Tarquinius, Petasus)
• 1x Adira (HMS Ultor)
• 2x Prefect (HMS Erastes, Camenae)
• 4x Corvan (HMS Capua, Tusculum, Vesta, Divus)

Tza’sol Narn:

• 1x G’Karith
• 1x Ka’toc
• 1x T’loth
• 1x Bin’tak
• 1x G’quan
• 1x Sho’kar
• 2x Var’nic
• 10x Dag’Kar

Turn 1: As the jumpgate opened, the Centauri admiral brought the Adira prototype Ultor, a Corvan, and one Battleship group containing an Octurion, a Tertius, and a Prefect. The rest of his force remained in hyperspace in hopes that the heavy-hulled Centauri capital ships would be able to withstand the initial Narn defense fire. The Narn Admiral responded at a leisurely pace, moving his ships at combat speed rather than ordering All Power to Engines, and as a result ended the turn just out of firing range of the helpless Centauri (by only an inch in some cases).

Turn 2: The Narn continued to bring their ships towards the Centauri battlegroup massed at the jumpgate, but were unable to bring the massive energy mine salvo they hoped to unleash into play. The Centauri brought in a second Battleship group (another Octurion, Tertius, and Prefect), and waited with cold smiles as the Narn entered range of their battle lasers.

Turn 3: With the Narn now in range of their main weapons, the Centauri unleashed their devastating front-arc firepower. Ultorcrippled the G’karith with a single salvo, and one Battleship group skewered a flanking Var’nic with three battle laser shots, destroying both its engines and fire control. The 10 Dag’kars fired off a massive salvo of energy mines, shipbreaker mines, and torpedoes, but the well-constructed hulls of the Centauri capital ships withstood every hit. The Petasus finished off the already burning G’karith and opened up a long rent in the T’loth’s Marine barracks, venting several platoons worth of Narn troops into space and crippling it.

Turn 4: By this time, the Narn jumpgate engineers were desperately trying to shut the gate down, but the Centauri were able to override the failsafe codes and keep it open. Jupiter Fulgur hammered the oncoming G’quan with its battle laser, and crippled a Dag’kar with a volley from its secondary weapons. The Prefect-class Camenae finished off the crippled T’loth, but at the same time the Dag’kars concentrated their fire on the massive Ultor. Again, the Centauri flagship weathered the storm of energy, but a lucky shot did send a gout of flame through the observation deck where a crowd of engineers, nobles, and Fleet officers were observing the Adira prototype’s first combat trial -incinerating both the assembled dignitaries and their complimentary buffet. Though the Ultor’s captain realized that his career was now essentially over, he directed his ship’s fire skillfully, destroying another Dag’kar, and putting a battle laser shot straight into the Bin’tak’s engine room. Now thoroughly established on the Defiance side of the jumpgate, the Centauri ships began to launch fighters and bring more Corvans through the open gate.

Turn 5: The Centauri fighters brushed aside the Narns’ light screen of Frazis with contemptuous ease and began attack runs on the capital ships. The Octurion-class Manlius Aquilius destroyed the Var’nic before her engineers could finish repairs, and another blew the Ka’toc apart with one front arc salvo. The remaining Narn Dag’kars hammered the Adira with shipbreakers, scoring only minor damage but destroying a Corvan (HMS Divus). In response, the Centauri capital ships added another Dag’kar and the Sho’kar to the casualty list and destroyed the Bin’tak with combined battle laser fire. As the Narn fleet reeled from these massive losses, the Centauri continued to launch more fighters into the fray.

Turn 6: With the death of their Admiral, the remaining Narn knew they were doomed, but they threw themselves into battle with redoubled fury hoping to take at least one more Centauri with them. Unfortunately, they ran into a wall of fire from the Centauri fleet. Manlius Aquilius shredded the last Var’nic and the Tertius-class Durus from the same Battleship group sliced a Dag’kar in half. The resulting explosion wreaked havoc in the tightly-packed group of remaining Narn, crippling another Dag’kar which was in its turn finished off by the Ultor, its own death throes destroying yet another Dag’kar’s engines.

Turn 7: At this point, all that remained was for the Centauri to finish off the remains of the once-proud Narn fleet. Erastesknocked out the helpless Dag’kar, and Manlius Aquilius destroyed the heavily-damaged G’quan. The Durus lined up on the last remaining ship, a Dag’kar, and ordered its captain to beg for his life. The Narn commander nobly refused, and the Centauri obligingly blew his ship into flinders.

Aftermath: Two of the Centauri ships were ordered back to the Royal Court to recieve accolades for this great Centauri victory. With them went the disgraced captain of the Ultor, whom a court martial exonerated, but who found himself assigned to command a planetbound fighter garrison shortly thereafter. Emperor Cartagia ordered that all surviving members of the imprisoned Kha’ri be shown recordings of this battle while he mocked them unmercifully.

The Earth Alliance issued an official protest when gun-camera recordings of Centauri Sentri pilots using Narn lifepods for target practice were accidentally released, but took no further action apart from sending the Narn sector commander a Fruit n’ Flowers basket and an autographed photo of Molly Rome in commiseration.

Analysis: Did I mention it was tough fighting the Centauri in general and Rich in particular?

Nevertheless, the Narn admiral here made several critical mistakes which, while they probably did not alter the outcome of the battle, turned a mere defeat into a turkey shoot for the Centauri:

1. Diluting his mine loadout. Had he gone with all basic mines (his original plan) or all shipbreakers, the Narn would have had a massive unified salvo. Instead, he got two groups with different ranges and capabilities, neither of which were enough to deal with the high hull-value Centauri ships.
2. Relying too much on mines.this was a valuable tactic when fighting the low hull-value Drazi, but against the high hull-value Centauri the mines failed to do enough damage to properly soften them up.
3. Failing to close on Turn 1. With the Centauri helpless from the jumpgate effects, there would never be another chance to cause so much damage unopposed.
4. Failing to concentrate fire. Concentration of fire is key, especially against larger ships with high hull values and lots of damage capacity.

That said, Rich showed his general propensity to roll consistent double digit damage while his opponent was lucky to score more than 5 in a single hit.

Just Another Friday Night in 3025

Another Friday Night Battletech game! This time Scott and Cat played the Davions, and Bob and Gary played the Taurians. The scenario was adapted with minor modifications from “Divide and Conquer” in the CBT Intro Box rulebook.

Amber Grove, Taurian Concordat, February 3025

Situation: A heavy lance from House Davion’s 4th Deneb Light Cavalry has pursued a band of Periphery raiders to the quiet Taurian border world of Amber Grove. Unfortunately, while the Davions do not find the pirates they were looking for, they do find two lances of the Concordat Curassiers’ third battalion on extended training maneuvers. Although completely taken by surprise, the Taurians, ever paranoid about “Davion invaders”, attempt to combine their forces to destroy them before they are defeated in detail.

ToE:

Federated Suns:

• AS7-D Atlas
• ARC-2R Archer
• DV-6M Dervish
• WSP-1A Wasp

Taurian Concordat:

Command Lance:

• AWS-8Q Awesome
• GHR-5H Grasshopper
• ENF-4R Enforcer

Recon Lance:

• CLNT-2-3T Clint
• CDA-2A Cicada
• SDR-5V Spider

Terrain: Woods and badlands mapsheet from the Classic Battletech introductory box laid out end-to-end horizontally.

Setup:The Taurian command lance set up in the northwest corner of the map, and the recon lance in the northeast. The Davion ‘Mechs deployed in the southwest corner to engage the command lance.

The Battle: The Davions immediately attempted to close on the Awesome with their Atlas, while using the Wasp to spot for the Archer’s LRM salvos. The Taurians moved to counter with their command lance, while their recon lance sped through the forested half of the map as quickly as possible to reach the battle before their heavier ‘Mechs were overwhelmed.

The Atlas and Awesome traded several shots, but the Atlas failed repeatedly to connect with its AC/20 and the Awesome never managed to concentrate three PPC shots in the right place to open up the Davion ‘Mech’s armor. Meanwhile the Wasp acted as the Archer’s spotter while the heavier ’Mech stayed safely behind a forested ridge near the eastern map edge. The Dervish and Enforcer sparred, while the Grasshopper moved through the northeastern hilly area to try and combine fire with the Awesome on the Davion Atlas.

By the third turn, the Taurian recon lance had reached the battle, and repeated LRM-20 hits from the Atlas and Archer had worn their Awesome’s armor dangerously thin. The newly-arrived ligher Taurian ‘Mechs immediately engaged their Davion counterparts, and a well-aimed Large Laser shot almost drilled its way completely through the Wasp. 

The Davion lance commander momentarily panicked, withdrawing his Atlas behind the shelter of the northwestern hills and jumping his Wasp into the deepest part of the local lake in hopes of escape. The Cicada and Spider followed it into the water and after a few punches and Medium Laser shots the Davion scout’s ‘Mech was lying at the bottom of the lake with its center torso burned out and its ejected pilot trying to swim to shore. With the Atlas out of sight, the Taurian Awesome turned its fire on the exposed Dervish, punching large PPC holes in its torso armor but damaging no vital systems.

Now without support on the western map edge, the Archer moved into the open in hopes of bringing down the Awesome on its own. The Davion MechWarrior managed to place two lucky LRM-20 salvoes into the Awesome’s right arm and torso, completely destroying the limb and almost vaporizing its reactor shielding. The Awesome’s heat index spiked dramatically as the reactor began to bleed waste heat directly into the ‘Mech, but the pilot overrode the shutdown and pegged the Archer with two PPCs.

Seeing a weak spot opened up by the PPC damage, the Taurian Clint slammed an AC/5 shell straight into the Archer’s right LRM-20 magazine: the resulting ammo explosion gutted the heavy ‘Mech. Perhaps attracted by his lance’s fire support ‘Mech going up like a fireworks display, the Davion lance commander brought his Atlas back around the ridge and hit the Taurian Awesome with an AC/20 shot and an LRM-20 volley which destroyed the already damaged engine, bringing the machine to a halt.

While the heavy ‘Mechs died, the Taurian recon lance slammed shot after shot and kick after kick into the Davion Dervish, but failed to cause any vital damage. Finally, a medium laser shot from the Spider touched off the Dervish’s remaining LRM-12 ammo, and the ’Mech exploded only a few hundred meters from safety behind the Atlas.

The damaged Atlas squared off against the four remaining Taurian ‘Mechs. It first turned on the Grasshopper, which had jumped in behind it in hopes of getting a rear shot. A single volley tore the luckless Taurian ‘Mech in two. An AC/20 shot blew the Enforcer apart, though the Taurian managed to get off a shot with his own AC/10 that opened the Davion’s right side up. The recon lance tried to skirt around the wounded Atlas to its open vitals, but accurate autocannon fire brought them down one after another. In the end, the Davion Atlas stood alone, missing its right arm, but victorious.

Aftermath: After locating his newly-disposessed comrades, the Davion lance commander went to ground in the ridge country until he could signal his unit’s DropShip for a pick-up. Though harassed by infantry from Amber Grove’s planetary militia, all four Deneb Light Cavalry MechWarriors were successfully extracted. The lance commander was severely reprimanded for losing almost all of his ‘Mechs, particularly the valuable Archer, without obtaining any worthwhile salvage to compensate.

The loss of nearly half a company of ‘Mechs left the Concordat Curassiers’ third battalion understrength, and the area of space around Amber Grove saw an upswing in piracy until replacement BattleMechs arrived. The Taurian Concordat issued an official protest to Prince Hanse Davion of the Federated Suns, but the AFFC denied the incident and it became one more lost skirmish in the long and brutal history of the Succession Wars.  

Comments:This was a fun game both to play in and to referee, and it was a very close fight. Except for Cat’s lucky crits on Bob’s Awesome and Gary’s lucky AC shot on the Archer’s LRM ammo nobody was able to roll a critical to save their life. Not only did this mean that we had to do things the hard way by blowing off legs or destroying center torsos, but it effectively gave the victory to the Davions (despite Scott’s “combat paralysis”) since without a lucky crit Scott’s Atlas could easily outlast all of Gary’s light ‘Mechs.

 

The Game Designer’s Barbecue: In Memory of Gary Gygax (1938-2008)

Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons and co-originator of the hobby I’ve gotten countless hours of joy, comfort, and good memories from, passed away today.

Back in my college days, one of my friends had ambitions of becoming a game designer (all gamers have this dream at some point). He began corresponding with Gary via email about the AD&D 2e game we were currently involved in, and eventually we were invited to demo Lejendary Adventures at its debut at GenCon ‘99. As a perk, we got invites to attend the traditional GenCon Game Designer’s Barbecue.

The Designer’s Barbecue was eye-opening in a lot of ways; among other things it certainly dispelled any mystique there might have been about the wild and dangerous life of game design. But the thing I remember most was everyone gathered around as Gary Gygax held court. He told stories…he offered game design opinions…he griped about AD&D2e…and he told jokes doing voices for all the characters (I forget the actual joke, but to this day I remember his deep and hollow-voiced rendition of a genie). I was just some kid about to graduate college; so I mostly sat, listened, and entertained Alex Gygax who somehow took a shine to me, but there was still the sense of being in the presence of something special. And I was. This was the gaming world on the eve of the d20 craze, and me on the brink of my own start in the world, and there would never be another summer like it again.

I really only saw Gary one more time afterwards, when he autographed my complimentary copy of the Lejendary Adventures rules. My friend Dave had brought all of his 1e rulebooks for autographs, but I just kind of smiled uncomfortably and accepted my book like the awkward kid I was.

I don’t think if Gary had met me today, he would have remembered who I was, and compared to all we’re likely to hear from the luminaries of the gaming world my story isn’t interesting at all. But nevertheless he was a part of my life ever since I opened my 12th birthday copy of Oriental Adventures and read his preface, which ended:

One more thing: don’t spend too much time merely reading. The best part of this work is the play, so play and enjoy!

Play and enjoy indeed. So thanks Gary. Thanks for the D&D cartoon I used to watch as a kid on saturday mornings while eating cold pizza. Thanks for D&D and AD&D. Thanks for Star Frontiers. Thanks for Lejendary Adventures. Thanks for Greyhawk. Thanks for Gord the Rogue. Heck…thanks even for Cyborg Commando. And most of all, thanks for the opportunity to meet all the best friends I’ve ever had, and my incredible girlfriend.

Godspeed, Gary. If there is indeed a heaven, it will be well stocked with polyhedral dice.

Axis & Allies: The Greatest Generation in Plastic

This is the tale of a War that was not, yet might have been. It is the tale of six men: Marc, Scott, Gary, Bob, Pete, and I your humble scribe, who dared play Marc’s homebrewed all-variant version of Axis & Allies, who sat in a game shop from 8PM to 6AM, and dared shape the fate of six nations and a world. 

1939: Germany unleashes a devastating surprise attack on France, completely overrunning her. Most of North Africa declares for the Free French, but Indochina goes Vichy. The French Mediterranean and North Sea fleets both turn their ships over to the Germans, suddenly making Germany the largest naval power in the world. The German blitz continues over the channel into England, but is stopped on the beaches by the RAF. Poland attacks into Romania, but is quickly absorbed by the USSR. Japan drives into northern China. Angry phone calls from ambassadors and cartographers begin to arrive in the Oval Office of the American White House.

1940: Germany destroys most of the remaining elements of the British North Seas Fleet and attempts a second invasion, which fails. Britain and the Free French attempt to rally their forces, attacking Axis territories in Africa and completely stripping the Far East of garrisons and shipping them west for this purpose. The USSR takes Norway, Romania, and Iran, and their scientists discover how to make their cheap infantry even cheaper. Not even a Soviet naval expedition to Venezuela can rouse the sleeping American giant.

1941: Germany desperately tries to fortify its already precarious situation in Europe while watching the Russians pump out tiny commies at the rate of one IPC/infantry unit. The UK/Free French continue to make gains in Africa and successfully defend the Suez Canal, denying the Germans access to the Red Sea. Japan continues to whittle away at China’s manpower reserves and “restores order” in Indochina. The President begins routing the increasing number of irate phone calls to Senator Taft and other prominent Isolationists (“I don’t understand a word this man is saying, but he’s clearly VERY angry!”), but to no effect. The US remains at peace.

1942: British and Free French forces completely control Africa and Soviet troops enter Sweden and Finland. A British strike on the German Atlantic Fleet completely eliminates it, though the British attackers are virtually destroyed as well. Germany is boxed in. Peking falls to the Japanese advance and China joins the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere. Peking dumpling shortages cause riots in the US, but Congress is determined to give sanctions more time.

1943: Germany withdraws most of its occupying forces from France to defend Germany against the USSR. British airstrikes destroy the remainder but the UK lacks enough transports to mount a full invasion. Japan spends the year digesting China’s economy and building up its land and naval forces. The USSR also builds up for new offensives. The President is reduced to threatening to beat American isolationists with bundles of sticks, but they are still unmoved and the US remains at peace.

1944: The Wehrmacht finally boards the Clue Train and assassinates Hitler, giving them a few extra much-needed IPCs. Britain invades across the Channel and liberates France, while the USSR sends its giant pile of mass-produced infantry into Germany and swamps it with human wave attacks. A terrified Benito Mussolini is now head of the Axis in Europe, said Axis consisting of Italy and anyone from Germany who could make it across the Alps there. Japan unleashes the lightning and grabs every British possession in the East including Australia and India. Land forces attack from China into the Soviet Far East while the IJN concentrates around the home islands. The Japanese conquest of the Philippines finally brings the US into the war.

1945: The world waits and watches as the US and Japanese fleets battle it out around the Home Islands for control of the Pacific. American ship production has been hampered by five years of friggin’ peacetime economy, and after a hard battle the American fleet is destroyed. While Japan’s hegemony in the Far East is tacitly agreed to, she cannot match the combined economic might of the Allied powers without Germany, and the game ends in a technical Allied victory.

2008: Harry Turtledove finishes a six volume alternate history of the Second World War featuring a hypothetical German invasion of Russia called “Operation Barbarossa” and a Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The series ends with a total Allied victory and the possibility of a sequel series about a “Cold War” between the USSR and a fictional superpower version of the United States.