Groundhog Day AAR

[brian brian]

the 2nd unit in Chungking is the AA gun - a key piece of luck for the Chinese unit draw. They scored double with the Mohawk FTR2

[brian brian]

so commentary might run one picture behind but it looks like I have to comment for each post, so

[brian brian]

the French also 'drew well' for their Asian TERR (as important on the first turn as that old dictum of war - 'roll well')

[brian brian]

both glorious Asian empires seem invested in the soft underbelly of the Dragon, but one Emperor has a rather impressive personal Guard unit to consider

[brian brian]

final Japan note - the 2nd MAR is in Sasebo (historical apropos, sort of) is Sasebo a port on the Sea of Japan in MWiF?

meanwhile, what is the Man Who Would Be Emperor of Europe up to?

[brian brian]

naturally, he has a strong interest in the tiny country to his north. those crazy things the Rules make you do

[brian brian]

Was ist los? Der Kriegsmarine cowering in Baltic ports? Ja. Meanwhile, around the borders

[brian brian]

I think that mostly covers it, let's see

[brian brian]

ahh yes, the German 10th INF corps was a late scratch / game-time decision on covering the infamous Polish navy hide-out of Gdynia

can we get to some action? why yes. Japan went with a Land impulse to open the War.

[brian brian]

there are no pics available of the small but dramatic Italian move - sending a cruiser + destroyer squadron loaded with Infantry troops though the Straits of Gibraltar!

the Japanese continue to Advance to Contact

[Orm]

2d10 with unlimited divisions? Very attacker friendly.

Say that you at least play with the oil rule? So that, at least, cut-off oil dependant units stay disorganized.

[brian brian]

though ultimately the Japanese simply flipped one Chinese INF along the Pearl River via Japanese Army aviation ground strikes, which could not affect Chiang Kai-Shek's headquarters dug into the mountains of southern China

The Luftwaffe had similar mixed results battering the Polish cities, flipping an INF in both Danzig and Lodz, with no luck in Warsaw itself.


Meanwhile, in the Gobi Desert the Japanese seemed to have developed some incredible Enduro vehicles to cruise around one of the more inhospitable places on the Earth

[brian brian]

but the big shooting war starts in Europe of course, where a certain Baltic city was declared "Free" (Frei?)

[brian brian]

for being a "Frei" city, it sure seems a whole lot of blood was spilled. the attackers stagger in confusion after their "victory". but this was the key point that started this new War in Europe, no?

(Both Polish ships escape. Ho-hum).

[brian brian]

let's see, what else is happening off-screen?

The Russians set up a Siberian INF corps in each of Blag and Kharb, as I call them. I think of them as Dwarvish strongholds in the Silmarillion I guess. Unpronounceable names in places you can't quite remember. The two cities in far east Siberia that aren't named Vladivostok, or the the new one, either. New cities? Yes, in MWiF these things happen.

Also the CW 'drew well' in that their spies in East Africa correctly urged the Home Office to send a few thousand rifles to the allied tribes in Kenya and Tanganyika, where 2 of their TERR units now await War. As does the N. Ireland Force Orange, or something. Never commanded that unit before.

The French deployed their Algerian garrison along the Moroccan border east of Oran, and set up some other auxiliaries in the totally unimportant deserts of West Africa.

Home Fleet calls Plymouth home these days, with all of their Transport capacity fueled up there in the UK and ready to go. (Wait till you see what the new WiF8 scenario set-up might do to the Fall Gelb strategy....)

[brian brian]

Now then, what will the Allies do after the horrific carnage in Danzig?

The Royal Navy will sail the seas in full force on a Naval for the Commonwealth, patrolling deep into the North Sea with 2 Carriers, 2 Battle Cruisers, and 3 Heavy Cruisers in support. Their diligent scouring of the North Sea proves a failure, until a German Heavy Cruiser with infantry-laden destroyer escorts stumbles square into the middle of the Task Force, seemingly unaware of the War proclamation published shortly before...


Bomber Command is ordered to leave their leaflets targeting the effete Kriegsmarine back at the printers and instead load real bombs to paste the German troop concentrations on the Danish border, which mostly fail, aside from the squadrons of Harrows driving to ground a lone German motorized division well off the border.

The Chicomms adjust their lines somewhat, having ordered their set-up before they knew the glorious 8th Route Army was available for Mao to command.

The Russians also move their ARTillery further up the border, switching places in the port of Odessa with a rare independent unit in the Red Army - an infantry division.

The French, meanwhile, have long studied their options on how to support an Ally in Central Europe. The Navy offers to strike at the Germans right on their front porch in the Baltic, but the Army has a much grander plan - Invade Germany itself! They'll never be able to blow all of the Rhine bridges on time suggest St. Cyr's finest graduates. Vincennes agrees, issuing a proclamation that "With one swift kick, the entire rotten Nazi House of Cards will surely collapse!"

[Jagdtiger14]

Well Brian...I happened to come here before my e-mail and saw this![X(] Nicely put together!

Invade Germany in 1939? What the?... Hey, it happened in real life (Saar offensive)?

A few notes: You read the Silmarillion too? Awesome book! I'm taking a page out of Col. Glantz's book...remember his report on the Soviet invasion of Manchuria?...and the "lost" Soviet division in the Gobi?...maybe I can do the same?[:D]

The photos are pro-Axis only to give Brian a good view as to the placements of Axis forces for set up and the initial German impulse. I'll be providing photos of every front both sides as we go on.

Oh, it looks like I wont be happy with WiF8 (have not seen it yet though)...I don't like restrictions, and the base game is already pro-Allies (which it should be)...I hope they compensated Axis with something?

[Jagdtiger14]

2d10 with unlimited divisions? Very attacker friendly. Say that you at least play with the oil rule? So that, at least, cut-off oil dependant units stay disorganized.

Yes, we are playing with oil. I think unlimited divisions is awesome, however I hope we don't prove its broken.

[brian brian]

WiF8 changes the arrival date of The Queens TRS, iirc, to early in 1940.

[rkr1958]

I'm interested in the strategy behind the Polish setup. This is the first time I've seen such a strong defense, or in fact any defense, of Danzig. Any insight that you experts can provide behind this would be greatly appreciated.