From: shokwave Subject: After-Action Report: the First Annual Canadian ConSim Salmon(less) Retreat - LONG (longer than this subject line, even) Well, I know what you all have been thinking; Darren goes away for a week and the consim content of the list - which was on a great roll - goes all to pot. Well, never fear; I'm back, and ready to eschew SF book discussions and American Patriotic flame-bait to bring this train back on track. Here's an after-action report on my week of gaming heaven; there may be slight errors or omissions as I'm working from memory, but I'm sure Jeff could de-lurk for long enough to criticize...erm, correct me. I plan to plonk this on a webpage when the pictures get developed. As for the one-sided nature of my report; that's what ya get for letting the other fellow do the writing, Jeff ;) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The First Annual Canadian ConSim Salmon Retreat August 2 - 7, 1997 In the spring of 1997 someone on the Conflict Simulations Mailing List came up with the bright idea of having a get-together over a few drinks and a meal. The concept caught on, and several ConSim dinners were held in various large cities around the world. I was feeling left out; living in outer nowhere New Brunswick, Canada I was a few hundred kilometers from the nearest ConSim-L member. I tsarted thinking about my predicament; I wasn’t about to travel that far to meet these people, but maybe I could find a way to add value to their trip and sucker them up my way for a spell. I have a fishing camp on the shore of the Miramichi River in Doaktown, and very quickly a plan began to formulate in my oh-so sneaky mind. I dashed off a note to the list, offering the use of my camp for a week to members, with the provision that I would be along for the stay & some ftf games would be forced upon the unfortunate vacationers. Thus was born the Canadian ConSim Salmon Retreat. The initial invitation attracted the interest of several people, but most admitted that this year was a wash because their vacation time & activities were already planned. One respondent thought that he could shoe-horn it into his schedule; he and his family had planned to spend three weeks traveling and camping throughout northern Maine and New York, and he figured that they could shift their middle week of camping north into New Brunswick if there was an opportunity for a little ftf wargaming. This was all the encouragement we needed, and so Jeff Brown and family made plans to leave the safe haven of Maryland and venture forth to the wilds of eastern Canada. Seeing as Jeff was bringing his family, I brought along mine. The full roster: Jeff his wife, Sandy their five year old son, Corey & the twelve year old daughter of their neighbor, Alia. My wife, Sylvia our 2.5 year old son, Elric our 10 month old baby girl, Sephora, & myself, Darren. Saturday Jeff and crew arrived Saturday late afternoon, and it was almost unseemly the way a game broke out before they had time to unload and make themselves comfortable. I refuse to accept total blame for this, but it could be that a week on the road and tenting in campgrounds had put Jeff in a weak and susceptible state of mind. There were no salmon to be had in the river as the summer run was late, and Jeff professed no burning desire to flog the water if no fish were forthcoming. Whatever nefarious forces were at work, we settled on my new copy of Columbia Games’ "Rommel in the Desert" as a quick & easy diversion. Hmm. The rules are fairly simple, although it wasn’t until we were well into our second game (on another day) that we felt we had them all properly in play (we were wrong); the strategies and tactics are a whole different kettle of fish. We played the 1940 Campaign scenario, the recommended "first game". I had only toyed with a couple of turns solitaire before the trip, and Jeff had never seen the game before. Jeff took the Italians, leaving me with the seemingly insurmountable problem of figuring out how to mount an offensive with the FOUR Allied units on the map at the September start. The answer? Don’t. Let Jeff trickle his forces through the passes at Halfaya and between Fort Capuzzo and Sollum, holding Sollum with the 7/7 Armor and the 7/SG Mechanized Infantry, Sidi Barrani with the 4i/3m Mechanized both in case he tried to slip between the escarpments at Sofafi and to provide a fallback position for the forward units), and positioning the 7/Recce along the track at Bir Kenayis to serve the dual purpose of protecting the supply line along the coastal road and to be available to motor at high speed for the Axis flank if the opportunity should present itself. Jeff had positioned his more numerous forces at Bardia, Ft. Capuzzo and Sidi Omar (or perhaps I should say Sidi Suleiman, in the same hex but closer to the Halfaya pass…obviously his intended target). Jeff’s initial assault through the passes to Sollum did not go very well for him; I held my ground most comfortably. Jeff’s initial supply draw was not great, although not quite bad enough to get him to ask for the available re-deal; as he was on the offensive, I got to hoard my supply for later. As his attack had committed several units and much of his available supply, Jeff was ready to pass after a couple of movement phases, and we moved into October. I got my 4i/5 and 4i/11 Motorized Infantry and positioned them around Sidi Barrani. Over this month and November Jeff continued to try and force Sollum, and I continued to hold on, pulling the 7/7 back to Alexandria to rebuild a couple of steps and then sending it back into the fray. I also moved a couple of units out to attack at the slightly depleted Sidi Omar forces. Jeff then made the crucial mistake of the game: with a Positional Victory within his grasp, he committed his reserves to the battle at Sidi Omar. He achieved overwhelming superiority in the hex, but my small forces held out just long enough to pin his forces in place; his supply dwindled, we went to the next month. I received four brigades of re-enforcement’s and re-deployed them forward behind the front line, and then I used my hoarded cards to drive around his short right flank and reach the coast road at Belhamed with my Recce, while dropping units off at Gabr Saleh and Sidi Rezegh for good measure. Jeff had used what supply he had left to try and force the issues at Sollum and Sidi Omar, and had none left to force his supply route open. The Allies had snatched a stunning victory from the jaws of defeat in December, and we had both learned a couple of lessons about RitD: don’t commit your reserve unless it is really necessary, and either extend your flank out into the desert or protect the coast road in depth. At least, I thought I’d learned, but as our second game on Wednesday would show, Jeff’s defeat had ingrained the lessons much more firmly on his brain than on mine. We then played a game of Settlers of Catan, my first exposure to that game. It was a lot of fun, just like everyone claims. The settlers were Jeff, Sandy, Alia and myself, and we had to call this one a four-way tie at about 1:00 a.m.; Jeff & co. were too pooped to continue what was obviously going to be a long, drawn out four-way finish. Sunday Did I mention that Jeff is an ACW fan? He had brought along Road to Gettsyburg, VG’s Civil War, and the Gamer’s No Better Place to Die. He hadn’t played the latter, and both he and I were very interested in trying out a Gamer’s product, so we set up the initial scenario: the Confederate sneak attack around the Union’s right flank at the start of the battle. It took us quite a while to come to grips with the system, not unusual for the first time with any game that neither person has played. I defended as the Union, and really did nothing beyond some minor maneuvering. Jeff used the Confed "surprise" initial double movement to get one brigade around the flank, and join it with two other brigades coming from the side/front in a divisional close-combat on my rightmost brigade. We exchanged some losses and neither were forced to retreat by our initial moral checks (both sides Shaken), so then we moved to the odds table and Jeff made his 3:1 odds throw. I was forced to retreat, and failed my subsequent moral throw - forcing a further retreat and Disorganization. Jeff then discovered the problem of large-scale close combats: you wind up with all those fire levels in one hex, but only one "A" level can fire from that hex. I just tightened things up a little on my turn, then Jeff started the offensive again. He had learned his lesson from the previous turn about too many fire levels in one hex, and started extending his brigades. It was getting late by the time we had gotten this far, so we packed it in at this point. Things had gone about like they should in the scenario; Jeff had threatened my flank and rolled it a couple of hexes. Overall we liked what we saw, but Jeff was concerned about the length of the turns. I thought that the system would be pretty straight forward once we played another turn or two, and I rashly predicted that we could do 20 minute turns. Just goes to show how wrong a guy can be… We both considered the close combat system a little weird. If you engage in fire combat, the defender gets to fire fist. If you engage in close combat THEY DON’T, you both do simultaneous damage…the defender can’t get opportunity fire on the attacker as he closes. The attacker can engage in normal fire combat after the close combat phase. While we menfolk were pushing cardboard, Sandy and Alia were getting Syl hooked on Settlers. Alia won two games in a row. Monday Jeff set up We the People on the picnic table as I did chores…and more chores…and still more chores. He finally took the game down and spent some time with his family, and later on we set it up again on a card table on the front porch. I, the Canadian, played the rebels, while Jeff, the American, played the British. Jeff explained that the insurrectionists have too strong a start with the rules as is, so we agreed on me only getting 5 states worth of markers instead of thirteen…very telling in the long run. Jeff is a clever fella ;) I tried an early attack with Washington after Jeff mentioned that an early poke with him was an often played opening. Have I already said that Jeff is devious? When my attack only weakened Washington’s army, Jeff tried a few attacks on Washington; one or two chewed away a couple of units, the rest failed miserably, and I used some cards to place new re-enforcement’s into my army. Jeff used some of his cards to place markers, grabbing up Maine, Canada and New York. I spent my early cards on more armies/generals. I made a mistake in treating the game as too much of a wargame, whereas the battles were sideshows to the battle for hearts & minds. It came down to the last turn in ’81, too early for my plan of martial conquest, and it played out right down to the last card laid. Jeff managed to get 8 states and pull off the victory. This was a close game, and a lot of fun. I found myself thinking about it several times through the rest of the week, and am glad that I’ve ordered it. We got busy with family stuff (like supper) at the halfway point and saved the game by sliding the map onto a piece of paneling and sticking it in the "sleep camp". When we resurected it (much later), we moved it onto the ubiquitous card table in the cook camp, and Jeff and I took turns filling in as the fourth in the girl’s nightly Settlers game. They weren’t impressed by our lack of dedication to their game, and needless to say our joint effort was not victorious (there was a lot of trading going on that we weren’t privy to, and I inexpertly bumbled Jeff’s grand strategies by inserting my own, more dubious plans ). Alia was AGAIN victorious. Tuesday Sandy & Syl conspired to take the kids (and Alia; you can’t really call the local Settlers shark a "kid") down river to our house for a day of laundry and showers; this allowed Jeff and I to eschew personal hygiene and reserve the whole day for gaming! We decided to play No Better Place to Die again, this time the whole main battle. The families left around noon, and we set up and read rules…and got started around 4:00 p.m. This time I ran the Confederate forces and Jeff tried out the Union army. We played with the command control options, as we were both very interested in the written order/chaos on the battlefield system. Seeing as I was getting the advantage ofthat sneak attack double move on the flank, Jeff pointed out that he’d played it incorrectly in our last go around, and that only two divisions of the corps were entitled to the second move. Did I mention Jeff’s deviousness before? It actually didn’t make much difference, the only thing I really missed was leaving my Cav arty behind for the first turn. My first move took a while to make, between strategizing and more rule examinations, but I expect it went pretty much like most games go; my left flank snuck in and smashed his right flank by turning it, the center met stiff resistance from the Union, and the right merely positioned themselves on the hill overlooking the bridge (ford? I can’t remember). I sent a Cavalry brigade forward into the trees on the right to "scout" the enemy approach…and later Jeff showed me why Cavalry make bad scouts. Other than that one mistake my turn went very well, doing a real good job of turning Jeff’s right. Jeff didn’t do too much in his turn; what I again imagine is the usual staging for his later attack on the hill in front of his left flank, firing back with deadly effect in the center and forming a nice line there, and attempting to regain his footing on his left flank by limited maneuvering and giving fire. Thus ended the first turn, in 4 hours…but hey, I said optimistically, as we play a little more we’ll speed up… I moved Bragg down to Polk’s HQ, and had him give an in-person verbal order to Polk to have the damaged center (A-W-P brigade) pull back and pick up stragglers before attacking again. Polk received the orders, and being at his HQ passed them on immediately; but I rolled a delay, so A-W-P continued to attack ruthlessly into the teeth of the enemy defense. They were wrecked by now, but I couldn’t get a Corps Attack Stoppage roll when I needed one. When I said "ruthlessly" I meant it; without counter orders I faithfully followed the initial scenario orders and had all of Polk’s Corps pushing forward to attack at close range (I was running into ammunition shortages in the heat of the pitched firefight, so I needed to be at short range to fire). Jeff had pulled back here and there by just a smidge in the center to make a nice line with some convenient killing grounds for me to obligingly step into, and my center grew weaker with the attack; but the Union center was pushed back a little in spots and the vague possibility of a breakthrough was dangling in front of me…Jeff was a little disturbed by the idea that I might get through to his Corps leader, but not overly worried. On my right flank I merely observed Jeff’s Corps staging and moving in for the attack. On the left, I continued to swing around Jeff’s flank brigades and force them back in Disorganized retreats. I also moved up artillery and shifted a little sideways with my whole Corps to hammer HARD on his developing "hinge". His flank was crumbling extremely badly by this point, with one brigade going to Rout status. That 6 column shift on the moral table for flank attacks was murdering his Corps integrity; he’d suffered some losses, but the real problem was the developing positional situation. Jeff and I agreed that his right flank Corps was in such horrendous shape that his Corps Leader would feel forced to give up a lot of ground to regroup and try and save something to protect his center Corps’ right flank. His whole center and right pivoted and pulled back in a beautiful regrouping move, sacrificing one brigade that had to be left behind; I’d pinned his hinge too well to withdraw it. His left Corps moved in to attack across the Stone River, with some elements moving up one side and some sitting at a bridge (ford?) on the other. This is when he caught my Cavalry and engaged them, half destroying them and sending them packing. ACW Cavalry sure were brittle, eh? We traded some shots across the river that annoyed him with minor losses for his forces without doing much to mine. In the center he still managed to shoot up A-W-P brigade. They were now almost annihilated. It had only taken us 3 hours to play the second turn J In my move phase I found my orders to retreat A-W-P still delayed, so Polk got mad and decided to roll for initiative. That failed (no loose cannon, thank god!), so A-W-P moved right up against the strong Union center yet again. I had long ago solved my ammo problem, as Bragg’s HQ with the army supply train was so close I had moved it right in with Polk’s supply wagon and run them right in behind the center lines, but ammo wasn’t the real problem; A-W-P had three steps left to it’s name. I pulled the extended lines in (I could only role-play them as being foolhardy, not suicidal idiots) and pushed at the spot in-between Jeff’s center and his right with some brigades that had finally slogged through the trees into position on A-W-P’s left flank. My attack on his right flank moved in for the next assault, surrounding the lone hinge brigade and pushing hard on the whole Corps’ line. Jeff had tried to bring up his reserve Cavalry brigade to protect the end of his flank, but had failed to count on my own Cavalry reserve rushing along a road, across a clearing and just exactly managing to dismount in front of his column where it had stopped in the tress…ouch! We didn’t get to see the fire phase, as it was very late by now; it’s too bad, because I would have loved to have seen how the game would have progressed. Our turns were still very lengthy though, and I can’t imagine playing all 25 turns! I really liked the Gamer’s CWBS; Jeff liked it, but was amazed at how much more involved the rules/interactions were than in Road to Gettsyburg or Civil War. The women played more Settlers when they finally arrived at 11:00…Syl was exhibiting all the signs of a growing addiction. Wednesday Sandy and Alia played Settlers non-stop on the porch all afternoon. Jeff and I decided that we would try Rommel in the Desert again, so we began setting up the Crusader scenario on the picnic table. Our respective set-ups took a long time; there’s a lot to think about in that game! I was playing the Axis this time, and my setup was troubled by knowing that Jeff would get to place 5 units inside my lines at Tobruk (which starts out mined). Oh well, at least Jeff was no quicker with his setup when confronted with my choices. The Axis sets up first, then the Allies; normally the Axis has the initiative and thus first move, but for Crusader the Allies get it (and the Axis can’t even challenge for it). We "saved" our game once again with the help of that piece of paneling and took our sons on a joy ride to find the hidden mosquito hordes and view the picturesque swampland of central New Brunswick. When we returned we set up the card table on the porch, then moved the game inside after supper. Crusader looks tough for the Axis; the Allies not only set up last & move first, they have better supply, they can garrison Tobruk very strongly (and get quadrupled defense for a mined fort) AND they have a slight advantage in unit points over the course of the scenario (even with the German units valued at 1.5 apiece). This means that they start out winning, and need only hold the status quo; the Axis must attack somewhere, utilizing those nasty double-step Germans (particularly the 6-4-2 armor units) and perhaps being opportunistic with the speedy 2-1 recce units. The Axis must almost force the Allies into combat by attacking Tobruk in force, but the quad defense means that the attack must be huge, and that strips the front dangerously thin. I decided to try pushing the Allies off balance instead, setting up so as to tempt Jeff into leaving a one hex passage free along his flank inland and hiding my recce units close by in behind the front line (and one at the tip of the flank). Jeff obliged with his setup, and pushed closer inland; he met stiff resistance (I’d stuck all my 6-4-2 armor units in the hexes Sidi Omar and Ft. Maddelena…not a fort for game purposes). I passed, hoping to hoard supply and let Jeff throw units into my strong areas until enough were pinned that I would have a nice easy waltz around his desert flank. You don’t have to hit Jeff over the head with a sledgehammer twice to get his attention; he looked at my strong center, the passes close to the coast that were heavily "blocked", and counted unit points….and realizing that he was on course for a marginal victory, he passed to bring the month to an end and his re-enforcement’s arrival time that much closer. Gulp! I now had no choice; I had to try his flank. I managed to push a salient one hex wide around his flank, and flung two recce’s from it’s tip towards the coast road. I forced marched one astride the road, the other failed the march and disrupted alongside. With his supply line totally cut, Jeff could do one thing; he pulled allthe units he could from the front and sent them to battle my recce. He easily destroyed it, then routed the other recce back to the salient. He ALMOST made the same mistake as the first game and committed this horde of reserves to battle the tip of the salient, but realized at the last moment what a blunder that would be and spread those forces out to contain the salient and bolster his flank. He continued to attack the tip of the salient with a measured force, and I slowly withdrew the finger sacrificing just that tip in a slow, orderly fighting retreat. I took the brunt of the damage on a 6-4-2 armor that I had smuggled up from the center and a 4-3-2-1 Italian mechanized…then rebuilt them when the month ended. In the last month I had quickly redeployed for a thrust at the weak looking center, and took the hex east of Ft. Maddelena, but I was running out of supply (I was holding six dummy cards and two supply). Jeff successfully pushed his way around MY flank over the next two moves as I prodded the center, and we were shuffled off to bed by the wives with me empty of supply and Jeff holding enough to rush a recce to cut my supply west of Tobruk. A blast of a game; I’m about to play Crusader again with Hank Burkhalter. The women played Mah Jong on the card table all night. All things must come to an end; Jeff and family departed Thursday for the return leg of their trip. We all had a wonderful time; the First Annual Canadian ConSim Salmon Retreat had been a great success despite (because, my wife insists) the lack of any salmon to fish for, and Jeff is already suggesting that I buy both Columbia’s Bobby Lee and Sam Grant so that he can come up and play them next summer. -Darren "those rolls even out in the long run, Jeff" Reid