A quick After Action Report from Paul Scivens-Smith, once again from early-war East Africa. Will the Italian counter-attack throw the British off the ridge that they so recently captured?
Good news for those awaiting my next scenario book: the writing bug has bitten me again.
I am now deep into Bashnya or Bust! - a Vyazma/Blenneville style scenario pack set in late July/August 1944 during the Kaunas Offensive i.e. the latter stages of Operation Bagration.
Can't promise when it will be finished (early summer's my best bet) but I can promise a linked campaign featuring a possible thirty-one late war eastern front scenarios.
If you liked Blenneville, you'll love Bashnya!
Here's an AAR for IABSM from Kazenstein, who took advantage of the Christmas break to get in a game. The Germans are counter-attacking!
Here's the final Whisperin' Al IABSM AAR downloaded from his blog. It's short but sweet, and covers action on Crete during the German airborne invasion.
Those of you who regularly visit VL (bookmark us now!) will know that I love finding and collecting After Action Reports from all over the web. I especially like seeing how other people interpret scenarios that I have either written of played. So I was very happy, yesterday, when I found Whisperin' Al's blog which has several AARs for either IABSM or CDS.
Here's the first batch covering scenarios from the Defence of Calais and Sealion scenario packs. Lovely photographs of well set up tables and nicely painted figures. More to follow.
Coulogne
Coulogne Redux
Rearguard at Pevensey
Paul Scrivens-Smith reports on the game that he and his fellow Lardies will be taking around various shows next year. From the East African theatre, it's the attack on Sanchil and Brig's Peak by 1/3rd Punjabis on 10th February, 1941.
Excellent pictures again!
A cracking AAR from a scenario from the Blenneville or Bust! scenario pack.
It's scenario 3A: Near Chemont, and the lead elements of an American armoured division are tasked with securing a vital crossroads...
Here are a couple of comments that have recently appeared about my IABSM scenario pack Blenneville or Bust! on the TFL Yahoo Group:
I am about to start Blenneville (which I think is probably one of the finest wargaming scenario books I have ever come across in three decades of wargaming).
Justintonna 17/12/13
It was only when playing Robert's Blenneville campaign after many years that it hit home how good IABSM is.
Craig Ambler 09/12/13
Most kind, Gentlemen!
Craig Ambler returns to Carroceto to play scenario #15 of the Anzio: Wildcat to Whale scenario pack.
A huge game of IABSM involving masses of figures as the Germans attack the Allied troops desperately holding the town.
Topi continues his East Africa campaign with another clash between British and Italian colonial forces.
Looks like some nasty blue-on-blue action!
Lardy Craig Ambler takes a trip to Italy to play Carroceto, the second scenario in the Anzio: Wildcat to Whale scenario pack.
A game characterised by lethal dice rolling: the British suffering fifty Kills and only three points of Shock. My only question is where I can get dice like that!
Unusually, both my usual wargaming opponents were available in the same week. Last night, Dave and I fought to an epic draw (see below), tonight was Neil's turn. As I didn't have time to set up anything new, we'd fight the same battle as before. Not only that, but I would play the Germans again, and decided to set up in almost exactly the same way as before, looking forward to seeing how the two games would differ.
Well, it was indeed a very different game...
Terrific game of IABSM last night. Dave and I fought Scenario #4B from the Blenneville or Bust!scenario pack: Near Avaux. A hugely entertaining clash with the fortunes of war swaying backwards and forwards each turn, and with a truly epic climax!
A quick AAR from John Thomas: a clash between the Soviets and the Japanese in 1945.
Here's an AAR that's been on my to-do list for some time. John has designed and is playing an IABSM scenario around the Operation Biting raid at Bruneval, where the Paras went in to capture some German radar technology.
A great AAR currently in two parts. You can see the details of the historical raid at the beginning of part two.
As promised, here is Topi's AAR from playing the first scenario of the Blenneville or Bust! scenario book campaign: West of Pierrecourt.
To quote his introduction: "Kicked off our Blenneville campaign this weekend. A German panzergrenadier recon unit tries to stop the American machine in the bocage country. 'Greenhorn, this is nothing compared to Kursk' was the German motto, as more and more American troops arrived. Quite a few spoilers to the scenario, so be warned."
The last of Topi's four East Africa 1940 battle reports: the Italians advance again.
The next battle report slurped from Topi's blog covers an Italian attempt to bash through a British blocking point. It all looks a bit crowded to me!
The next battle report slurped from Topi's blog contains a bit more information about the background to his East Africa 1940 campaign. That's in addition to an amusing tale of a ragtag bunch of militia taking on the might of the Italian army. Proves you don't need tons of troops and Tigers on the table to have fun with IABSM!
I've found a new source of After Action Reports! A gentleman named Topi, from Finland, has an excellent blog with five IABSM AARs. It will take me a few days to catch up, but catch up I will!
Here's the first: his first game of IABSM. It's East Africa, British versus Italians, and Topi's English is a lot better than my Finnish!
Vis Lardica is a website devoted to wargaming and military history, with a special emphasis on the company-sized rulesets produced by the TooFatLardies: I Ain't Been Shot Mum (WW2); Charlie Don't Surf (Vietnam); and Quadrant 13 (science fiction). There’s also a lot of content devoted to To The Strongest (Ancients/Medievals) and For King & Parliament (17th Century).
Welcome to Vis Lardica, a not-for-profit website mostly dedicated to the company-sized wargaming rules produced by the TooFatLardies, but encompassing my other gaming interests as well.
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