Bashnya or Bust! Published (IABSM Scenario Pack)

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Originally posted 10th June 2014

Well the big news this week is the launch of Bashnya or Bust!, my latest scenario book for IABSM. Here's the full info, but if you liked Blenneville or Bust! and Vyazma or Bust!, you'll love Bashnya!

You can buy Bashnya or Bust! either from the TooFatLardies website, or from the Buy Stuff page on this website. Doesn't bother me which one you use!

Bashnya or Bust! is a collection of fictional scenarios for IABSM set on the late war Eastern Front as part of the Kaunas Offensive. Soviet forces are attempting to drive through German defences in the Chera valley in order to break through into Germany itself, the Germans are trying to stop them.

The pack contains thirty-one individual scenarios set up in a five-step pyramid campaign i.e. scenario 1 leads to either scenario 2A or 2B; the result of this second game leads to one of scenarios 3A, 3B, 3C or 3D; and so on until scenarios 5A to 5P.

Although written as a fictional campaign booklet, no two scenarios are the same: each is unique and is also designed to be played as an individual game. Each of the three briefings for each scenario (Umpire, Soviet player, German player) contains enough background to give the game the same sort of context as with the background to an historical scenario.

Bashnya or Bust! is deliberately designed to give players who don't have enough time to write their own scenarios a huge number of games that they can play with little or no preparation at all. All you have to do is print out the three briefings, set up the table according to the map, make up the deck from the list of required cards, break out the figures and dice, and start the first turn. You don't even need to print the pack out in full: just the pages you need for the scenario you're going to play.

The campaign is structured so that you'll get maximum use of the standard forces presented in Vpered Na Berlin, with well-designed and balanced scenarios for IABSM, or indeed any company level rule set you happen to game with. Anyone who has a company-sized force of Germans and Soviets for late war, eastern front should already have enough figures to play any or all of the games.

Bashnya or Bust! follows on from the popular Vyazma or Bust! and Blenneville or Bust! campaign/scenario packs, also available from the TooFatLardies.

Bashnya or Bust! contains an introduction, details of the campaign structure and forces involved, sixteen different maps (some games are played across the same terrain, albeit in a different direction), thirty-one different scenarios, and a collection of templates allowing you to print off Blind markers as appropriate. Please note, you don't need to print this out like a book (although you can if you wish): Bashnya or Bust! is designed to allow you to just print the scenarios as you use them.

AAR Two More From Amokfigure

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Originally posted 8th June 2014

Two more AAR from Amokfigur. No photos this time as unfortunately the site has corrupted a bit, and the pictures for these battle reports are now unavailable...even on the Internet Archive. 

But they are a good read anyway!

Two more AAR from Amokfigur. No photos this time as unfortunately the site has corrupted a bit, and the pictures for these battle reports are now unavailable...even on the Internet Archive. 

But they are a good read anyway!

Glory in Russia

Vodka and Steel

AAR: Two from Amokfigur

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Originally posted 5th June 2014

As those of you who regularly visit this website know, I love discovering new sources of battle reports. Here's another find: a website from Denmark, I think, with a handful of reports dating back to 2006!

The site is currently marked as being in hiatus, and I hope that changes, as the reports are great. Here's the first two.

The Briansk Front
Eastern Front Game

AAR: The Essel Bridgehead

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Originally posted 7th May 2014

I have, for a long time, been a fan of Mark Luther's IABSM games in 6mm: his Flickr albums are a joy to browse. I haven't transferred any of them to this site because, for an equally long time, I thought I'd confine this site to IABSM played in 15mm. 

Now, however, the temptation has proved too great (and I've started including 28mm games!) so I am starting the long, slow process of uploading Mark's reports.

Here is the first one: action at the Essel Bridgehead on the western front in 1945.

AAR: Near Osen

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Originally posted 30th March 2014

I am currently about halfway through the Bashnya or Bust! late war eastern front scenario pack for IABSM, with fifteen out of the thirty-one scenarios completed i.e. stages one to four in the pyramid. 

This AAR is a report on the playtest game for the first scenario: #01: Near Osen. You'll be pleased to hear that all went well, and the only change needed was a minor adjustment to the number of Blinds each side can bring on to the table at any one time.

AAR: Fischfang Day 1 - A

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Originally posted 27th February 2014

Craig Ambler has been working his way through the Anzio scenario pack. Here's an AAR from his last battle (although not the last in the pack) covering the opening phase of Operation Fischfang. 

This was a truly colossal battle (the Germans have two companies of infantry!) that gave an excellent game.