tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post8587125648839757201..comments2024-03-27T12:37:27.837-07:00Comments on Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog: A Walk in the Sun – Force on Force - Ambush Valleytimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09928949644765765070noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-26214688226489493902012-09-27T20:42:15.536-07:002012-09-27T20:42:15.536-07:00Good report Tim. A wargames room should always be...Good report Tim. A wargames room should always be stocked with hats. Great stuff.<br />Cheers, MikeMad Padrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00410143683610813671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-92206686647615551892012-09-27T18:59:22.099-07:002012-09-27T18:59:22.099-07:00My biggest stumbling block with the games is how t...My biggest stumbling block with the games is how to represent the very varied elevations in some of the scenarios... I'm leaning towards ignoring it for the scenarios set in dense woodland but not so sure about the others... Sadly I know completely what you mean about losing momentum, very rarely does a campaign get finished round here.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Pete.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-49802744657059723452012-09-27T14:38:55.222-07:002012-09-27T14:38:55.222-07:00My firend Bob had suggested Crayola Air Dry Clay r...My firend Bob had suggested Crayola Air Dry Clay recently for a similar project, I'll definitely have to check it out! I have a whole bunch of DAS to use up at the moment though... <br /><br />I try to batch build everything when it comes to terrain. Easier to get a lot done in a reasonable amount of time.<br /><br />That's something that didnt' really come up in this game - Fog of War (Which looks like it could be real game changers!) - I think it was because there were few reactions. At first Rick chose to not react as the US troops didn't spot him, and then later he didn't have a chance to react at the US troops obliterated his guys!? timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09928949644765765070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-21962382018023020992012-09-27T14:21:10.337-07:002012-09-27T14:21:10.337-07:00Very interesting report Tim. I'm addicted to t...Very interesting report Tim. I'm addicted to them as well, and always appreciate the good ones.Lead Legionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12700198528204457272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-25365193749971199822012-09-27T13:40:57.148-07:002012-09-27T13:40:57.148-07:00I used crayola air dry clay for the heavy bunkers ...I used crayola air dry clay for the heavy bunkers (covered with a tooth pick roof and lichen/foliage)...for the "improved positions", I just used some pre-painted defensive positions (made up of logs, dirt/debris).<br /><br />I'm totally with you on the batch building bunkers, I did that as well!<br /><br />It is a fairly straight forward scenario...that is until FOG rears its ugly head, the first game we got a monsoon...pretty much killed the NVA visibility from the bunkers!<br /><br />BrianSgt. Aponehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10737655188248125757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-68664092653884469972012-09-27T13:35:16.886-07:002012-09-27T13:35:16.886-07:00Thanks Brian! I did at the Dong Nai scenario and t...Thanks Brian! I did at the Dong Nai scenario and thought it looked like a good one - it had what I wanted (a simple straightforward infantry fire fight) and certainly looked challenging, but I've been planning to batch build a bunch of bunkers (how's that for alliteration!?) and thought I'd wait until then. Maybe I should get on that this weekend! timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09928949644765765070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-41043038771133020142012-09-27T13:29:08.226-07:002012-09-27T13:29:08.226-07:00Hey,
Great AAR! I'm one of the oddballs fasc...Hey,<br /><br />Great AAR! I'm one of the oddballs fascinated with the Vietnam period, I'm Blessed to know quite a few of the vets from that war. I've enjoyed Ambush Valley quite a bit. You should try the Dong Nai River scenario...I've played it twice, and ran it once at a local convention, it was quite a nail biter in the end, but everyone enjoyed it.<br /><br />Just my 2cents worth.<br /><br />Thanks!<br />BrianSgt. Aponehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10737655188248125757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-85657816324439522402012-09-27T13:21:10.577-07:002012-09-27T13:21:10.577-07:00Another way to "degrade" the US Troops w...Another way to "degrade" the US Troops while keeping their TQ at 10 would be to reduce them to "Low Confidence" - which forces them to make a Morale Check every time they come under fire (even if suffering no casualties). This greatly increases their chances of becoming pinned. However, I can see how you wouldn´t want to do this in the first games - I still remember how hard it was to not forget some crucial step in my initial games :D<br /><br />If enough Vietnamese are available, I´d suggest fielding them in the next scenario. Using approx. twice the numbers for 1 level of TQ difference works quite well for me, if the victory conditions do not heavily favour the low-TQ-force. And don´t forget to use the Reinforcement-rules. This adds some nice uncertainty to the scenarios and can simulate hordes of enemies emerging from the jungle quite well. <br /><br />And believe me, even without exceptionally lucky rolls (you should consider to lock that Pickelhaube away from Christian ;) ) the TQ difference causes the inferior forces to get hit a lot more. Just look at the last Die-Roll: there´s no way D8-troops could counter those 9s and 10s. The fact that they rolled nothing but 1s and 2s is thus meaningless and nothing put pure mockery from fortuna!Black Guardianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03465720906940599076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-21316569580973004622012-09-27T12:41:14.550-07:002012-09-27T12:41:14.550-07:00Thanks BG!
That's kind of what we had figured...Thanks BG!<br /><br />That's kind of what we had figured allow anyone being fired at to fire back - I knew there was some sort of allowance for shooting back at someone you couldn't see in the dark (shooting at muzzle flashes, etc.) but couldn't quickly find it and forgot that it was at half normal fire power. We'd also thought of using reaction to bug out or move up... Luckily Christian and Gary didn't bother with resorting to that sort of gamey play, so it didn't really come up.<br /><br />I probably should have had both at D8 - the US troops had recently been beat up in combat the previous week and probably wouldn't have been up to form. The scenarios in the book, however, have the US soldiers being much, MUCH better quality troops - so I decided to go with them being D10 just to see how much of a different one level of TQ would do. I'm guessing it's a fairly significant difference. I'm not sure this game really showed that - the devastating effects of the US fire was more due to Christian's insanely lucky dice rolling (I wonder if that pickelhaube was forged from melted down horseshoes?!) and when Rick rolls nothing but a handful of ones and twos things are going south no matter what dice your opponent is rolling!<br /><br />More OPFOR in 28mm Vietnamese won't be a problem... I have quite a few. <br /><br />Thanks again for your suggestions!timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09928949644765765070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-29098896739705409662012-09-27T12:18:52.028-07:002012-09-27T12:18:52.028-07:00Hey guys - nice report!
my first solution on the...Hey guys - nice report! <br /><br />my first solution on the jungle LOS-problem would be to use the Night-Fighting rules as the problem is very similar - you´re trying to shoot at an enemy you can´t make out clearly. Night fighting rules state that units that are being shot at might fire back even if the enemy is beyond effective LOS (Optimum Range) - they do so with half their normal firepower. <br />Alternately, you could just try to use your reaction to get closer to the US-Troops in order to fire back.<br /><br />Furthermore, for the next session I´d suggest using more OPFOR for the Americans, especially if they are rated 1 TQ higher than their foes. But of course I can see how that poses a problem with your restricted figure pool ;)Black Guardianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03465720906940599076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-8480059413736826192012-09-27T10:02:01.826-07:002012-09-27T10:02:01.826-07:00Thanks!
Originally I thought I might play throug...Thanks! <br /><br />Originally I thought I might play through the campaign... but the Dense Forest turned to a bit trickier than I'd imagined in terms of figuring out LOS, etc. So I may try something else for the next couple games and later return to the campaign. <br /><br />I'd started playing through it a few years back using Savage Worlds but abandoned it after the third game. I can't remember if it was being dissatisfied with how it worked with Savage Worlds or if, as happens all too often, no one can make it for a few weeks and I lose momentum and move on to other things...?timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09928949644765765070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-85222259062237912692012-09-27T09:57:58.683-07:002012-09-27T09:57:58.683-07:00Glad you made it out! I'm hoping a re-read of ...Glad you made it out! I'm hoping a re-read of the rules now that I've actually played it will clear things up... timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09928949644765765070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-28735198319402090232012-09-27T09:56:30.205-07:002012-09-27T09:56:30.205-07:00Thanks Monty! I'm looking forward to playing m...Thanks Monty! I'm looking forward to playing more games!timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09928949644765765070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-11540380722443157322012-09-27T09:46:51.132-07:002012-09-27T09:46:51.132-07:00Great AAR- love the hats too. Are you planning to ...Great AAR- love the hats too. Are you planning to play through the whole campaign?<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Pete.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-455070802009897752012-09-27T08:42:43.539-07:002012-09-27T08:42:43.539-07:00This was fun, and the rules as we played them seem...This was fun, and the rules as we played them seemed to make sense. Regarding the measurement quandry, I would suggest that the team being fired on by an 'unseen' enemy be allowed to fire back, but at a penalty due to not being able to actually see the source of the incoming fire, or with a quality test, move forward to a point where they can establish LOS and fire back. Or, after surviving the fire, retreat. Although it seems that the best way to handle this as the non-initiative player would be to suck up the fire, then move and fire in the non-initiative phase.<br /><br />I love the pickelhaube, but I know it will betray me eventually.Christian Knudsennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9140646711960604590.post-45959189855152031962012-09-27T03:01:40.363-07:002012-09-27T03:01:40.363-07:00I've always liked Ambush Alley and also have F...I've always liked Ambush Alley and also have FoF, which is not quite so solo-friendly IMHO, but a great game nonetheless ;)<br />Look forward to more of your AARs Tim ;)<br />Regards,<br />Monty Montyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06230149195753516430noreply@blogger.com