A second stab at a mini: Round one

I'd been entered into the Street Fighting mini due to a mix up with the booking form - I had no problem with playing in any of them and so was paired up with Jeff Walden.  Jeff was in the Marines for 21 years serving as an infantry man - he listed off the countries he'd been deployed to, and it made an enviable list (assuming there wasn't any hostilities going there) - he certainly has seen the world.

We diced for scenario selection from the 3 on offer, and ended up with Dying For Danzig, one that we'd both played as the Germans before.  To win the Germans must have 1 Good Order squad remaining from around 12 equivalents at the end of the game.  The Russians have pretty much everything going for them except time.  Two flame-throwing tanks, two IS2s (I think), two flame-throwers, a 9-2 leader, and a hatful of 628 and 527 squads.

I got the Germans by random selection, making it my fifth axis side in succession, and set up expecting the worst.

Jeff came on strong on one side which helped me in a way because it gave me a natural corner to drift towards.  I caught 3 squads in the open from the heavy machine gun with the 9-1 directing it, but only broke one squad.  That could have been much worse.  The machine gun fired once more before it broke but then Jeff's approach of parking the flame-throwing tanks behind the wall meant he couldn't utilise the deadly 32FP on  either his advancing fire or my turn.

Jeff, safe with his knowledge of how to kill me
 in 4 different ways with his hands tied behind his back

Continuing my streak of players having some misfortune, he broke the MA of on of the big tanks on a smoke shot and the other went down to low ammo.

I played a game of refusing to drop concealment, opting to skulk back whenever I could.  This took Jeff by surprise and he was very cautious for the first 3 turns.   Suddenly with the last two turns he upped the pace and began to rush my position.  The 88LL gun did its job flaming the two large tanks but smoke from the blazes had done a good job of covering the approach.

Horders of Russians piled in but in the end I had managed to spread too thinly for the Russians to suppress everywhere.

The heavy had been repaired in time to come to the aid of a concealed squad who were hoping to escape any ensuing close combat for the win - and managed to break the adjacent squad.  In the end I had 2 and a half squads available, just doing enough to hold on to the win.

Jeff was a great guy to play against, and Jeff Coyle wandered over to lament the poor showing by the Jeffs.  In truth they were both good players who with a few better dice rolls could have won either scenario.

The semi final against Jason Eickmann awaits...

A new day dawns

Having been reassured that I'd played two of the best players at the tournament I was almost relieved to hear that Tuesday morning's match up in the Mini tournament had me facing an unknown name to me, Wes Vaughn.  The tournament was the house rule special, the use of Steve Pleva's special set of rule tweaks that give an added twist to the game.

Most people have heard about Steve's idea of the Red OBA chit (+1) going back in the draw pile but there are others that give a different flavour to some scenarios that are sometimes a little predictable.

For example, one rule adds the ability for broken units to effectively fire at half fire power, with a +1 drm, as a FPF shot.  Another removes the +2 drm to the CC attack of an AFV in bypass, whilst also allowing a unit to still fire adjacent.  The 3rd rate of fire dice is something that takes some getting used to (Roll a 6, 1, 4 and try to figure out if it's a great shot or awful) but the visual "excitement" of rolling 1,1,1 is hard to beat!

Back to Wes - coming from Arkansas (I had no idea how to spell this one) - he turned out to be a pretty decent player.  His record at last year's tournament was 11 wins to 1 loss (that's three ones I was less happy to see) and certainly knew his stuff.

We played Shopino Struggle, which is a 'From the Cellar' scenario [FT 165] - and features a Russian rush to 3 sets of buildings.  The Germans defend with next to nothing against the 10 squads and 4 T34s but 3 decent tanks come on at the death for the Germans along with 2 more squads to try to save the day.

We both fancied the Germans, so rolled for sides - I won, so we gave Wes the Russian's and balance. 

I'd set up quite far forward, which seemed to split the opinions of the other guys playing the same scenario.  Wes attacked hard and fast, and it seemed to be going his way until my leader snake-eyed a Close Combat against an unsuspecting T34.

We got to the last turn and I think Wes thought he'd lost.  It came down to me having to just run into one final building hex, take out a squad in a wooden building with a Tiger or knock out a squad and a half from another.  My heavy hitting stack were adjacent, ready and waiting.

The prep fire phase was predictably cruel, the squads shrugged off a 20+1, a 16+1 then an 8+1. The Tiger missed its shot and intensive fire shot too.  It was left to the half squad rush, or failing that, close combat.

Wes, smiling inside about that PTC

The half squad rushed, reaching the hex adjacent.  The T34 fired - a PTC. The squad failed, rolling higher than the magical 7 - pinning at the end.  It would come down to the last close combat.

I advanced in, needing a 5 or less - I rolled high and the game was over.

Wes felt he got lucky, and to some extent he did, but he also made his own luck and in truth my leader taking out his T34 early on helped me immensely.

He was a blast to play against, with a good quick playing style and easy going thoughout.

0-3 now, and I'm getting worried.  It was time to focus on some of the finer aspects of the trip - and where better than to do that over a beer and a sandwich!  Before I did, I hooked up with Jeff Coyle.  He's scanned every scenario into his iPad, a man after my own heart - so we took the top scenario off his 'want to play list', Baw Drop.  We diced for sides and I believed I'd got the Japanese, so I said I'd grab a bite to eat whilst Jeff set up the British.

Time ground to a halt as Derek and I waited for lunch, but being polite Englishmen, we didn't complain.  30 minutes later Jeff came across and needed to check whether I was setting up - as he'd thought he'd got the Japanese too.  Who knows?! 20 minutes later (a mere 50 minutes after ordering the BLT) Jeff returned to checked I was actually still around, and to let me know he'd set up, but that it was wrong, so he'd do it again! I felt pretty bad but the timing worked well.  Eventually the BLT arrived, but now it was time to skype Vicki - so I dashed off and made the call.

It wasn't what she was expecting but I brought the laptop up to the gaming room.  The family got the full panoramic view complete with lots of willing greetings from the 70 or so players that were already playing.

Far too long after we decided to play Jeff and I got started.  The scenario features the British defending 7 huts and 5 portable supply drops which can be moved around.

Jeff has an interesting background within the software industry and had spent a lot of time in the Philippines.  He was telling me about the crazy lifestyle one could have out there, with a great story about how a colleague had sent out four married and one single guy on a project out there.  4 came back wanting a divorce and the other married!

Jeff's oversized laminated boards

Back to the scenario, Jeff's dice deserted him from the start whilst I rolled my way through the first few turns to cope with the odd set-back.  I essentially banzai'd my way across the bottom of the map and Jeff's luck continued to be poor.  He gamely carried on until the last turn, when I broke his two remaining stacks on two 2+1 shots.

Jeff wondering why he didn't just roll low

The man could only take so much, despite me buying him a beer to aid the morale and I sensed he was just happy to get the counters back and put this one behind him.

My first scenario win at ASLOK. 1-3 and to get ready for tomorrow's mini, our English contingent took Jeff out to dinner.  I doubt it cheered him up, but once again, it was an enjoyable scenario and Jeff was a good sport throughout.

Evan and the gang, in team colours

I finished the night up by grabbing a couple of copies of Schwerpunkt and Rally point from the Tampa guys (right).  Then I caught up with the ESG guys to grab a couple of copies of the new Design pack.

The room's getting busier, space is getting tighter and the competition is heating up.

On the bright side the Rest of the World beat the USA for the umpteenth year in a row.  No thanks to my 0-2 showing though!

The Cleveland Gambit

A (kind of) funny saying in chess circles, when you lose your opening game in the first a Swiss style Tournament setting is that you're playing the "Swiss Gambit".  This sneaky opening round maneuver assures you of weaker players in your second round (assuming of course that they weren't also playing this cunning gambit) - in the hope that you win the tournament with a 5-1 record.

My opening gambit was based around playing arguably the two strongest players in the convention.  Steve Pleva followed by fellow Grofaz winner, JR Tracy.  Winning either of these games would have been a statement - admittedly probably along the lines of "I'm playing with loaded dice", watch out!

We quickly picked another scenario from the latest Schwerpunkt, SP 202 Fiery Finale.  Steve has suggested that maybe the Germans needed the balance but I decided losing with the Germans withou Steve's recommended balance would give me a ready made excuse and if I lost with the Russians, well, no-one would ever hear about Steve's crazy suggestions...

Rolling for sides I took the 'un-fancied' Germans (you can tell how this is going to go, can't you) who are essentially defending on two fronts, their front and rear.  They have 5 stone building hexes and must hold on to 4 of them with just 5 squads to go around, complimented with 4 Tigers.

With JR set up, I got to set up and move first, and had a great opening turn - essentially destroying his kill-stack and by the second turn 2 of his IS-2 heavy tanks were knocked out.  It got worst for JR as he malfunctioned the last tank and continued to break against the tough exterior of the German defence.

By turn 3 it looked as good as over.  His reinforcements, 4 more tanks and 3 squads were sent on, and here I got lucky with some critical rate of fire shots with the Tigers to knock out 3 T34/85s.  With no Tigers lost and the malf'd IS-2 now recalled it felt good to be on the Blue side. 

JR not yet in his happy place...

JR was a broken man.  He'd had no luck and was pretty much out of options.  His next turn was decisive. Pushing the 57LL AT gun out of the woods (with the help of two squads), then over a wall into the Graveyards on board 3a, he immobilised two tigers, critically forcing the immobilisation bail out of the rear tiger which resulted in an empty tiger pointing towards the rear and adjacent, of my other tiger.

With the Tiger now captured and my panzerschrek also fallen into Russian hands it was now the Eastern forces who were looking stronger.  The psk hit a tiger, the capture tiger hit my other tiger and not once, but twice in succession he rolled boxcars!  Brutal. 

There was still a lot of game left, and JR quickly mopped up the two poor Tigers and the game now came down to the last 4 Close Combat rolls - all of which I was outgunned.  The first, a 9-1 leader managed to CR a full squad, locking him in melee so I now only needed to win one of the next 3.  It sounds closer than it was, but JR did enough to ensure the win by declining the last CC attack to remain concealed to avoid being locked in melee ensuring good order status required for the victory.

A classy victory by a great player.  It was a real pleasure to play both him and Steve. 0-2 for the tournament, but surely they can only get easier...

Oh, and Steve's right - the Germans need that extra squad!

Swimming with the Sharks

So, remember the first scene in Jaws. The little girl, singing the muffin man song.  That's me. The little girl, if I'd had my hair in pony tails and a little one piece swimming outfit I couldn't have been sharked worse.

Bret, the tournament director hooked me up with a keen looking Steve Pleva, who's only won ASLOK 6 times, so he obviously needed to improve his win-loss stats.

2 turns in, I'm the attacking Germans

I went for a paddle and the results were predictable!

We played SP 195 (I don't remember the title - and it's not available yet on the archive - although to be fair the pack's only been out 2 days) - but it's a really nice setup where the French are pulling back with a bunch of tanks and have to exit one and get 7VP worth of squads in a stone building towards the edge they're exiting.

Steve's relief at the win was evident!

Steve showed just how good a player he was by rolling snake eyes on his first two dice rolls.  I could only nod in approval at his technique, and slowly realising where I've gone wrong all these years!

In truth, he didn't need good dice and I certainly had great dice winning every close combat I entered without losing a casualty in CC - but the result was never in question. He played like the expert he is and was an absolute blast to play against.

As we finished up, I was offered a game by Gary Fortenbury who'd smelt blood in the water - unfortunately for him JR Tracy had suggested a game minutes before.  Gary swam back undeterred (he'll get his win!) and we headed out for a bite to eat.

Being the great hosts they are Steve, JR, Jim Bishop took myself and Lars Thurring out to lunch at the local diner.

Check out Jim's number plate...

An Englishman in Newark...

I know I have to adapt.  I know I must be respectful of other cultures.

But really.  Look at this:

This is a cup of tea! It's frothy and the tea-bag won't sink.  It's exactly the type of place my mother warned me about.  The worst thing about it? It was made in the UK! Heathrow airport, in fact. If the Queen could see this now...

To take my mind of this, I passed the time on the flight counting the cliches in the in-flight movie Super 8.  I lost track after "Kids know best", "Misunderstood Alien isn't so bad if you just talk to him nicely", "The Army is not to be trusted", "Dad's don't understand teenagers", "The misunderstood town scoundrel just wanted to say sorry" and "Hippy guys are nice guys but can't be relied on in a crisis" was all it took for me to look for more entertainment.

I passed some more time by counting how many people made it past 10 minutes in 'Tropic Thunder' (none, all 3 switched over after the opening scenes) and then made it through the decent but slow paced 'Gran Torino'.  'Last Night' was all I could cope with- and before I knew it - 9 hours after chewing through that tea, we'd touched down and I was being treated like another suspected criminal entering US customs at Newark with just minutes to spare to catch my connecting flight (the one that will come as a big surprise to NetFlights and their 'Direct Flight Search tool') to Ohio.

At 8pm local time and 1am in her majesty's kingdom, I'd arrived to a cool, wet, dark Cleveland night.  A brief taxi-ride to the hotel, and I'd finally made it!

A Brave New World

Today I head off to Cleveland, Ohio, to ASLOK - the biggest ASL tournament in the world!

When people ask me where I'm going I've tried to explain it as the equivalent of the World Championships of ASL, but that causes a number of problems. Firstly it makes me sound like some kind of national hero - one of only 3 players representing the UK - the second thing I have to do is explain just what ASL is.

My football friends have a vision of me checking in my replica uniform, whilst work colleagues shuffle a little uncomfortably, sometimes staring at their feet before wishing me luck. My parents are over proud - chuffed that I've done so well in something that I'm somehow getting sponsored to do the thing I love. In truth, I'm off to spend a week in an airport hotel playing a cool board game with a bunch of people who every bit as cool as me. Yes, that is kind of an insult to them...

So, what's ahead? A 14 hour flight (cunningly disguised as a non stop flight that if I believed the check in documents will be getting me as far as Newark and no further), then 6 days of gaming, some headaches (lack of sleep/fresh air related) and by all accounts, some good food and times to follow.

I left at 7am, with the family waving me off a little too keenly. To be fair, Alice was a little tearful, but I suppose 7 year old girls can be a bit selfish! :) I heard she cheered up a bit when I gone, I hope the immanent arrival of Grandma and Grandad will cheer her up.

Nearly didn't quite make it, despite my dad's heroic taxi driving service (he got my mum and me to two different airports in two different directions before 9am) only for me to be told I needed to sort out my visa exemption documentation ("Please allow 72 hours for processing" - whoops). I had to do this excercise in form filling online, in-line on my iPhone, which is not easy. A task that was made considerably harder because my w key won't work (I know, it's a touch screen) and nor will the number 2 (he shares the w space on the phone). Now, usually a lack of w's is ok because auto correct will get you out of trouble. Entering my passport number, helpfully with three 2's in it is more difficult. Oh then there's paying via debit card. My middle initial is W and my credit card number has plenty more 2's in there. I owe a debt of gratitude to the good weather. I copied the 2 from our scorching 27 degrees weather from the bbc's weather service. One good thing about global warming!

As I heard yesterday. Greece can have their weather back when they start paying the bills...