http://modernconflictstudiesgroup.createsend.com/t/ViewEmail/i/DB3925FDF3B49AB2
All the games no one else will do on the present day conflicts.
Let's hope the Pentagon buys a few copies. Wasn't it Aegean Strike by Victory Games that they bought up in preparation for involvement in the Arab-Israeli situation at that time?
I don't know if the Pentagon will buy any, but I did. For <$40 that was a no-brainer.
It's got nukes. I'm in!
The counters are lookin good.
Boy, those German divisions look like serious business!
Not that the Russian Guard divisions are anything to sneeze at. Much of the rest of the NATO forces look kind of anemic.
Many of the NATO forces are brigades instead of divisions, it looks like
From reading the game description that's apparently a big part of the game - trying to contrast divisions and brigades to highlight strengths/weaknesses of current doctrine that emphasizes brigades over divisions. The counter mix certainly seems to reflect that.
Quote from: besilarius on January 10, 2016, 08:48:43 AM
http://modernconflictstudiesgroup.createsend.com/t/ViewEmail/i/DB3925FDF3B49AB2
All the games no one else will do on the present day conflicts.
Let's hope the Pentagon buys a few copies. Wasn't it Aegean Strike by Victory Games that they bought up in preparation for involvement in the Arab-Israeli situation at that time?
Jim Dunnigan, author of some 100+ boardgames in case the name does not sound a bell, wrote in his Wargames Handbook the best simulation in hindsight of the First Gulf War was Gulf Strike, by Victory Games. So yes :)
Quote from: Crossroads on January 20, 2016, 01:07:14 AM
Quote from: besilarius on January 10, 2016, 08:48:43 AM
http://modernconflictstudiesgroup.createsend.com/t/ViewEmail/i/DB3925FDF3B49AB2
All the games no one else will do on the present day conflicts.
Let's hope the Pentagon buys a few copies. Wasn't it Aegean Strike by Victory Games that they bought up in preparation for involvement in the Arab-Israeli situation at that time?
Jim Dunnigan, author of some 100+ boardgames in case the name does not sound a bell, wrote in his Wargames Handbook the best simulation in hindsight of the First Gulf War was Gulf Strike, by Victory Games. So yes :)
Interesting. I picked up a copy of Gulf Strike a couple years ago. Should dig it out of the pile.
Quote from: mirth on January 20, 2016, 09:15:26 AM
Quote from: Crossroads on January 20, 2016, 01:07:14 AM
Quote from: besilarius on January 10, 2016, 08:48:43 AM
http://modernconflictstudiesgroup.createsend.com/t/ViewEmail/i/DB3925FDF3B49AB2
All the games no one else will do on the present day conflicts.
Let's hope the Pentagon buys a few copies. Wasn't it Aegean Strike by Victory Games that they bought up in preparation for involvement in the Arab-Israeli situation at that time?
Jim Dunnigan, author of some 100+ boardgames in case the name does not sound a bell, wrote in his Wargames Handbook the best simulation in hindsight of the First Gulf War was Gulf Strike, by Victory Games. So yes :)
Interesting. I picked up a copy of Gulf Strike a couple years ago. Should dig it out of the pile.
I thought I'd check his actual quote, and what he said was actually the opening paragraph for chapter 9, "Wargames at War".
Here goes:
On August 2nd, 1990, as Iraq was invading Kuwait, the high command of the American forces in Washington, DC, swung into action. One of the first things the Pentagon officials did was to wargame out the unfolding situation. All of the Pentagon's computerized wargames were too slow off the mark for this job. So later that day, the first wargame at Pentagon was a commercial one. With all the billions spent on computerized wargames since 1945, America's most efficient military operation in this century was initially planned using a game (Gulf Strike) that could be bought by anyone in most hobby stores for under fifty dollars. O0
Quote from: panzerde on January 10, 2016, 12:30:58 PM
I don't know if the Pentagon will buy any, but I did. For <$40 that was a no-brainer.
+1 :)
Quote from: Crossroads on January 20, 2016, 01:03:33 PM
Quote from: mirth on January 20, 2016, 09:15:26 AM
Quote from: Crossroads on January 20, 2016, 01:07:14 AM
Quote from: besilarius on January 10, 2016, 08:48:43 AM
http://modernconflictstudiesgroup.createsend.com/t/ViewEmail/i/DB3925FDF3B49AB2 (http://modernconflictstudiesgroup.createsend.com/t/ViewEmail/i/DB3925FDF3B49AB2)
All the games no one else will do on the present day conflicts.
Let's hope the Pentagon buys a few copies. Wasn't it Aegean Strike by Victory Games that they bought up in preparation for involvement in the Arab-Israeli situation at that time?
Jim Dunnigan, author of some 100+ boardgames in case the name does not sound a bell, wrote in his Wargames Handbook the best simulation in hindsight of the First Gulf War was Gulf Strike, by Victory Games. So yes :)
Interesting. I picked up a copy of Gulf Strike a couple years ago. Should dig it out of the pile.
I thought I'd check his actual quote, and what he said was actually the opening paragraph for chapter 9, "Wargames at War".
Here goes:
On August 2nd, 1990, as Iraq was invading Kuwait, the high command of the American forces in Washington, DC, swung into action. One of the first things the Pentagon officials did was to wargame out the unfolding situation. All of the Pentagon's computerized wargames were too slow off the mark for this job. So later that day, the first wargame at Pentagon was a commercial one. With all the billions spent on computerized wargames since 1945, America's most efficient military operation in this century was initially planned using a game (Gulf Strike) that could be bought by anyone in most hobby stores for under fifty dollars.
O0
Awesome. Thanks for posting that. O0
Pretty cool. You could not make that up O0
Will Putin buy this?
Quote from: jomni on January 21, 2016, 12:36:53 AM
Will Putin buy this?
Maybe the historians one day can reveal
the strike was only cancelled at the very last minute due to that pesky Polish Mech Bde near Kaliningrad not budging? :knuppel2:
https://paxsims.wordpress.com/2016/01/29/rand-wargaming-the-defense-of-the-baltics/
Looks like the Baltics have no chance with present NATO arrangements.
Quote from: besilarius on January 30, 2016, 12:11:52 PM
https://paxsims.wordpress.com/2016/01/29/rand-wargaming-the-defense-of-the-baltics/ (https://paxsims.wordpress.com/2016/01/29/rand-wargaming-the-defense-of-the-baltics/)
Looks like the Baltics have no chance with present NATO arrangements.
GMTA. I was just mulling this RAND study in the context of this game. This isn't the first time I've heard that NATO in the Baltics would be overmatched based on current deployments.
That's not new - there was a big discussion of that about this time last year. We even covered it on The GrogCast when Airborne Rifles was on.
http://grogheads.com/?podcast=grogcast-season-2-episode-3
Quote from: bayonetbrant on January 30, 2016, 01:08:52 PM
That's not new - there was a big discussion of that about this time last year. We even covered it on The GrogCast when Airborne Rifles was on.
http://grogheads.com/?podcast=grogcast-season-2-episode-3 (http://grogheads.com/?podcast=grogcast-season-2-episode-3)
Yeah, I remember when it first came out. Not sure why it's all over the place again this morning, but it did make me think about this particular game when I started seeing it.
Speaking within concept of Putin Strikes, it is too bad the game map pretty much stops by the shores of the Baltic Sea, instead of covering areas of Sweden and Finland as in the map in the article linked above:
(https://paxsims.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/randbaltics.png?w=630)
Of course, by its own admission Putin Strikes covers only the beginning phase of such an all out attack, but in doing that it misses on the exact reinforcement schemes that would likely take place.
I've read about plans to store heavy military equipment in Estonia, Latvia and Lituania, but yet it is obvious with Belarus likely being available to Russia from the word go any reinforcement would need to cross the Baltics from Germany Denmark and Sweden, likely.
Then, it becomes obvious how important the Baltic islands of Gotlands (Swe), Saaremaa and Hiiumaa (Est) and Aland (Fin) would be for any effort to isolate the Baltic states. Secure those islands, equip them with modern S400 etc missile systems, and the marine route is effectively cut. Add to that the availability of modern surface-to-air missile systems in Kaliningrad and Belarus too, and the NATO air superiority advantage is effectively compromised.
Also, Putin Strikes includes Swedish and Finnish counters, but looking at that map again it would be obvious they'd not be deployed in Baltics, but would be busy securing their own areas, including the said islands.
So any news on the game the article talks about? Would be on my games-to-buy list in no time :knuppel2:
Quote from: bayonetbrant on January 30, 2016, 01:08:52 PM
That's not new - there was a big discussion of that about this time last year. We even covered it on The GrogCast when Airborne Rifles was on.
http://grogheads.com/?podcast=grogcast-season-2-episode-3
Just listened this through O0
From the article:
Quote
They also note that "full documentation of the gaming platform will be forth-coming in a subsequent report." We'll look forward to reading more.
So it sounds like you could put it together on your own from that once it's released. For the most part it sounds like a pretty traditional game. Might be interesting to do something similar in TOAW IV when it's released.
Quote from: panzerde on January 31, 2016, 11:40:44 AM
From the article:
Quote
They also note that "full documentation of the gaming platform will be forth-coming in a subsequent report." We'll look forward to reading more.
So it sounds like you could put it together on your own from that once it's released. For the most part it sounds like a pretty traditional game. Might be interesting to do something similar in TOAW IV when it's released.
Oh yes please!
Emailed them to ask about their ETA:
QuoteGame has a few things to do before press. Best estimate for shipping, 3 quarter this year.
Well, I guess it's time to break out good old Battlefield Europe and play that for a few months while I'm waiting...
Well, it seems they read my mind about extending the game North of Gulf of Finland. Another game in the making, preorder being considered :smitten:
Putin's Northern War: The Struggle for Finland (http://ossgamescart.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=91)
PRE-ORDER price: $34.95
Projected MSRP: $49.95
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fossgamescart.com%2Fimages%2FPNWCover.jpg&hash=9eff082206a613f59b09df29e82d0100cb6f4c30)
Game Design: Ty Bomba
The crisis being modeled here, though not much discussed (yet), will certainly come into being if the drift of the two "neutral" Scandinavian nations toward NATO membership continues. That would, in turn, most likely occur if--probably in reaction to the growing Muslim immigration crisis there--a conservative government came to power in Sweden. Part of that altered worldview in Stockholm would then likely also move that government to want to join the Western alliance. Since the Finns are already allied with Sweden (and Denmark), it's hard not to imagine such a shift wouldn't also pull Helsinki in the same direction.
All of which would be unacceptable to Putin. His goal here would therefore be to bring off a quick and victorious blitzkrieg-like campaign against Finland, while probably also seizing the low-hanging geo-strategic fruit of Sweden's Gotland Island. That would allow him to install a fully subservient government in Helsinki, turn the Baltic Sea into a Russian lake, and simultaneously recast Sweden into Finland's former role: a quiet and pliant neutral. This game can be played as a stand-alone, or it can be used as part of a new "Grand Campaign Scenario" for combined play with its parent game, Putin Strikes.
This is a wargame in which solitaire play is possible, but is more usually played with two, whereby one (the "Russian player") commands the Kremlin's forces and the other (the "Allied player") commands the Finnish-Swedish alliance opposed to him.
This isn't a simulation of the "opaque (a.k.a. gray) war" techniques most recently used by the Russians in the Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Rather, it's designed to facilitate the examination of the strategic possibilities (along with their operational undertones) inherent in this potentially larger and more drastic situation.
Each turn of play equals half a week of real time. Each hexagon on the map represents 20 miles (32.5 km) from side to opposite side.
The Finns and Swedes have their entire combined ground force in the Allied side's OB. The Russians would be looking to wage and win this campaign as quickly as possible, but without logistically and administratively disrupting their entire ground force. Accordingly, they are given everything normally available in their Western Military District reinforced with all the new offensive-oriented units they've lately been creating. That includes almost all of their special operations branch, the expanding list of new heavy divisions, and the ultra-elite Order of Suvorov & Kutuzov Heavy Sapper Brigade. The system in this design is the Big And Dumb Armies Simulation System (BADASS). It's based around the idea large First World armies almost always begin major wars well trained and fully equipped. Unfortunately for those in their frontline units, both the training and equipment usually only make them ready for the previous war, not the one they're about to fight. Beyond that, the initial period of such wars is characterized by only a partially abandoned peacetime psychology among the officers and enlisted. That is, no one as yet appreciates what it means operatively to be in an all-out war. All that comes together to give overall performance a high-risk, volatile and fragile quality: no one as yet knows what's actually possible or wise to try to accomplish. Seemingly powerful units therefore easily become "disrupted"--especially as gauged in relation to similar units' performances later, after everyone's been thoroughly schooled in the art of war as it exists in the present.
The system therefore doesn't play--when looked at on a step by step basis--in a way common to operational-level simulations. The whole thing has a Go like quality to it. That commander will succeed best who--rather than reacting to or launching operations opportunistically one at a time--plans his campaign and then campaigns on that plan. Of course, it's also true no plan survives first contact with the enemy. So, even as you plan, you must do so while leaving within your scheme of operation at least some capacity for opportunism. Strategy is not simple; it is complex.
In this system we also explore the philosophic backlash that seems to be building throughout First World militaries in regard to the increasing organizational dominance of brigades over divisions. That is, even as the former have increasingly come to be the unit-of-choice for deployment at both operational and strategic levels, there's growing concern brigades may be too large to employ the dexterity needed in counterinsurgency operations while being too small to hold up for long in any force-on-force shootouts between First World opponents. Hence the contrasting characteristics generated by the differences in size between brigades and divisions are highlighted here.
Projected Contents:
- One 22x34" game map
- One half-sheet of die-cut, mounted, full-color playing pieces
- One book of rules
- Dice
- Game Box
We haven't had active SAAB Draken's since mid 1990's, so not sure what's going on there... :D
Meanwhile:
Putin Strikes: The Coming War for Eastern Europe (http://ossgamescart.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=80)
$54.95 Pre-order pricing has ended for this item. This game is now at press and should ship in the July/August time-frame.
Saw that yesterday. They sent me a discount code and I was tempted to order the new game, but I really would like to try Putin Strikes before I buy anything more...
Quote from: panzerde on June 26, 2016, 11:22:53 AM
Saw that yesterday. They sent me a discount code and I was tempted to order the new game, but I really would like to try Putin Strikes before I buy anything more...
That's the responsible, adult approach to this of course. I was not able to resist though... sent the preorder. Maybe we can try Putin Strikes over Vassal, once it arrives?
In another event, I made a mess of the FPC PBEM++ game set up that was waiting (email sent about that earlier today) :(
Back to the original topic. Would be cool if games and mapboards could be joined into one large map, but it's likely the games will be using a different scale. Putin Strikes is about Brigades and Divisions, and the map covers the area bw Black Sea and Gulf of Finland. Not likely Northern War will be done in such grand scale.
Quote from: Crossroads on June 26, 2016, 12:26:33 PM
Back to the original topic. Would be cool if games and mapboards could be joined into one large map, but it's likely the games will be using a different scale. Putin Strikes is about Brigades and Divisions, and the map covers the area bw Black Sea and Gulf of Finland. Not likely Northern War will be done in such grand scale.
I don't know - after reading the description, it sounds like they're at the same scale. They also specifically state it can be combined with Putin Strikes in a Grand Campaign scenario. Hopefully there'll be a Vassal mod and we can try it out!
That's right, both games are with half week turns and 20mi hexes. There's no pictures of maps nor counters for Northern War yet, but yeah the signs are there they're compatible.
We'll find out I am sure.
At least they spelled Lviv correctly.
Quote from: Crossroads on June 26, 2016, 11:15:07 AM
We haven't had active SAAB Draken's since mid 1990's, so not sure what's going on there... :D
Box cover art mock-up now updated to include a F/A-18 instead ;)
Quote from: panzerde on June 26, 2016, 02:37:24 PM
Quote from: Crossroads on June 26, 2016, 12:26:33 PM
Back to the original topic. Would be cool if games and mapboards could be joined into one large map, but it's likely the games will be using a different scale. Putin Strikes is about Brigades and Divisions, and the map covers the area bw Black Sea and Gulf of Finland. Not likely Northern War will be done in such grand scale.
I don't know - after reading the description, it sounds like they're at the same scale. They also specifically state it can be combined with Putin Strikes in a Grand Campaign scenario. Hopefully there'll be a Vassal mod and we can try it out!
I asked them about this: What you wrote confirmed! :smitten:
Quote from: Crossroads on June 27, 2016, 06:15:40 AM
I asked them about this: What you wrote confirmed! :smitten:
Excellent news!
Now to wait for the game to actually come out. Is it 2017 already? :buck2:
QuoteThe press proofs for Putin Strikes arrived a while back and after examination, were approved. This means that the game should hit the ocean for our shores very shortly if it hasn't already. Below are some photos of the game.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi4.createsend1.com%2Fei%2Fi%2FF0%2FA3B%2F6C8%2Fcsimport%2FDSCN7492.073905.JPG&hash=dbabfc210b0edda235ca059ecf142a8949f63e9b)
News Update from One Small Step (http://modernconflictstudiesgroup.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/i/19F59281492A092E/F9D3C65B735F46C36E6039C17E42EE19)
Saw that this morning. Looks like we'll have it soon!
Quote from: panzerde on July 23, 2016, 11:30:39 AM
Saw that this morning. Looks like we'll have it soon!
Have you ever tried NATO Nukes & Nazis? I am wondering what's the ruleset complexity. This seems to be of similar scale, or that's at least the impression I've got.
No, haven't tried it. Seems interesting, but not one I've grabbed yet.
Seems the game has missed its shipping date a bit, but it's finally coming out it seems:
OSS Newsletter (http://modernconflictstudiesgroup.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/i/E3CF3D170D33BAE8/2086A7AEC1A482FB148F9D201EEB5695)
QuotePutin Strikes Due to Arrive Any Time
Putin Strikes is due to arrive at our fulfillment house any day. Once it arrives we will start charging orders and shipping.
Finally! (http://modernconflictstudiesgroup.cmail2.com/t/ViewEmail/i/A8079A69F5022D9B/EE6D06B6DB30B6B8C68C6A341B5D209E) Well it missed its original date only by a month, but you know what they say about waiting. No, for the USPS to do it stuff, and quickly :))
Putin Strikes Manual available on-line (http://ossgamescart.com/download/PutinStrikesRulesv3.pdf) Downloaded it just a while ago, too early to comment on this yet :smiley6600:
So, have any of you actually got to play Putin Strikes yet. If so how is.
I'm wanting to get back into board wargaming. Growing up in the 80's I liked Gulf Strike and World War 3 games, and would like to find some games dealing with modern issues.
Still sitting here, unpunched. Too much else in front of it!
It looks good, and a quick glance at the rules suggests that it will be a quick game to learn. The most interesting part I've seen so far is the two large areas on the map that are already marked as nuke contaminated! Nothing like fighting in the vicinity of Chernobyl.
Quote from: Crossroads on September 28, 2016, 12:22:10 PM
Putin Strikes Manual available on-line (http://ossgamescart.com/download/PutinStrikesRulesv3.pdf) Downloaded it just a while ago, too early to comment on this yet :smiley6600:
Nice. Some interesting design decisions.
Quote from: panzerde on October 24, 2016, 04:37:46 PM
Still sitting here, unpunched. Too much else in front of it!
It looks good, and a quick glance at the rules suggests that it will be a quick game to learn. The most interesting part I've seen so far is the two large areas on the map that are already marked as nuke contaminated! Nothing like fighting in the vicinity of Chernobyl.
While I've famously unpunched it and tidied it up with those Oregon Lam marvel makers, I've not yet had the time to actually play it. We've got one more Blood and Bridges scenario queued up at the club, then one Nations at War / Airborne scenario. After that I'd sure like to give this a go.
Seems reasonably simple and fast flowing, perfect for those three hour Thursday club sessions. What intrigued me was the concept all units become disrupted after action, to resemble the "first month of war" effect on untried troops who're otherwise armed to their teeth.
Putin Strikes has been sitting at my front door all day and nobody told me. Dang kids...
Wife is asking for Christmas gift ideas for me. I'm going to put this on the list. Is the best place to purchase from oss site or is there a better place to purchase.
Finally found the time to have a first go at the game. Instead of playing the full game, I just decided I'd have a little test game with Invasion of the Baltic states as the objective.
So I set a couple of home rules for this small scale solo.
Baltic states with their organic units, and to make for the Bn sized forces now about to be deployed to each nation, I gave them the weakest NATO Bdes each instead, to even up things. I gave them six Airpower chits, but decided that only three of those would be available for first turn.
For Putin's forces, I alloted them two full Guards Tanks Divisions (the only two Div chits in the game), three Air movable Bdes per Baltic nation to invade, and finally, three regular Mech Bdes per Baltic country they face, for a total of 2 Divisions and 18 Bdes. I gave them five Airpower chits, for an initial air superiority over the map.
The rule set is relatively simple, here's some key points.
- Stacking limit is two divisions per hex, three brigades counting as one division for stacking purposes.
- Movement factor is not on the chits, each unit has a 6 MP in their use. River crossing, Forests take 2MPs.
- Combat Results Table depicts losses as Bdes, for instance a 1/2 result is attacker losing one Bde step and defender two.
- All attacking units are Dispersed/Disrupted after fighting, making for some interesting counter attack options.
Here's the setup. I kept the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian units at their home soil, while deploying the NATO Bdes in a manner they could fight together as one stronger Battlegroup if so decided.
Russians are deployed so the other Guards Tank Division attacks from Pskov, another from Belarus having traveled from Smolenks. Otherwise I try to keep my options open.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgrogheads.com%2Fforums%2Findex.php%3Faction%3Ddlattach%3Btopic%3D15862.0%3Battach%3D8904%3Bimage&hash=809d855efbc0a4e04777ab9d02472eaf24bd4b34)
Turn 1 sees the Red Horde invading (well, they do have red chits!), with the first objective a quick annexation of Lithuania.
First, a 2x6d roll for air superiority. Advantage Russia, so they place their Airpower chits first. (They should have been off the map in the setup, actually).
In Latvia, the three Air Assault Brigades land to the middle of the country, to secure a perimeter for the advancing forces who first need to take Vilnius. Two Airpower chits support the attack on Vilnius, any surplus Airpower moves the CRT one col left (and never any more), so I could have done with one Airpower here, and sent another one to Latvian coast to support the destructions of the Latvian Bdes there.
In Estonia, I decide to stay behind Narva river, and wait for my Guards Tank to storm their way north first.
[spoiler=Turn One - Movement](https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgrogheads.com%2Fforums%2Findex.php%3Faction%3Ddlattach%3Btopic%3D15862.0%3Battach%3D8894%3Bimage&hash=63814aeddd421d489b22c39d36a9c9721203aead)[/spoiler]
Turn 1 Russian phase done, with Vilnius holding on (cities have an organic Garrison force with a DF of six, and cities shift CRT colums two cols to the left. There's the river too, one col shift, so Russian Airpower only shifts one col to the right against three defensive col shits. A 3:1 attack becomes 1:1 attack. A lucky die roll with 1/1 result. (The remaining defending Lithuanian unit uncorrectly dispersed, only attacking units Disrupt).
One of the peculiarities of the rule set is that any destroyed units get a chance to re-enter the game, except when a casualty to Nukes. I did not allow re-entries here as I wanted to see what the units in play can achieve.
There's a clear opportunity for NATO forces to counterattack in the Latvian plains. Trying that during NATO turn!
[spoiler=Turn One - Russians Attack!](https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgrogheads.com%2Fforums%2Findex.php%3Faction%3Ddlattach%3Btopic%3D15862.0%3Battach%3D8896%3Bimage&hash=dc6adfbc3636a19a0e03b8dc56199c7b1eb31153)[/spoiler]
Turn 1 NATO phase sees the counter attack in Latvia succeeding with 2:1 odds and a 1/2 results. The stack consisting of two Russian Air assault Bdes is wiped out, while I choose the weakest attacking unit, a NATO Bde, to become casualties. (There's a penalty for units from different nations when attacking together, but I didn't use it here.)
Situation in Estonia is worrying, I move my NATO and Estonian Bde together, and bring an Airpower chit to defend them. NATO's only got three Airpower chits at this stage.
The picture is taken during Turn 1 Administrative Phase, where all Disrupted units recover for next turn action.
[spoiler=Turn One - NATO Counterattacks!](https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgrogheads.com%2Fforums%2Findex.php%3Faction%3Ddlattach%3Btopic%3D15862.0%3Battach%3D8898%3Bimage&hash=be45e706676eb44c174729333bc01a25354b6a02)[/spoiler]
At the end of Turn 3, Lithuania falls, and the invading forces in Vilnius can consider their options for the remainign three turns (I gave Russians just six turns for this scenario, instead of the 8 turns the full game allows for).
In Latvia, the two Latvian Bdes securing the coastline for later NATO reinforcements were wiped out, but as a result of two 1/1 CRT results the two attacking Russian Air assault Bdes.
In Estonia, the NATO Bde together with the Estonian Mech Bde were casualties for the invading forces, but at least were able to destroy one Russian Mech Bde, while the Guards Tank Division considers its options. Time is running out, so leaving Estonia to be, the remaining Russian forces decide to go all out to take Riga, and annex Latvia as the minimum goal for the game.
[spoiler=Turn Three - Lithuania Falls!](https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgrogheads.com%2Fforums%2Findex.php%3Faction%3Ddlattach%3Btopic%3D15862.0%3Battach%3D8900%3Bimage&hash=9e26cc539103355eda10ebfe412eb21e596c89b2)[/spoiler]
Turn four saw the Russians deploying around Riga, and they were left with two turns to take the city. As defending a city, with an organic DF of six, the remaining Latvian, Lithuanian and NATO forces held on. Turn five resulted in a 1/1 combat results, and for the final Turn Six Russians would have needed a roll of 5 or 6 for a 1/2 results, and entering the city.
A roll of 2 for the final turn was well depicting the lowering Russian morale, and with a result of 0/1 one more Russian Mech Bde became casualties. Time having ran out, Latvia held, more pressure was put on Putin, and my little test game ended in a most satisfying result for the defending forces there.
[spoiler=Turn Six - Latvia and Estonia Survive to fight an another day!](https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgrogheads.com%2Fforums%2Findex.php%3Faction%3Ddlattach%3Btopic%3D15862.0%3Battach%3D8902%3Bimage&hash=bfd602edd66bbf3984a7796c106bfdedb459adfb)[/spoiler]
Final thoughts: Well that was fun. I need to read the rules over a couple of times, playing a solo game is always difficult with one pair of eyes on the rules only. Regardless, Putin Strikes! was the fast moving fun battle I assumed it to be.
And, I need to find a piece of plexi glass that fits my office desk as well, for those days the kitchen table is out of reach >:(
For the little test game, having two additional NATO Bdes on map saved the day. With organic Baltic units alone, and the one NATO Bde supporting it, this would have seen at least Latvia falling as well. Of course, the attacking Russian formations were not based on any real situation either, so fun little test battle it was.
Next, I will need to take the game to our wargaming club one of these Thursdays. The game plays fast, and even a full battle is not that counter intensive, as this picture from BGG PS forums portrays:
[spoiler=Full Set-up as seen in a BGG Screenshot](https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic3197143_lg.jpg)[/spoiler]
Well done One Small Step Games, recommended action. Now bring the sequel (Struggle For Finland) out now so we can join the maps! :smitten:
The other week we played a tentative practice session with Tinkershuffle before commencing with a full game. As with my solo session, a Baltic scenarios loosely based on the RAND article. The main difference here is RAND played their wargame with Bn sized counters, what we had here was Bdes and Divs, so less counters, which of course was nice as we're still getting our feet wet with this one.
Havind done the solo session, and having read the single review at BGG, a negative at that (Putin Strikes Out (https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1694962/putin-strikes-out)) , I was a bit concerned playing a live opponent this time.
My first concern was the fact the units can either move (six to twelve hexes per turn), or fight, not both. Felt a bit strange as turns indeed are half weeks. But for pure game playing feel, forgetting the time scale, it worked quite nicely actually. Very dynamic gameplay, as counters are moved one stack at a time, per side. Quite easy to make change of plans on a fly, to follow a new opportunity, or what not. A bit like checkers, where you have a plan at the back of your head, and once you sneak that final chit in, all sorts of things cascade in all of a sudden.
The other concern was the Air rules, but it worked quite nicely too. Unlike in my solo play where I misinterpreted the rule, either side gets a full air control per turn, while the other one sits out. Not fun to sit there, taking it all in. Here we agreed on a small house rule, where the attacker (ie Russia) always gets the air supremacy for the first turn. I played the Russians, did not get air supremacy for the first turn, nor the next, ... ah it all went a bit fubar after that. Which is fun of course. So no worries there either.
The one concern I share with the review is that City Garrisons are too strong at 6 defensive points. With the combat modifier one gets from being in a city, it really slows the attacker down, forcing them to fight a war of attrition at every single city hex. So for the full game, maybe a house rule where garrisons are 3 at defense, not 6.
A fun, quick play. Not a simulation, that's for sure, but a fun, moderately easy game regardless.
I have preordered the sequel, "Struggle for Finland", here's hoping it arrives soon!
What else. Oh, we did not use the optional rule for electronic warfare for our game. Maybe next time.
As a summary: if you're looking for a realistic simulation of contemporary battle field, this game ain't it. On the other hand, if you're after a good looking, easy game with a modern theme, this might be worth a closer look. The lack of any scenarios is a minus. Quite easy to make one, though, with not that many different counters in the mix.
For some reason I can't upload pictures at the moment, time out after time out. Maybe later Edit: managed to upload the files
in case you needed a laugh
[yt]https://youtu.be/YzKhz_p4Xo4[/yt]
I couldn't watch any more after she started peppering the game board with Putin pieces. Did they decide the square chits needed to have their corners clipped to fit the hexes better? -- and if so, was there a sped-up montage of that happening?
That's probably the most time Ben's ever spent with a real, live woman. :buck2:
Quote from: bayonetbrant on July 31, 2017, 04:00:14 PM
in case you needed a laugh
[yt]https://youtu.be/YzKhz_p4Xo4[/yt]
I stopped after she started attacking the box with those knives! :hide:
Can't wait for her review of Next War: Poland.
She's kinda hot O0
Classic Russian Honey Trap
Quote from: mirth on August 01, 2017, 08:04:14 AM
Can't wait for her review of Next War: Poland.
Mitch Land (the designer) is thinking of sending her a copy.
Quote from: JasonPratt on July 31, 2017, 04:12:03 PM
I couldn't watch any more after she started peppering the game board with Putin pieces. Did they decide the square chits needed to have their corners clipped to fit the hexes better? -- and if so, was there a sped-up montage of that happening?
How she knifed that box did it for me ???
Quote from: Pinetree on August 01, 2017, 09:22:29 AM
Quote from: mirth on August 01, 2017, 08:04:14 AM
Can't wait for her review of Next War: Poland.
Mitch Land (the designer) is thinking of sending her a copy.
Bollox. Send me a copy!
So, have any of you guys played this yet.
Quote from: OJsDad on October 30, 2017, 09:17:13 AM
So, have any of you guys played this yet.
I know some people that are LARP'ing it. Does that count? ;D
Maybe, if i knew what I knew what LARPing was.
Live Action Role Playing
Quote from: OJsDad on October 30, 2017, 09:17:13 AM
So, have any of you guys played this yet.
Yes, I've played it a couple of times, not the full shebang but rather a Baltic scenario we came up based on the RAND article from a couple of years back.
Quote from: mirth on October 30, 2017, 12:45:34 PM
Quote from: bbmike on October 30, 2017, 11:32:57 AM
Live Action Role Playing
aka NerdFest
Where can I get in on this nerdfest? :crazy2:
(https://i.imgur.com/CH3crpu.jpg?1)
^My guess is that is either a Cosplayer or a model, not a LARPer. ::)
A nerd can dream :dreamer:
Wow. That video was awful on so many levels.
The follow-up games seem to finally be nearing becoming general availability. From their newsletter:
QuotePutin's Northern War and If Dragons Fight Update
We had hoped to have photos and possibly an unboxing video of the press samples for Putin's Northern War and If Dragons Fight, but unfortunately the printer now says they won't be here until the first week in November. We will send out an update once they arrive with photos of the gaming goodness.
Quote from: Crossroads on November 02, 2017, 02:24:40 PM
The follow-up games seem to finally be nearing becoming general availability. From their newsletter:
QuotePutin's Northern War and If Dragons Fight Update
We had hoped to have photos and possibly an unboxing video of the press samples for Putin's Northern War and If Dragons Fight, but unfortunately the printer now says they won't be here until the first week in November. We will send out an update once they arrive with photos of the gaming goodness.
These games are finally out from the printer. Here's a shot of
Putin's Northern War.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgrogheads.com%2Fforums%2Findex.php%3Faction%3Ddlattach%3Btopic%3D15862.0%3Battach%3D11968%3Bimage&hash=2a2f34b4b499e8d8ec8f142ac7be4ffcb3d28f57)
Eternal optimist that I am, I am hoping the rules would work better in these maps, which cover a smaller area in a 50% zoom-in mode compared to Putin Strikes.
Also, and maybe it is just me, it bothered me a bit with Putin Strikes how resilient any city garrisons were. That model should be a better match for Finland's total defence concept.
Not long to wait anymore, I hope!
Struggle for Finland finally shipping, according to OSS newsletter :bd:
Will be interesting how the system works on this smaller scale, half-a-week turns, 20km hexes, with mostly just Finland on the map.
I was not fully sold on Putin Strikes, and how the "Big And Dumb Armies Simulation System (BADASS)" rules worked there, especially as Cities as objectives were garrisoned in a simplistic rule I particularly did not like. This could be better as here it would make more sense.
Any idea how this system compares to GMT's Next War series?
Quote from: ArizonaTank on February 20, 2018, 01:22:02 AM
Any idea how this system compares to GMT's Next War series?
The "BADASS" rules are simpler, Putin Strikes rulebook is 12 pages, and while I don't have any Next War series titles (yet), I've read their rulebooks a while ago. Next War rulebook with Standard rules is a 20 pager, and with Advanced rules double that, so that tells a lot.
There's the good in BADASS playing mechanism, the pet peeve is the VP calculation basics which is based on ownership of cities, so territorial conquest is the key to your victory. At the same time, I dislike the City Garrison base rule in BADASS, where each city has a "garrison" that is quite powerful. That don't feel right at all with Putin Strikes, but then again, it is the one thing that doesn't work for me, so you can make a house rule that these "garrisons" (I don't like the concept in modern war) have half or even one third of the strength they do. Then you'd need to actually defend a city with an actual fighting formation. As it is now, you get bogged down basically taking almost any city.
So, I believe Ty Bomba created BADASS with a design principle of making the rules as simple as possible, but not any simpler than that, but he might have gone a step too far on the process. It could use with some tiny tweaks here, imho.
That said, interesting to see how BADASS works in Putin's Northern War, with its smaller scale, and Finnish "total defence" concept actually not that dissimilar to having a defending force in all build up areas.
I think the BADASS concept is less that the city has a true "garrison" than it is "the locals will firmly resist the occupation of the city by an outside force" and so you can't really move your unit into the city until you've really brought it to heel.
Quote from: bayonetbrant on February 20, 2018, 06:04:30 AM
I think the BADASS concept is less that the city has a true "garrison" than it is "the locals will firmly resist the occupation of the city by an outside force" and so you can't really move your unit into the city until you've really brought it to heel.
True, and I put "garrisons" to quotation marks as well. As said, i just don't like it myself, I don't buy the concept that the locals would "resist" the contemporary mech formations, from one city to the next one, rinse and repeat.
I mean, resist with what? Unless they are trained (to a certain extent at least) and equipped (to a certain extent at least) to do so. Conscription that was common still in the Cold War era doesn't much exist anymore.
Just my personal view to "garrisons", I am sure this is an item where YMMV :)