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#1

Tabletop AARs / Re: Sail and Steam: 1870

Last post by MengJiao - Yesterday at 06:18:00 PM

Historically, the French armored corvette Thetis did some reconnaissance of the German coast during the Franco-Prussian war.  In this Scenario, a fast German Ironclad tries to run down the somewhat sluggish Thetis.  The French Ironclad Ocean (of End of the Samurai fame) intervenes.

In ten minutes of steaming and firing, a few things happen: mostly at ranges of around seven or eight hundred yards, most shots miss.  One French 10-inch rifled breech-loader blows up but one French 10.8-inch shot penetrates the German Ironclad in the main battery amidships.  A big explosion and fire results: a gun battery of 8.2-inch Krupps is wrecked and the armor blown away with significant hull damage and crew suppression.
Which is a surprise, though I guess the 8.2 Krupps was always an ill-fated caliber:

#2

Tabletop AARs / Sail and Steam: 1870

Last post by MengJiao - Yesterday at 06:09:39 PM

Historically, the French armored corvette Thetis did some reconnaissance of the German coast during the Franco-Prussian war.  In this Scenario, a fast German Ironclad tries to run down Thetis.  The French Ironclad Ocean (of End of the Samurai fame) intervenes.  Here are the ship specs ( from the Sail and Steam game):

#3

Digital Gaming AARs / Re: AAR for Second Front

Last post by Uberhaus - May 05, 2024, 01:47:16 PM

Not having much exposure to art, I'm still not comprehending.  I'm your worst pupil.

So, I'll move onto puns:  Don't take everything I say literally. 

That definitely needs even more help.

#4

Digital Gaming AARs / Re: AAR for Second Front

Last post by JasonPratt - May 05, 2024, 12:22:47 PM

Actually, I myself thought the vowels were alliteration, and was complementing you on also getting some assonance with the consonants!

So I was also mixed up.

#5

Digital Gaming AARs / Re: AAR for Second Front

Last post by Uberhaus - May 05, 2024, 08:34:30 AM

"More than just atrocious alliteration on my part, I aaapologise!"

It's also assonance! 

Anyway, I attempted to allocate award-points appropriately, but alas: nothing fit so take my points.

Wow, thanks! 

As to my inability to distinguish poetic devices, you'll just have to bear with my naivety!  So, to demonstrate that one person has learned something from this whole exercise: As to assonance, I won't be an ass and assume that the use of a, e, i, o and u again and again is alliteration; it is assonance.  I will constantly contrive to commit the continuance of consonants classifies as alliteration.

#6

Digital Gaming AARs / Re: AAR for Second Front

Last post by JasonPratt - May 04, 2024, 08:27:13 PM

"More than just atrocious alliteration on my part, I aaapologise!"

It's also assonance! 

Anyway, I attempted to allocate award-points appropriately, but alas: nothing fit so take my points.

#7

Digital Gaming AARs / AAR for Second Front

Last post by Uberhaus - May 04, 2024, 03:33:42 PM

I posted an AAR for Second Front, playing a workshop designer's monthly contest.  It's my first guide, hopefully Second Front players can pick up some tips.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3238701153

#8

Tabletop AARs / More Hastings

Last post by MengJiao - April 07, 2024, 06:17:18 AM

I decided to try some "what-ifs"  so I tried "What if Tostig had Joined his older brother Harold?" plus
"What if the Papacy had sent some mercenaries as well as cash and a banner and a proto-anti-English crusading encyclical?"

It seems the mercenaries would have been enough since here they are chewing through the center of the English array:

#9

Tabletop AARs / Re: Hastings October 14, 1066

Last post by MengJiao - April 04, 2024, 09:10:50 AM

This is the third version of Hastings that I have played over the years and by far the best.

 It's also the only time I've seen Harold capture William.  Things were going pretty well for William.  He was scoring the usual 2:1 in inflicting casualties.  Harold had nearly been killed once, but Gryth, his little brother and probably historically the smartest of the Godwin brothers (Sywein, Harold, Tostig, Leofwine and Gryth) had broken ranks and rushed out to get him back in the shield wall.  Harold was staying out of trouble reassembling his housecarls after repelling Eustace while William was close to killing Gryth when a rare and very lucky bowshot unhorsed him and his crew.  Harold took the risk of charging out with his housecarls and routed Williams unhorsed knights and took William prisoner.
That's one for the history books.
Technically, the Normans and company could still win, but I'm too demoralized to go on.
End of battle.

#10

Tabletop AARs / Hastings October 14, 1066

Last post by MengJiao - April 04, 2024, 07:17:18 AM

This is the third version of Hastings that I have played over the years and by far the best.  It's a very complicated battle.  It went on from mid-morning until well after dark and things looked bad for William once or twice.  One thing that this game brings out that is otherwise not clear is that those supposed moments when Harold's army broke ranks and rushed out after the Bretons or the Norman's or Eustace's forces, were probably coordinated attacks from unengaged parts of the line to stop penetrations on engaged parts of the line.  Those are tricky moments, but given Harold's need to defend a fixed position, probably better than retreating to restore the coherence of the shield wall line.  On the other hand, venturing out of shield wall formation definitely leads to higher losses for both sides and it seems like Harold was probably critically outnumbered in terms of fully equipped troops in chainmail, maybe something like 2000 to 1000 and with say 500 of those out on each side things got worse (say 1500 to 500 when the Anglo-Saxons began to retreat and things collapsed).