PBEM / MBX Wargaming

Broke out Battle Scenario 1 today - Last Ships Out of Manila, 14 March 1930. The scenario proposes that "the Japanese invasion of Luzon caught the US Asiatic Fleet off guard. With most of the ships lost and the Japanese Army ashore in north and central Luzon, it wouldn't be long before Manila fell. In the early morning hours of 14 March the remnants of the US Fleet set sail for the sothern Philippines to await the arrival of the US relief force. The convoy was intercepted by a small but powerful group of Japanese warships. The end was certain, it was only unclear whether any of the American ships would escape. Time Frame: Night (2 Hex Spotting Range) Start…

A poll for guaging what types of multi-player MBX wargames folks prefer or are interested in.

Though the sample size is small, the largely polarized results of the previous poll leads me to another poll. One that further explores the one area where folks seem to have a greater variety of interest. Many of these choices are directly from the Harpoon4 High Tide list. If nothing in the above list suits your fancy, please by all means post your own suggestion.

Brief AAR Scenario Z TRAP AAR Scenario Z (TRAP) Scenario and Map by Nadir Elfarra. The game is a relatively old Avalon Hill wargame called MBT (Main Battle Tank). The was a follow on game called IDF which had the same rule set. A vassal mod has recently been released and the designer has been entertaining a re-release in the near future. Ground scale is 100m per hex. Time is the nebulous 1-5min per turn. Counters depict are individual vehicles/helicopters/aircraft/squads/half squads/weapons teams Scenario here. First Clash Map Modifications: The USMC ground force was changed to 3x Rifle Squad, 1x MG Team, and 1x Team (Assault – SMAW) Opfor Anti …

Seems there are quite a few of these large scale wargames on the rampage these days, e.g. War in 2012, Spring Tiger, Mach 2 Vampires, and the upcoming Splash One Mudhen. I have myself toyed with the idea of running an MBX ever since my involvement with that monster wargame Global Thunder. But the scale of those efforts have been truly massive, daunting, and while I have great respect for the folks who have taken on the job and pulled it off, I don't think I would like to take on something quite that large. I have two efforts in mind, one a bit larger than the other. I also see the merit in running a smaller scale wargame prior to the larger effort, as HG member Si…

This miniatures game is a well supported franchise. I've had and enjoyed FFT2 for some years now. FFT is a fast playing rule set. FFT's one "model" equals 1 platoon. Basing is decided by the user. 1 inch = 100m, or simply 1cm = 100m. Turn is about 12min per turn. A pdf is currently available at the wargamevault and spiral bound and hard cover versions coming to Lulu.

Who would be interested in a multi-player TOAW III game run at Myth-Weavers? It won't be for a while (for a start I've yet to get the game), but I'm looking at a Third World War in Europe style game. This would probably go between David & Goliath and The Sixth Battle; it'd be a shorter scenario of fixed turn length.

For new PBEM game, need commanders for command the following forces: Katasia Orbat Ground Forces Oriental HQ (1 commander): elements 21º Infantry Bde (Formed 1988 UsArmy Mech bde) (1 commander optional) elements 231º Frontier Btl (Formed Inf Btl) (1 commander optional) Naval Forces Navy Mediterranean Fleet (1 commander) 1st Patrol Flotilla (1 commander optional) 2x LCS (1 in use, 1 commander optional) 2nd Patrol Flotilla (1 commander optional) 4x Visby class corvette (2 commander optional) 3rd Sub Flotilla (1 commander optional) 1x S80a Sub (in use) Air Force Oriental HQ (1 commander) Melilla Airport (GEML) (1 optional) 12xF-18C Nador Airport (GMMW) (1 …

World at War: Operation Garbo arrived yesterday. It is an expansion module for World at War: Blood and Bridges, and whose setting is LNLP's fictictious World War III in the Spring of 1985. This module focuses on a Soviet invasion of Sweden. The box comes with two map boards, 176 5/8" counters representing Swedish and Soviet units, six scenarios within a scenario booklet which includes some module spefic rules, and two Player-Aid Cards. One map is somewhat more wooded than the other, which is described to better represent "typical" northern Sweden. As the module has begun to arrive and be inspected, some concerns have been voiced, in particular a "Moving Fire…

I'm a newbie to Harpoon 4 and was looking a small newbie friendly scenario. Anything like this starting up or anyone interested in moderating one?

Well, against my better judgment, if folks are not interested in or otherwise willing to commit to my first, smaller scale wargame idea (detailed in this thread), then I will put forward my other idea for consideration. I am thinking of wargaming the June 1942 Battle of Midway, using the Command at Sea (CaS) rules and other MBX type umpiring efforts. It would also exploit the capabilities of the wonderfully useful CIC Warfare Plotter (shameless plug!). Though I have been toying with this idea for the better part of a year now, it would take a while to get it worked up, and would not likely be available before mid or late 2010. Right now, I'd just like to hear …

A listing of MBXs and CPXs, past, present and future. Completed One Morning in the Hof Gap (3 August 1996) Ruleset: TacOps via IRC Scenario: US battalion versus OPFOR battalion Result: Ran out of time. Game inconclusive. AAR: Here Canadian Collision (11 August 1996) Ruleset: TacOps via IRC Scenario: OPFOR, two T-80U battalions, have to escort a convoy. Canadian forces, a tank regiment have to seize an airbase. Both are going to bump into each other. An interpretation of a scenario from c.1840- the Kriegsspiel days; the very early days of war gaming, where two forces have two entirely unrelated objectives and just happen to be in the sam…

After three months of inactivity and make some minor changes, the triton operation becomes active, you can find the progress report D+0300 of this new shift here:

[This is being run by Ralf Pichocki and was announced this morning on the TacOps mailing list. I post it here for information. I plan to participate. If interested I'll put you into contact with Ralf.] As there is seemingly some interest to do even a small CPX, I'd like to open recruiting fir Saturday, 24th of April 1600 UTC. I will prepare a small company sized scenario for a maximum of three active players per side. Minimum is one player per side, but if there are more applicants than places, we could have a non playing CO on each side. So, all in all, two to eight players are needed. Planning before the game is useful, but not absolut…

Aegean Strike Scenario 2: World War III Southwestern Front was set up last night. Gaming will take place on Wednesday nights. It is a 20 turn scenario, the last one was thirty. Soviets essentially have to sieze the Bosphorous Straits, while NATO has to prevent that. The main NATO belligerents appear to be the Greeks and Turks. The US has one carrier, pitiful ground units, and significant post game start reinforcements by USAF units flown into Italy. I think that I will lobby for the Turks this time around. A couple of army corps, a plethora of assorted aircraft, and side order of naval forces. As the American last game in Gulf Strike, mine was a primarily an air a…

I've mentioned in Shore Leave that I would be using Avalanche Press's USN Plan Orange to do the operational part of their scenarios and use Naval Thunder Battleship Row to game out the tactical parts with a little more granularity. A Naval Thunder turn is about 4 minutes and each inch represents 500 yards. A quick step through this afternoon pitted IJN battleship Nagato vs USS Nevada (BB-36). Nagato's 16.1"/45's out range Nevada's 14"/45's so that at an arbitrary 35" (17,500yds) Nagato is firing at Medium Range (a +1 to hit) whereas Nevada is firing at Long Range (no mod). Nagato also has eight single tube 5"/40's that although can come to bear in this engagemen…

Anyone with TacOps wanting to test a scenario over the TacOps TC/IP function one night this week, let me know. It would be a Custom US Army scenario that I have orders and OOB's for on Map540c (See More Maps folder in TacOps Extras within the TacOps directory). It could be you vs me, or bring a buddy and I'll umpire it. Your inner Creighton Abrams may be calling.

Saludos Caballeros Devido a que estoy disponible para nuevas campañas aeronavales, he decidido crear un nuevo escenario que sera integrado en la campaña en la operacion triton, dicho escenario es un escenario AAW/ASW/ASuW, en dicho caso, se permitira cualquier unidad tipo FFGs, LCSs, FACs o SSKs de cualquier marina de la OTAN, en un numero de 1 unidad en caso de los FFGs, LCSs o SSKs 2x en el caso de las FACs, Hay un maximo de 2 SSKs en este escenario. Todos los buques tendran unos sistemas de armas genericos, exectuando SSMs y torpedos, que seran de un solo tipo, tambien hay que tener en cuenta los helicopteros seran tambien de un solo tipo. Si alguien desea …

Thought it might be useful to guage folks' interest in MBX style wargames generally ...

A three person off-shoot of my current gaming group has begun an attempt to tackle Gulf Strike Scenario 2 which depicts a mid 1980's invasion of Iran. One player is the Soviets, one the Iranians, and me, the other, is the Americans. After close to 30 years (1983), I have finally had an opportunity to set this up and play through a couple of turns with live opponents. We have completed five turns before pausing last night about midnight. The Soviets are advancing, from both sides of the Caspian Sea, toward Tehran agains slowly deteriorating Iranian resistance. US Special Forces have made some effective raids and strike coordination operations against soviet supp…