Holien

I would say steady and methodical progress. Just waiting to get whacked by your massed AT guns and armour that will appear in my rear. Lets see if my truck towed guns can get past that MKIV H

How did players feel about the system of trying to match the players against one another? It should have provided more even matches than random grouping. It also meant that some players avoided playing one another, and others played one another several times. How do you feel about that? Did it make a difference? Did it work for you? H

The PSW's in that last scenario if handled right were lethal. Of course it only counts if you ID correctly the target and are not scared off something saying it is a T34. The key to that last game is keeping some PBI in front of the tanks / armour. If you don't have them around you will die quickly as the spotting is pretty poor in those conditions. Some spectacular explosions as the flame tanks hit home. The command delays are a pain in the bum for the Soviets and you have to work carefully with that else the Germans will run rings around you. I think the last game seemed the most balanced and certainly had me on edge every turn, right upto the end. The first scenario had a great map and a great look and feel to it. I really enjoyed play testing that one. The second game is a real test of defence with not a lot and if you get it wrong the game will not play well for the defender. A great challenge for players. The third game gives the Soviets a chance to try their assualt tactics and see how they can fair against a light German force. I really enjoy playing low tech battles and I think it makes a great change from some of the late war games. Cheers H

AND THE FINAL RESULTS ARE.... Allied Player...>Points....>Allied %...>Allied Pts Neutral Party...>1615......>74% .......>7 Booz............>1706......>68% .......>6 MrSpkr..........>1483......>68% .......>5 Malakovski......>1473......>45% .......>4 Andrew Kulin....>952.......>25% .......>3 jdsu............>672.......>20% .......>2 Vic Charlie.....>476.......>14% .......>1 Axis Player.....>Points...>Axis %......>Axis Pts Sgt Gold........>2039.....>86% ......> 7 Walpurgis.......>2676.....>80% ......> 6 Brent Pollock...>2816.....>75% ......> 5 Wicky...........>1768.....>55% ......> 4 Preserved Kil...>800......>32% ......> 3 Tracks..........>697......>32% ......> 2 a1steaks........>574......>26% ......> 1 So Combined scores from previous games and here are the Allied positions: - Allied Player....>Points jdsu.............> 21 MrSpkr...........> 19 Neutral Party....> 18 Andrew Kulin.....> 17 Vic Charlie......> 13 Malakovski.......> 12 Booz.............> 12 And the German Players: - Axis Player....>Points Walpurgis......> 23 Brent Pollock..> 18 Sgt Gold.......> 18 Tracks.........> 15 Wicky..........> 14 a1steaks.......> 12 Preserved K....> 12 Well done to all the players and thank you for being so prompt with turns and making this a fast and I hope a fun tourney. I certainly had fun play testing these scenarios and more fun watching the various approaches taken. I will bundle a zip together for those who want it to show final positions in all the games. I am also going to try and pull together scenario notes for the designers as a small thank you. Please send any notes to me about each scenario and I will cut and paste them so the designers get a report. Who knows there might be another tourney and if anyone fancies helping or running it please get in touch. H Edited to swap scores for Wicky and Malakovski, does not alter positions. [ August 17, 2005, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: Holien ]

Just double checking them now...

The last game has been finished and I want to thank Neutral Party and A1 for their combined effort in getting it finished!! Well done and I will compile the final results tonight when I get home from work around 7pm UK time. H

Quick update... All the results will be announced this weekend. Sunday at the absolute latest if not sooner... H

Right Gents, I will tonight issue the results so far to those of you who have finished. I have asked for A1 and Neutral to give me a date by which they can finish. If that is not too far into the future we shall wait on their result. If no date can be given I will end it now and announce the winner. As for the German Defence. The 37mm AT guns could (and did) nail the Russian tanks at some considerable distance. This I would not have guessed and those Germans that did open up as soon as they saw the Tanks seemed to fair better. Of course as a german you did not know if they had Arty or T34's which would give you a false picture. Using the HNG teams at great distance also played merry hell on the Conscript Russians and delayed any assualts. Because of the time scales any delay is great for the defender. The best defence deployed I saw was that of WN who moved his troops forward on the Russian left flank to take up the tree edge. This forward thinking made it very hard for the Russian attack, (or would have done). Brent you had the right idea in some sense but the key was having enough to give the Russians a bloody nose and then pulling back swiftly through the trees on the German right flank. IMO, I would not have moved a force on the German left as it did not offer such good withdrawal routes to the flags. H

In a current game as Russians I have had two Stukas appear and beaten off. I have two 20mm Flak and a quad 1/2 track. The sighting of the 20mm flak on a hill reverse slope helps as it gives them maximum chance to see the planes on their approach in. One 20mm actually shot down one Stuka. The other made an attack on a T34 and pinged its shots off. It did not come back, I presume the pilot thought better of it based upon the flak that it took. Not sure if more Stukas will appear but if they do I hope for the same results. In another current game as the Americans I had a German plane (can't remember what) drop two bombs either side of a M10. The M10 survied (with TC) and enough AA fire was laid down on the plane to persuade it not to come back. AA fire came from a 50 cal mounted on a 1/2 track which had good LOS to the line of attack taken by the plane. So for me AA fire works and I have not been hurt by the aircraft. Of course it could have gone the other way.... And would I be bitching... H

Hi Gents, At work at the moment but I have seen an E-mail from a1-Steaks and Neutral party saying they are on turn 6. They do not seem to be able to commit to a definite finish time of the game and I need to know what the other players want to do? Option 1. I can exclude their results from the tourney and announce the results when Wicky and Mal finish their game? Option 2. I could give an extension of a week if they were able to say for certain that they would finish the game. (Not sure they would commit, but an option if they posted here giving a definitive date for finish.) Any other options? What do people think? I will make a call based upon feedback on Tuesday. H

Waiting on results of two games. Gents can you give us an idea when they might be finished? H

Hi I have the results from PK and Booz. The best Allied results so far and all the games I have seen seem to have been bloody, well fought, battles with plenty of options for both sides. Just the final three before I can announce the overall results for the tourney. Keep at it... H

German-------------> Russian--------> Turn Walpurgis----------> jdsu-----------> Finished Brent Pollock------> Andrew Kulin---> Finished Tracks-------------> MrSpkr---------> Finished Sgt Gold-----------> Victor Charlie-> Finished a1steaks-----------> Neutral Party--> Finished Wicky--------------> Malakovski-----> Finished Preserved Killick--> Booz-----------> Finished [ August 17, 2005, 12:05 AM: Message edited by: Holien ]

FYI Just had an update from a1steaks and Neutral Party and they are only on turn 4. Does not look like they will finish this weekend? Any chance of TCP IP play? H

German-------------> Russian--------> Turn Walpurgis----------> jdsu-----------> Finished Brent Pollock------> Andrew Kulin---> Finished Tracks-------------> MrSpkr---------> 22 Sgt Gold-----------> Victor Charlie-> Finished a1steaks-----------> Neutral Party--> 4 Wicky--------------> Malakovski-----> 21 Preserved Killick--> Booz-----------> 21 [ August 13, 2005, 08:53 AM: Message edited by: Holien ]

This weekend is the extended deadline. Lets see if we can get it wrapped up by Monday night. (I.e. I need reslts in during Sunday and will then compile the results when I get home on Monday after work.) Any players out there who think they will not make this? H

Steve the Panthers would be covered in the overall loss of Morale in the game. In the situation described it would seem that the crews failed a morale test based upon what they were seeing around them. This could be down to Artillery, AT fire as well as Airstrikes. Do you think you have it right for the CM games? I.e. Airpower effectiveness. H

Some great information here. Jason, Is the CMAK / CMBB Airpower over modelled? Should we when designing games just forget about airpower? H

Hey gents thanks for the continued turns for me to view... It is certainly getting hot for some people... H

Ok an extension there will be. 1 week. H

German-------------> Russian--------> Turn Walpurgis----------> jdsu-----------> 4 Brent Pollock------> Andrew Kulin---> 18 Tracks-------------> MrSpkr---------> 17 Sgt Gold-----------> Victor Charlie-> Finished a1steaks-----------> Neutral Party--> 1 Wicky--------------> Malakovski-----> 1 Preserved Killick--> Booz-----------> 9

Smart arse.... Wait until I tell Andrew about X... Sorry too busy watching the mayhem in your game to remember to update the numbers for you. I actually want to see how the group leaders are hurting one another. I have not seen any of their files and can only dream about what evil plans they are unleashing on one another. H

The deadline based upon four weeeks I think would be next Wednesday? I.e. the 10th. As this is the last scenario and it is a bit longer, we could extend it to that weekend? What do players think? H

German-------------> Russian--------> Turn Walpurgis----------> jdsu-----------> 4 Brent Pollock------> Andrew Kulin---> 18 Tracks-------------> MrSpkr---------> 17 Sgt Gold-----------> Victor Charlie-> Finished a1steaks-----------> Neutral Party--> 1 Wicky--------------> Malakovski-----> 1 Preserved Killick--> Booz-----------> 9 [ August 05, 2005, 07:13 AM: Message edited by: Holien ]

Wicky I will give Akula2 till tonight to get in touch, else your in. Bear in mind that you are UK based and Malakovski is in the US. I hope you can still get a fair few turns out a day? H