Downtown D1 - Turn 8 Summary and End of Game

Turn 8 starts out favorably enough for the DRV, with an AAA ambush on the deck random event roll. Fortunately for the US, all flights on the deck are in rough hexes, so the random event is ignored.

During the US detection phase, THAN TRUNG manages to remain undetected, despite two visual sighting chanes from nearby F-4 flights. So far, things are looking up for the DRV this turn! During the DRV detection phase, US Flight 101 is detected! Perfect! It looks as if THAN TRUNG might have a chance to intercept this flight, and hopefully neuter its strike capability.

The first US movement phase then finds the three strike flights punching the afterburnings, and climbing towards their strike altitude. As US flight 105 moves its final movement point, SAM site B fires on it. The SAM misses the flight, and the pilots keep their cool and decide they don't need to perform any avoidance maneuvers. SAM site A then fires a long range shot at flight 105, hoping to discourage it into turning back. While the SAM shot is a miss, it appears as if the pilots of flight 105 thought the shot was closer than they liked. They perform a SAM avoidance maneuver, jettisoning their ordnance, they dive to the NW, and break out of formation!

During the DRV movement phase, THAN TRUNG lights up his afterburners to try and catch the tail end charlie strike flight (101), and do his best. He makes a perfect intercept approach, and bounces flight 101, who is completely surprised to notice tracers arcing about their planes. However, THAN TRUNG misses both shots on flight 101 (4 F-105Ds) and blows all of their ammo on the effort. The F-105s do not get to return fire, being severly outmaneuverd while laden with ordnance by the Mig-17s. Although no F-105s are shot down, they still jettison their ordnance, so it is a mission kill for THAN TRUNG. During the post combat procedure, both flights involved in the combat suffer aggression penalties, and are disorderd.

Finally, since there was another flight in the strike mission, it must now check for MiG panic. Amazingly, the only remaining flight in the strike package fails its MiG Panic roll, gets spooked by the attack on it companion flight, and jettisons its ordnance to get the heck out of dodge!

Well, Turn 8 was certainly a good one for the DRV. At this point in the game, with no strike flights remaining, Allan C. agrees to concede the game. Luck certainly played a roll in this scenario, and it could have progressed very differently had a few key rolls gone the opposite way. For my part, it was a very tense game. Several times, I thought that I would be completely hosed, but somehow things managed to work out just the right way for me.

Here are links for the cyberboard game file for scenario D1 and end of game map.

Finally, I'd like to thank Allan Cannamore for another great game. This is our second game as opponents, and he is as wily as they come. Keeping his strike package on the deck and in the rough until late in their flight path was a great strategy that prevented me from detecting them until much later. I look forward to our next game!

I hope you all enjoyed reading the turn postings from my point of view, and that it gave you a decent insight as to what I was thinking along the way. Please post any thoughts, comments, or praise here! I'd love to get some feedback on the scenario, and it is awfully quiet around here. If I get some feedback, then I'll most likely do this again the with next PBEM game I play.

Downtown D1 - Turn 7 Summary

During the detection phase, a US flight visually spots my flight of 2 Mig-17F's. The sneaking and skulking about on the deck bought us some time, but not quite enough to get to the strike package. Ug. The DRV detect the lead flight (#105) in the strike package, which is a good start. That means that this turn I'll be able to try and acquire the flight with very good odds of success!

During the movement phase, flight 202 skirts the Hanoi AAA defenses, and comes out unscathed. Those boys are blessed, I tell you! SAM sites E and F both fire their remaining missiles at 202, with SAM site F almost scoring a hit on the wily pilots. Sam sites E & F are now depleted of all missiles.

Then, Flight 205 swoops down on the newly detected THAN TRUNG flight, and engages it! THAN TRUNG is surprised, and US flight OLDS (revealed to b2xF4-C) pounces on the DRV flight, getting off 2 shots which THAN TRUNG somehow manages to avoid. THAN TRUNG does not get to return fire, probably happy to just bug out and still be alive. OLDS flight has depleted all of it's radar homing missiles (RHM), and both flights scatter from the dogfight hex, with THAN TRUNG becoming undetected again due to the confusion of air combat.

During my movement phase, THAN TRUNG hits the burners, stays on the deck, and finds cover just over the tree tops of some rough jungle terrain. He's still in a decent position to try and intercept the tail end of the strike package, *if* he can stay undetected for the next turn or two.

The remaining US flights then make their moves. Flights 204 and 305 surround THAN TRUNG, hoping to bounce him next turn if he is detected. SAM site C salvo fires two SAMs at flight 204, but misses. The three US strike flights make their way towards my hidden Medium AAA and Fire Can. They may have a nasty surprise waiting for them...

During the SAM Acquisition phase, SAM sites A and B both try and acquire flight 105, the lead flight of the three flight strike package. A gets a partial acquisition while B locks on fully. Very nice! Finally, in the Admin phase I turn off those SAM sites which have been depleted of all of their ammunition.

Here are links for the cyberboard game file for scenario D1 and end of turn 7 map.

Downtown D1 - Turn 6 Summary

Well, things are certainly starting to heat up. This turn see the SAM operators warm up a bit, so maybe the tide is changing for the DRV. We shall see!

In the random events phase, some loyal peasants with small arms notice US flight 101 streaking overhead, surely up to no good. The villager takes a couple of pot shots as the flight thunders by on the deck, to no effect.

During the detection phase, the DRV detects one more flight (305). Unfortunately, all three flights of what looks to be the strike package (flights 105, 300 and 101) remain undetected as the fly on the deck through rough terrain.

During the movement phase, Flight C dashes toward an eventual intercept with the strike flights, should he defy all odds and remain undetected. I remove Flight A from the map board (as it was a dummy flight) with the idea that I will attack flight 202 with SAM battalions E and F if it continues in its path towards Hanoi and DRV flight B.

The two US jamming flights continue to fly towards the Red River, and it appears as if they will attempt to provide a jamming screen for the strike package as it comes into strike whatever target it has been tasked with.

I then move DRV flight B over the heart of Hanoi, to see if I can draw flight 202 towars him and into Flak and SAM range.

Next, the three US strike flights continue along their path, closing in on their target. US flights 204 and 205 move into a position to strike flight C if it is detected. To add insult to injury, flight 205 goes back to an undetected status during the track phase. Uh-oh...

Finally, flight 202 moves straight towards Hanoi. It is at this time that I remove DRV flight B from play (it was a dummy), opening up SAM shot opportunities on 202. SAM battalion F fires a salvo of 2 SAMs at the flight, and the missiles streak off homing in on their target accurately. Unfortunately for the DRV, flight 202 notices the tell tale lines of smoke lacing their way up to their position, and the flight breaks hard to the left, shedding altitude at a frantic pace. The SAM avoidance maneuver prevents him from being struck by the SAMs, but it also puts him in range of the medium flak on the outskirts of Hanoi. The flight is very lucky again, and avoids any damage from the flak. Finally, SAM battalion E fires a lone SAM at the flight, hoping to achieve a better result than their comrades. Unfortunately, the SAM deviates from the target and poses no threat whatsoever. This flight must be well trained or damn lucky - I'll let you make the call!

During the SAM acquisition phase, SAM site B switches targets from the jamming flight to flight 204. It achieves a full acquisition result, so flight 204 has been lit up by two SAM sites. Finally, during the admin phase I activate two inactive light flak batteries, hoping to lure the US flights into range of my hidden fire can and flak batteries which lie to the south. I also generate a dummy flight in DRV flight C's hex. I remove flight C, and replace it with generic DRV flights D and E, noting on my log sheet that flight E is a dummy flight and that flight D is the real flight (old flight C).

Here are links for the cyberboard game file for scenario D1 and end of turn 6 map.

Downtown D1 - Turn 5 Summary

Sorry for the delay, however my opponent went on a well deserved vacation and thus the game was put on hold for a week or two. But now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

During the detection phase, the DRV detects two more Yankee Air Pirate flights. This is always a good thing, as it is hard to go up against undetected targets. Next up is the movement phase!

DRV flight A continues his dash into the fray, screaming over Hanoi on the deck. He has remained undetected so far, and is hoping to stay that way.

US flight 204 (targeted by 2 SAM sites) hits the burners to get out of range of one of the sites, but not before the operator of SAM site G salvos off two shots at the streaking flight. Unfortunately for the DRV, the shot is a miss. However, flight 204 isn't out of the woods yet. SAM site C also fires on the flight, but also misses!

DRV flight C streaks into the outskirts of Hanoi, positioning himself for action. Maybe.

Flight 202, also lit up like a Christmas tree by two SAM sites, kicks in the afterburners and streaks towards Downtown. SAM site E takes a shot at the flight as it appraches it in a straight line, and manages to miss. Great shooting, guys!

DRV flight C commits to making a run for what he thinks is the US strike package (the three flights on the deck). He is putting himself in harm's way by flying out of the flak's protective canopy, but he is hoping that he'll remain undetected by flying on the deck. Furthermore, he is hoping that at least at least one of the three assumed strike flights will remain detected by the time he is in a position to intercept them. The other US flights advance to new positions, with no further SAM shots possible or taken.

During the tracking phase, I lose contact with the one US flight on the deck (part of the assumed strike package), which is a bit disheartening. However, I have a few turns to detect another of them, so we will see what develops. Closing out the turn, during the SAM acquisition phase I firm up a few contacts which may prove beneficial next turn.

Here are links for the cyberboard game file for scenario D1 and end of turn 5 map.

Downtown D1 - Cyberboard Game File

By request, I am now making the cyberboard game file for scenario D1 available from my web site. If you do not already have the Downtown Gamebox required for Cyberboard, then make sure you download and install it as well. Place the gamebox file (gbx suffix) and the game file (gam suffix) in the same directory, and then open the game file using Cyberboard.

Currently, the game file contains all turns up to and including turn 4. As future turns are completed, the game file will be updated with the new moves.

Downtown D1 - Turn 4 Summary

This map shows the situation at the end of turn 4.

Turn 4 sees a bit more action, as SAM sites light up and try to get a good lock on the incoming raid. At the start of the turn, a new flight (#100) is shown to be another jamming flight, which will no doubt be used to try and befuddle my SAM and Fire Can battalions. We'll see about that...

The detection phase helps me out a bit, as three more US aircraft are detected, whereas my DRV flights on the deck are proving problematic for the US radar operators. So far, so good - let's hope this can hold up for several more turns!

During the US movement phase, US flight #305 climbs away from the other three flights on the deck (#'s 105, 300 & 101). Since all flights tasked with bombing would need to change altitude at the same point in the flight path (as it was plotted before the game started), I am guessing that the three flights still on the deck are the main strike package. The other flights above the deck must then be on SEAD, CAP, Jamming, or Strike/CAP missions.

During the DRV movement phase, my three flights continue on or past Hanoi. I am thinking that I will most likely need to double-back flight C as it is significantly further ahead of the other two flights, and it would be best to try and split the attacking forces between as many potential targets as possible.

During the SAM Acquisition phase, I decide to light up several SAM radars and see what I can acquire. I've kept most of them offline for this long to try and give as little information to my opponent as possible, but I think that now is the time I need to start trying to knock planes out of the sky to hopefully soften up the CAP for my MiG flights. Thus, SAM sites A, B, C, E and F go live in quick acquisition mode. This allows these sites to try and acquire targets, albeit with a penalty modifier. With SAM site G activated at the end of last turn, this gives me 6 SAM battallions with which to try and acquire targets. There are three flights I target for acquisition (with 2 SAM batallions each): US flights 202, 204 and 207. SAM site A doesn't acquire flight 207, but SAM B does get a partial acquisition. SAMs C and G try and acquire flight 204, getting one full and one partial. SAMs E and F both get partial acquisitions of flight 202. The US movement phase of Turn 5 should be very interesting!

Downtown D1 - Turn 3 Summary

This map shows the situation at the end of turn 3.

I continued to move the three DRV flights towards Hanoi. I have yet to decide what to do with them after they have reached Hanoi, however. I could either split them up and go after what I am assuming are the USAF bomber flights (105, 300 and 101 - due to their relatively slow speed of 3 movement pts) and risk them getting in the way of SAM shots, OR let them loiter until after the SAMs have blown their wads, and try and pick off stragglers.

Right now, I am guessing that the raid target is one of those along the Red River. Making a few assumptions about the target and flight path of the strike, I could get my one real DRV flight to intercept probably during turn 7 or 8, and it looks like it would be just inside the envelope for SAM launches. If I was able to successfully engage at least one of the strike aircraft, that would be a big help, since merely engaging a strike a/c is a mission kill as the a/c must pickle it's bomb load. I would then need to get my DRV a/c out of the SAM strike area to allow them to do their thing...Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions!

Also, at the end of Turn 3, SAM site G goes live. I imagine this will make their pulse jump a little. Let's see if we can't knock one of those two a/c at high altitude out of the air.

Downtown D1 - Turn 2 Summary

First of all, Allan C. has provided this link for his mission write-up. I can't click on it for fear of seeing something I shouldn't, so if there is a problem with the URL, please let me know and we'll get it corrected.

No more flights are detected during the detection phase, so Allan C. again moves his flights onto the map. The four flights on the deck make their way due NE, using the ridge lines for SAM cover.

I position my flights to head towards Hanoi once they are all up to speed, so that they will be protected by the flak cover which Hanoi provides in abundance. Here is their situation at the end of Turn 2:

At the end of turn 2, I decide to keep SAM site G unactivated for now. I hope I'll be able to lite it up when the main raid force enters the map and do a bit of damage with it then.

In the US Admin phase, Allan C. places two flights at High altitude just off of the map, signaling their entrance to the map next turn.

End of turn 2.

Downtown D1 - Turn 1 Summary

Not much happens on the first turn. No more flights are detected during the detection phase, so Allan C. moves his flights onto the map. He keeps four flights on the deck (protected from SAM site G by ridgelines) with a lone flight up at high altitude. Here is a small portion of the map to see the situation as it stands after all his flights have moved:

My two flights which have yet to takeoff do so in my movement phase. Also, the one DRV flight which is already airborne slowly moves to the West to eventually meet up with the other flights.

I then make a few decisions for the remaining phases of turn 1. I could light up SAM site G and see if I can acquire the one US flight at high altitude, but he is barely within range of a lock-on, and can easily avoid the danger zone if alerted that it is a "real" site. Thus, for now I'll give as little information to Allan as possible, and just maybe spring a nasty surprise on him when his main raid enters closer to SAM site G. We'll see.

End of turn 1.

Downtown Replay: D1 - Here, There and Everywhere

I have just started a game of Downtown against another playtester (Allan Cannamore) after going through the final rules review before they were all shipped out to GMT Games for final production. To order the game, see GMT's P500 page.

This scenario features a well dispersed SAM defence network going up against a USAF Strike targeting an unknown (for the DRV player) target. As I am the DRV player for this game, the pre-game planning stages saw me placing 7 SAM and 2 dummy SAM batallions in the hexes specified by the scenario. The 7 possible target hexes have been outlined in red, and the map which illustrates what my defense network looks like at the end of the pre-raid sequence of play. I then purchased my AAA emplacements using the # of AAA points specified in the scenario, and placed those along with the 4 Fire Can units alloted to me. Unfortunately for me, with 7 potential target, my AAA and Fire Can defense network is a bit sparse, but maybe I'll get lucky.

Finally, I purchased one flight of 2 Mig-17Fs. The scenario allows for me to have 2 dummy flights, so I place the three generic flight counters on the map (flights A and B are the dummies - flight C is {2}xMig-17F).

I did receive some advance warning of the incoming raid, with an estimate of 14 flights in the raid (+ or - 4 flihts). Also, all US flights at medium or high altitude enter the map detected. Furthermore, the main strike portion of the raid will be entering around entry arrow 4.

At the end of the pre-raid sequence of play, I elect to not fire up any of my radars, as I am going to try and concentrate on the strike force, which will most likely enter after CAP and Jamming flights enter at the start of the game.

Bloodbowl League Night #4

The monthly get together of our Bloodbowl league occured last Friday the 20th. All of the usual suspects were there, and we also celebrated Grant's birthday, which was cool (and the cake was tasty too).

I was slated to face Adam's orc team, complete with a big bruiser troll. My lightly armored wood elves were a bit worried about the bruisers, and our initial strategy was to reduce contact with the enemy as much as possible. Score quick, score often, and just try to slow down the already lumbering orcs.

My team ("Mother Nature's Sons" - [team roster]) actually had the potential to be full strength, which hasn't happened since the first game of the season. Unfortunately, a niggling injury bit one of my linemen, and thus he was forced to sit out this competition. I decided to save my apothecary for use later in the game in case some dreadful injury occurred during the coarse of the match.

I won the coin toss, elected to receive the ball, and was off to the races. Scoring a touchdown on my first drive, I lead through the remainder of the game, winning with a final score of 3 to 1. Some notable highlights in the match:

• My wardancer attempting to leap, and failing. He falls down, fails his armor roll, and is seriously injured. Ouch! Then I remember that I have an apothecary, who manages to miraculosuly cure the wardancer of his ills, and he remains on the field, good as new!
• My wardancer and two other linemen team up to knock the troll out of the game for what seemed to be almost an entire half. Great teamwork by the faeries to take down Goliath!
• Adam's touchdown was quite a site. Some of his orcs had broken away from the line of scrimmage, and managed to make their way down the field. Adam decides to try and go for it, knowing that if he doesn't, my elves will converge on his ball carrier to try and take the ball away from him. He goes for it, and falls down. Boom! My lineman is closest to the ball, and picks it up and tries to pass it out of the orc infested region, but he FUMBLES the pass! Arg! Adam's orc which fell down then hops up, picks up the ball, dodges out of two tackle zones, and goes for it twice. He makes both rolls, scampering into the end zone for his touchdown. Quite a nice show of agility by the orcs.

My next match is against Gary's undead bruiser team. Unfortunately, one of my linemen suffered a fractured arm, which means he will have to sit out the next game, plus he now has a niggling injury. On the other hand, I won 100k gp, so I'll be able to afford another lineman to replace him.

War of the Ring Sneak Peek No. 2

The response to the previous War of the Ring Sneak Peek was so well received that we have one more treat for you: a pre-proof publication version of the Saruman character card. Enjoy!

War of the Ring Sneak Peek

A few folks on ConsimWorld have expressed an interest in seeing what the next version of War of the Ring (a Richard H. Berg game design) will have in store for them. Since we are in the early stages of playtesting the campaign game, and since the game has yet to be formally blessed, there isn't a whole lot I can reveal other than a few snap shots of the homemade map, counters and cards.

As an added bonus, Richard has provided a section of the pre-proof publication version of the map, which is simply gorgeous. Click on the thumbnails below to see larger versions of each picture.

Bloodbowl League Night #3

Friday night saw my wood elf team ("Mother Nature's Sons" - [team roster]) go up against Rob's chaos team. I was short one player due to the foul and resulting KIA from the last match, and Rob's team is definately full of bruisers, so I was a bit worried.

I think that this match may have been the most exciting I've played in several games, thanks to a near-perfect second quarter drive by Rob's team which was very nicely executed. Furthermore, we kept the game very amiable by not committing any fouls.

I ended up winning the close match with a 3-2 score, managed to not lose/injure any of my players, inflicted my first team casualty against an opponent, and earned enough winnings to replace my wardancer for the next match. A very good night, indeed.

Bloodbowl League Night #2

Friday night saw my wood elf team ("Mother Nature's Sons" - [team roster]) go up against Grant's orc team ("The Iron Horde"). My team was short two players due to injuries suffered from the first league match, so I started off in a fairly grim situation.

I ended up winning the game by a score of 2 - 1, but suffered a fairly critical set back. Grant decided to foul my Wardancer late in the game. He killed him. He's dead, Jim. etc. Le' ouch.

Let's just say for the record that it is probably a very good idea that we only play one league match a month... ;>