Monday, November 21, 2011

DCS Black Shark 2 - Sharks Go Downtown

Irregulars. The ragtags are outgunned and outnumbered, but they still have the luxury of choosing when and where to fight.


0500. Kutaisi, Georgia. The Russian Army is consolidating the gains of a blitz invasion. The Georgian Army has been almost overrun but hostile irregular forces keep popping up everywhere. The forward reconnaissance elements of  a Russian forward detachment are at the outskirts of Kutaisi. Me and my wingman are attached to this reconnaissance patrol. We didn't expect to fight this morning.


Saturday, November 19, 2011

Squad Battles Red Victory - Dragging Men Uphill

Another 200 gallons of tough love from a Squad Battles' tutorial/boot camp scenario. :)

The game: Squad Battles Red Victory (WWII, tactical level, turn based)
The scenario: Bootcamp 1, Assault on a Fortified Position. Training scenario. Topic: fire and maneuver, use of combat engineers

Mission for today is to take a German fortified position (A) manned by a German infantry squad. Specific objectives (blue squares with a number 50) are two MG42 bunkers on a hill. I am commanding a company of Russian infantry (B). By the time of this screenshot was taken, I already advanced/infiltrated my men to their assault jump off positions. Note how I am leaning my forces on the right flank. The vegetation offered concealment for a covert approach, but all my command is in a depression crossed by a gully. I feel like I'm putting fish for a barrel shootout.  
When calculated by counting men, the odds were in our favor. The firepower/terrain calculus was a totally different story ...

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Getting Acquainted with "Battle Command"

Imagine commanding each platoon of a whole battalion over a hundred square kilometers 3D battlefield rendered like Google Earth ...


That's pretty much what I am getting myself into. Battle Command is a free multiplayer, real time, highly detailed tactical combat simulation from Historical Software Corporation.

Monday, November 14, 2011

"Command" Naval/Air War Game to Nuke from Orbit

Admiral, something is watching our fleet from way up there ...



The passion of the group developing Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations knows no limit. Needless to say, looking forward to play this! :)

Cheers,

Sunday, November 13, 2011

DCS Black Shark 2 - My Shark is Short on Sensors (and Targets)

I learnt about the DCS Black Shark 2 upgrade at SimHQ.com. The upgrade was a surprise to many, including myself. I have been aching to get back into the Ka-50 for a while and now I have the perfect excuse.


Yesterday I took off to a CAS mission to find out how much my rotary wing skills have rusted.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

North German Plain 85 / Steel Beasts ProPE - Catching Up With the Enemy (Epilogue)

In the end, the enemy was able to reach PL Navajo in numbers enough to mess with the NATO forces in Hameln, who by then were taking a break from a tough fight against the airborne enemy forces.

SITREP at 0852. Enemy tanks have broken through PL Mohawk through Voremberg (A, D). The lead element of the Soviet column is ready to pivot north (A). One lonely Leopard has occupied battle position 2 (BP2, B) but it's having trouble acquiring any target. 1st and 4rd Tank Platoons, along with a tank from 3rd Platoon (E) can't react in time to the enemy tank threat south (A and D) and are busy figuring out if the enemy can still cross PL Mohawk (center, C).

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

France '14 by HPS Simulations - Bewegungskrieg in World War I


France '14 (a John Tiller game published by HPS Simulations) is a grand-tactical/ operational level war game that covers the first year of World War I in the Western front.

North German Plain 85 / Steel Beasts ProPE - On Roadblocks and Thoroughfares (PL Mohawk Middle and South)

The enemy invariably attacks on two occasions: when they're ready and when you're not.
From Murphy Laws of Combat




The smoke billows and the sound of tank main guns blasting at the north of the battlefield, made panzergrenadiers elsewhere in PL Mohawk wary about their retreat routes. The few in command of those men wondered how many of those very tanks firing over there would cover their retreat or shoot their rears.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Saturday, November 5, 2011

North German Plain 85 / Steel Beasts ProPE - The Futility of Battle Position 1

Good commanders lay out their plans from maps pinned to walls, great commanders lay out their plans from the saddles of their horses.


To everybody's relief, the Soviets had planned to move near Coppenbrugge, just where battle position 1 (BP1) was waiting for them. But the cost of the first engagement was to be high ...