Battle Report - 2nd Assault on Fort Khalaam

The report of our game on Saturday, June 20, is now posted on my blog, ColCampbell's Barracks. Please drop by for a visit. The photo below is just a teaser.

Highlanders assaulting the Haddabiera fort.

This is the scenario that I will be running at Bayou Wars on Saturday, June 27 at 9:00 am as te 2nd Annual George Carr, Sr. Memorial Colonial Game (and as a celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Sword and the Flame rules by Larry Brom.

Crossfire WW2 Game

On Saturday, June 6 (the 65th Anniversary of the Normandy landings), we gathered at Bill Hamilton's house for an introduction to the Crossfire WW2 rules. The scenario was a meeting engagement between a small German force (two infantry companies commanded by Jay Stribling and Jim Pitts) and a small American force (two companies commanded by Phil Young and Sean Pitts). Bill Hamilton acted as the game master and rule guru.

As you can see from the photos below, the terrain was very close with a small village and many patches of woods.


The movement in Crossfire is unusual in that a company may move its elements (platoons and squads) from terrain feature to terrain feature for any distance until it is either stopped by enemy fire, by inconclusive friendly fire, by failing to rally an element, or by the mover's choice. This lead to elements moving from woods patch to woods patch until they started receiving enemy fire.

Then the action bogged down and the initiative flowed from one player to another very quickly. The Germans had a slight advantage in that their squads could move while out of sight of the platoon leader while the American squads had to be within the sight of their platoon leader or the company commander.

Getting your squads suppressed by enemy fire (see red markers above) meant that they could not move or fire until rallied. This caused some squads to linger in a suppressed state for a long time because if you tried to rally a squad and failed, then you lost the initiative to the opposing player.

But gradually the Germans begin to wear the Americans down forcing them into a slowly constricting perimeter. Sean's American company was wiped out and Phil's had lost heavily by the time night fell and the battered Americans could slip away.

I can see this rule set being used for small scale actions in WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, and modern conflicts. It was a fun game, especially since I was on the winning side (for a change!).

Pictures and report by Jim Pitts

Assault on Fort Khalaam

Please see Col Campbell's Barracks for a report about the first play test of my Bayou Wars scenario for the Second Annual George Carr, Sr. Memorial Colonial Game. Enjoy!

The Fort of Khalaam

Battle of Khalaam, May 16, 2009

The battle report for the first battle of Khalaam is posted on ColCampbell's Barracks. The action was fought on May 16, 2009.

Here is a teaser photo. For the entire report, please click on the link above.

The game this coming Saturday, May 16 (Armed Forces Day, by the way) will be held at Fondren Presbyterian Church, 3220 Old Canton Road, beginning at 10:00 am. We will be using the Fellowship Hall which will allow us to have an 8' x 5' playing area for this rather smallish game, as well as plenty of room for "back tables" to store dead troops and drinks/snacks so that the playing surface can be a little less cluttered than normal.

The scenario will involve an Anglo-Indian expedition setting out to punish some Ahoogastani bandits. After the punitive expedition five years ago against the wiley Khan Abbis, things seemed to have settled down along the North Central Frontier.

[For previous battle reports, see: http://www.angelfire.com/games3/jacksongamer/nor_cent01.htm,
http://www.angelfire.com/games3/jacksongamer/nor_cent02.htm,
http://www.angelfire.com/games3/jacksongamer/nor_cent03.htm,
http://www.angelfire.com/games3/jacksongamer/nor_cent04.htm, and
http://www.angelfire.com/games3/jacksongamer/nor_cent05.htm]

But recently the Haddabiera tribe, under Emir Tubier, have been raiding closer and closer to the regional capitol of Jellybad. Her Majesty's High Commissioner for the North Central Frontier has ordered out a new punitive expedition to penetrate to Khalaam, the Haddabiera stronghold, and show these banditti the error of their ways. The first game will portray the expedition's initial penetration of the Vale of Khadaam. We will use The Sword and the Flame rules. All figures will be provided by the game master - c'est moi!

For lunch, the closest place is Quiznos Sandwich Shop about a block away. I have a batch of coupons which we can use to reduce our expense both for this game and the next one on Saturday, May 30. There is a Coca Cola machine at the church (cost is 50 cents each), as well as plenty of iced water. You can, of course, bring your own (non-alcoholic) beverage(s) and snacks.

Map showing location : www.fondrenpcusa.org/about/location/

You can zoom in and around on this Google map so you can see the streets better. I've found the easiest way is to take the Lakeland Drive West exit off of IH-55 and drive west past St. Dominc Hospital and the UMC campus until Lakeland intersects with Old Canton Road. Then turn right (north) onto Old Canton Road with Fondren being just past the second traffic light (Duling Street) on the right. There is plenty of parking. Sean will be the door ward for a short while after 10:00 am, but if you arrive and the door is locked, just push the buzzer button located above the mailbox to the left of the door (I'll try and remember to place a distinctive marker). We'll come and let you in. Yes, we will, really!

Just remember that we'll be a church (in my church!) and we'll need to be on our slightly better behavior, especially with our language and scatalogical allusions! :^)

See you there,

Jim Pitts

Recent and future locations

While we're working on some prospects for a public place to hold games, right now we are playing in people's homes. The locations on the game schedule should be accurate, and an announcement for each game will go out on the mailing list a few days before it happens.

New Gaming Location

Our game last Saturday was our last at The Dragon's Lair as that was also the last day they were open. We talked among ourselves about an alternate location and agreed to try the China Kitchen restaurant just west on Highway 80 from the Dragon's Lair. After lunch Jay talked with a manager and they agreed that we could use their private party room from about 10:30 am (they actually open to the public at 11) until about 3:00 or 3:30 pm. We had to guarantee that we would pay for ten lunch buffet meals, so if we don't have ten gamers show up who will also eat, then those of us who do participate will be responsible for the balance.

The game this coming Saturday (Feb. 7) will be the US Cavalry versus the American Indians. It was originally scheduled by Jay Ainsworth who had to drop out for personal reasons. So Jay Stribling, Jim Pitts, and John Switzer will pool their troops and Jay will be the game master. Please come to help us try out this new venue.

The China Kitchen should be familiar to almost all the regular Jackson Gamers as we tend to eat at the buffet almost every Saturday we have gamed at the Dragon's Lair. It is about 150 feet (more or less, probably more) west of the Dragon's Lair on Highway 80 in Pearl. The following pictures show the restaurant, which is also right next door to a Church's Fried Chicken place.

Looking from the westward direction

Looking from the eastward direction