AARs: Show Us Yer Games!

[ACWBill]

An overview of the Island including Bloody Ridge:

[ACWBill]

A close up of a Marine 50 Cal team.

[ACWBill]

Banzai!

[jb]

Very nice Bill. Is this a game you will be putting on? If so are you going to write up an AAR?

[Mk 1]

Now wait just a cotton-pickin' minute!

This thread is for AARs! As in "AFTER Action Reports".

Now, I love wonderful models on beatiful terrain as much as the next guy (well, more than the next guy, except perhaps if the next guy is also a member of this forum), but ... I mean ... really now.

If we really want to see BEFORE Action Reports, I suggest what we need is a BAR!

[ACWBill]

OK Mark I, you got it. No more pics of pre - battle layouts. I shall wait until after this weekends playtest to provide an AAR- maybe, that is if I feel like it.

[Mk 1]

ACWBill said:
OK Mark I, you got it. No more pics of pre - battle layouts. I shall wait until after this weekends playtest to provide an AAR- maybe, that is if I feel like it.

Aww now Bill, I didn't mean to actually chase you off the thread!

Me? Try to discourage you from posting your beautiful models and terrain? NEVAH, my good sir! NEVAH I say!

I was just looking for an excuse to insert my little pun about changing AFTER Action Report to BEFORE Action Report, so I could have an excuse to head for the BAR.

[ACWBill]

I was also making an attempt at humour.

[ACWBill]

Our club playtest of my Recon Scenario took place this Satutrday, April 21. Attending were SMG club members Bill "Colonel Ichiki" Melendez, Mike Garity, Jeff Baumal and Bob Runnicles on the Japanese team and Jason "Colonel Merritt Edson" Rosasco, John Rosasco, Tim Harwood and Mark Rowley on the Marine team. I "Bill Moreno" GM'd the game. We used Spearhead rules with modifications for Japanese and Marine weapon types.



The Japanese decided to attack using Banzai tactics on the ridge with great success. Jeff, Bob and Bill Mel attacked the ridge and rolled well. Tim's raider battalion fared poorly at first due to a run of "1 & 2" dicing.

[ACWBill]

Japanese attacked with type 97 tanks along the ridge and a platoon took hits from a P-400 attack. More bogged in the poor soil and played only a small role in the battle.



A shot of another attack from Henderson field using P-400s. This one did no damage (onesy twosies again)



An air raid from Rabaul using Bettys did significant damage even though one had to abort, However, Henderson field operations were not interrupted. The damage failed to close the air field.

[ACWBill]

Japanese attacks overrun the main positions on Bloody Ridge as poor dicing continued well in to the 4th turn. Things were looking grim for the Jarheads.



Among the last remaining elements of the Marine positions was a 37mm ATG spewing canister rounds into the attacking Japs. The casualties were mounting.



The inevitdable counter attack arrives with reserve Marines from Henderson field. They had already lost 75% of the ridge but the Japanese were not far enough forward to have spotters for their arty.

[ACWBill]

Meanwhile the other Jap battalion used hidden movement to attack Henderson field via Alligator creek. Unfortunately for Mike, John and Jason had prepared a welcoming commitee in the form of a dug-in Marine Battalion with tank, mortar and ATG support. Thats right, more canister. This attacked never moved, perhaps by design, from the woods edge.



Jeff gets hit in the flank by a reinforced company of Marine force recon toops and turns to attack with his entire battalion. The Marines simply moved into marshy woods and exchanged gunfire. The Jap attack was peetering out altogether.



Engineers and ground crew repair damage from the Betty's air raid.

[ACWBill]

Marine pack Howitzers began to do damage to the Japanese battalions on Bloody Ridge around turn 8.



This time it hurts. The Japanese lose an entire engineer company moving up to take out the bunker which held the Marine FAC. Nasty stuff! The game turns the US way from this point on. Again we're in turn 8. The real hero of the day was Mark Rowely. He rolled well while Tim went to the boy's room and was responsible for the air attack on the Japanese engineer company. Well Done Mark! Well timed Tim!



Mike decides to move back into the woods after issuing an order change and look for an unprotected area to attack again. Time ran out and this was in turn 9. By turn 10 the Japanese attack was completely stalled. I declared a marginal Marine victory as the Japs still held about 60% of the ridge. They never advanced past that point due to artillery and air support.



I truly hope everyone enjoys the AAR.

[tstockton]

ACWBill,

Yes, I did enjoy! Thank you very much for your posts and your pictures!

One question, referring back to your "pre-" posts of 17 April -- the one showing the "Banzai!" charge -- what did you use for ground cover? It has a nice, later-summer, some grass turning yellow look. I tried a sample of Noch static grass -- a late summer blend -- which I really like but it's relatively expensive... (and what isn't?)

Thanks in advance for your reply -- and thanks again for your "show and tell"!!

Regards,
Tom