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Thread: Pre-Prague Con 2015: Crete'41

  1. #1

    Default Pre-Prague Con 2015: Crete'41

    This is first testing of my newly designed scenario, so it will probably still need some adjustment, but I'd like to share first experience with you guys. Here goes the story...

    Location: Rethymno Port, Island of Crete
    Date: 22 May 1941
    Situation: The german paratroopers are assaulting towards port of Rethymno, however their advance is put to a hold by some well prepared Allied defence positions. As paratroopers are lacking heavy weapons they call Luftwaffe for a help. Meanwhile RAF scout patroling the area has spotted German airplanes and calls for reinforcements as well.
    Axis Forces: 1x Me-109E, 1x me-110C (with one bomb load, 4 damage points), 1x Ju87 Stuka (with two bomb loads, 4 damage points each)
    Allied Forces: 1x Hurricane, 2x Gladiator, 1x Flak (defending Rethymno port, D damage, 8 damage points), 3 target cards (5 damage points each)
    Official rules in use: A-A Guns, Aim, Altitude, Dive Bombing, Firing from above, Full load, Strafing, Tailing
    Home rules in use:
    a/ Limited resources - any side can call additional aircrafts at the victory points cost given to other side. Costs are as follows: Me-110C with 1 bomb load (3 VP), Me-109E (2VP), Ju-87 with 2 bomb loads (2VP), Hurricane (2 VP), Gladiator (1 VP). The Allied Flak is worth 3 VP (at the beginning of the game only). Both sides can use this system to build initial forces.
    b/ Replacement rule - if at any point in time a plane leaves the gameboard on the following turn a plane of the same type can be placed in starting area at VP cost of 1 less than stated under Limited resources rule (yes, Gladiators are for free then!). This rule can be used to replace heavily damaged aircrafts and/or ones that have emptied their bomb loads
    c/ Troops under fire! - Luftwaffe has limited time to destroy target cards. If they manage within given time groud troops advance towards next position, if not paratroopers are pushed back from the town (see the attached map for details of advancing paths)
    d/ VP awards: for calling additional plane (see above a/ and b/), for ground troops advancing towards next position 2 VP bonus is awarded to winning side. Important: no VP for shooting down the plane. Only if other side calls for additional plane VP are awarded.
    Victory conditions:
    a/ When the port of Rethymno is captured (last target card in port is destroyed) Germans immediately win
    b/ When last German paratroopers are pushed out of game area Allied side immediately wins
    c/ When at any point in time Victory Points balance exceeds 6 points (difference between VP of each side) the side with more VP immediately wins

    Map diagram (two official Ares maps used - Coast and either City or Countryside):
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    Initial target cards are placed at yellow crosses and a time markers are placed aside. Each turn a time markers are reduced by one. If target is destroyed within given time paratroopers advance towards port as designated by blue arrows. Otherwise they are pushed back as indicated by red arrows. In any case a new target card is placed in appropriate oval area and new time counter is placed aside. For that game I used fuel markers with "8" value so Luftwaffe had 8 turns to destroy newly placed target card.

    Enough for the rules and setup Time for ACTION

    "We are under heavy fire!!! Bring our birds to silence that bunkers!!!"
    "Roger that! Birds on their way, keep your heads down!"
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    Meanwhile, lone Allied scout spots approaching enemy:
    "Rethymno base! Here's scout green! Bandits are coming! Repeat - scout green reports bandints coming! Bearing 190..."
    "Roger that! Stay under flak cover! Eagles on the way!"
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    Next turn, German aircrafts split, Me110 heading towards easternmost target, while Me109 escorts Ju87 with the flight towards westernmost one. Meanwhile Allied scout turns rapidly to stay under flak cover and two new planes appear on the horizon...
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    Flak tries to target approaching Me109...
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    ...but misses, as german figter turns and opens fire towards lone Gladiator. Allied plane is peppered with bullets...
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    Allied pilot puts the plane into left turn avoiding the next burst from Me109 and targets German dive bomber...
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    At the very same time on the other side of the map Me110 prepares for straffing approach reducing the altitude. Will he make it? Or maybe two allied fighters will torn him apart before he reaches the target? He pushes the trigger...
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    ...and the fire from frontal cannons is deadly for Allied troops. They could not even find a hiding place as they were swept by approaching striker
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    As soon as Me110 destroys the first taget he immediately turn to second one. Meanwhile, on the other flank, Ju87 goes for a dive to bomb a target card and destroys it with two bomb load release. At the very same moment he comes into heavy flak fire. The outburst of fire and iron shatters plane badly!
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    The overview of the situation so far. Me110 turns towards second target card, but a Gladiator after turn and Hurricane after Split-S are coming dangerously close. On the other flank target card is destroyed by Stuka, but the plane is heavily damaged and Gladiator coming on its tail! Note target cards with time counters (in the middle the paratroopers are pushed back, as the target was not destroyed in time)
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    And the focus on one flank (Hurricane is a bit too far, as he stays one level higher than Me110. Gladiator is higher as well, hence "A" token shot followed by additional "A" token according to "Firing from above" rule). Me110 exchanges fire with ground target...
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    ...and destroys it minutes later with another burst, just seconds before it spins towards ground shot down by two Allied fighters!
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    On the other flank Ju87 receives a few bullets from Gladiator, but manages to escape towards the board end.
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    The sky over Rethymno clears for a moment as there's only Me109 left, but paratroopers are advancing into a town already (note target card in the city with "8" time counter on it).
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    Germans sense the blood and decide to go for the coup-de-grace. So the second wave is coming!!! (Limited resorces and replacement rules in use)
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    Me109 rushes towards Hurricane and Gladiator hoping for a victory as it will clear the way before the bombers! But he forgets about the flak, and it usually hurts...
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    Although heavily damaged he manages to take down another Gladiator!
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    But the climax of the battle is about to come. It starts with exchange of blows between Hurricane and Me110...
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    ...continues with very close dogfight between all the planes around...
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    ...the tense goes even higher with a crash between Gladiator and Ju87, which appears to be lethal for Allied plane...
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    ...but finaly ends with succesful bombing by Me110...
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    ...and minutes later by Ju87.
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    The target was destroyed and German paratroopers marched into the City. Germans win, but it was close one. Notice the time counter on the last photo - it says "1', which means that Ju87 destroyed target at the very last time! One turn later and paratroopers would be pushed back from the City!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Crete41_t11_1a.jpg  
    Last edited by Thunderbolt; 10-08-2014 at 15:07.

  2. #2

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    Ouch, I made it into wrong era
    Sorry guys Can someone help me to move thread to WGS AAR, please

  3. #3

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    Cool scenario, Rafał! Hope your testing will go well!

  4. #4

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    Thanks Daniel. As you can see, i'm already "in the process". The biggest question right now is if the scenario is not too complicated

  5. #5

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    Just WoW! Rafał! What a balanced battle Did Darek play it with you? One question. I did not see two card targets in the city. Were they there?
    Well played, man! Glad you are going to run this game for us. Bring more scenarios!

    ... ok, now I have noticed the cards!
    <img src=http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=2554&dateline=1409073309 border=0 alt= />
    "We do not stop playing when we get old, but we get old when we stop playing."

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nightbomber View Post
    Just WoW! Rafał! What a balanced battle Did Darek play it with you? One question. I did not see two card targets in the city. Were they there?
    Well played, man! Glad you are going to run this game for us. Bring more scenarios!

    ... ok, now I have noticed the cards!
    Glad you liked it, Andrzej. I had a lot of fun inventing and playtesting it. Now i still want to check it with other possible set-ups:
    a/ different time counters
    b/ different starting areas
    c/ different starting forces

    For the cards - there was only one card in the city. Germans destroyed all targets on the east approach (one where Me110 was attacking) and only one target card on the west. With the last effort they focused on the city itself and abandoned the western target card. It was the only chance for a quick win, otherwise paratroopers would be pushed back and the whole approach towards the City would have to be redone. The other card you've seen near the city was probably Flak target card.

    For the game itself - I played it alone since i was not sure if scenario will work well. But I'm going to check it with Darek soon, probably during the weekend.

    I must admit I'm satisfied with the battle outcome. Germans have better planes but their attention is focused on ground and elapsing time. On the other hand Allied can bring a lot of planes on the map, as Gladiators are cheap to introduce and can be replaced by fresh ones for free (with Replacement home rule). I was really surprised by their performance - they are really very manouverable, the biggest issue is their lack of firepower. But when you know how to fly them, they can be dangerous, especially for bombers.

    And yes, I will be honored to host this scenario for you guys in Prague.
    Last edited by Thunderbolt; 10-08-2014 at 17:14.

  7. #7

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    Great scenario, Rafal.

    Thank you for this informative test game.

    I volunteer for the Stuka of course.
    Voilŕ le soleil d'Austerlitz!

  8. #8

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    Good report, and I like the scenario. Time limiting adds flavour to the game, and point system is very interesting.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marechallannes View Post
    Great scenario, Rafal.

    Thank you for this informative test game.
    Glad you liked it. I hope you'll enjoy playing it as well.

    Quote Originally Posted by Marechallannes View Post
    I volunteer for the Stuka of course.
    Well, I'd like to make composition of the forces a part of the game. You'll have 5 minutes at the beginning of scenario to decide which planes you want to use and pay for them as stated in VP costs. That means that I do not know if Stuka will be on the list (well, OK if you are in the Luftwaffe team, it will probably be ). That also means that you would have a possibility to fly one type of aircraft at the begining and (if your plane is downed or retreated) choose another plane at specified VP cost.

    I think it will add aditional dimention to the game, as the team needs to decide which tools you want to use for a job at any point in time.

  10. #10

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    I like that team work feature very much Good point. Sven and me will definitely enlist together and fly two Stukas
    <img src=http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=2554&dateline=1409073309 border=0 alt= />
    "We do not stop playing when we get old, but we get old when we stop playing."

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Пилот View Post
    Good report, and I like the scenario.
    Thanks Nemanja

    Quote Originally Posted by Пилот View Post
    Time limiting adds flavour to the game, and point system is very interesting.
    That was exactly my idea when I started to work on the scenario. And the clue for Allied victory is hidden inside VP system. They can put even more pressure on Germans using VP wisely... but i will not reveal you all the mysteries of my scenario.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nightbomber View Post
    Sven and me will definitely enlist together and fly two Stukas
    But can Germans afford that??? Check VP system first...

    Apart of that Stukas are slow like hell when played with Full Load rule... and time is ticking.
    Last edited by Thunderbolt; 10-11-2014 at 14:10.

  13. #13

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    Great mission again Rafał!!! I love the countdown aspect of this scenario! Got to try it someday, when I have Gladiators and a Bf-110.
    Unfortunately I cant give you more REP.
    Thanks


    Nick

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Barkmann View Post
    Great mission again Rafał!!! I love the countdown aspect of this scenario! Got to try it someday, when I have Gladiators and a Bf-110.
    Unfortunately I cant give you more REP.
    Thanks


    Nick
    Nick,

    There's no need for Bf110 and Gladiators. You can try it with other planes too, just stick to VP costs you have to pay for them. Actually I would be very interested in your opinion about the scenario with different starting set-up.

  15. #15

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    A very innovative method of portraying the struggle for Crete Rafal.
    A very impressive scenario indeed. I am already looking forward to next year.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  16. #16

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    Great job Rafał! Well done and I like the VP awarded as planes come in and targets get destroyed. If the Germans are pushed back do you reset the point values of the Allied targets? Or do the damage they take stay with them?

    Thomas

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marechallannes View Post
    Great scenario, Rafal.
    I volunteer for the Stuka of course.
    Sven don't forget Origins and the Stuka's there...

    Thomas

  18. #18

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    This is a very interesting scenario, thanks for sharing it. I also really like the time limit factor and how the team can select their forces, but at a cost to them. Great stuff!

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by CappyTom View Post
    Sven don't forget Origins and the Stuka's there...

    Thomas
    I performed well after forming the "Stuka Alley".

    Voilŕ le soleil d'Austerlitz!

  20. #20

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    Some cool painting on Crete operations:
    Attachment 149395

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Barkmann View Post
    Some cool painting on Crete operations:
    Attachment 149395
    Nice! I want some 110s painted up like that!

  22. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by Barkmann View Post
    Some cool painting on Crete operations:
    Attachment 149395
    Quote Originally Posted by Oberst Hajj View Post
    Nice! I want some 110s painted up like that!
    Agreed. Maybe a decal instead?
    Karl
    It is impossible for a man to begin to learn what he thinks he knows. -- Epictetus

  23. #23

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    Hi Guys,

    I've been out for a while, so sorry for late response. Thanks for nice comments, I'm glad you liked the scenario. I'm still playtesting it, to make sure that it will be balanced for exciting gameplay for both sides.

    Quote Originally Posted by CappyTom View Post
    Great job Rafał! Well done and I like the VP awarded as planes come in and targets get destroyed. If the Germans are pushed back do you reset the point values of the Allied targets? Or do the damage they take stay with them?

    Thomas
    I must admit I did not think about how to deal with damage to target card. So far I just assumed that if you place a target card it always comes with full 5 dmg points.

    What I've found during my playtesting is that targets are relatively easy to destroy (even with one straffing approach), so I considered an increase both dmg value for target cards (to 8 dmg points) and time for destroying them (incease to 10 turns each). In such a case it could be a good idea to keep damage dealt to the targets if they are moved to new position.

  24. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by Oberst Hajj View Post
    This is a very interesting scenario, thanks for sharing it. I also really like the time limit factor and how the team can select their forces, but at a cost to them. Great stuff!
    Thanks Herr Oberst!

    I wanted to make a system that allows you not only to choose forces in advance, but also to adjust them to your needs during the battle. So you can fly a Me-110 at the beginning of the battle, then withdraw it from the battle, and choose e.g. Stuka, if it is more needed at the moment. The system works quite well, and gives a player chance to fly different planes during the battle. Of course, only if you can afford them with VP cost.

    Also I was wandering how to introduce Gladiators to the battle. I had to take into consideration two factors:
    a/ they are far inferior to german planes if gun power is considered,
    b/ they are slower than any other fighter, but very manouverable

    I think that with the given VP it works quite well. You can have 2 Gladiatiors with the cost of one Hurri, so the same gun value (BB) with more dmg points altogether. Also Replacement Rule favours Gladiators a lot, as you can replace damaged planes for new ones for free.

  25. #25

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    Check Brambo's Malta scenario he played in the fire from the skies. He has 110's painted up just like this.

    Quote Originally Posted by Oberst Hajj View Post
    Nice! I want some 110s painted up like that!
    See you on the Dark Side......

  26. #26

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    Great idea Rafal. Worthy of rep and an idea that can be utilised for many more games.
    See you on the Dark Side......

  27. #27

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    I guess I'm now looking for more 110s then.
    They are superb, and Crete just about comes within my Malta mandate.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  28. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marechallannes View Post
    I performed well after forming the "Stuka Alley".


    Yes you did. Good regrouping. We had fun that day, miss ya buddy.

    Thomas

  29. #29

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    I've played this scenario in Prague Summer CON 2016 and it was a blast!
    Thanks Rafal.
    REP!

  30. #30

    Wink

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  31. #31

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    Well, there is a reason or two why I summoned this old thread from the Land of Forgotten.

    The first one: It is an excellent mission and I really recomend you to play. Even after all those years, it is pretty nasty, extremely well ballanced and a way how to play biplane minis in WGS missions.

    The second one: I visited Rethymno port during my Crete holiday and took several photos in the very same part of the year when this mission is run (in fact I was there D+4). I have even more photos of narrow Rethymno streets (imagine wider Genoese streets or any other old town streets built up during high times of Republic of Venice) and I can uplod them later if there would be some interest.

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