The Great Goon War, Slight Return (Super-sized tabletop wargaming)

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > The Great Goon War, Slight Return (Super-sized tabletop wargaming)

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Pontius Pilate posted:

He was the one having drastic mood swings during The Battle of Saint Croissant. One minute he acted like a German soldier on the eastern front in 1945 and the next minute he was the same thing but western front 1940.

Sorry to mix world wars but he didn't fit the mold of an early or late German WWI soldier as well.

So he was Ludendorffing?

# ¿ Mar 13, 2017 06:35

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# ¿ May 5, 2024 12:14

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Good god. Here's hoping for German Initiative then.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2017 00:15

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Corbeau posted:

What's most amazing is that one absurdly lucky cavalry charge last game made everyone magically forget the half-dozen or more suicidal charges against entrenched positions from that exact same game.

Sure those all failed, but the one successful charge shows that it will work, eventually. So the faster bayonet charges are ordered, the faster we will eventually succeed!

# ¿ Mar 27, 2017 00:08

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Gotta respect that elan though, even in the face of a direct opposing order from his superior.

LLSix posted:

I can't think of a single charge that didn't succeed. I'm in charging range, so I have to charge or risk letting them charge me. Charging seems to be the decisive mechanic with this rule set.

Besides. Standing around out of trenches shooting at people in trenches is a game for suicidal idiots. I'm suicidal but I try not to be a complete idiot.

gently caress yeah.

PittTheElder fucked around with this message at 00:02 on Mar 28, 2017

# ¿ Mar 27, 2017 23:50

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

A reasonable assumption, but the irony is amusing:

AbortRetryFail posted:

yeah we will need to be targetting the current positions of the field guns and MGs in the South. They're not going to be moving those...

# ¿ Mar 28, 2017 01:36

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

I'm curious to see how much damage the British gun line can do, now that they really only have one thing to shoot at.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2017 00:28

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

LLSix has now talked him out of a suicidal charge into the darkness now, adding one more layer of irony to the pile.

I mean the BEF is almost certain to deploy two overstrength infantry brigades directly in the path of the assault, and a night time assault is almost certain to fail to disorganization, but I can't help but think we'll look back on this moment and wonder 'what if?'.
Though I guess if they wait till morning to move they can mass that whole Saxon division for the advance, which would be much more likely to work.

Trin, what is the end condition here? Whenever one side gets pushed off the map or stalemate sets in?

# ¿ Mar 29, 2017 04:50

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Loel posted:

Im at work for another couple hours, did we get some consensus on sending the south brigade to La Dand?

AbortRetryFail posted:

I think we've discussed all these is to discuss about it. It is a highly risky but highly entertaining plan...

Good lord I hope they go through with it. Assuming the brigade manages to march off in the correct direction at night, it would probably even make it to La Dand as the Germans pivot north.

What this brigade could actually accomplish after making it there remains unclear, but it certainly would be entertaining.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2017 00:52

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

frankenfreak posted:

What are the chances of that happening?

Not great. I also like that they're planning to attack the German gunline because their spotter plane picked up all the guns (actively firing at the time) but none of the supporting infantry. And they apparently just haven't considered that the Germans probably didn't leave all their artillery totally unguarded.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2017 18:48

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

BUG JUG posted:

Lord Palmerston was a better pm than Pitt though real talk.

Quite probably. But I didn't want anyone calling me Pam.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2017 20:22

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Look at this guy effectively commanding. That's not hilarious.

Loel posted:

Things Ill want to have before going along with this:

Maps and phases, including timetables.
How are we stopping super brigade in the north?
How are we not getting blown up by arty in the south?
How many units are we sending over the river?
What are their objectives?
Why is the all-in better then feint-officer?
How are we going to get all the commands to change their orders in time?
Do we need to ask for an extension?
More importantly, can we get one?

E: oh man Bacarruda has picked one of the best available routes. Shame it hasn't occurred to him to detour into La Dand.

Bacarruda posted:

The Long Ride. I hug the edge of the map, cut the Chemins wires, and then locate Tallis Sud. Then, with the hillside/escarpment always on my right, I move north and cut wires whenever I find them. I hole up in the Ferme Chatte and then wait for the next night to try and ride home.

PittTheElder fucked around with this message at 04:43 on Mar 31, 2017

# ¿ Mar 31, 2017 04:16

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Baccaruda is just the commander of an extinct cavalry division I think. But apparently they are planning to throw a bunch of men that way instead.

Also to throw their one brigade in the forest into a headlong night attack without waiting for reinforcements, having underestimated the number of Germans in the forest by about half :v:

# ¿ Mar 31, 2017 06:04

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

professor_curly posted:

[Sacrificing an entrenched brigade in an uncoordinated night time assault on a superior force] gained us valuable intel and probably disrupted them long enough for us to actually get something going for this defense, so I think it was worthwhile.

What's Trin's line from the WWI blog about not wanting to critically analyze decisions because that might mean admitting that a lot of people died for nothing?

PittTheElder fucked around with this message at 01:38 on Apr 1, 2017

# ¿ Apr 1, 2017 01:36

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Bad case of malaise setting in in the German thread:

Trin Tragula posted:

The adjudication begins...

oystertoadfish posted:

ive got a bad feeling

aphid_licker posted:

It would be funny if we fail all order change attempts and still mulch another brigade somewhere and have to face the possibility that what's holding us back is us giving orders.

But yeah we're dead.

# ¿ Apr 2, 2017 22:02

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

I like that the Germans managed to surprise the British once in the south by sneaking along the map edge, and now they've done it again on the other edge.

Maybe it'll be more successful this time!

# ¿ Apr 3, 2017 05:17

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Trin Tragula posted:

The penalties, incidentally; at 2 fatigue points, a brigade takes a penalty to its attacks when out of a trench; at 3, it takes a penalty to all attacks and a penalty to defending itself when out of a trench; at 4, it takes a penalty to all attacks and a penalty whenever attacked; and if a brigade ever gets to 5 points, it takes the 4-point penalties and has a 50% chance of not being allowed to move or open fire on each turn.

Is it true (as someone in the British thread implied) that just getting shelled periodically is enough to keep accumulating fatigue points? Or does the brigade itself have to shoot at something?

# ¿ Apr 3, 2017 21:55

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Oh drat you're right. The Germans are set to sit tight just long enough to eat 2 turns of fire, and by the time they move up the British guns will have scooted out of the way once again. Curly's move to put the guns exactly out of range to anything not in the woods (which cannot be fired out of) is a good one too.

sniper4625 (German) posted:

Artillery Orders

Southern Battery

Support fire.

Northern Battery

Hold 4 turns, if not actively firing in support then move Northern Gunline as such. Saros reminds me there should be a bridge by the time I move. Please use the bridge

If there is any time remaining, 2 turns firemission

If I could get engineer support to entrench across the river it'd be swell. Should be enough time for the SE trenches to be secured.

Edited to put me in range of the enemy gunline.

lenoon (BEF) posted:

Hallllright men, hovernight we are finking that we've fahnd the Owitzers, so I want two turns of hustained firah on the ford in this fire pattern:

professor_curly (BEF) posted:

Eighth Division Artillery Order

Conduct the following fire mission for two turns:

Where blue aura represents 60-pounder cannons, yellow represents 18-pounder and orange represents guns from Lenoon's artillery brigade.

Turn 3: Limber
Turn 4: Move Back to the trenches that have just been dug behind us in the pattern shown below.
Turn 5: Continue moving/begin unlimbering as soon as possible.
Turn 6: Continue moving/begin unlimbering as soon as possible.
Turn 6+: All guns go on overwatch/start supporting the brigades to the east of me.

This position is ideal. They can't counter-battery me because it would require setting up their guns in Effyaders, which they can't shoot out of. They have to exit the woods to attack me. I'm in a trench with a bit of wire already. Let them try to cross the open ground in front of me if they dare.

# ¿ Apr 4, 2017 23:58

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Terrifying Effigies posted:

We're still looking for some Germans to share SURPRISE AND TERROR with...maybe we'll find some further east!

ORDERS FOR 20TH INFANTRY BRIGADE

The Brigade shall switch to attack and advance east along the southern edge of the map using the following formation:

Upon reaching the river, the Brigade shall move north to cross the bridge and enter the southern half of La Dand.

At the end of the march, the Brigade shall assume the following positions and switch to Defend. Brigades in eastern La Dand are located on outskirts. Single westernmost brigade is located on outskirts, rest of units in La Dand suburb are located within the town.

...

itshappening.gif

e:

Saros posted:

Final Orders for 86th as Added space cant change his.

Proceed south in the standard battle formation and spread out into the positions shown. Switch to defend.

If this is possible designate an infantry company whose new orders are to follow and defend the Infantry engineer in Stethoscope now until ordered otherwise.

Defend
Use Rifles
Do not pursue
Fight to the last
MAXIMUM TRENCH

Hmm Saros might block just in time. Praying for some British initiative.

PittTheElder fucked around with this message at 05:51 on Apr 5, 2017

# ¿ Apr 5, 2017 05:48

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

When you get to this BEF folks, I promise I was rooting for you. Given the fatigue on those Germans companies I'm sure the charge would have succeeded too (if not for the artillery, curse this modern war!) which probably would have messed up the perceived meta something crazy.

What were the Brits at for fatigue btw?

# ¿ Apr 6, 2017 01:04

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Man, Loel sure is planning one hell of a withdrawal for no real reason. Not sure why they'd be in such a rush to abandon the Bois de Blob.

# ¿ Apr 6, 2017 05:40

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

wedgekree posted:

Who folks think has the general advantage in the present, at least so far as general orders/intent and positioning on the field and casualties taken so far?

The Brits were ahead until the last update I think. The Germans lost a brigade or two early on to some questionable decisions and terrible luck, while the Brits lost one in a pointless charge in the FdE, and now this second one in an attempted move on La Dand. Unfortunately for them I think the plan would have worked perfectly for them if it had been executed one turn earlier; that German brigade hadn't come south yet, and the Germans still had cut wires all over the place that were preventing them from changing orders effectively. If they had gotten back to La Dand, they could have kept them cut permanently, and it might have been a real worrisome position for the Germans. But such is the benefit of omniscience and hindsight.

As for right now, they're about equal, and both teams clearly have a mind set of settling into the established lines rather than trying to break through somewhere. It remains to be seen how each side will use their fresh divisions however. Those might shake things up a lot depending on where they get deployed, though I suspect they'll each use them to shore up their existing positions, and Trin will call the round.

# ¿ Apr 6, 2017 17:32

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

lenoon posted:

ooooooooohhhhhhh
Where would I beeeee
If I were boche artilleryyyyy
Would we be behind the ford
Praying now unto t'lord
Or would be ave crossed ontut bridge
And be hunkrin down to shell the ridge?
I think I'd be between the trench
Smellin dead boche, that sweet stench
And wondering how the brave BEF
Are shellin them to bits and f-watch yhoure mouth you orrible little man
So now we'll send em straight to ell
We're the royal hartillery we do that well!

Now I've been thinking about this. If I were them I'd be in a line between the two trenches, but I don't know where on that line they are. I think this pattern will catch some - maybe more than half - but it is a risk. I could go to a more traditional box spread which if guessed right would mulch them all (but they do seem to like deploying in lines), but then I wonder. If I do a box and miss, they've got off alright. If I do a box and move it around, then it might catch them one or two rounds, but might not. Moving the barrage around would guarantee some hits, but I want my competitor artillery dead dead dead.

So:

Every gun, on these dots, every turn until I run out of indirect fire, or we are all dead.
ONLY change fire pattern if there are German infantry in the open within 8", then fire on them.

lenoon posted:

Abort Retry Fail if you agree with Slim then you'd better order me quick because otherwise I am going to listen to and politely ignore his very sensible and completely correct advice in order to pursue unquestioned artillery dominance.

Now this I like.

# ¿ Apr 7, 2017 18:59

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

drat, yeah it is. I thought they had actually seen the guns firing at some point, but I don't see it in any of Trin's updates. Those guns aren't entrenched either, something tells me they're going to have a bad time.

# ¿ Apr 7, 2017 20:26

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

SlothfulCobra posted:

Also it looks like the Germans are planning to attack the central trenches (but not charge and attempt to occupy them?) while the British are planning to vacate them. Amazing.

Yeah, I have no idea what that plan is about. Trying to trade a couple companies in exchange for finding some targets for the big guns?

# ¿ Apr 7, 2017 22:50

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Who's in charge of that Division_{_headquaters} again?

Crazycryodude posted:

Honestly, what the hell ARE they doing? Just about everything they did in the past round makes no sense to me, and I have the luxury of reading their thread.

I think they were trying to innovate with some sort of hit-and-run move; the artillery suppresses what's in the trench, the infantry finishes them off, then they withdraw back to safety. Which would be a decent plan if the brigade they were attacking was isolated, but as we've seen a couple times now, a single brigade moving in daylight in front of the enemy guns is not going to have a good time.

Also, I like that last thread we were all wondering if you (on the German side) were reading the observer thread, and now the a German commander is worried that the Entente is doing it right back this game. :v:

Istvun posted:

It was very rude of us to not play the hokey pokey with them.

This made me burst out laughing though. "We advanced, but the enemy withdrew, so nobody could charge anyone!"

# ¿ Apr 8, 2017 02:51

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Both sides just planning to use their new division to shore up the line, instead of effect a break through at an enemy weak point. Trin you need to give these commanders a talking-to about elan.

# ¿ Apr 8, 2017 17:48

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# ¿ May 5, 2024 12:14

PittTheElder: Feb 13, 2012; Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Entente pondering an experiment with a rolling barrage. :getin:

# ¿ Apr 18, 2017 21:47

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > The Great Goon War, Slight Return (Super-sized tabletop wargaming)