Memoir'44: Pegasus Bridge June 1944

This always remains one of my favourites. A simple, straightforward scenario but with it's own element of tension and charm.

I like to play the British paratroopers under Major Howard.

The cat was busy checking out the rules so that she could exploit the German defensive tactics to the maximum. 

Command & Colours Napoleonics: Schleiz (9 October 1806)

I received the Prussian Expansion as a Christmas present but hadn't had a chance to play a scenario yet. 

I had used my Battle Cry Napoleonic variant for the first battle Schleiz so I thought it would be a good idea to setup a proper C&C game and see how this played out using the C&C rules.

I had a lot of fun with this scenario where the Prussians countered the original orthodoxy and went on the offensive. All was looking good and the Prussian blocks were all setup when the cat decided it was time to intervene.

 

My Collection: The Game of France 1940: German Blitzkrieg in the West (1972)

This was a special addition to my collection. Again bought from Boardgame Geek, for a very reasonable price and in great condition when it arrived. 

The reason I was particularly pleased was that it was a repurchase from when I had it back in the late 1970s. I had to sell some of my game collection when I was a student and this sadly was one of them.

The components and map are just superb. A real pleasure to have this one back on my shelves.

The cat preferred pretending to command a tank in Patton's Best!

My Collection: The Civil War 1861-1865 (1983)

This was a great addition to my collection which I got for a very reasonable price on Boardgame Geek. 

It was in very good condition with all components intact. There were a lot of counters which took some time to sort and bag.

The game is quite an epic representation and satisfies my aim to have a definitive Civil War game in my collection.

The cat shared my enthusiasm.

Battle Cry: Pickett's Charge 3rd day of Gettysburg

This was the pivotal moment in the Civil War where Lee made his greatest gamble. As a scenario it looked a tall order for the Confederates from the start with a considerable distance to cover before they could engage.

 

I decided to take on the role of the Rebels and formulated a plan to concentrate forces in the centre to obtain the objectives of the fenced hexes and thereby snatch victory with a combination of unit attrition and a couple of flag markers. Easier said...!

Intitially it was going to plan with a fortunate draw of a forced march card, which allowed a rapid advance of units up to the fence line, however, the Union defenders were able to pour on a withering fire and the attack was repulsed.

There followed a lull which allowed the Confederates a little time to deploy troops from the flanks which in the end proved decisive in forcing the Union from the fence line, allowed the capture of a couple of flags and the destruction of enough units to achieve a 7-6 victory.

It was an exciting game - so much so that I delayed my lunch. 

The cat observed from the sidelines oblivious of the momentous historical counter-factual that had occurred.

My Collection: Gettysburg (1977)

The second game I managed to obtain and at a cracking price on E-Bay was the old Avalon Hill classic Gettysburg. 

This was the version I was always after - the 1977 edition which contains three games - Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced.

There are a lot of counters! The game was in great condition and the maps were in really good shape. I like the colour scheme and detail provided.

The cat kept lookout while I arranged the photography.

My Collection: Seelowe - The German Invasion of Britain 1940 (1974)

It was my brirthday recently so I managed to get a couple of games that have been on my wishlist for some time. 

The first was Seelowe, produced by SPI in 1974 and which is a hypothetical wargame depicting Operation Sealion, the anticipated German invasion of the British Isles that would have followed a Luftwaffe victory in the Battle of Britain.

I managed to get a boxed version which only needed a few repairs for blown corners. Inside the game was in good condition considering its age.

I've always been fascinated by the what-if scenario of German invasion in WW2 and read the Len Deighton SS-GB following the BBC dramatisation a couple of years ago. Both of these I enjoyed and they further drove my desire to add this to my collection.

Now I just need to keep it from turning into Operation Feline!