The Desert Platypus

Afrika Korps

So Peetza da Hutt was off gallivanting around Vermont this week, Herr Feldmarshal Horak aka the Desert Platypus took on Brigadier Wood in the Western Desert.  The standard spring 1941 set up started out with an impressive run across Cyrinacea by the Afrika Korps.  The Brits and their allies set up a thin defense stretching from Tmimi inland past Mechilli.  The Germans quickly pushed the British back to Tobruk with a few casualties to both sides.  After bypassing the fortress, the heavy German armor overran the Egyptian border garrison and went on to capture an unescorted supply unit halfway to Alexandria.  The arrival of July reinforcements caused the Germans to fall back to a l ine at the border fence, while the British evacuated Tobruk.  The fortress soon fell and it looked like we were in for a long static period waiting for November reinforcements before there could be a resolution. 

Game Notes

Automatic victory played an important part in the German blitz.  After the game, it was noted that a supply unit is required for automatic victory, although there are some interesting bits in the rules about zones of control and the subsequent movement of supply units involved. 

In researching some online sources, I came across VASSAL, an open-source gaming engine.  Conveniently, it has a well done Afrika Korps module that allows either server-moderated games or play by e-mail. 

A Rare Two-Fer

Game #1

While the World Cup garners most of the attention, a galactic struggle goes on with few the wiser.  General Horak took on Darth Ric and Kent the Hutt with an uncharacteristic setup that left the green hoard with 7 initial resource planets.  An epic battle for Kessel weakened the Hutts at the start, but Imperial attacks on the Rebels rapidly took their toll on both sides.  Within 4 turns, the Hutts had swept to power throughout the galaxy. 

Game #2

In a fit of optimism, Ric suggested a second game, perhaps to regain lost honor from our quick failure in the previous one.  Using the same forces, we launched into another battle royale.  Again, the Rebels came out with good results from the initial attacks, but combined Hutt and Storm Trooper assaults undid the early gains. 

Fairly quickly the Empire took control of the Wild Space with the Death Star on Sullust to guard that entrance to the sector.  Subsequent battles in El'Rood led to a collapse of that sector.  With two sectors in Imperial hands, it was only a matter of time before things went badly for the Rebels despite the Force Meter being firmly in the light side.

However, the Rebels had a large concentration backed up with two squadrons of bombers.  In an effort to neutralize the expanding influence of the Empire in the Mid Rim, they attacked out of Rodia through Hutt territory towards the starbase on Kessel.  En route, the Hutts played their "Money is Power" faction card and the orders never came for the assault on Da Soocha V.  With that attack blocked, the starbase was spared an overwhelming attack.  As I suspected, the Hutts were being king-makers. 

The Storm Troopers ultimately took the Ison Corridor and with overpowering reinforcements, they were able to mop up the remaining Rebels before the Hutts could muster any sort of a response.  Victory Empire. 

Yet Another Hutt Victory

Greek Food and Star Wars Risk

With the Death Star on Dagobah, thwarting any rebelious activity in that sector, the Rebels and Stormtroopers reinforced heavily in the Wild Space.  In turn one, they fought to exhaustion with no change in control of that sector. 

Despite a weak setup, the Hutts were able to take advantage of the weakened opponents to snag a couple resource planets.  The "Money is Power" faction card held off one counter attack, but ultimately the assault on Elom let the Empire sweep the Mid Rim resource planets and, a turn later, capture the entire sector. 

Hutt gains on Sullust, Balmorra, and Duro helped garner plenty of faction cards.  With one straight, they reached 9 resource planets.  Even after being beaten back by combined assaults of starfighters and x-wings, a straight for 7 legions, a "Wretched Hive" card for 4 more, plus 3 normal reinforcments let them sweep back into the Mid Rim plus capturing Tatooine. 

Game ova!

Trifecta Averted

With the usual twisted variant on a standard set up, Darth Horak and Kent the Hutt faced down General LaBan's rebel forces.  The Rebels did a passable job on their first turn, but didn't really cripple the Dark Sith Lord's forces.  The Hutts of course, just nibbled on a few systems to get cards.  The Empire, on the other hand, dealt death and destruction across the galaxy. 

Then the Rebels and the Hutts evened things out.  Sectors were won and lost, reinforcements came and went, systems were destroyed and... um, well, they never were un-destroyed.  After a particularly virulent attack by the Rebels, Kent the Hutt went ballistic, attacking everywhere he could, even at only 1:1 odds. 

Typically, this behavior results in catastrophic losses and ends the game quickly for someone other than Kent.  In this rare case, Ric kept up the pressure on the Empire (not knowing that the Emperor was still not on the board) and let the Hutts gather their strength. 

Ultimately, the forces of goodness and the forces of drug dealership together conspired to knock the e-vile Empire back to the stone age.  The Hutts consolidated faster than the Rebels.  In a last ditch effort, the Rebels bounced off the Emperor's starbase at Duro and that gave the Hutt's time enough, not for love, but for victory. 

Game Hutts. 

Belated May 29th Post

Darth Horak and General Wood took up their dice and faced Peetza da Hutt.  In a frenzy of recriminations, the Rebels and Stormtroopers battled each other to exhaustion.  The Hutts led by the wily Ric took advantage of their on-going feud to run the board for a fairly quick and easy victory.

With 2/3 of a trifecta under his belt, next week looks to be a key battle.  Stay tuna'ed.

The Come-back Kid Comes Back Again

General Horak started the game off with great concentrations, good positions, and excellent connectivity.  Then it got better--a tremendous run of good dice rolls pushed Darth LaBan to 15 systems.  Kent the Hutt finished the job by kicking Ric to the curb and knocking him down to 4 reinforcements. 

Despite all that initial goodness and a steadily growing fleet, Imperial stormtroopers kept multiplying, starbases were proliferating, and the force meter was darkening.  Faction cards poured in and soon Darth LaBan had the Ison Corridor. 

Meanwhile, the crafty Hutts, led by the uber-crafty Kent, were knocking off resource planets left and right.  A major assault on Mon Calamari en route to the Empire's stronghold at Kessel demolished a major Hutt concentration, but did little to slow them down.  When they hit 8, alarm bells went off in Rebel headquarters. 

I played the dreaded "Name an opponent.  Randomly remove any two of his faction cards" faction card.  Busted the winning straight. 

But Kent didn't respond by crippling the Empire.  The result was a hamstrung rebellion and, with faction cards for fleets and troops, the Darth LaBan conquered the galaxy. 

Imperial win!

Hutts, again...

Darth Ric and General Kent took up there respective forces with a wink and a nod towards "keeping the Hutts in check."  Initially things swung back and forth with about equal reinforcements and no sector bonuses.  The Hutts nibbled away at the Imperial and Rebel crumbs left behind.  Everyone seemed to be getting two faction cards per turn.

But when Gen. Kent attacked a resource planet in the Mid Rim, that was going too far.  "Money is Power" came out and the orders never came.  First, a Hutt capital ship made good on assaults in the Mid Rim to protect weak resource planets.  Then a bomber followed that led to the capture of Balmorra.

The e-vile emperor struck back, but could only get as far as Elom.  While that was a tragic waste of a resource planet, the garrison belonged to the Rebels.  Gen. Kent misjudged the Hutt threat when he went after stormtroopers in the 4th turn.  The Hutts held a faction card straight.  With 10 legions they struck out from Balmorra through Yevin 4 to Tatooine, thence to Duro, and still had a surplus.  Without defensive cards, both stormtroopers and Rebels were helpless to halt the overwhelming assault.

Victory Hutts.

Due to work-related travel, we will resume this regularly scheduled battle for galactic supremacy in three (count 'em, 3) weeks.