Ultramodern Wargaming – Ukraine 2024
Recommendations: 13001
About the Project
Lately, I've been running war games every weekend with members of the community via web conference. Players log on and play wargames with each other in real time, regardless of location, and we usually have at least a couple spectators as well. Many times it’s been Darkstar, but we’re also running wargames in Panzer Leader, Arab-Israeli Wars, and now Valor & Victory.
BoW/OTT community members @brucelea, @damon, @davehawes, and @rasmus have taken the plunge, leading battalions across thousands of meters of desert, starfleets in pitched battles across the heavens, or vicious firefights in the jungles of Vietnam, all without leaving the comfort of their home.
Hard-core, old-school command-tactical wargames can now be run (complete with spectators and recordings) in real time, with BOTH PLAYERS moving pieces across THE SAME virtual game board, thus maintaining player agency, speedy and instant results (no play by e-mail), interwoven turn sequences, any questions / feedback instantly received and addressed, and with the game being virtually recorded as it goes, a ready-made battle report can actually be created as we go.
All of this without the players having to install any new software on their computer, on any platform (PC or Mac). All that's needed is to agree on a time, a handful of dice, and a bellyful of courage!
Every weekend can now be a boot camp! All without costing me thousands of dollars in airfare, too!
Related Game: PanzerBlitz
Related Genre: Historical
This Project is Active
Battle of Midway - Part 2 Live Stream
Good morning all!!
Later today we’ll be finishing the Battle of Midway wargame between myself and Rasmus!
As of Turn 5, the game is still pretty balanced (we each have one carrier left).
One Japanese battleship is sunk, another badly damaged …
The Marines stand ready to oppose the incoming Japanese invasion fleet …
It could still go either way!
Hit the link below to join our stream and become part of the show!
2PM East US / 7PM UK time
Sitrep Podcast YouTube
Battle Report - Rasmus v. Oriskany at Midway
This past weekend, my friend Rasmus and I sat down to try an 80th Anniversary Commemorative Wargame of the Battle of Midway. Widely considered one of the most pivotal battles in naval history, Midway was fought between the navies of Imperial Japan and the United States roughly from 3-7 June 1942 (June 4 is widely considered the pivotal moment).
An earlier version of this home brew system was presented as part of the 75th Anniversary Midway presented in 2017 for the 75th Anniversary. For the 80th anniversary, I knuckled down to re-invent that system, this time with a sharper eye for historical detail, adaptability for remote play, and possible expansion and implementation to other Pacific War campaigns (Solomons, here we come).
Some thirty hours were invested in this past Sunday’s rollout, where the game was live-tested for the first time, against a live opponent, on a live stream, in front of a live audience. Suffice it to say I was slightly nervous, but in truth for a first try I couldn’t be more pleased. True, it isn’t perfect, there are still some significant wrinkles to work out. But so far I feel the game design is delivering on all its objectives.
Better still, even after Sunday’s stream, the issue between Rasmus and I isn’t quite settled. After four complete turns, the Battle of Midway remains in doubt on our table. Had the game turned out along historical lines, it would be. So the game isn’t really taking too long. It’s just elevated to a chess match against a great opponent, where even after 16 hours of battle time (not game time), both sides stand a real chance of victory.
The game is “Level Three” – full “Operational” – although as a naval game some tactical-level decisions and mechanics remain. The map covers 910,000 square nautical miles (1300 x 700 miles across). Each turn is four hours. Each “task force marker” is either a task force of up to 30 warships (some of them over 300,000 total tons displacement) … or a “ghost” counter of empty ocean. In all we have 137 warships and 732 aircraft on the table.
Which task forces are real are only known to the owning player, until encountered by enemy warships or spotted by enemy scout planes. Clearly, factors like detection, intelligence, bluff, and deception are going to play a key role, especially in the battle’s early phases.
Rasmus is playing the Japanese, I am playing the Americans.
Below is the battle report so far … I hope you enjoy!
Here is the overall battle map and the dispositions of sortied fleets and launched aircraft at the end of Turn 1. The game begins at 0001 hours (just after midnight) on the morning of 4 June, 1942. For the historical purists out there, some very light combat DID take place on 3 June, some ineffectual USAAF bombing raids that missed elements of the Kondo’s Second Fleet, and a torpedo-armed Catalina that hit a Japanese oiler supporting the invasion force. But since we’re not tracking auxiliary ships, and historically the B-17s missed the warships, no actual effect was taken that would affect the game’s start conditions. Also, the game “resets” identified task forces during night turns, so the Americans would have lost contact with these fleet elements anyway. However, notice that Kondo’s Second Fleet Main Body and Tanaka’s Invasion Force have only one “dummy” counter to help hide the location of their real ships. Since they bombed these fleets yesterday, and know their objective, the Americans have a pretty good idea where Kondo and Tanaka’s task forces are. The real threat is Nagumo’s First Fleet Carrier Strike Force, which is much closer and hadn’t been spotted yet. I have night-launched two long-range PBY Catalina scout planes … they can’t spot targets in the dark but they will take longer than four hours to reach their suspected targets anyway, if I want to find anything when the sun comes up on Turn 2 (0400) I had to launch them now. Meanwhile, Rasmus has to set up a strike on Midway Island, while keeping a wary eye on my suspected locations of Task Force 17 (USS Yorktown) and Task Force 17 (USS Enterprise and Hornet).
Dawn rises on 4 June 1942. A prowling US submarine, USS Nautilus, has by chance come across Yamamoto’s main body as it enters the west edge of the map, yes this is the same USS Nautilus that tried to torpedo the Japanese battleships Kirishima on the historical June 4 – I even rolled USS Nautilus randomly out of the twelve American submarines in the area! This game gives a submarine two choices, “Surface to Report” or “Dive to Attack.” Because this task force is still 800 miles due west and won’t come in contact before dusk (when I lose contact anyway), Nautilus goes to attack, but is fended off by the eight destroyers of First Fleet Main Body. Meanwhile, one of my Catalinas (now airborne for at least six hours) verifies that “TF8” was a dummy counter, while my other Catalina misses what will turn out to be Kondo’s Second Fleet! 
A few hours later (later in Turn 02), Nagumo’s Sirt Fleet Carrier Strike Force moves to within 140 miles of Midway Island. Nagumo is compelled by orders to hit Midway with at least 100 planes by 1200 hours UNLESS he spots an American carrier or is hit by American carrier aircraft. I’m not sure was counter was “real” so I launched as many search assets as possible, up to an including the Midway Refueling and Patrol force (two destroyers, 10 PT boats). The eliminated some very suspicious dummy counters, while float planes launched from cruiser Pensacola, New Orleans, Minneapolis, and Vincennes scouted other possible locations. Rasmus, meanwhile, also gets a scout plane over my Task Force 16. A few spotting checks fail, a few reporting checks fail, but finally the scout plane from cruiser IJN Chikuma gets the message through. Sadly for both of us, our carriers are two far apart for full strikes. So Rasmus has to settle for launching a full carrier strike on the hapless Midway Patrol and Refueling force, which loses both destroyers USS Blue and Talbot, along with four PT boats. I can only hit Nagumo with my aircraft on Midway (longer ranged aircraft and 80 miles closer to boot). It’s a costly gamble, which only manages to put a single bomb hit in the largest Japanese carrier, IJN Kaga. I was hoping to damage her enough where she couldn’t launch aircraft, and thus give me momentary superiority for 0800-1000 hours or so … (Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown vs. Akagi, Soryu, and Hiryu). But it doesn’t work. 
The beginning of Turn 3 (so, 0800-1000 hours, June 4). Incredibly, the Nautilus has found Yamamoto’s main body again! The roll required was an 11+, so about 8.5%! Again she attacks, and this time Rasmus fails the destroyer screen roll. Nautilus dives, penetrates the destroyer screen and launches a full torpedo spread at the Japanese battleship Nagato (I know I can’t even appreciably damage the superbattleship Yamato, not with these 1942 Mark 13 torpedoes). Nagato takes three torpedo hits, not crippling her, but definitely slowing her for the rest of the game which means Rasmus will either have to detach her with a partial destroyer screen or slow the whole main body. He chooses the former. Meanwhile, my second pair of Catalinas has spotted both Kondo’s Second Fleet and Tanaka’s Midway Invasion force, although both Catalinas are shot down for their trouble. 
1000-1200 Hours, 4 June: The end of Turn 3. The shattered remnants of Midway Patrol and Refueling force limp back to the Midway Atoll. Rasmus makes the decidedly “un-Japanese” move of ordering Nagumo’s First Carrier Strike Force to raise flank speed and steam course 270, straight WEST … AWAY from the Americans. While I’m sure there was a screaming match on the flag bridge of IJN Akagi, Rasmus’ move here straight out saves the Japanese fleet. Had he persisted east or even stayed where he was, he’d be in range of a full strike by all three of my carriers (including USS Yorktown and Task Force 17, which he hasn’t even found yet), plus the full Navy, USAAF, and USMC force on Midway. Now American strikes in this period of the war have a worse roll for “Strike Coordination” (we all remember Hornet’s infamous “Flight to Nowhere”). So a lot of my planes don’t find the Japanese, but enough do. USS Enterprise Wildcat fighters escort my strike in, but Hornet’s get lost. Thus, my torpedo bombers suffer heavily, while half the Enterprise’s fighters are wiped out by Rasmus’ Combat Air Patrol (CAP) of the dreaded A62M “Zeke” (Zero) Fighter. Still, my Americans press in. Carrier Kaga (Increased Joy) blows up right away, and I manage to sink Akagi as well. My third target is the Soryu, determined to get at least three of these things in this all-important (is somewhat mismanaged and incomplete strike). I damage Soryu heavily, not enough to sink her … BUT ENOUGH TO PREVENT HER FROM LANDING AND RECOVERING AIRCRAFT. Honestly, just as good, as dozens of Japanese aircraft will now have to ditch (the last Japanese carrier HIryu can only carry so many). It’s cold comfort, though, as Rasmus’ FOUR-CARRIER strike (you know, the one that was never launched at the historical Battle of Midway) positively ravages Task Force 17. USS Enterprise blows up and sinks (shudder), followed quickly by USS Hornet while the antiaircraft cruiser USS Atlanta takes heavy damage. This is a COSTLY strike, though, as the whole Japanese air group has now been reduced to just 70 planes aboard IJN Hiryu. 
1200-1400 Hours, 4 June: Beginning of Turn 4. Limping and listing with torpedoes in her side, the battleship Nagato falls out of formation from Yamamoto’s main body, escorted by two destroyers. I don’t really know where, so new task force and dummy counters are placed. Kondo’s second fleet plows resolutely eastward, now close enough to start launching scout planes from battleships and cruisers, as well as launching improvised CAP with their light carrier Zuiho and seaplane tenders Chitose and Kamikawa Maru. 
1400-1600 Hours, 4 June: Kondo’s scout planes sweep the western reaches of the immediate battle area (300 miles west of Midway), confirming no American warships in or west of 179 W. Even with this greatly narrowed search area, Nagumo’s remaining scout planes STILL fail to find USS Yorktown (just bad dice). Rasmus has also failed Damage Control checks on carrier Soryu (these rolls are very difficult, Japanese damage control was very poor in 1942), so Soryu cannot recover aircraft for the rest of the game. She therefore heads north, straight at the Americans, if only to cover Hiryu’s escape. This is somewhat mismeasured, as my only remaining task force can’t reach Hiryu anyway (still heading 270, due west AWAY from Midway). In Rasmus’ defense, his scouts haven’t located Yorktown anyway, and some of my land-based air on Midway can reach much further (they just can’t anything). One battleship, one two heavy cruisers, and a screen of destroyers are sent as well, which make contact with the remains of US Task Force 17 (both their carriers sunk) for the long-awaited Japanese surface gunnery engagement. Problem is, USS Yorktown and Midway Island launch a strike against this “Kamikaze Force” first (aircraft are faster than battleships) and sink the smoldering hulk of the Soryu, the battleship IJN Haruna, and the heavy cruiser Chikuma. Hiryu responds, launching a strike on the remains of Task Force 17 as well, crippling the heavy cruiser USS Pensacola. The surface engagement finally happens, although with fewer ships per side. The American cruisers actually do well here, although again … the Japanese force has been heavily mauled by the preceding American airstrike. The heavy cruiser USS Northampton is very badly damaged, but the Americans claim the heavy cruiser Tone and destroyer Yugumo in return. But just to add insult to injury, a Japanese submarine creeps within torpedo range of Midway itself and sinks two more PT boats out of the hapless Midway Patrol and Refueling Force.
Thus here we are, a little after 1600 hours on 4 June, 1942. We’re running out of daylight here, at the start of next turn the sun goes down and outside of long range PBY scout missions, nothing is flying. That’s eight full hours where Japanese battleships can rush Midway (200 nautical miles, assuming 25 knots, or ten hexes). By dawn (Turn 8) Kondo’s Second Fleet and Tanaka’s Invasion Force could be in the immediate battle area, with Yamamoto’s Main Body there by midday. With just one carrier, now with a damaged air group, can Rasmus provide enough air cover to these battleships, being resolutely proven to be vulnerable to American air power … including from a carrier the Japanese STILL haven’t pinpointed. For their part, the Americans are also down two carriers, USS Hornet and Enterprise are gone forever. True, I can base aircraft on Midway, but my air groups have also taken terrible damage. Aircraft losses so far have been roughly equal, 183 Japanese lost to 163 American lost, although again, please remember much of the remaining airpower is older or less useful types like B-17s, F2F Buffalo, and SB2U-3 "Vindicator" dive bombers. We hope to finish this game up, LIVE on Sunday June 12 on the Sitrep Podcast channel! Piotr "Yavasa" Discusses Team Yankee
Piotr and his friend Arek “Lex” continue their discussion on Team Yankee.
Topics include features people like about the system, tips in list-building, tabletop tactics, competition at tournaments, recommended point levels, and upcoming releases.
The photos (by Piotr) don’t directly correspond to the conversation, they are presented just as visual backdrop for the discussion. Enjoy!
Battle of Midway - Game Video
Here is the video replay from yesterday’s Sitrep stream – the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway.
Rasmus was playing the Japanese – I’ve been playing the Americans.
It’s truly an “Admiral’sTable” view of the battle, with 20 nautical mile hexes and 4-hour turns … Yet also challenging the player to make split-second decisions …
Like whether to engage incoming enemy escort fighters, or sacrifice your pilots for a shot at the enemy bombers threatening your fleet!
Your AA gunners await orders … which enemy squadrons pose the greatest threat bearing down your task force?
And which ships must be lost to purchase further hope of victory?
So far, history has been followed in some ways, knocked into a cocked hat in many others.
We hope to return and finish this game … because unlike history (and many playthroughs of this battle) … the issue is not decided on the morning of 4 June!
Battle of Midway Wargame - Live Stream
This weekend marks the 80th Anniversary of one of the most important naval battles in history, the decisive Battle of Midway of 1942. Accordingly, Rasmus and Oriskany are sitting down to humbly recreate this titanic event in a live stream of Sitrep Podcast’s “Pacific Fleet Operations” game system – a light, operations-level system where we will take the role of Yamamoto and Fletcher, Nagumo and Spruance.
Fought between the Imperial Japanese Navy and United States Navy in the Pacific, the shattering results of this battle altered the course of the Pacific War and naval history forever. Will our game yield the same results? Or will the Rising Sun prevail? Perhaps even reaching and landing troops on Midway Atoll itself?
Sunday, 2PM East US time, 7PM UK time.
Use the link to check us out live and comment to become part of the show!
Here is the area that will be covered in our game - the map measuring 1300 x 700 nauticial miles. That's just under a million square miles. Anyone wanna try that at 28mm? :D
Setting up Midway defenses based on first-hand historical sources, just in case the Japanese reach the islands.
Here's the game map. We're looking at 20 nautical miles per hex, with four hour turns. This way was can easily have two turns of darkness, four turns of daylight per game day. 
Some of the charts so far. Charts scare some people of, they fail to realize that clear, well thought-out charts actually do most of the work for you and make gameplay light, fast, and easy. 
A partial look at the Japanese order of battle, including damage trackers for each ship. The Japanese columns go MUCH MUCH further down than the Americans, I'm afraid.
A partial look at the American order of battle, including damage trackers for each ship.
The pieces and counters for the game. I doubt all of this will actually see action, but better to be prepared for any eventuality that may arise in the course of the turn sequence.
Some of the rules.
This finishes up the rules of what is LIKELY to happen.
Here are rules for some eventualities that MAY arise.Piotr "Yavasa" Discusses Team Yankee
Hello everyone! Piotr and his friend Arek “Lex” sit down for a discussion of Team Yankee, talking about recent tournaments, factions, and the state of Team Yankee and Flames of War in Poland.
Thanks for watching! Have a great week.
For some reason the video is not displaying properly here.
So here is the link:
Piotr “Yavasa” Discusses Team Yankee (Part 1)
Thanks!
Building the M2/M3 Bradley (15mm Battlefront)
Here is the video replay from yesterday’s stream, where we build one of the M2 APC/M3 Cavalry (Bradley) vehicle in 15mm from Battlefront.
There’s also a little discussion about the M2 APC / M3 ACV, some settings where you can use these vehicles . . .
Including historical settings and other “what-if” settings from Harold Coyle novels besides Team Yankee.
Podcast Episode Playback: Welcoming a New Team Member!
Join the Sitrep Podcast team as we sit down for another historical wargaming discussion. Rules sets, hobby, conventions, tactics & strategy, and historical background … along with plenty of really reeeeally bad jokes.
You see, this is what happens when you give microphones and internet access to people like us. Join in the madness!
