_______ DRAFT NOTICE _______
When the bugle sounds the call for enlistment in a new tourney I always receive a variety of email requests to sign on. Here is a selection from the recent 2001 Spring Classic enlistment drive. As always my comments are in bold.
I "Tusk" would like to join the 2001 Spring Classic Tourney (and compliment you on your articulate ponderings included on your Tourney Invite)
Thanks. I just hope that what Gil didn't really mean to say was ponderous as in Heavy, unwieldy, laboured....just like my Axis strategies.
Greetings Herr Commander,
I would be most honored to make your small tourney into a big deal by participating. Thus I throw my proverbial head decoration into the simulated tidy bowl seat. Er, I mean toss my hat into the ring. Sign me up Skipper, i'll take ya all on, one at a time!!!!
AxAmaster
We are honored, it just wouldn't be the same without you.
Howdy. I would like to sign up for the 2001 Spring Classic. alias: cnty9047@ thanks for your work in putting this on. i never do too good in the tourneys, but I still enjoy them.
A big Howdy to you. I'm afraid your tourney record is not up to the required standard so unfortunately you won't be allowed to participate. HEY just kidding, a belated April Fools joke...
_______ TOURNAMENT STANDINGS _______
See how the IAAPA tournaments are shaping up in the month of April.
1999 Fall Open
Jupiter wins enlisted bracket and will either face Leone or the frogmaster (Frogman10) Whoever wins this Jupiter vs leone/Frogman10 encounter will then meet Officers bracket winner, HighCmmdr for the 1999 Fall Open Championship. I pick HC for the title.
2000 Fall Classic
Rd3
Amgor vs JBell49
Boromir vs Sephorin
GedeOne vs MicWil
Rd4
Raist vs frogman10
Steiner vs (Amgor or JBell49)
Rd5
KBell vs pending
Summary: KenBell advances to the semifinal (rd5) in able bracket. I'll stick my neck out and say that Boromir (currently in rd3) will be his semi-final opponent. Meanwhile in baker bracket Frogman10, Amgor, JBell49, Raist and Steiner are still battling along in their respective rounds. At this point I like the chances of a Raist / JBell49 semifinal.
2000 Summer Open
rd3
dandeman vs Warmonger
rd4
JBell49 vs Razor1010
KBell vs (dandeman or Warmonger)
rd5 (bracket final)
Buzz vs (JBell49 or Razor1010)
roseandmike vs pending
Summary: Little action in the 2000 Summer Open this month. I will be taking a look at this tourney very soon in regard to adjudication.
Millennium Tournament
Rd3
MicWil vs Henrik
Novi vs dandeman
Rd4
UberRalph vs (MicWil or Henrik)
Levahl vs (Novi or dandeman)
Rd5 (bracket final)
WarlockLH vs pending (west)
Herr_Schmidt vs pending (north)
AxisSpec (winner south)
KBell (winner east)
Summary: Once again few results from the Millennium tourney. Be prepared for some adjudication notices coming soon.
2001 Master Invitational
Rd1
HighCmmdr vs Boromir
Rd2
Rewstr vs Spud
Levahl vs Mat27
WarlockLH vs Komp
AATorpedo vs (Highcmmdr or Boromir)
Summary: Check out the IAAPA T.V special (ezines section of the website) for some great rd1 action between Rewstr and Herr_Schmidt.
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_________ PLAYER COMMENTS _________
Another selection of comments from our grizzled vets.......
Game 8545 has begun. Units are dying at a rapid pace. I am hoping Alan's forces will die a little faster than mine. :)
A dispatch sent from the front lines to the tourney office, these guys have brought a WWI philosophy to their gameplay.....thats right men, keep together in a tight, packed formation and walk towards those guys with the machine guns. duga, duga, duga, duga....
#8457 -- 2000 Fall Classic rd4 , KenBell (Axis) defeats Col.Hogan(Allies)
KenBell's official diary of events....... "Early on this game was a struggle between the powers. Europe was in chaos as the Allies tried to eliminate the Germans. During this time the Japanese had much success thanks to the acquisition of heavy bombers. The allies could not react quick enough as Japan gobbled up Russia and later freed the Germans from US occupation. Once Japan had finished securing Europe the Axis powers had 118ipcs of territory. The US could only regain 14ipcs. This sealed the Axis victory."
118ipc's in Axis territory!!, Germany resurrected from the Ashes...great game. Now you know why I believe Ken will be an IAAPA tourney champion in the near future. Lucky for Ken I am unavailable for tourney play at the moment.
#8344 -- 2000 Fall Classic rd3 , Steiner (Axis) defeats Henrik (allies)
Steiner describes the action.... "Russia vacated Kar on turn 2 in hopes of retaking it on turn 3. However, German forces reinforced with Jap ftrs delt the Russians a serious blow on Rus turn 3 attempt to retake Kar. With Russia surrounded and the Brits and US troops being ineffective US attacked Ger on turn 4 and surrendered."
Another Russian retreat from Karelia ends in disaster for the Allies. I prefer that the Germans wrest Karelia from the bloodstained hands of the last dying Russian soldier rather than retreat.
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______ ABOVE & BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY _____
This may be of some interest, a list of some German WWII Military decorations:
Combat Badge (Nahkampfspange)
Date Instituted: 25 Nov '42
Requirements: Bronze: Participation in 15 days of hand-to-hand combat, or Participation
in 10 days of close-combat. Silver: Participation in 30 days of hand-to-hand combat, or
Participation in 20 days of close-combat. Gold: Participation in 50 days of hand-to-hand
combat, or Participation in 40 days of close-combat
Number Awarded: Unknown
Tank Destruction Badge (Das Sonderabzeichen für das Niederkämpfen von Panzer-
kampfwagen durch Einzelkämpfer) <--- Try getting all that onto one little badge ..ouch hand cramp!
Date Instituted: 9 Mar 1942 (Silver) & 18 Dec 1943 (Gold)
Requirements: Silver: Having single handedly destroyed an enemy tank using a hand held
weapon. Gold: Having single handedly destroyed five enemy tanks using a hand held weapon.
This award was not given to anti-tanks troops.
Number Awarded: Unknown
Wound Badge (Verwundeten-Abzeichen)
Date Instituted: 1 Sept '39
Requirements: Black: Wounded 1 or 2 times in fighting or airraid, or Wounded by frostbite in
the line of duty. Silver: Wounded 3 or 4 times in fighting or airraid, or Serious injury in the line
of duty. Gold: Wounded 5 times or more in fighting or airraid, Extremly serious injury in the line
of duty or Death in the line of duty.
Number Awarded: Approx 5,000,000
IRON CROSS 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse)
date instituted: 1 Sept '39
Requirements: One act of bravery above and beyond the call of duty.
Number Awarded: approx. 3,000,000 (27 Women)
IRON CROSS 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse)
date instituted: 1 Sept '39
Requirements: Awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class, Three to five acts
of bravery above and beyond the call of duty.
Number Awarded: approx 450,000 (2 Women)
KNIGHT'S CROSS (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes)
date instituted: 1 Sept '39
Requirements: Awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class, Repeated acts of bravery
above and beyond the call of duty (or a single act if it was of great importance)
Number Awarded: 7318 (42 to axis allies)
KNIGHT'S CROSS with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes
mit Eichenlaub)
date instituted: 3 June '40
Requirements: Awarded the Knights Cross, Repeated acts of bravery above
and beyond the call of duty (or a single act if it was of great importance)
Number Awarded: 882 (8 to axis allies)
KNIGHT'S CROSS with Oak Leaves & Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern)
date instituted: 15 July '41
Requirements: Awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Repeated acts
of bravery above and beyond the call of duty (or a single act if it was of great importance)
Number Awarded: 160 (Heer 76, Kriegsmarine 5, Luftwaffe 54, Waffen-SS 24, Foreign 1)
KNIGHT'S CROSS with Oak Leaves, Swords & Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes
Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten)
date instituted: 15 July '41
Requirements: Awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves & Swords, Repeated acts
of bravery above and beyond the call of duty (or a single act if it was of great importance)
Number Awarded: 27 (Heer 11, Kriegsmarine 2, Luftwaffe 12, Waffen-SS 2)
KNIGHT'S CROSS with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords & Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes mit Goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten)
date instituted: 29 Dec '44
Requirements: Awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords & Diamonds. Repeated
acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty (or a single act if it was of great importance).
This award was to be presented to the twelve most deserving germans after the war had been
won by the axis. Only one exeption was made (the Stuka ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel) and this was to
be the only one presented.
Number Awarded: 1 (Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel)
GRAND CROSS of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes)
date instituted: 1 Sep '39
Requirements: Awarded to General Staff officers for strategic decisions affecting the outcome
of the war (in a positive way of course).
Number Awarded: 1 (Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring) <---- He must have received it before the battle of Britain
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_______ GERMAN WWII LOSSES _______
Branch (incl.P.O.W) |
Dead |
% ** |
|
Heer (Army) |
4,202,030 | 79.0 |
| Kriegsmarine |
138.429 | 2.6 |
| Luftwaffe |
432,706 | 8.1 |
| Waffen-SS |
313,749 | 5.9 |
| Volkssturm |
77,726 | 1.5 |
| Police |
63,462 | 1.2 |
| Auxiliary | 5,323 | 1.0 |
| Support (non-aux.) |
37,198 | 0.7 |
| Total | 5,318,531 |
**: I believe this is the percentage of total losses rather than the percentage
of the particular branch.
P.O.W : Prisoner of War
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_______ EDITOR'S OPINION _______
As the title suggests this is my own section, and thus, my say. However having said that I must thank all of the people that were kind enough to provide me with a wealth of information allowing me to develop the following opinion and hopefully inject a bit more objectivity than I had previously held on the following subject.
Anyone, at any time may email me with their own say, whether it is a response to this particular opinion or anything else in the Battlefield review I assure that it will find its way into a following review......no matter how wrong I think you are ;o)
Is technology detrimental to A&A ?.
Probably the most controversial and most talked about A&A subject is technology. Is it beneficial or detrimental to the game?. Anyone who has played me before knows of my disdain for tech but as I analysed the feedback of my fellow government members I found myself re-evaluating my own entrenched opinion of tech and the role it plays in the game of A&A.
What I discovered is that there is no definitive answer to my question, hence the controversy, however what I can say is this: Tech rolling is comparable to having a time bomb inexorably ticking away, the fear of detonation being paramount in the players mind. If nothing else it is A&A's version of psychological warfare, an opponent rolling for tech nearly always provokes a reaction of some kind, an arms race or maybe even a feeling that time is running out..."Gee, sooner or later he's going to hit HB's !! i'd better take out a capital ASAP".
For a player who is losing a game, tech can provide a chance to recover but not only that it also affects the opponent who must either roll for tech as well or ensure that their strategy will crush his oppositions abilty to resist or create any kind of stalemate providing time to gain a technology. This is what I like to call the timebomb factor...if you do not like to roll for tech you are putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage to those who do because if you get into a situation where you are losing ground then your opponent can grind you down as slowly as it takes without fear of facing a comeback against technology.
Well besides the timebomb factor, tech rolling (which incidently doesn't often culminate into the dreaded Heavy Bombers anyway) can also provide under certain circumstances games where tech enables a player to explore new strategies with their own unique set of problems and surely this can't be all that bad. (see - GLORY DAYS below)
So is technology detrimental to A&A?, well in my opinion no it isn't. If you want a purely strategical game then go and play chess otherwise just enjoy the sweet joy of victory or alternatively beat your breast with clenched fist as you go down in a blaze of glory and remember that this is just a fun game and be secure in the knowledge that tomorrow is a new day and a new battlefield.
RedDwarf
(BF Review Editor)
In next month's issue I will delve into another much covered topic, Realism. Look out for it in the May edition of the Battlefield Review.
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_______ GLORY DAYS _______
....they'll pass you by.... in the wink of a young girls eye.... ahem, just thought you would enjoy this little blast from the past as told by Rewstr.
The 1st A&A conference, the War in the Desert. Rewster versus LASteam. (better known as Quixande) Steamie got Heavy Bombers for the Japs and was dictating the action. The Rewster packed up the Americans and Brits from Kar (leaving a screening force aganst the Germans) and marched Cauc -> Persia -> India heading for Steamie's IC buildup. A small Russian detachment headed Eno -> Yak. The US fleet headed to Pearl with 8 Inf & 2 Bombers.
By this time this was the only game going and there must have 20 people watching the game. (All were rooting for Steamie!)
Steamie crushed the Americans & Brits in India and the Russians in Yak. The only force left for the Allies was Nimitz. The bones hit the box. 1 six. Tink Tink Tink. Another six. Heavies for the Americans. After the Americans took out Steamie's dozen Inf on the Japanese homeland, the game was conceded.
This then prompted the original couch dance as the Rewster proceeded to "crow" around the gaming room to everyone's high 5's ending with the Rewstr standing on the couch chanting "Yes! Yes! Yes!" I did buy Steamie a beer later that night as consolation. : )
Could this have ever happened without the possibility of Tech?
No indeed not, kinda makes ya wish you'd been there to see it.
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______ HOLLYWOOD HEROES ______
David Niven
Attended Sandhurst Military Academy and served for two years in Malta with the
Highland Light Infantry. At the outbreak of World War II, although a top-line star,
he re-joined the Army (Rifle Brigade). He quickly worked his way up to the rank
of Lieutenant Colonel in the British Commandos, spending some time in Normandy
during the invasion.
On his return to Hollywood after the war he was made a Legionnaire of the Order of Merit (the highest American order that can be earned by an alien). This was presented to Lt. Col David Niven by General Eisenhower.
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_______ BELIEVE IT OR NOT _______
A U-boat attacked a convoy and then surfaced to see the results. The merchant ship it sank had a fleet of trucks strapped to its deck, one of which was thrown in the air by the explosion, landing on the U-boat sinking it.
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Thats all folks, the BF Reveiw will be back (despite protests) in the month of May. All views and comments should be sent to me at tourneys@axisandallies.net
Regards,
RedDwarf
(Tourney Minister, Battlefield Review Editor, ITSL committee member, IAAPA Senator,
Zen Master, Man in the Moon, verbal pugilist).