GAMING NEWS: "February MWS Meeting AAR" (10 February 2008)

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TOP: Maksim-Smelchak (me!) brought some 28mm pirate ships & crews to show off.

Hi All,

I've really fallen behind on blog updates... still trying to find a new job. The search is really chewing up my free time.

However, I'm still getting in some gaming, modeling, and other good stuff... just cut out most of the time I spent on blog writing to put towards other pursuits for the time being. I hope that when I find the new job, I'll start putting more time back into the 'ol blog.

Here's a battle report from this past weekend's MWS meet...

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MWS Meeting / Game Day Event
Date: Sunday, 10 February 2008
Time: 11:00am to 7:00pm or so…
Location: Marconi Public Library - Community Room
Link: http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/M_W_S/

Attendees:
1. Joe B.
2. Bernie
3. Mark Carper
4. Chris
5. Alex F.
6. Greg
7. Keith
8. Keith TM.
9. Kurt L.
10. Richard “Dick” M.
11. Mark from Viking Hobby
12. Mike O.
13. Barto R.
14. David R.
15. Bob S.
16. Maksim-Smelchak (me!)
17. Mike W.
18. Harry W.
19. Lots of interested library spectators…

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TOP: McLovins, a pre-war bombed-out department store...

...that the outlaw gang took over as their HQ.

Game #1:
Title: Junktown Episode V “A Menace in the Wastelands”
Rules: No Limits (free download)
Genre: Post-apocalyptic Sci-fi
Opponents: Junktown’s 1rst Army Division vs. the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs
Scale: 28mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/34130

Participants:
- Mark Carper – Gamemaster.
- Mike O. – General of Junktown’s 1rst Army Division.
- Maksim-Smelchak - Captain of Junktown’s 1rst Army Division.
- Richard M. – The Big Kahuna of the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs.
- Joe B. – Chief Enforcer of the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs.

TOP: "Air Zed," Junktown's secret weapon!

Outcome:
- The game was a draw with the early game clearly belonged to the forces of Junktown and the later game devolving into a draw as the outlaw gangs managed to hold their ground after Pyrrhic losses. However, as always the real fun in Junktown is more about abysmally bad die rolling, incredible exploits of bravery & stupidity, bad puns, good jokes, and a great feeling of camaraderie.

More photos from this game can be found here:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/28mm-Junktown_2-10-2008-/

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TOP: A swirling WWI dog fight over the Continent...

Game #2:
Title: “Continental Balloon Buster”
Rules: Wings of War miniatures / card game
Genre: Great War (W.W.I.) aircraft dogfights
Opponents: German balloon and fighters vs. British fighters
Scale: 1/144 or 10mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/31552

Participants:
- Mike W. – Gamemaster / German Krauts
- Barto R. – British Limeys
- Harry W. – British Limeys

TOP: British fighters successfully shot down the German Zeppelin...

...by running into it!

Outcome:
- The British managed to shoot down the German balloon although they lost two aircraft to the same balloon when they couldn’t avoid running into it. So, overall the British achieved their mission objectives.

More photos from this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/10mm-WOW_2-10-2008-/

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TOP: An Egyptian T-62 tank battallion advances across the Sinai...

Game #3:
Title: “Duel in the Dessert, 1973”
Rules: Cold War Commander
Genre: AIW Modern warfare during the 1973 Yom Kippur War
Opponents: Egyptian forces vs. Israeli forces in the Sinai
Scale: 1/285 or 6mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/26474

Participants:
- Bob S. - Gamemaster
- Greg: Israelis
- Keith TM: Egyptians

TOP: Israeli Ben Gurions (Centurions) counter the Egyptian attack...

Outcome:
- In a bloody battle, the Egyptians were defeated by the Israelis, although with unacceptable loss ratios.

More photos from this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/6mm-AIW-1973_2-10-2008-/

=================

TOP: 28mm Napoleonic fun was had by many...

Game #4:
Title: “Ney vs. Wellington, 16 June 1815”
Rules: Age of Eagles
Genre: Napoleonics
Opponents: British vs. French
Scale: 28mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/31025

Participants:
- Alex F. - Gamemaster
- Bernie - French
- David R. - French
- Chris - British
- Keith - British

TOP: Ney's French storm through a village...

Outcome:
- The British had a terrible time of it and were defeated by the French.

More photos from this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/28mm-Napoleonics_2-10-2008-/

=================

There was also a mini-trade / swap meet that went on.

TOP: 28mm Normans, Vikings, Fantasy Dwarves & WWI were up for trade...

A beautifully painted 15mm WWII British Army was also on the block...

More general photos from the meet can be found here:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (...if it is indeed an infringement).

HASBARA: 40th Anniversary of The 1967 Six Day War!

. The photo that defined the war:

Paratroopers standing in aweful reverence after liberating the Kotel (The Western Wall).

Hi Everyone,

Today is the fortieth anniversary of The 1967 Six Day War that so dramatically changed the balance of power in the Middle East. This conflict not only changed the balance of power in the Middle East, but it profoundly affected military thinking and has ever since been of strong interest to historians, professional military men, and AIW (Arab-Israeli Wars) miniatures wargamers among others.

First of all, let me make a recommendation to read the Magnum Opus (masterpiece) of 1967 Six Day War history:

If you're going to read just one book about the war, please read "Six Days of War" by Michael Oren, which is by far, the most comprehensively researched and definitive historical account yet written on the conflict.

The Six Day War is perhaps most noted for Operation Moked (Focus), in which Israel launched a surprise air attack against Arab Air Forces, which practically crippled the entire militaries of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and other enemies of Israel. This single operation practically defined air power as the dominant force in warfare from the 1960s on. The Indians paid attention to it in their wars with Pakistan and the Arabs did as well in their later wars with Israel. Even NATO paid attention and began and ambitious program of building hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) in Europe. Operation Moked set the standard and has long been admired by air forces around the world.

The shadow of an Israeli Mirage fighter plane passes over ruined Arab aircraft.

But more than anything else, The Six Day War established Israel as a nation that would not go quietly into the night. Israel gained strategic deterrence in the form of land and no longer stood in the same precarious mortal danger that it had before. It's a fascinating piece of history and I highly recommend study of it to anyone with a passion for such. I've been studying it for over twenty years now, have probably read over a hundred books about it, and can still honestly say that I still have much to learn about it.

An Israeli AMX-13 light tank, which proved ineffective...
...as well as a false path in tank design.
Armor and armament later predominated over mobility in tank design.

Happy Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

An Israeli Mirage fightercraft with one of its principle enemies, a captured Arab MiG.

P.S.
Today is also the anniversary of the WWII Battle of Midway.

P.S.S.
My friend Treppenwitz found this amazing photo:
http://bogieworks.blogs.com/treppenwitz/2007/06/this_picture_ma.html

Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

HASBARA: Six Day War Redux!

.Yossi Ben Hanan, later tank commander, refreshing in the Suez Canal.

Hi Everyone,

- With the fortieth anniversary of the liberation of Jerusalem from Jordan, I'm seeing a plethora of articles about The 1967 Six Day War that may be of interest to AIW (Arab-Israeli Wars) miniatures gamers.

- Charles Krauthammer writes:

"A Prelude to the Six Days"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/17/AR2007051701976.html

- In which he relates the overwhelming significance of the Six Days War to politics in the modern Middle East. He mentions Michael Oren's outstanding 2002 book:

"Six Days of War"
By: Michael Oren

- ...which is by far, the best and most definitive book written yet on the conflict. If you're an Oren fan, check out some of his other recent books as well. He recently concluded a US tour promoting his latest 2007 book:

"Power, Faith, and Fantasy: The United States in the Middle East, 1776 to 2006"

Egyptian Archer tank captured in the Sinai.

And Michael Oren wrote this article in The Jerusalem Post:

"Did Israel Want The Six Day War?"
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1178708597047&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

- You can read more about Michael Oren here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Oren

Israeli paratroopers after they liberated Jerusalem.

- Meanwhile Abraham Rabinovich writes a recollection of his experiences during The Six Day War in this Jerusalem Post article:

"City Under Siege"
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=1&cid=1178708596997&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

- I particularly recommend the following of Rabinovich's books:

"The Battle For Jerusalem, June 5-7, 1967"
"The Boats of Cherbourg"
"The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East"

- Rabinovich has a very different writing style than Oren and his research is less authoritative, but his books have a less academic and thus more entertaining feel to them. Read Oren for academic history backed by solid fact and relentless research; read Rabinovich to be entertained and to get an "in a nut shell" history of the war.

- You can read more about Abraham Rabinovich here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Rabinovich

The "Big Three," Narkis, Dayan, & Rabin, entering Bethlehem triumphant.

- And I can never mention modern Israeli history without mentioning Herman Wouk's wonderful novels:

"The Hope"
"The Glory"

- They can be found cheaply as used paperbacks and employ charismatic characters set against the backdrop of Israel's many wars for survival.

- You can read more about Herman Wouk here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Wouk

Sharon and Begin in 1967, the beginning of a long and successful relationship.

- And lastly, a new book about The Six Day War is coming out this year entitled:

"Foxbats over Dimona: The Soviets' Nuclear Gamble in the Six-Day War"
By: Remez & Isabella Ginor

- The new book tells the history of the Soviet involvement in The Six Day War, with the premise that the Soviets engineered the war in hopes of overthrowing the government of Israel and installing a puppet state in its stead. Very interesting.

Israeli jets in a flyby after the war: Mirage, Mystere, Vautor & Magister.

- I learned about the book in this Jerusalem Post article:

"Soviets engineered Six Day War"
By: David Horovitz
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1178708610161&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

- More about the new book here:
http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300123173

- And here:
http://www.amazon.com/Foxbats-Over-Dimona-Soviets-Nuclear/dp/0300123175

- So, for folks interested in AIW history, now is a particularly rich time to study with Soviet archives opening up, US historical documents being shared, and a great need to look back on history with critical regard and analysis.

Have a great Friday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
Comments are down on this post due to an internal Blogger glitch. Blogger is working on fixing it.

Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

QUOTES: Unlikely Friendship (23 February 2007...

. Hi Everyone,

Sorry for not posting lately... between the flu striking me down and a busy life, I haven't had much time for the blog lately. However, I came across this quote recently and really enjoyed it... it sounds like it came from some kind of "self-improvement book" or "guide to relationships," but it came from an entirely different sort of book. See if you can figure out where it came from.

"Most of us have very few friends; we can count them on the fingers of one hand. We are surrounded by acquaintances, but intimate friends are few. A friendship that survives the years originates more than two people's quest for togetherness. It depends above all on their adjustment and acquiescence to each other's traits. Accepting friends is something like a 'package deal.' Some of their attributes are just what you want to see in someone, those very traits that make you want to be close to someone. Others you find downright unpleasant. With these, too, you must make your peace. You can't set out to change them. This is the only way to develop genuine companionship - a relationship put to the test in a moment of pain, of need for help, of yearning for an attentive ear or a shoulder to lean on."

"A Warrior's Way - Israel's Most Decorated Tank Commander Relives His Greatest Battles"
Pgs. 199-200. 1994 SPI paperback edition.
By: Brigadier General (ret.) Avigdor Kahalani.

It's hard to imagine that, in that quote, Kahalani is writing about the camaraderie between men-at-arms AKA soldiers. The quote could just as easily apply to male-female relationships or just about any other type of relationship.

I've long been a fan of Avigdor Kahalani; he has genuine qualities that are really hard to fake. He also has a "rags-to-riches" background and is of Yemenite descent, some of the many Jews who had long resided in the Arab world until Arab nationalism came to a heady brew in the beginning of the twentieth century. I've long followed his career and you can learn more about it here:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/kahalani.html

Just recently, I watched some specials about the 1973 Yom Kippur War on The Military Channel with an interview with Kahalani. Despite markedly non-native English, the man is a powerful speaker and it's easy to see how he motivated the men under his many commands.

If you have any interest in the history of the Middle East, I highly recommend reading any of his novels. I've enjoyed every single one of Kahalani's books that I've read. I will comment that SPI paperbacks do tend to have a large number of typos though.

Have a great weekend!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

WARGAMING: Some AIW Links For Tony!

Hi and Good Morning to Tony and the Gang,

Well, this is going to be short post... Tony Mark has been talking about runnng a 1973 Yom Kippur War Golan Heights scenario and I've been thinking about his game. I wanted to post a few links for him since I have had a long interest in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

He's not sure which rule set he wants to use, but he's leaning towards Modern Spearhead (MSH) and is also considering Flames of War - Moderns (FOW-Moderns). Tony has already decided when he wants his scenario... late war on the Golan Front, so several days into the war after the inital excitement and scares... when the Israelis go from desperation mode to the competence that they're known for. Tony wants to run a scenario with Ugdah Peled, a task force, advancing into Syria to take them out of the war.

The big story up North happens a bit earlier with Kahalani, Tsvika and the courageous stand that those heroes made against such overwhelming odds... on line with any great stand from history... Rourke's Drift comes to mind. But Tony is going to stage a game somewhat later... which isn't a bad idea at all. The Syrians, for all that they were defeated, can fight the hard fight and, like the Egyptians, had had years to prepare their defences for the eventuality that Israel might advance into Syria one day. But... they weren't good enough and the Israelis had limited attainable objectives.

All the Israelis wanted to do was advance within artillery range of Damascus and shell the capital until the Syrian regime gave up... Add secondary objectives of pummeling Syria on the strategic level with air and sea power plus the advancing ground forces clearing out the creme of Syria's air defence batteries and you have the 1973 late war Israeli war goals. And that's pretty much what happened, Israel pummeled Syria's strategic infrastructure until they were on a stone-age level of technology... oil tanks buring, power plants in ruins, headquarters turned into rubble, etc., etc. The USAF calls that "nexus-centric warfare" these days. It didn't take long for Syria to pressure Egypt to join the war, which had disasterous results for them... a sort of long line of dominos that started toppling in Syria and fell in rows all the way down to Egypt. The war in the North was vicious, but short.

Tony has a number of options, set fighting against dug-in Syrian forces trying to hold a line... the classic ambush box that the Israelis humiliated the Iraqi expeditionary contingent with, the hard fought battles with the Jordanian king sent as a token to help his "Arab allies" (Who had tried to invade him just a few years earlier in 1971 - the Syrians OR called him friendly things like "the Whore of Babylon" - the Egyptians), or even the mop up of retreating Syrian units that occurred in several places. Lots of scenarios are possible for Tony.

Here are a few links for you Tony:

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First of all, after doing tons of research for ages, I put together a discussion group for the Arab-Israeli Wars (AIW) because it's always better to have two (or more) minds on a problem than one. It's a great group and has been around for ages (since 2003):

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AIW-Wargaming/

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Another major resource is IDF Modeling, which is run by several gentlemen, but most notably some fellows from Oz if I remember correctly. It's full of vehicle and aircraft photos to help you paint your models/miniatures and all sorts of other useful reference materials.

http://idfmodelling.free.fr/

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Israeli-Weapons.com is also very useful... historical monographs, photos, equipment entries and tons of videos. I've contributed to the site by editing some of the monographs on occasion. It's a great site that has been up for a long time.

http://www.israeli-weapons.com/

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A friend of mine in the UK, a Kiwi married to a Sabra girl, put up this site: "Balagan," which means a number of things, but "a big mess" is one of the most common meaning used in Modern Israel. Steven Thomas is a mensch and I've corresponded with him a number of times over the years. His site is royal:

http://www.balagan.org.uk/

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Keith McNelly, also a friend Down Under, runs one of the other huge AIW resources. He has been using MSH to run AIW battles for ages. He has all sorts of useful information on his site here:

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/mcnelly/msh/aiw/aiw_index.htm

All of the photos that I've used on this post came courtesy of Keith.

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For microarmor enthusiasts, I can recommend none other than Bob MacKenzie... if you want it, he's got it.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bob_mackenzie/

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I also have a huge AIW library, Tony, and am willing to loan you anything that I have.

Have a great Saturday!

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
Yom HaShaoh or "Holocaust Remembrance Day" is coming up on 25 April 2006 and I've been thinking about that... a pretty heavy topic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Hashoah

MINI WARGAMING: MWS Meeting (15 April 2006).

Hi Everyone,

There was an MWS meeting today (15 April 2006) at the Rancho Cordova meeting that was well attended.

The following showed up:
- Brad
- Brian
- Charles Gomez
- Dick
- Joe Bianchi
- Joe Riddle
- Keith
- Maksim (me!)
- Mark
- Mike O'Brien
- Mike W.
- Randy
- Tony

For more information about the MWS gaming club and to examine a photo gallery chocked full of miniatures splendor, please check out this site:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/M_W_S/

Two games were staged:

(Forgive me my laziness in making these battle reports short and quick!)

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1. Battleground WWII: Eastern Front

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/20441

(BG:WWII photo courtesy of BGG.)

Players:
- Germans: Minor victory.
- Russians: Minor loss.

This was the biggest game of the day and I was lucky enough to play in it. Mike Warde led the German team and Kurt led the Russian team. Both sides fought a hard fight and there were lots of upset die rolls and more than a few semi-miraculous feats of bravery. One of the most amazing was when the German Tiger tank was brewed by a long-ranged shot by "hot hands" Kurt, who rolled two ones in a row! Mazel Tov, Kurt!

The below photo, taken by Mike Warde, shows Kurt's amazing Tiger kill:

All the smoke came from not only the brewed Tiger, but the German supply depot that went up when the Tiger exploded.

Dick and Joe Riddle duked it out on another end of the field and their good sportsmanship and playful camaraderie really made the game a joy to join. Both took their lumps too. I played a mediocre game, but sited some German mine fields very well... the Russians hit almost every field I laid. Overall, it was a great game... Thanks to everyone who played in it!

And a special thanks to Kurt and Mark for providing the figures and terrain in the game as well as hosting! Thank you very much, gentlemen!

And because Dick mentioned it, I was on the winning German side so the old myth of "Maks always wins!" stands another day! Here's hoping that Crystal won't tease me too much about it this upcoming Wednesday!

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2. Flames of War: African Front

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/11168

Players:
- Allied: ?
- Germans: ?

I was too busy playing in the BG-WWII game to notice too much, but Randy, Tony, Brian, Brad and others appeared to have had a great time. The battle had brewed armor and shattered infantry all over the battlefield so it must have been a very hard fought battle. Tony left the game smiling so I have the idea that he fought well and probably won.

======

- Joe Riddle brought some beautifully painted HOTT armies to show off and they were very impressive. Mazel Tov, Joe! Joe has a really dramatic-looking undead force and... zombie dogs and ghost chickens! And, yes, I typed that correctly!

- Mike O'Brien hopes to play Blitzkrieg Commander next meeting and is looking for players so please contact him if you are interested.

- Tony is planning to run a 1973 Yom Kippur War battle using microarmor sometime in the next few months if anyone is interested. He wants to run a late-war Golan Heights scenario featuring Syrians and the Israeli Peled Task Force. He is looking for players so please contact him if you are interested. He is planning to use the Modern Spearhead ruleset, but may use a Modern Flames of War ruleset once he has reviewed those rules.

- I brought the Alien Squad Leader (ASQL) rule set and would like to run a game sometime in the next few months. I'm planning to invite Aron Clark down, who is specifically credited in the book and lives in the Bay Area, not too far from us.

Have a great day!

Chag Sameach and Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).

NOVELS: "Duel For the Golan" by Jerry Asher & Eric Hammel!

Hi Guys,

I've been rereading an old favorite: "Duel For the Golan" by Jerry Asher and Eric Hammel, an old favorite about the desperate fighting between the Syrians and Israelis on the Golan Heights during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. It's one of those books that takes very few sittings since it really engages me.

I started last week (Friday) and just finished this morning (Wednesday)!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.