Tide of Iron: Scenario 2

Tonight was our second game. We decided that we are going to play all the scenarios each using the same sides all the way through. This way it won't be as easy to remember the mistakes of the opponent from the day before.

With my new cases, setup and cleanup were much faster. We played this scenario in only 4 hours from empty table to empty table. This included many pauses for rules checks. I thought it would be easier than our first game, but many things came up which we just couldn't answer. I posted all my questions to BGG. Mike Z has been great about supporting the game.

I had hopes after the first game that the rules were 99% complete, but I'm starting to see the holes as I try more complicated things. By holes, I mean 2 things: ambiguous or unaddressed issues, and touches of inelegance. Examples of the latter are assaults from razor wire, and assaults against vehicles. Granted, the system is simple and abstract, but a more realistic system (mostly small tweaks) would be so much more elegant. Most of the issues I have are small.

Setup is getting to me. I simply can't stand putting 36 tiny infantry figures into 9 bases. Since most of them are filled with regulars, I simply adopted the convention that an empty base is full of regulars. If it takes hits, I add figures. This saves about 15 minutes.

I played the Americans, and made a lot of silly mistakes, like not playing the command card that dropped in a "Neutral 2" marker, and then when I did do it, I forget to occupy it. Several times, I moved units one less than their full movement and didn't think to fire at half. With all my mistakes, I easily overran the German defenses, occupying 5 of the 6 buildings on turn 7. The Germans had a single squad left at that time. We couldn't come up with a better way for the Germans to play other than to throw everything they have at holding the bridge.


Tide of Iron image by earache