I am so excited to be back pushing cardboard; unfortunately, there will be a learning curve to get back into the swing of things. Today started that curve and I have to admit it hurt some!
I woke up so excited today. I had my first Combat Commander Ladder game scheduled for 10 AM CST . My opponent was Eric Pearson from the great Pacific Northwest. I tried to warn him before we started that I was going to be rough. I had not played on Vassal in more than 8 months and I had not played CC:E in more than a year.
I want to start by saying that Eric was awesome and very patient. I felt bad, asking so many questions, but he never seemed to be bothered by it. Now he could have been stabbing himself with a knife, but he never let on that he was frustrated in any way.
Graveyard of the North Shores - S55
This scenario is based in Carpiquet, Normandy, on 4, July 1944. It pits the 3rd Canadian Division, trying to take the airfield in Carpiquet, currently occupied by the 12th SS "Hitlerjugend".
Eric Played the Axis and I took command of the Canadian forces. This was not a very close contest. Eric had three very large groups all tucked in together and they had a field day, battering the Canucks. It seemed he had a never-ending number of Fire cards and I could not get a move card. This was a recipe for disaster.
I started with some horrible rolls and Eric took advantage of that. We were both almost laughing at how bad the rolls were for the Canadians. I have to say that usually I do well using Card Rolls in Combat Commander, but not today.
Now I can not blame the loss on the die rolls. No, I was horrible in my command and decision process. One of the things that hurt me was not placing smoke earlier utilizing the scout during the game. I did not use him once and I placed him in a position that was not advantageous for attacking the enemy. This was a HUGE mistake.
I did not take advantage of the tools that were available to me and the poor Canadian forces felt the brunt of it. The game did not last very long before the Canadians realized this was not their day.
In conclusion, Eric was a great opponent and I hope that we can play soon. I am going to set this same scenario up and try and play it better, just to run through the rules and get more acquainted with Vassal and Combat Commander itself. I was a little embarrassed with my ineptness, but again Eric was amazing in helping me when he could. I owe that man a beer if our paths ever cross.
My first game back on the Ladder was a big learning opportunity. I know I will get better and hopefully, next month's Ladder game will be more competitive on my part. I am going to try and get in as many games as possible, so all I can say, is I will be more prepared in January.
If you read this and would like to Play a game, then please contact me and let's set something up. Until next time, Be kind and Be safe.
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