Making history

I've been wanting to give Combat Commander:Europe a go for awhile now.

I've seen lots of good reports and Count Zero has been raving on about one of its stable mates, Combat Commander:Mediterranean. I have to keep up with the Corporal Jones', as it were.

Also, I am finding myself increasingly attracted by games oozing with theme. I'm starting to tire, a little (though only a little), with the drier Eurogame end of the market. And there are very few games that scream theme at you more than a wargame.

So, last night, the Hustler came round with his copy of CC:E and he introduced me to this little beauty. As the rules were explained to me I started to get a real buzz out of the possibilities - it felt like ASLSK simplified but with some rather smart chaos of war tricks and interesting, but logical, mechanics.

I took my SS troops and started lining them up ready to kick Allied butt.

... and then Poodle turned up.

He'd said he was going to be at a PTA meeting, for most of the evening, but it had ended early.

Argh. The German High Command has not been this frustrated since the delay of Adlertag and its failure to pave the way for Operation Seelöwe (still loving the Binge Thinking podcast, which may partly explain my renewed interest in wargames)

Reluctantly Combat Commander was packed away, for another day, without a shot being fired.

As consolation the Hustler agreed to play Tigris and Euphrates despite claiming that he hardly knew the game (neglecting to mention that he has playtested for Doctor Knizia. A hustler to the end). Poodle instantly opened play with an immediate poodle, in the so-called newbies direction, and I could tell it was going to be a tough one.

I'm normally a fairly non confrontational Tigris player, preferring to build up peaceful empires dedicated to the high arts and vacuuming up cubes, but for some fairly obvious reasons, last night, I was still in the grognard mindset and took every opportunity to pounce (all be it in a very abstract eurogamer kind of way) on any neighbouring regions.

Lebensraum abounded for my glorious lion headed leaders and, inevitably, victory was mine.

Equally inevitably, the Hustler came in a very close second. The combination of acting all innocent, a per pro the game mechanics, and sitting to the left of Poodle nearly allowed him to pip me at the post.

As it was getting late, we rounded off the evening with a quick game of Airships. Building the Hindenberg with dice.

Did you know that the second and final airship in the Hindenberg class, the Graf Zeppelin II, was used just before the Battle of Britain to snoop on the UKs fledgling radar facilities ? How can anyone snoop in a huge hydrogen filled blimp ? (sorry, more Binge Thinking).

A second victory for the not so humble kitchen boy - and an enjoyable evening. Now if I could just get CC:E to the table....