This is a 1915 British assault. It was a sideshow to a larger French effort to break the stalemate that had settled in after the first year of war. There is a major German trench network that the British have to crack. They have the use of artillery and chlorine gas (1st use by the British) to effect an initial breakthrough. Once through the German front lines, there is a partial secondary line of trenches and redoubts that could allow the Germans to make a defensive stand. This will be the extent of the trench warfare aspect in the game. It quickly becomes open territory with a scattering of defensive terrain such as coal heaps, pits, ridges, and towns. On the German side, they will be short of personnel until reinforcements and replacements begin to trickle in. Meanwhile British units should be able to race for key victory point towns (such as Loos) and German reinforcement entry hexes denoted by the German Crosses. As the British drive deeper into the German rear and after they commit their two reinforcement divisions, they will begin to experience an increase in depleted units and a decrease in available artillery assets, the “queen” of the WWI battlefield. They will also begin to face a strengthening German resistance being closer to the German side of the board and further away from their own side, and I should add an increase in German artillery assets. All in all, I think the game recreates the historical battle quite realistically. Game play is relatively smooth with fairly quick turns.
I am playing through Loos now. I effected major breakthroughs on Turn Zero and Turn 1 thanks in part to British artillery and gas attack. Turn 2 sees the British racing for Loos and the town hexes beyond; also attempting to cut off German front line units. British artillery is starting to slack off while the German artillery and reinforcements are increasing. So far it is following quite closely the historical outcome. Although the Germans have lost many battalions, numerous British units have been reduced.
Hi! Talk about great timing for me. If I post any updates from my gameplay, and you watch any of them and notice any mistakes I am making, please let me know as I will be grateful. Sounds like you are enjoying the game?
Well I used 20 British artillery assets on Turn Zero (as the chart indicates) using yellow cubes to mark my targets. So if it is only supposed to be 10 British artillery points, then that explains my initial success. But 20 does allow for the historical recreation of the breakthrough. The British offensive begins to stall on Turn 3 due to depleted units, lack of reinforcements, and reduced artillery assets, all coinciding with the arrival of German reinforcements and replacements and an increase in German artillery assets.
Thanks for letting me know that you used 20 at the start. I will keep note of that and roll both for 20 and 10, and see what the difference is. 🙂@@j.s.4240
Hi William! I think this could be a nice game, in that it has both trench warfare and a bit of open ground. From what I know, the Battle of Loos was part of a bigger offensive, involving the French with the main push in Champagne. This started on September 25, 1915. The Battle of Loos was the first big battle for the British and why it was called the Big Push at the time. It involved not only remnants of the BEF but also Territorials and the parts of the new Kitchener's Army. The area the British had to advance across was mostly flat ground dotted by byproducts of industry, such as slag heaps and such. Many of the Brits there called it the Black Country in reference to their own back home. This was the first use of GAS by the British. The gas was effective and if you look at the initial advances (first day) most of it can be correlated to how well the gas dispersed. Unfortunately for the Brits, it was a calm day and with the ground relatively flat, the lack of wind and gravity to flow the gas properly, it was not entirely effective. The British did make good progress, but yet again due to extensive and well constructed secondary defensive lines and lack of British artillery support and reserves held too far back, the British were not able to make any monster gains. Add in the fact that the Germans knew how to set up machine gun posts in all those slag heaps, ruins, etc. made the progress by the Brits. very costly. This all had something to do with pinching that German salient pointing towards Paris. So the Brits. attack up North in Loos and the French South near Champagne. Or if could be the other way around, but I would find that odd since that would mean the Brits. would be further away from the coast. Maybe I should check a map. So, in the end, I will be very interested to see how much game/simulation the Decision Games - Loos is. The hexes are 430m across, I believe. Woof, this was all off the top of my head, so I think something is starting to stick. Thanks William!
I am not 100% certain, but I think you do not. There are some interesting conditions for combat, due to the trenches and which way the attackers are attacking from or if the defenders have friendlies in adjacent hexes. I will go over it via video or Community tab text :)
Oh my! We are having wacky weather here at the moment, supposedly 27C today! I wish this was stuff for the kiddies on Halloween but that is ages away. I am off to get to poke around and get ready to do some serious gaming. 'Hahaha love being able to connect serious and gaming together, just lovely! Oh, do not forget, let's do an 'invite only' livestream at some point and watch a lecture or whatever @@charleslatora5750
Yes, there is stacking, however, during setup the Germans are not allowed to stack and the British can stack, however, a maximum of two and those two must be from the same Brigade. They made it easy for people like me, in that they labelled them a and b :) Hope your week goes great!
This is a 1915 British assault. It was a sideshow to a larger French effort to break the stalemate that had settled in after the first year of war. There is a major German trench network that the British have to crack. They have the use of artillery and chlorine gas (1st use by the British) to effect an initial breakthrough. Once through the German front lines, there is a partial secondary line of trenches and redoubts that could allow the Germans to make a defensive stand. This will be the extent of the trench warfare aspect in the game. It quickly becomes open territory with a scattering of defensive terrain such as coal heaps, pits, ridges, and towns.
On the German side, they will be short of personnel until reinforcements and replacements begin to trickle in. Meanwhile British units should be able to race for key victory point towns (such as Loos) and German reinforcement entry hexes denoted by the German Crosses. As the British drive deeper into the German rear and after they commit their two reinforcement divisions, they will begin to experience an increase in depleted units and a decrease in available artillery assets, the “queen” of the WWI battlefield. They will also begin to face a strengthening German resistance being closer to the German side of the board and further away from their own side, and I should add an increase in German artillery assets.
All in all, I think the game recreates the historical battle quite realistically. Game play is relatively smooth with fairly quick turns.
Awesome, this is amazing, what nice piece of information to share. thank you!
I am playing through Loos now. I effected major breakthroughs on Turn Zero and Turn 1 thanks in part to British artillery and gas attack. Turn 2 sees the British racing for Loos and the town hexes beyond; also attempting to cut off German front line units. British artillery is starting to slack off while the German artillery and reinforcements are increasing. So far it is following quite closely the historical outcome. Although the Germans have lost many battalions, numerous British units have been reduced.
Hi!
Talk about great timing for me.
If I post any updates from my gameplay, and you watch any of them and notice any mistakes I am making, please let me know as I will be grateful.
Sounds like you are enjoying the game?
Well I used 20 British artillery assets on Turn Zero (as the chart indicates) using yellow cubes to mark my targets. So if it is only supposed to be 10 British artillery points, then that explains my initial success. But 20 does allow for the historical recreation of the breakthrough. The British offensive begins to stall on Turn 3 due to depleted units, lack of reinforcements, and reduced artillery assets, all coinciding with the arrival of German reinforcements and replacements and an increase in German artillery assets.
Thanks for letting me know that you used 20 at the start. I will keep note of that and roll both for 20 and 10, and see what the difference is.
🙂@@j.s.4240
The problem with plexiglass ... one bump ... and everything moves!
Trust me, when it happened, I was thinking of you mentioning way back. that is one of the reasons you are not a fan of plexiglass.
Does this game simulate the WW1 trench warfare? In what time of the war did this battle take place?
Hi William!
I think this could be a nice game, in that it has both trench warfare and a bit of open ground.
From what I know, the Battle of Loos was part of a bigger offensive, involving the French with the main push in Champagne.
This started on September 25, 1915.
The Battle of Loos was the first big battle for the British and why it was called the Big Push at the time.
It involved not only remnants of the BEF but also Territorials and the parts of the new Kitchener's Army.
The area the British had to advance across was mostly flat ground dotted by byproducts of industry, such as slag heaps and such. Many of the Brits there called it the Black Country in reference to their own back home.
This was the first use of GAS by the British.
The gas was effective and if you look at the initial advances (first day) most of it can be correlated to how well the gas dispersed.
Unfortunately for the Brits, it was a calm day and with the ground relatively flat, the lack of wind and gravity to flow the gas properly, it was not entirely effective.
The British did make good progress, but yet again due to extensive and well constructed secondary defensive lines and lack of British artillery support and reserves held too far back, the British were not able to make any monster gains.
Add in the fact that the Germans knew how to set up machine gun posts in all those slag heaps, ruins, etc. made the progress by the Brits. very costly.
This all had something to do with pinching that German salient pointing towards Paris. So the Brits. attack up North in Loos and the French South near Champagne. Or if could be the other way around, but I would find that odd since that would mean the Brits. would be further away from the coast. Maybe I should check a map.
So, in the end, I will be very interested to see how much game/simulation the Decision Games - Loos is.
The hexes are 430m across, I believe.
Woof, this was all off the top of my head, so I think something is starting to stick.
Thanks William!
Evening sir.
Do you have to attack if you're in an enemy zoc?
Good morning Charles!
I am not 100% certain, but I think you do not.
There are some interesting conditions for combat, due to the trenches and which way the attackers are attacking from or if the defenders have friendlies in adjacent hexes.
I will go over it via video or Community tab text :)
@@Nangwaya cold this morning. Low 50's!!! Time to shake out the sweat/track suits n warm head gear. Maybe up to 71°F later.
Winter is here!
Oh my!
We are having wacky weather here at the moment, supposedly 27C today!
I wish this was stuff for the kiddies on Halloween but that is ages away.
I am off to get to poke around and get ready to do some serious gaming. 'Hahaha love being able to connect serious and gaming together, just lovely!
Oh, do not forget, let's do an 'invite only' livestream at some point and watch a lecture or whatever
@@charleslatora5750
No stacking?
Yes, there is stacking, however, during setup the Germans are not allowed to stack and the British can stack, however, a maximum of two and those two must be from the same Brigade.
They made it easy for people like me, in that they labelled them a and b :)
Hope your week goes great!