VIP: Victory In The Pacific

victory in the pacific

Updated April 15, 2013

Rising Sun Pre-Con

2012 WBC Report

2013 Status: pending 2013 GM commitment

Andy Gardner, VA

2012 Champion

Event History

1991    Dave Targonski      36

1992    Wes Erni      39

1993    Alan Applebaum      36

1994    Dave Targonski      36

1995    Dan Henry      45

1996    Robert Kondracki      46

1997    Ed O’Connor      42

1998    Joe Dragan      48

1999    Alan Applebaum     48

2000    Andy Gardner     50

2001    Dan Henry     48

2002    Dan Henry     50

2003    Ed Menzel     39

2004    Michael Kaye     44

2005    Andy Gardner     32

2006    Ed Menzel     41

2007    Darren Kilfara     39

2008    Charlie Drozd     36

2009    Michael Kaye     37

2010    Andy Gardner     33

2011    Ed Paule     36

2012    Andy Gardner     28

PBeM Event History

1999    Nick Markevich      20

2001    Ed Menzel      32

2004    Rob Flowers      32

2007    Charles Drozd     35

2009    Joe Dragon     42

2011    Michael Ussery     28

2013    Daniel Blumentritt     39

Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Andy Gardner       VA    12    402
  2.  Dan Henry          IL    07    272
  3.  Ed Menzel          CA    12    250
  4.  Michael Kaye       CA    09    246
  5.  Charlie Drozd      IL    12    224
  6.  Darren Kilfara     uk    09    146
  7.  John Pack          CO    12    138
  8.  Ed Paule           NJ    12    132
  9.  Michael Ussery     MD    11    118
 10.  Alan Applebaum     MA    05    113
 11.  Jim Eliason        IA    12     90
 12.  John Sharp         FL    10     66
 13.  Joe Dragan         MI    09     66
 14.  Tim Tow            WA    13     63
 15.  Ray Freeman        CA    04     60
 16.  Rob Flowers        MD    04     50
 17.  Dan Blumentritt    TX    13     46
 18.  Larry Meyers       AZ    09     44
 19.  Michael Day        AZ    11     34
 20.  Robert Drozd       IL    13     30
 21.  Bob Hamel          CT    00     30
 22.  Nick Markevich     CA    11     22
 23.  Jim Kramer         PA    11     18
 24.  Ted Drozd          IL    09     18
 25.  Nathan Zietlow     IA    09     18
 26.  John Strand        CO    02     18
 27.  Eric El Osta       bg    00     18
 28.  Philip Watkins     MN    07     15
 29.  Ken Nied           KS    03     14
 30.  Gregory D. Smith   FL    13     12
 31.  Pat Richardson     FL    09     12
 32.  Mark Booth         VA    08     12
 33.  Joe Powell         VA    99     12
 34.  Scott Beall        OR    13      8
 35.  John Sharp Jr      FL    03      6
 36.  Casey Adams        MN    00      6
 37.  Brad Solberg       CA    99      6
 38.  Scott Fenn         MD    07      5
 39.  Rob Kircher        RI    13      4
 40.  Bryan Eshleman     NC    11      4
 41.  Ong Meng Soon      my    01      4
 42.  Bobby Clinton      CA    01      4
 43.  Max Zavanelli      FL    99      4
 44.  Dennis Nicholson   NY    99      3
 45.  Vince Meconi       DE    99      2
 46.  Glenn McMaster     on    01      1

2012 Laurelists Repeating Laurelists:

Charles Drozd, IL
2nd

John Pack, CO
3rd

Ed Menzel, CA
4th

Jim Eliason, IA
5th

Ed Paule, NJ
6th

Past Winners

Dave Targonski, DC
1991, 1994

Alan Applebaum, MA
1993, 1999

Dan Henry, IL
1995, 200l-02

Robert Kondracki, PA
1996

Ed O’Connor, NJ
1997

Joe Dragan, MI
1998

Andy Gardner, VA
2000, 2005, 2010, 2012

Ed Menzel, CA
2003, 2006

Michael Kaye, MD
2004, 2009

Darren Kilfara, UK
2007

Charlie Drozd, IL
2008

Ed Paule, NJ
2011


Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor ...	Scott Beall vs John Sharp

First to Four ...

58 games were played during the fourth year of the 5/3 Swiss Elim format, a decrease from previous years. Three games were played using the NT1 variant. The average bid in the remaining games was 4.654; a decline from 4.879 POC last year. Contrary to the decreasing bids we also saw a decline in the IJN winning %; down from 60% last year to 56% this year; still a significant edge.

An ongoing discussion has been taking place regarding the current state of play balance and bidding; with several variants being proposed. One idea that has gained some traction is the “Menzel Option" which seeks to reduce the effects of the IJN air raids on Turn 1; which will hopefully have a trickle down affect throughout the rest of the game. Although it was not a sanctioned option this year; this will be an allowable adjustment if both players agree in 2013.

After the five swiss rounds, there were four identical records at 4-1 belonging to Andy Gardner, Ed Menzel, Jim Eliason, and John Pack. The remaining four places were filled from the ranks of six individuals tied at 3-2; using strength of schedule tiebreakers. Charles Drozd, Ed Paule, Ted Drozd, and Joe Harrison completed the elite eight advancing to single elimination. Rob Drozd and Scott Beall were the other individuals at 3-2 that didn’t make the cut.

In Round 6 #1 Pack’s IJN defeated #8 Drozd, #2 Gardner’s IJN defeated #7 Harrison, #5 Drozd’s USN defeated #4 Eliason. In the battle of the Ed’s, #3 Menzel’s IJN was able to prevail over #6 Paule, ending the latter’s title defense.

Round 7 saw Pack bid 5.5 POC to play the IJN vs. Drozd. In a close game, Drozd sent his carriers on a risky move against the IJN LBA in the Japanese Islands on Turn 7; when the Allied CV’s prevailed the writing was on the wall and Pack conceded. In the other semifinal Menzel bid 7.5 PoC to play the IJN vs. Gardner. At the end of Turn 3 based on the bid, PoC, and board Menzel determined that he needed the knockout to win, but his ten carriers were unable to dislodge seven LBA from US Mandate on Turn 4.

The Final thus pit two former champions with Gardner’s bid of 5.5 taking the IJN. Poor air raid results actually played into the hands of the IJN as they played conservatively on Turn 2; ignoring US Mandate and sending the Hosho to Coral Sea. The USN tried to press their luck with disastrous results. The USN lost four CV’s and never recovered. The final nail in the USN coffin was a Turn 4 battle in Indonesia that also went poorly and made Andy the first four-time winner of Victory in the Pacific.

Andy Gardner vs John Pack
Bob Hamel vs Henry Richardson

Play By Email 2013

Daniel Blumentritt’s USN saved Pearl Harbor from conversion on Turn 3 to keep the POC low throughout the game and put the final nail in the coffin at the end of Turn 6 (with the score already down to 14). Even the small NT1 bid of 1.5 was insufficient to keep Tim Tow’s IJN in contention. Daniel’s victory prevented the rare WAS/VIP combination PBeM championship as Tim had claimed the 2013 WAS title the previous month. The USN won a solid majority of the games during the final four rounds (6-3). The rest of the top six were Robert Drozd, Greg Smith, Scott Beall, and Rob Kircher. 39 admirals were part of the original field; 38 total games were played before Daniel seized the crown! In addition to the plaque, BPA laurels, and his name on the traveling World Championship trophy, Daniel also wins a coveted invitation to the 2013 Top Ten Invitational. See all of the details at http://www.gameaholics.com/vitp_bpa/vitp_bpa_single_elim_11.htm. Get the details of the new tournament that will begin Sept. 15 at http://www.gameaholics.com/vitp_format/vitp_bpa_format.htm.

GM	Charles Drozd [3rd Year]	NA
GM	charles_drozd@hotmail.com	847-845-1136

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