tigers in the mist [Updated October, 2003]  

2003 WBC Report  

 2004 Status: pending 2004 GM commitment

Ray Freeman, CA

2003 Champion

2nd: Brad Jones, FL

3rd: Jim Winslow, ME

4th: Dave Schubert, MD

5th: Bill Hodges, VA

6th: Jim Kramer, PA

Event History
2000    Ray Freeman     16
2001    Robert Mull     19
2002    Rick Young     14
2003    Ray Freeman     16


Offsite links:

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 Laurels
Rank Name

From

Last
Total
 1. Ray Freeman

CA

03
102
 2. Ric Young

NC

03
  49
 3. Jim Winslow

ME

03
  36
 4. Robert Mull

CO

01
  36
 5. Muuray Cowles

UK

02
  32
 6. Brad Jones

FL

03
  18
 7. Ric Sciacca

FL

02
  16
 8. Jack Morrell

NY

01
  15
 9. Dave Schubert

MD

03
    9
10. Raymond Hall

IL

00
    9
11. Bill Hodges

VA

03
    6
12. Bryan Eshleman

NC

02
    4
13. Jim Kramer

PA

03
    3
14. Aaron Silverman

NY

00
    3

Past Winners

Ray Freeman - CA
2000

Robert Mull - CO
2001

Rick Young - NC
2002
 


The Designer Reigns Supreme Again ...

16 players turned out for the tournament on Wednesday and Thursday, an increase of two players from the previous year. Several regulars were missing (two from the Con entirely). We played three rounds on Wednesday, and one fourth round game was played on Thursday, the other was played on Friday by mutual arrangement. A total of 14 games were played of which the Germans won only two. This is a rather severe change from previous years, being by far the most lopsided result in the history of the event. Sides were bid for in only four of the games, which perhaps explains why the US side did so well. Following the trend from the past two years, no one bid for the Germans. The VP bids for the US were 2 and 2.5. The US won both of those games anyway. Two games also saw bidding using the US artillery DRM method. Those bids were 1.7 and 2.3. The Germans won the game with the 2.3 bid (+2 DRM for 3 turns and +1 DRM for the last four turns). Two players specialized in one side exclusively. Larry Hiemanz was shut out as the German in all four of his games, whereas Bryan Eshleman had split results in two games as the US player.

Of the top three finishers in the event, the Allied player went 7-1, while the German player managed only 2-2. US strategy again revolved around keeping the Germans from entering Bastogne until 18-2, and holding Vielsalm strongly with the 7th Armored Division to protect the Trois Ponts and Grandmenil Panzer Release Areas.

Going into the fourth round, three players had a shot at first place. Ray Freeman was 3-0 and was paired with Jim Winslow who had a 2-1 record. Brad Jones, also at 2-1 played Larry Hiemenz since Brad had already played Ray and Jim. If Brad won and Ray lost, Brad would win the event on tiebreaks. If Jim won and Brad lost or drew, then Jim would end up the winner.

In round 3 Brad was in very good shape against Ray after four impulses as the entire US force consisted of the 7th armored division and two 1 SP units in Bastogne. However, the Germans had used most of their punch on 17-1 and were unable to gain more gound until the 19th, when Houffalize, Baraque and Sprimont collapsed like a line of dominoes. The position seemed to become stable again, then on 20-1 the US missed three straight bridge demolition attempts and Brad managed to maneuver to create some serious threats. In the end the Germans came up a bit short as the line Wellin-Rochefort-Marche-Petit Han-ouffet was the final position.

In the first game of Round 4, Larry's Germans got off to a very bad start against Brad. It took the Germans until18-1 to finally clear Marnach. Although the Germans did manage to take Bastogne, they never got across the Ourthe River.

Unfortunately the other final was not close either. Jim graciously allowed me to play in the semis for War at Sea which meant we couldn't start our game until Friday. Ray took the German side in exchange for a bid of 2 VP. The Germans got off to one of the best December 16ths I've ever seen by rolling lights out to hit dice. Vianden, Holzhum and Marnach all fell on 16-1, plus both bridge repair attempts were successful. On 16-2 the Germans cleared Hosheid, Weiswampach and Bleialf. In an attempt to really compromise the US position, the Germans tried a 1-1 cheapo on Goesdorf. The US artillery missed, but the US defensive fire hit and a potential early US disaster was averted.

Unfortunately, Jim's position was still extremely shaky due to very heavy casualties and German possession of Skyline Drive. Massive German assaults on 17-1 overran St. Vith, Beho, Buret, Wiltz, Goesdorf and Ettelbruck, while Lullange held. In an attempt to exploit the thin US line, the Germans used the Special Forces unit at Baraque for road interdiction. With the success of the German 17-1 attacks, this meant the US would not be able to block the center of the map. On his 17-1 impulse, Jim had to pull his two surviving units (a 2 and a 1 SP armor) back into Bastogne and hope for mediocre German rolls.

On 17-2 Ray raced his remaining reserves forward, seizing Martelange and wedging 7 SP into Bastogne. When the Germans managed to kill all of the Bastogne defenders, Jim surrendered.

Brad Jones took second place with a 3-1 record (a big improvement from 0-2 last year) and won a WBC 2003: "Armies of the New Caesar" t-shirt generously donated by Dave Wong.

 GM      Ray Freeman  [4th Year]   1422 Peralta Ave., Berkeley, CA 94702
    Rayfreeman3@attbi.com   NA

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