brute force [Updated October 2004]

	2004 WBC Report    2005 Status: pending December Membership Century Vote
Rob Beyma, MD 2003-04 Champion 2nd: Brooks Beyma, MD 3rd: - 4th: - 5th: - 6th: -	Event History 2003    Rob Beyma       8 Offsite links: AREA Ratings	Laurels Rank Name From Last Total  1. Rob Beyma MD 03 10  2. Ernest Copley ME 03   6  3. Rob Runnicles FL 03   4  4. Richard Beyma MD 03   3
Western Front Demise ... The turnout for was disappointing. Three players who told me that they would play never appeared along with two of the maybes. One player who had enrolled dropped out to play in another tournament which had advertised 2-hour initial rounds but changed to 5-hour rounds when the tournament started. The field was reduced to three players. Five players had showed up for the demo an hour before. As the defending champion, Rob Beyma received the first round bye. Brooks Beyma bid 8 to take the Germans versus Dave Schubert. The low bidder plays the Germans and has that many turns to achieve the victory conditions. Dave was relatively new to the game. Brooks took advantage of a weakly defended sector of the Maginot line to break through in the south as well as advance through Belgium. The Germans slowly pushed into central France and eliminated large numbers of French forces. With air support, the BEF was holding in the north. With the French line collapsing on turn 6, Dave conceded. Brooks squared off against Rob in the final. Rob bid 8 to take the Germans. The Germans attacked vigorously on turn 1 with mixed results. A 2-1 vs one Belgian unit in Antwerp resulted in HX. However, the 4-1 vs the other unit was a NE. With an assist from the paratroopers, Liege fell on a 7-1 attack. A mixed armor and infantry force advanced into Luxembourg, eliminated a French stack at 4-1, and advanced up to the Meuse. Finally, two stacks of German infantry with air support took a weakly defended Strasbourg on a 5-1 (-1) HX. A 3-1 (+1) exploitation attack across the Belgium/France border against two French corps resulted in a NE. On turn 2, the Germans conquered Belgium and enlarged their break in the Maginot line. One group of Panzers with Kleist broke through in northern France and exploited into Rheims. The force advancing through the Ardennes crossed the Meuse. A couple of French stacks in between were pocketed. With the Allied position deteriorating rapidly and feeling the effects of four days and nights of continuous gaming, Brooks tossed in the towel. Most everyone is aware that the Germans have the advantage in the 1940 scenario. Perhaps players should make their opponent bid a little lower to get the Germans. I don't plan to run this tournament again next year. There is just too much competition from established wargames and only so much time to play. Most of the people I know who play this series don't come to the WBC.
GM      Rob Beyma [2nd Year]   NA    robbeyma@aol.com   NA