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An interesting feature of the Monty's
Gamble event is the special prize awarded to the earliest capture
of a bridge by both sides. |
Despite its shorter playing time,
Monty's field slipped into Trial range this year and will
require voing support to return in 2008. |
Twice as Nice ...
Results this year returned to the form book with the games
being evenly split between Germans and Allies with little bidding
for either side and what bidding there was not seeming to generate
any particular advantage. Last year's winner David Long in a
small but strong field knocked out Designer Mike Rinella, 2005
winner Jim Eliason, GM Andrew Cummins and Finalist contender
Antony Daw to csuccessfully defend his title and prove 2006 was
no fluke..
Both Arnhem and Nijmegen fell to either side in only a third
of the games, reflecting improved play on either side with Germans
managing to shift reinforcements through a contested Arnhem and
Allies managing a win without the Nijmegen victory points.
The trend in play was for games to go down to the wire, with
results being in doubt up to the final few dice rolls. My game
with John Haas displayed this where I lucked through to the third
round requiring a pair of +2 results on the last dice of the
game to clear Nijmegen and gain the advantage by killing the
defenders (Sorry John!). The dice had their revenge in my third
round against David Long, where in a vivid final day his Allies
captured Nijmegen, my Germans cleared Arnhem, propped up Oosterhout
and needed to clear Wyler for the defensive win. Long flooded
the area with allied targets and the day ran out of impulses
for my Germans before their attack could go through.
David's Allied victory in the Final versus Antony Daw was
technically interesting with a good Allied start and strong play
(use of Advantage for double impulse to seize Son Bridge). Generating
an overwhelming Allied advantage, 30th Corps blew through the
Germans on the first day with the Eindhoven VP and four units
in Uden by day end and 1st Airborne having seized the Arnhem
bridge. The Allies took Wyler & Best on the run while Daw's
Germans failed a large assault into Arnhem on the 18th. By the
start of the 20th, the Allies went on the defensive with the
required 10VP's. The turn started on impulse 5 and the Germans
needed to infiltrate a pair of Allied VP locations to counter
the position. Allied air bombardments and XXX corps barrages
neutralised this possibility leaving the Allies in control of
the field for their victory.
The special prize for fastest German recapture of Arnhem went
to Allen Hill on a truly speedy 18th impulse A, whilst Dave Long's
20th 1st impulse gave him the win for Allied fastest capture
of Nijmegen.
Thanks to all at MMP for supporting the competition with prize
coupons and to ex-champ Jim Eliason for giving up his time to
serve as eliminator and thus avoid the need for a bye.
Monty's Gamble PBeM Tournament:
The second Monty's Gamble: Market Garden PBeM tournament has
concluded on schedule. We began with 29 players who were paired
at random and were given the flexibility to agree amongst themselves
which side to play (we allowed the players to do this throughout
the tournament). Some picked randomly, some used bidding, and
some were just selected by talking it out - true comeraderie
between gamers wanting to enjoy a good game. The net result was
14 wins apiece for Germans and Allies in a testement to play
balance. The following account of the Final is courtesy of Jim
Eliason.
The initial bombardments flipped all the German units in F
and all but two of the FT. Single unit assaults put 7 more CP
on the units in F, took the FT in St. Oedenrode to D2 and stalemated
against the FT in Grave. I blew both bridges out of St. Oedenrode.
Arnhem and Driel were captured and a glider pilot attack on Wolfheze
was repulsed. Except for one inconsequential attack by a single
1AB reinforcement, this was the last attack the Allies lost until
he had already secured 11 VP. Wyler was taken on impulse 1. I
blew all the bridges leading out of Overasselt (including the
Grave bridge needing a 6), but infiltrations of Oosterbeek and
Arnhem both failed, as did the ensuing assaults. Two air bombardments
of Valkenswaard and a single assault overran both it and Eindhoven
while a 4-4 attack put 4 CP on Best. The +4 sunset drm prevented
the day from ending on impulse 4. With no fresh units left in
F I tried an infiltration of Valkenswaard hoping for either a
"1" on the infiltration or a +2 on the dice for the
assault. The infiltration worked, pinning all the XXX corps depots
in Zone F. Tod rebuilt both St. Oedenrode bridges. We both passed
on impulse 9.
On the 18th with Oosterbeek and Arnhem both uncontested I
moved to the vacant 1AB drop zone. Tod finished off Best and
captured a vacant Zeeland. Tod used an airstrike to hit my only
fresh point unit on the "island". This would have allowed
him to use the unit in Driel to try an assault on Elden, needing
just 1 on the dice to prevent regroups south out of Arnhem.
I gambled on an SS corps bombardment needing +2 on the dice,
rather than a barrage, which would have taken the unit out for
the rest of the turn. I hit his Driel unit, ending that threat.
In a nice move, Grave was overrun, and simultaneously, two XXX
corps units moved to Overasselt through Herpen. This allowed
a single impulse to be used for repair of both Grave and Hatert
bridges. Still needing to contest Arnhem, 10 SS units assaulted
at +7 but dealt only 6 CP. With 15 Allied steps still in Arnhem,
taking the place was not going to be an option. The IISS artillery
hit the unit in Beek twice, setting up a possible seizure of
the Advantage, and Tod rebuilt the Grave and Hatert bridges.
The day ended on impulse 4 with most of Gds division in striking
range of Nijmegen and before I could try to kill the Beek infantry.
The 19th was clear. There were no overcast impulses the whole
game. With the Poles ready to drop on Elden and only two units
in Nijmegen facing a 19 factor attack I had to run five units
into Nijmegen first thing. A bombardment and assaults of 19,
15, and 12 overran the city but the assault into Oosterhout was
repulsed. I blew the Nijmegen bridge, having failed the attempt
just before the last assault. Meanwhile I bombarded the single
unit in Wyler several times and retook it with 1 on the
dice; even dice would have also captured the Advantage. As a
last gasp I sent six units into Best at +1 but lost 3-11 on the
dice. Had that roll been reversed I'd have overrun the area putting
the VP back at 9, and giving me a slight chance. But it wasn't
to be. Needing to hold both Oosterhout and Wyler (both doubtful)
plus retake the Advantage (possible with weak units in Renkum)
and contest both Mook and Groesbeek (nearly impossible) I resigned
at that point and Tod had successfully defended his Email championship.
So laurels all around to:
1) Tod Whitehurst, VA
2) Jim Eliason, IA
4) Mike Rinella, NY
4) Rob Mull, CO
5) Anthony Daw, UT
6) Trevor Bender, WA
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