Donald Webster and Alan Arvold discuss the oldies in the Grognard pre-con.	Mark McCandless and Alan Hayes try a Sicily scenario from Tom Oleson's revised game options.

Venerable grognard Tom Oleson once again devoted his efforts, time, dedication, and innovation to the Anzio experience as he continues to polish new scenarios, and rules for the classic hex wargame. During the Open Swiss Phase preliminaries a total of 25 games were played by 20 different participants. At 5 PM on Friday the four highest scoring players entered into the single elimination portion of the tournament. Those four players were: Mark McCandless: 76 points, defending champ Tom Oleson: 60, Mike Scott: 47 and Robert Frisby: 39.

Play-offs:
Although the advanced game was played, it was over quickly with Mike Scott's Allies invading at Naples. Tom's Germans crushed the invasion, game over. The Brits had invaded at Gela in Sicily, the US at Golfo di Napoli. The latter invasion being a high-risk, high-reward play, with 50% chance of effectively winning on the first turn and the same chance of losing on that turn. The US activated the Napoli port on first turn. The Germans counterattacked at 1-1 and 2-1, one of which succeeded in advancing and destroying the port, at which point the Allied player resigned.

The 15-Turn Basic Game was played in the other semi. Mark 's Allies invaded at Salerno and advanced steadily north. By the last turn they had captured Salerno, Foggia and Naples, and advanced within a couple of hexes of Termoli as the Germans fell back. On the last turn the Allies launched their second invasion at Terracina. The assault on the German defenders there failed, and the Allied invaders were thrown back into the sea. Robert also held Termoli, thus securing a German victory.

Final:
The 15-Turn Basic Game was played. Robert placed Herman Goering and the Nebelwerfer Brigade at Vesuvio, which discourages a Salerno invasion and the 16th Panzer Division near Terracina, ruling that out as a viable invasion beach. Tom's Allies invaded at Naples. The Allies had a 1-1 attack on the invasion turn. On a six roll, the Germans wipe out the invasion; however, a good roll by Tom killed Herman Goering. The Allies also got across the Volturno River on the coast on the September III invasion. The Loss of Herman Goering seriously hampered the German defense. The Allies invaded again on November II at Vasto, surrounding and destroying several strong divisions which were defending Termoli and getting a beachhead across the Sangro, which threatened Pescara. The Allied push up the center of the peninsula outflanked Cassino and on December II the Germans resigned, having never recovered from the September II gamble. Tom Oleson thus won consecutive Anzio Championships and his fourth overall.

Two-time champ and annual contender Paul Fletcher pushes cardboard on familar terrain. The third-ranked career Anzio laurelist is always a threat to win it all but failed to break the Top Six this summer after finishing second last year.	Tom Oleson and his ace playtester Mike Scott enjoy the full fledged new map with toe and Sicily. Tom's revised maps and scenarios published on his own dime have breathed new life into a classic wargame at WBC in combination with Free Form scheduling.