empire of the sun [Updated October 2007]  

2007 WBC Report  

 2008 Status: pending December Membership Trial Vote

Mark Popofsky, DC

2007 Champion

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Event History
2005    Bob Heinzmann     26
2006     Dennis Culhane      8
2007    Mark Popofsky     10

 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Bob Heinzmann      FL    06     46
  2.  John Chabonneau    NH    05     24
  3.  Steve Campbell     NH    05     16
  4.  Dennis Culhane     PA    07     13
  5.  Dave Casper        CA    05     12
  6.  Mark Popofsky      DC    07     10
  7.  John Leggat        CA    05      8
  8.  Chris Byrd         CT    07      6
  9.  Peter Perla        VA    06      6
 10.  Paul Gaberson      PA    07      8
 11.  Frank McNally      MA    05      4
 12.  Jay Meyers         CA    07      2
    

2007 Laurelists

Chris Byrd, CT
2nd

Paul Gaberson, PA
3rd

Dennis Culhane, PA
4th

Jay Meyers, CA
5th

NA
6th


Past Winners

Bob Heinzmann, FL
2005

Dennis Culhane, PA
2006


 

 Mark and Chris battle in the Final.

 Chris thinks Pearl Harbor was more fun than defending Japan.

Down to the Wire


Defending champion Dennis Culhane got through the first round with the Japanese (1942 year scenario) as did Paul Gaberson. There was one other Japanese victory with Chris Byrd and Mark Popofsky advancing to the second round with Allied victories. The Japanese won three of the five opening round games; only one of which experienced a bid for sides with a bid of 1 for the Japanese in that case.. The second round was a tensely fought set of struggles resulting in two Allied victories (one with a bid of 3; the other zero) in the 1943 year scenario.

This resulted in a Final (42 campaign start) with Mark Popofsky as the Allies facing off against Chris Byrd.. Chris' Japanese got off to a very strong start capturing the DEI on Turn 2 (1st turn of the scenario) with a subsequent strong effort into the CBI. The Allies slowly climbed back into the game as their reinforcements entered the fray while the Japanese continued to make a significant push in the CBI.

By mid-game the struggle had settled into an asymmetric board position with a heavily weighted Japanese attack in the CBI supported by a thin holding force in the Central Pacific. The Allies were quick to exploit the Central Pacific with an early fall of Rabaul and Truk, quickly followed by the fall of Saipan by mid-43. The Japanese got compensation for their strategy when they captured Northern India on Turn 5 followed by a double Ghandi play which saw India Surrender on Turn 6 after the Allies failed by the slimmest of margins to retake Dacca.

After conquering India, the Japanese repositioned to halt the Allied advance with a war of attrition. While the new Japanese defense perimeter was being formed, the Allies exploited a small chink in the Japanese armor when they made a bold attack into the center of the Japanese position. In one of the toughest fights in memory, the Allies got a force into Formosa by winning the largest air-naval battle of the war to date. With Allied forces within striking distance, the Allies used their ever growing forces to smash Japanese air and naval strength.

However, the fight was not out of the Japanese who managed to contest every inch (hex) as the Allies geared up for the inevitable invasion of Japan. In an ending that could not have been scripted better, the Allies invaded Japan on Turn 12 and managed in a tough series of battles to take the last hex of Japan on the last card of the game, giving Popofsky the victory and the championship.

An amazing match between two top competitors. I can't wait for the rematch. See you all there.

 GM      Mark Herman [3rd year]   NA
   NA   NA

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