With my Japanese all ready to go and my head full of roadblocks in Burma, I thought I’d knock together a Crossfire game. Chris took defending Japanese. Adam was the British trying to break through. I call this an experiment because very little thought went into it and we were just playing around with the concept of a Japanese ambush.
CF Scenario Draft
A draft Crossfire scenario, either because the scenario is not complete or it hasn’t been play tested
Battle Stations BS7810 US Infantry Action – A Crossfire Scenario
Through the late 1970s and 80s, Gene McCoy wrote a series of articles called “Battle Stations: Small Unit Actions” for his magazine the “Wargamer’s Digest”. The Battle Stations posed tactical problems and then offered solutions. The idea was that wargamers could compare their solution to McCoy’s. The Battle Stations are good candidates for conversion to Crossfire scenarios.
Here is the first conversion based on “US Infantry Action”, originally published as a Battle Station in October 1978 (hence BS7810). A US Motorised Company is tasked with opening the supply route for the neighbouring division. To do this they must destroy the armoured German blocking force.
Snakes and Ladders Campaign for Crossfire
Following my Snakes and Ladders Campaign for Tilly’s Very Bad Day I thought I’d do one for Crossfire. This uses the children’s board game Snakes and Ladders as the basis for a wargaming Campaign. The snakes become tribulations and the ladders are campaign successes. So I have made up a board a Snakes and Ladders board but with a more World War 2 flavour.
There is no skill in playing this campaign system as, like the children’s board game, random dice rolls lead to success. If you are lucky, you will win. For me this makes a Snakes and Ladders Campaign most suited to solo play where the goal is to provide narrative for the game.
Stalingrad Day 2 – Finchley Wargaming Club – Steve Phenow’s Briefing
Day 2 of the 2019 World Wide Stalingrad Campaign for Crossfire is upon us. This is, more or less, the Crossfire material that Stephen Phenow sent the Finchley Wargaming Club. I have changed the format and put it into my normal template. And I’ve added a few bits that seemed missing. Where possible I’ve used Steve P’s words.
The Germans have replaced their depleted battalion with a fresh one and given them more combat engineers and more heavy artillery. The Moving Clock (Timeslip) is now under German control. The Soviets had their infantry refresh but lost support elements e.g. Tanks and generally have less troops than on Day 1. T34s now also have a chance to breakdown if they try to move.
Stalingrad Day 1 – Finchley Wargaming Club – Steve Phenow’s Briefing
This is, more or less, the Crossfire material that Stephen Phenow sent the Finchley Wargaming Club for Day 1 of the 2019 World Wide Stalingrad Campaign for Crossfire. I have changed the format and put it into my normal template. And I’ve added a few bits that seemed missing. Where possible I’ve used Steve P’s words.
African Ambush – A Crossfire and Fogo Cruzado Scenario
An armed patrol walks into an ambush somewhere in Portuguese Africa. The action starts seconds before the bullets fly. Will the unsuspecting targets spot the danger before it is too late? This is a Crossfire/Fogo Cruzado scenario for the Portuguese Colonial War. The scenario uses a cinematic premise, i.e. start the action when there is action.
Where is the Fuel – A Crossfire Scenario and Battle Report
Brett Simpson developed an idea of a friend of mine into a Crossfire scenario called “Where is the Fuel?”. Brett sent through the scenario and associated battle report for the play test.
Small Threat to the Flank – A Crossfire Scenario
This is the small version of Scenario 2: Threat to the Flanks from “Scenarios for all Ages” (Grant & Asquith, 1996) converted to Crossfire. It follows guidelines for Crossfire Scenarios for all Ages. It is a “small” game because there is only a company defending.
Water Party – Scenario Design Experiment for Crossfire and Fogo Cruzado
Immediately following our successful experiment on Ambush scenarios for the Portuguese Colonial War, Jamie Wish and I tried another type of scenario. The goal of our second game was to defend a water party, which is an idea from FNG of Two Hour Wargames. Of course, our version of the scenario was for Crossfire and my Fogo Cruzado variant.
As a scenario design experiment, this one failed in a pretty spectacular fashion. But maybe I’m biased because Jamie won, and very quickly. 😉 Anyway, the good news is that we learnt a few things.
African Ambush – Scenario Design Experiment for Crossfire and Fogo Cruzado
I’m in the process of writing a solo campaign for Portuguese Colonial War called “African Tour”. This process has been dragging on for years. Instead of sitting with my computer imagining what might make a good game, I decided to experiment with some of my ideas. So I invited Jamie Wish over, we got out my (previously unused) figures and tried an ambush scenario for Crossfire and my Fogo Cruzado variant.
Despite the scenario design misgivings I had before we started, it was actually a pretty good game. Exciting and novel.
I made up Cards for Crossfire Missions v2
I designed the PDF of Mac’s Missions v2 – Revised Pick up games for Crossfire so that players can make up a set of cards.
Mac’s Missions v2 – Revised Pick up games for Crossfire
I recently blogged about Mac’s Missions – Pick up games for Crossfire. I’ve made a few tweaks to the system and come up with a version 2. And there is a PDF to download.
Eye of the Tiger – A Crossfire Scenario
My mate Chris asked “Have you considered ASL as a source of Crossfire scenarios? For example the Windy City Wargamers Color Scenario Pack, which includes the classic Eye of the Tiger scenario – which looks ideal as a Crossfire scenario to me.” As it happens I have considered this and have even written up some notes on Converting Advanced Squad Leader to Crossfire. However I’ve never actually done it.
Chris’a question inspired me, so this is my version of “Eye of the Tiger” for Crossfire.
