Ogre Monday, july 23rd

[Mack_JB]

Today Martin and I met up for our usual Monday game. We played one run through of the scenario included in "Game Trade" magazine #210 that was handed out last year. I was defender and lost horrifically after not being able to roll anything worthwhile.

He managed to blast nearly every reinforcement I got on the turn after I got it, I lost something like 80+ points of reinforcements. He nearly got off the board, one hex away, no treads, but full complement of weapons.

About five minutes before the end, a younger guy was looking curious, so we invited him in, made space at the table, and for the second game I sat out (and played armchair general) as Martin played him (Josh) in his very first hex-and -counter wargame, in a bog-standard Mk III Attacks scenario.

It took him a few turns to catch onto the way the odds and CRT worked, but we shepherded him along, and he rolled fantastically well. Josh managed to wipe out the CP, eliminate all but three defending armor units, and walk off the board at a respectable M2.

Hopefully we'll see him back. He wasn't necessarily a gamer, had never heard of hex-and-counter games or SJG, but was interested in getting into gaming. If he does come back, I've got a spare Pocket Edition for him to take home ....

[Izzy_B]

Very nice! Trying out a new scenario AND a new player in one sitting.

[ColBosch]

Hooray! I hope Josh had a good time. I always love seeing people play Ogre for the first time, especially once the game "clicks."

[Mack_JB]

We realized after playing the magazine scenario last month that I'd placed the city hexes where I wanted them on the map, not as outlined on the printed map that came with the magazine game. Figuring that might affect how badly I had lost, we played it this past Monday, using the city overlays as defined on the magazine included map.

Didn't make much difference, the Ogre still rolls over everything, and easily mopped up all three CP's. I was attacker this time, and managed to get the Ogre about seven hexes from exit, I still had all my guns, but no treads, and Martin had four GEV that could pop in and escape every turn, so we called it.

It didn't help that this time, Martin as defender rolled the dice over thirty times in a row with no hits. Humorously, when he finally did get his first hit, my Ogre was in a city hex, he had a 2/1 INF shooting at treads, and he got his "six" on the 1 :2 odds.

So I have to ask: Is this intended more as a quick popcorn learning game (give the new player the Ogre, and let fly), or is there a way for the defender to win?