A sign of the times. Yesterday, I successfully negotiated a tear-free and tantrum-free transit of my two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter from play room to bath. As things stand, this may be the most significant achievement of my week.
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Games Played — June 2026
The games I played included the following:
Old School Tactical: Battle for France 1940
I’m a sucker for WW2 tactical level games. This is the latest series I have started playing, though I am still committed to ASL.
I played the first scenario in the French 1940 expansion, primarily to familiarize myself with the rules again. Although the system is quite solitaire friendly, I dislike playing tactical games solitaire unless they are specifically designed to be played that way.
Overall, I like the system, but there are a number of house rules that I am trying out as sometimes the design doesn’t deliver as well as I think it can, even if the emphasis is on game ahead of simulation.
Commands and Colors: Ancients
I played the Piraeus — 403 BC scenario from Expansion Pack #6 which has an Athenian force (whose forward line is atop hills) facing a slightly bigger Spartan force (14 units to 13).
The Spartan advantage is that their hoplite units are 5 blocks (as opposed to 4) so are more durable. The Athenian advantages include the terrain and a superiority in missile units.
This was one of the classic battles as it went down to the wire, victory being attained (by a one point margin) on the last combat. A thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Advanced Squad Leader
I played Curries Favor (AP141), an August 1944 encounter in France between Commonwealth (Canadian) tanks and infantry tasked with seizing strategic points from a small German infantry force stiffened by an 88 gun and an 81mm mortar and set up in good defensive terrain.
I was the Canadians. I probably chose the wrong entry point but I got through the first turn without casualties and my forces in semi-decent threatening positions. At the start of turn 2, my key tank (with an armor leader) was perfectly positioned to place smoke to cover my advance. Unfortunately, I rolled a 12 which meant no smoke, no main gun, and no cover for the advancing forces.
Things went downhill from there and I conceded the game half way through. Although I could blame my luck, not choosing the best entry point didn’t help. All part of the continuing (and losing) ASL education.
Combat!
After playing the introductory scenarios a few times, to get the rules clear in my mind, I moved onto the regular scenarios. The first involves attacking a farmhouse. I played it twice as the first time I made a mess of too many rules. The second scenario is about defending the farmhouse. This one I managed to complete without screwing up the rules. I won both scenarios.
The rules, as mentioned before, are lacking. I secured a copy of the newest rules which helped a fair bit, though there are still gaps. I have yet to make time to gather all the queries and submit them to one of the online forums for clarifications.
Seapower and the State
This WW3 naval game has been on my radar for a long time. It’s a strategic (i.e. broad-brush) view of what might have happened had WW3 broken out in 1984, 1989, or 1994. The system seems to pack a lot into a system that isn’t complex, as you might expect, and offers plenty of opportunity for house rules to tweak the parts that may not suit you. For example, BGG has a great suggestion about alternative targeting rules.
I have only managed to set the game up and try out some combats. It’s going to be a long game and I need to be in the right state of mind to start playing it.
Memoir ’44
Breakthrough is one of the expansions for Memoir ’44, a WW2 game in the Commands and Colors family. The expansion includes a double-sided hex game board for both beach landings and countryside combat and 15 scenarios. I played the Operation Crusader scenario as the Germans and was crushed 12-4.
I started with enough cards to get my key units moving, but then went through about six or seven turns with the wrong cards and being unable to get my units into combat. That was probably the tipping point.
The dice weren’t exactly helping, though my trusty opponent also had a couple of encounters on the fringes of the probability graph.
A couple of things to stress.
- Despite the one-sided result, it was great fun. This is a game that never forgets its mission is to entertain and it does that repeatedly.
- Of all the Commands and Colors type games, this is probably my least favorite and yet I love playing it! See the preceding paragraph.
Pain
Today I had one of the worst experiences of my life.
I went to the funeral of the six-month old baby grandson of some friends.
My tears flowed freely. And as I was there, to do the only meaningful thing I could do to help, to show support for the family, I recognized that as hard as it was for me — and all the other mourners gathered there — it had to be almost unbearable for them. I cannot begin to imagine their pain and suffering.
Based on my own experiences, mourning for a loved one is a personal, individual pain that transcends physical limitations. It swamps you with darkness. It impacts your thoughts about life and the future while sometimes necessitating a pause for breath before returning to mourn some more. You think of things you might have done differently. Regrets gnaw you. Guilt lurks in the corner.
Eventually, one hopes, the pain will lessen. But it rarely disappears. And life goes on. Pain is a key part of being human.
Goodbye Bike!
I’ve had my bike (a Trek full-suspension mountain bike) for around 20 years. Today, it died: one of the clips holding a gear cable in place snapped off, leaving a great big hole in the frame. Without realizing the extent of the damage, I took it to the bike shop. The mechanic there said it wasn’t worth repairing because — even were a repair possible — once the integrity of the frame has been compromised, the whole frame could collapse at any moment. It was a sign: time to move on. Now I need to look around for a new bike.
Postcript: I took my bike from the storage area where it’s kept to the garbage collection area. Just moving the bike that short distance was enough to crack the frame completely. A close escape.
Here Comes 2026
In Scotland, New Year’s Eve was a big deal, often the social highlight of the year. In Israel, it passes almost without comment. And while I am relaxed about the change, it’s inevitable that the advent of a new year triggers some wistful looking back and curiosity about the future.
2025 was a bit of a difficult year for me due to various health issues, and I’m hoping that 2026 will be much better. (To get me in the right mood, I might even have a wee refreshment.)
Happy New Year, one and all!
Greta on the Train
I saw this on social media and just had to share it.
A little deceit from a world-class hypocrite.