tigers in the mist [Updated August, 2001]

TIM   3 prizes Beginners Swiss Continuous 
 Demo 21   10 Round 2 15 Round 3 20 
 Round 4 9   
  

  Hunt

Robert Mull, CO

2001 Champion

2nd: Ray Freeman, CA

3rd: Jim Winslow, ME

4th: Rick Young, CA

5th: Murray Cowles, UK

6th: Jack Morrell, NY
Event History
1991    None      -
1992    None      -
1993    None      -
1994    None      -
1995    None      -
1996    None      -
1997    None      -
1998    None      -
1999    None     -
2000    Ray Freeman     16
2001    Robert Mull     19

AREA Ratings:

GM: Ray Freeman

Beat the Designer at his own Game ...

19 players turned out for Tigers in the Mist on Wednesday and Thursday, an increase of three over the previous year. The tournament ran very smoothly. A years worth of experience seems to have made quite a difference in my GMing skills. Murray Cowles and Bill Alderman provided invaluable support as assistant GMs. This year we played three rounds on Wednesday, with a fourth scheduled for 9 am on Thursday. When the smoke cleared, we had two unbeaten players, so a fifth round was played to determine the championship as well as who would get the third place plaque.

A total of 26 games were played, with six players playing at least four games each. The Germans won ten games, the US 15, and there was one tie. Side bids were made in nine of the games. In a dramatic change from last year, no one bid for the Germans. The average bid for the US was 0.94, with the range being 0.5 to 1.5. In games with bids, the Germans record was 3-5-1. Three players who played at least three rounds specialized in one side. Winner Rob Mull went 5-0 with the Allies. Jack Morrell scored 2-2 and Bobby Clinton 2-1 with the Germans. The most telling statistic however was that of the seven players who scored at least two points (two or more wins), the record as the Germans was 7-8 whereas the Allied record was 15-1!!! The basic US strategy that evolved this year was to keep the Germans from entering Bastogne until 18-2, allowing the 101 Airborne to hold this crucial VP town for a couple of extra turns. I expect that next year bids of 1 to 2 for the US will proliferate.

Jim Winslow and newcomer Rick Young faced off in round 5 for third place. Jim has obviously improved greatly since last year when he compiled an 0-3 record! Jim's lone loss this year was to Ray Freeman in round 3. Rick lost to Rob Mull in round 4. Jim bid 1.5 for the US.

Rick cleared both Marnach and Holzum on the first impulse and repaired the Holzhum bridge, although somehow the unit in Vianden held against two attacks. The main road bridge at Marnach stubbornly stayed down until 16-3. German success continued through the 17th, but Jim piled 10 SP into Bastogne on 18-1, but at the cost of an early release of 2 SS Panzer (on 18-2). A couple of high odds attacks against Bertogne and Werbomont failed to carry these areas and a 10-10 attack on Bastogne on 19-1 did little damage leaving both sides with seven SP. Then a 1 SP unit held out in Moircy on 19-3. Jim bailed out of Bastogne on 19-3, leaving a 1 SP rear guard behind as a delaying unit. The 21-1 reinforcements enabled Jim to hold a solid line on 21-3, ensuring the victory although Marche fell on 22-1. After the bid Rick only had 8.5 VP.

Robert Mull and Ray Freeman met in the championship match, with Rob selecting his preferred US side. The German first impulse attacks were very effective except at Marnach (naturally) and Ray got off to a good start. However, he was unable to fully capitalize on the situation and perhaps played the17th a bit too conservatively. After the German 17-1 attacks, Rob had only three units on the map. On 17-3, the Germans had to decide between a 9-3 attack on Longvilly and a 6-1 attack on Doncols and chose the former. The US held, the dice seemed to change sides, and Rob's position slowly improved to a virtual lock by the end of the 20th. Ray had a good shot at releasing 2 SS Panzer early, but the four SP armor of the 7th AD held
Vielsalm for two days and then the bridge over the Salm at Trois Ponts blew. No early release. Bastogne held out until the 20th. The first German attack on Bastogne was on the 18th when seven German factors were massacred by ten Allied SPs. In the middle portion of the game, the German artillery totally disappeared. This coupled with excellent US shooting led to very
high German losses and the offensive quickly ran out of steam. When various desperation attacks failed to rip open the American lines on 21-1 along the line Ouffet-Marche-Wellin, Ray threw in the towel.

Round by Round Results
Round 1

Freeman defeated Hein
Cowles def Richtmyer
Morrell def Pavy
Mull def Smith
Clinton def Kaye
Yound def Eshleman
Winslow def Kramer
Hiemenz tied Nagel

Round 2

Freeman def Clinton
Young def Cowles
Morrell def Hiemenz
Mull def Kramer
Winslow def Nagel

Round 3

Freeman def Winslow
Mull def Cowles
Young def Morrell
Kaye def Pavy
Eshleman def Wong
Clinton def Hiemenz
Hein def Alderman


Round 4

Freeman def Morrell
Mull def Young
Cowles def Hein
Winslow def Treadway

Round 5

Mull def Freeman
Winslow def Young

For more info on Tigers in the Mist see their webpage at http://members.home.net/rayfreeman3/index.html.

 GM      Ray Freeman  [2nd Year]   1422 Peralta Ave., Berkeley, CA 94702
    Rayfreeman3@home.com   NA

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