squad leader [Updated October 2005]  

2005 WBC Report    

 2006 Status: pending 2006 GM commitment

Mike Pacheco, CA

2005 Champion


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Event History
1991    Scott Romanowski      12
1992    Jeff Miller      19
1993    Brian Laskey      14
1994    Eric Stranger      15
1995    Kevin Welsh        8
1996    Eric Stranger      10
1997    Kevin Welsh      12
1998    Peter Pollard      17
1999    Peter Pollard      19
2000    Mike Pacheco     18
2001    Peter Pollard     20
2002    Andrew Cummins     22
2003     Peter Pollard     21
2004    Bill Thomson     24
2005    Mike Pacheco     18

PBeM Event History
2000    Andy Cowdery      16

 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Pete Pollard       CA    05    136
  2.  Eric Stranger      OH    05     78
  3.  Mike Pacheco       CA    05     72
  4.  Andrew Cummins     UK    05     57
  5.  Michael Hennessy   VA    05     30
  6.  Michael Day        AZ    02     27
  7.  Allen Kaplan       NJ    00     27
  8.  David v Bronkhorst VA    03     26
  9.  Bryan Van Nortwick NC    04     21
 10.  Bill Pittman       VA    99     18
 11.  Warren Day         AZ    01     16
 12.  Francis Spencer    CT    00     15
 13.  Eric Filipowski    MD    05     13
 14.  Bob Menzel         MA    05     12
 15.  Dan Leader         WA    99     12
 16.  Andy Cowdery       IL    00     10
 17.  Chuck Leonard      PA    04      6
 18.  Eric Dunsmore      CA    03      3

          

2005 Laurelists

Eric Stranger, OH
2nd

Bob Menzel, MA
3rd

Eric Filipkowski, MD
4th

Mike Hennessey, NY
5th

Pete Pollard, TN
6th


Past Winners

Scott Romaowski, MA
1991

1992: Jeff Miller, NY
1993: Brian Laskey, CT

Eric Stranger, OH
1994, 1996

Kevin Welsh, NJ
1995, 1997

Peter Pollard ,TN
'98-99, '01, '03

Mike Pacheco, CA
2000

Andrew Cummins, UK
2002

Bill Thomson, TX
2004


Victory Cut Short

18 players showed for the 2005 Squad Leader event at Lancaster, PA. Even though the numbers fell 25% from last year's record total, the event still draws new players. Some of the usual suspects were not around this year, including the scheduled GM, Bill Thomson. 21 games were played using scenarios selected entirely from the Squad Leader level of play. These scenarios included a few from the initial 12 provided in the game as well as scenarios developed from On All Fronts, Alan Yngve and Bill Thomson.

Along with the standard play for the WBC plaques, a Personal Leader (PLC) competition ran concurrently to add some flair to each game. As long as the player'ss PLC survived each round; he was eligible to win a plaque for best PLC. Also, whoever kills the PLC of the previous year's competition would receive the ,"Pollard Memorial" plaque. Pete Pollard won last year's competition so the plaque's name was appropriate, as it so often is. However, Pete Pollard's PLC somehow slipped past the sniper scope this year and this year's PLC winner would attempt to stay out of view of the sniper's scope.

Round 1 saw a mix of scenarios with a few of the top seeded players suffering a loss. Andrew Cummins' Germans sliced through the American defense in Scenario 7 "Buchholz Station,". The GIs folded under the heavy firepower and well directed shots. Bob Menzel's German defenders staved off a Russian infiltration in Alpha 1 (Alan Yngve's scenario). In Bill Thomson designed scenario, Recon in Force, Dan Leader's American troops made good progress through the wheatfields, advancing toward Mike Pacheco's German defenders. Dan led his troops to each objective, but was turned back at the last building, providing a victory for Mike. In another game of "Recon in Force", Eric Strange's Germans held the crossroads from the American attackers. Bill Beswick made his advance after disrupting the southern flank of the German defense. Eric rallied his troops and brought to bear a heavy machinegun onto the U.S. advance. Eric's machinegun fire destroyed the American forces in the north and prevented Bll from securing the final objective.

In Round 2, Eric Stranger continued his winning streak beating back the Germans at the "Tractor Works," in scenario 2. Eric also enjoyed the benefits of promoting his PLC after round 1. His leader did quite well in his first round game, promoting him to 2nd Lieutenant. Eric's Russians swarmed Andrew Cummins Germans and pushed him out of the tractor works. Dan Leader's Russians overwhelmed Allen Kaplan's defenders in scenario 1, ,"The Guards Counterattack".. Bob Menzel defeated Eric Filipkowski in Alan Yngve's scenario Delta "Backs to the Sea,"

In Round 3, the competitors were reduced to the stalwart few, but this did not reduce the excitement. Andrew Cummins led the Russian forces in Bill Thomson's ,"Tooth and Nail,". His troops pushed through withering fire from Mike Pacheco's Germans, taking many victory locations. The Russian armored support, four T-34's, ranged far ahead of the tired infantry, and harassed the German troops giving time for the Russian infantry support to catch up. The German armored support entered into the fray. Mike brought in his halftracks first, hoping to draw fire from the T-34's. These halftracks, surviving the defensive fire, now had free range to attack the infantry. After overrunning many troops and strategically positioning the vehicles near rout areas, the halftracks eliminated eight squads, turning the tide for the Germans. The Russian commander's words describing those halftracks cannot be placed on this page without endangering our PG rating. Andrew's PLC did do well in this round pushing him ahead of most of the competition.

The final round saw Eric Stranger and Mike Pacheco vying for the plaque. Mike Pacheco set up his German defenders in Bill Thomson's "Eviction Notice". Eric brought on his Americans, looping around the German defenses, in the hopes of wresting control of the key building. The U.S. troops were led by Eric's PLC, a newly promoted Captain, and the highest-ranking PLC in the tournament. Though Eric's troops entered the German village nearly unscathed, Mike's Germans were able to regroup and fall back to a tighter defensive ring around the main building. Unfortunately, this round started late, on Sunday morning and the completion was deferred to an online play with VSQL. This did not progress and after much mental wrangling from the GM, it was finally adjudicated by a five-member panel (author and GM excluded). Though Eric's forces appeared well positioned and ready to attack the victory location, four of the five panel members voted in favor of the German defenders.

From this adjudication, Mike Pacheco wins the Squad Leader event and Eric Stranger takes the PLC competition. It has been determined that Bill Thomson must make it to Lancaster next year to take over this event and ensure that the rounds are completed as designed, precluding the need for future adjudications.

 GM      Peter Pollard  [7th Year]   8038 Breezy Meadows Lane, Bartlett, TN 38135 
    Pete4258@aol.com    901-384-6811

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