waterloo  

Updated Nov. 23, 2012

Grognard Pre-Con

2012 WBC Report     

 2013 Status: pending 2013 GM commitment

Joe Beard, AZ

2012 Champion

Event History
1991    Kevin McCarthy      17
1992    Rob Beyma      16
1993    Larry Lingle      16
1994    Joe Beard      18
1995    Joe Beard      10
1996    Bruno Sinigaglio      10
1997    Phil Evans      18
1998    Rob Beyma      16
1999    Chuch Stapp     17
2000    Rob Beyma     10
2001    John Clarke     18
2002    Rob Beyma     20
2003    Marty Musella     20
2004     Rob Beyma     17
2005    Marty Musella     18
2006    Rob Beyma     18
2007     Marty Musella     22
2008    Joe Beard     21
2009     Richard Beyma     19
2010    Richard Beyma     22
2011    Richard Beyma     25
2012    Joe Beard    20

 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Rob Beyma          MD    08    162
  2.  Marty Musella      VA    12    149
  3.  Richard Beyma      MD    12    125
  4.  John Clarke        FL    12    103
  5.  Bruno Sinigaglio   AK    11     61
  6.  Joe Beard          AZ    12     60
  7.  Ray Clark          CT    12     39
  8.  Joe Angiolillo     CT    12     33
  9.  Chuck Stapp        NJ    01     31
 10.  Mark Gutfreund     KY    08     30
 11.  Pat Mirk           FL    09     27
 12.  Bill Morse         VA    07     24
 13.  Tim Miller         GA    11     23
 14.  Forrest Pafenberg  VA    02     18
 15.  Bill Scott         VA    05     16
 16.  James Tracy        OH    07     12
 17.  Larry Lingle       PA    00     12
 18.  John Ellsworth     IL    99      9
 19.  John Popiden       CA    09      8
 20.  Gary Dickson       CA    05      8
 21.  Johnny Hasay       PA    01      8
 22.  Don Tatum          MD    08      6
 23.  Steve Likevich     OH    05      6
 24.  Ivan Lawson        MD    02      6
 25.  Mike Horn          FL    06      3
 26.  Phil Evans         VA    03      3
 27.  Greg Smith         PA    02      3

2012 Laurelists                                 Repeating Laurelists:

Richard Beyma, VA
2nd

Ray Clark, CT
3rd

Joe Angiolillo, CT
4th

John Clarke, VA
5th

Marty Musella, MD
6th

Past Winners

Kevin McCarthy. OH
1991

Rob Beyma, MD
'92, 98, 00, 02, 04, 06

Larry Lingle, PA
1993

Joe Beard, AZ
1994-95, 2008, 2012

Bruno Sinigaglio, AK
1996

Phil Evans, VA
1997

Chuck Stapp, PA
1999

John Clarke, FL
2001

Marty Musella, VA
2003, 2005, 2007

Richard Beyma, VA
2009-2011

Mark Gutfreund vs Joe Beard

Chris Juel vs Wade Hyett

Grognard Still Lives 50 Years Later ...

Wild, all night, celebratory partying was the highlight of the 2012 tournament as the participants proclaimed the 50th anniversary of this timeless classic! Special commemorative shirts were available that enabled participants and spectators alike to herald their loyalty and mark the celebrations. While the participants did not display the same histrionics of your typical Circus Maximus game, their intensity was just as strong. Now what is it about this particular wargame that has contributed to its longevity? Consensus among former and current players points to rules simplicity (only five pages), across the board maneuvering by both sides, constant attacking and counterattacking, and most importantly an incredibly balanced contest. With 31 games played, the Prussian Anglo-Allied (PAA) side enjoyed a single victory more than the French side. The use of a bidding system to adjust for the slight bias toward the PAA player advantage in previous years was used infrequently this year. This equality in play balance has breathed new life in how the participants view the game, the side they desire to play, and the tactics and strategy employed. Much greater care in the preservation of the small 1-6 and 2-6 cavalry units used for "soak-off" attacks and rear guard delaying actions have become evident. The minor rule changes introduced last year that forbade British and Prussian units from stacking together and jointly attacking the same French units has slightly altered PAA play but has significantly freshened one's approach to the game. Many thanks to the many past, current, and future players for their continued support and participation as we begin the next 50 years encouraged by our continued success at the World Boardgaming Championships. WATERLOO is a game that keeps on giving!

The contest to make the playoffs cut was more heated than usual (in more ways than one). Three players battled late into the night attempting to gain the last seat. Even at the conclusion of the last game, officials had to resort to the fourth tie-breaking guideline before the final four were decided with the formidable John Clarke just missing the cut. Perennial challengers Ray "the Rapacious" Clark and Joe "the Anvil" Angiolillo were joined by defending champion, Richard "Beyma the Younger" and a true grognard, Joe "the Surgeon" Beard.

In semifinal #1, Beard's French faced Ray Clark. Joe opened with a "standard" three-pronged French offensive toward Quatre Bras, Nivelles, and the Tilly/Wavre corridor. While the Quatre Bras advance was somewhat cautious, four French cavalry divisions quickly penetrated past the road to Braine Le Comte on the far western side of the board by 7PM on 16 June with the first major engagements near Nivelles. By the close of the 16th, 56 French factors had been lost versus 62 PAA factors. Ray's luck was nothing extraordinary but Joe's rolls were slightly below average. Action was joined near Quatre Bras on the morning of 17 June when Ray launched three 1-1 attacks, losing two 6-4 Prussian infantry divisions but killing the French 8-4 Imperial Guard artillery. While Joe maintained a defensive posture in front of Nivelles, he maneuvered the PAA out of Quatre Bras and threatened to flank them crossing the river east of Genappe. Ray was winning the game on the western side of the board and eliminated the French cavalry raid that had penetrated down the road to Hal. However, in the center of the board, Joe's French had united and were forcing the PAA forces back toward Mont St Jean. By the evening of 17 June, the game was very close with 125 PAA factors lost to 114 French. The timely arrival of Ray's Prussian IV corps would be the decisive factor. He brought his IV corps onto the board along the primary road through Quatre Bras on the eastern side rushing to relieve the thin British line confronting the French army at Mont St Jean. At 1 PM on 18 June, the climax was reached as Joe had to eliminate the last two British infantry divisions blocking his advance to Brussels or become trapped by the arriving Prussians. Joe launched two desperate 1-1 attacks and the dice gods, maybe balancing some of Joe's earlier dismal rolls, rewarded him with two Defender Eliminated results. With the way clear towards Brussels, Ray was powerless to prevent the French exit, so he conceded. This semifinal was an exceptional game with superior play by both contestants and clearly demonstrated the fine qualities of this classic game. Ray's masterful defense brought him within a hair's breadth of victory as Joe admitted at the conclusion that had his final desperation attacks not been so successful, he would have been the one offering a concession.

In the other semifinal #2, Angiolillo's French used early unorthodox tactics to pressure Richard's defense. Again using the "standard" three-pronged French deployment, the French quickly closed on Quatre Bras, Nivelles, and Tilly. Foregoing the usual French tactic of massing forces to gain favorable odds attacks on the large PAA infantry divisions, Joe employed a series of 1-2 attacks using 3-6s on all three sectors and 1-2 attacks on the Quatre Bras heights. His results were nothing short of incredible with several 1-2 exchanges and D Back 2s as he forced the PAA off the heights and gained a clear advantage with 29 PAA factors destroyed for the price of only nine French by the evening of 16 June. To his credit, Richard did not panic while he regrouped his forces to maintain a strong defense at the town of Quatre Bras itself and in front of Nivelles to prevent the two columns of the French army from uniting in the center of the board. Joe chose to remain passive in front of Nivelles at this critical stage of the game while a French corps turned the Prussian flank at the Genappe River and French cavalry advanced toward the LaLasne River. However, by late on 17 June, Richard had maneuvered to gain force superiority over the bulk of the French Army near Genappe while Joe remained surprisingly docile at Nivelles and facing the Prussians across the LaLasne River. Richard destroyed the bulk of the French army in the vicinity of Genappe and by the end of 17 June enjoyed a decided edge with 81 French factors eliminated versus only 56 PAA factors lost. A desperation 1-2 attack with the Imperial Guard artillery (an 8-4) did not repeat the success of earlier assaults and with its defeat, Joe sought island exile.

The title game featured Richard as the French and Joe getting the PAA on a bid of 5, a reversal of previously anticipated side preference. (This bid resulted in Joe removing five Prussian factors before play). The game was marked by deliberate and precise play by both contestants. Richard's French attack columns cautiously probed Joe's PAA defense across the width of the board. As the French advanced toward Tilly, the PAA attacked the head of the column and destroyed a French 6-4 that caused this flank to assume a defensive stance for one turn. Maybe Joe's reputation as a master player was adding to Richard's cautious approach. At 11 AM on the 17th, Richard attempted a reconnaissance-in-force toward Nivelles with a 2-1 attack against a large British infantry division. This attack was repulsed with half the attacking force lost. Immediately Joe launched a general offensive with attacks at Nivelles, east of Quatre Bras, and against the leading French divisions near the Dyle/Thil River junction. Joe's aggression paid off, destroying 24 French factors at the cost of only nine of his. The battle was now joined with furious attacks and counterattacks. Seeking to rebalance the loss sheet, Richard concentrated his attacks at the river junction and down the primary road east of Quatre Bras but could only manage costly exchanges. The French remained on the defensive near Nivelles. Late in the afternoon of 17 June, Joe reinforced his Prussians at Quatre Bras, remained on the defensive near Nivelles, while starting to withdraw toward the LaLasne River on the east side of the board. Sensing this was the critical moment to break the entire PAA defensive front, Richard launched two 2-1 attacks near Nivelles and a game changing 3-1 versus a Prussian 7-4 doubled behind the Dyle River. All three attacks ended in exchanges!! While depleting both opposing armies, the doubled exchange was especially damaging to Richard. Joe ceased operations on the 17th with a successful attack to recapture Quatre Bras and as darkness fell, the loss ratio was steadily moving in Joe's favor with 95 French lost for 69 PAA casualties. Richard launched a series of low odds attacks to regain French initiative early on 18 June hoping for a change in his abysmal dice. Each of these 1-1 attacks also suffered exchange results and with the French army now severely outnumbered, Richard asked for terms. Richard's many exchanges negatively impacted his play, but he will certainly be back next year with improved French play added to his superior PAA defense. As for Joe's fourth title, we can only hope his infrequent WBC visits will allow further schooling of the young Napoleon.

Joe Angiolillo vs Richard Beyma

Ray Clark vs Joe Beard
 GM      Marty Musella  [8th Year]  171 Indian Trail Rd., Arapahoe, NC 28510 
    7210bully@gmail.com   NA

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