Wargaming - Memoir 44
Ran a few games of Memoir 44, rough lessons because some of it was just figuring out the game. Unfortunately I've taken a few days between playing and writing, so many of the details of the fights have been lost.
AAR PLAYING Learning and solidly reviewing the rules when conducting first actions is very important. We messed up by treating shore hexes as ocean, which severely slowed the first part of the game.
The card drawing mechanic really emphasises the necessity of shuffling the deck thoroughly. As much as I don't like card based games, I think it's a good mechanic for showing friction in war. I lost my defence of Sword Beach as my artillery never fired a shot for the first 7 rounds of the game as there was no movement in the centre.
AAR TACTICS & PERSONALITY
I need to relax and get more comfortable with losing. It hits me on an existential level at times, which impacts my ability to concentrate and remain focused on the fight. I read about how morose MacArthur got during the initial invasion of the Philippines by the Japanese, being essentially useless for the duration. It'd be fantastic if I didn't get like that.
TACTICS
During one fight I knew what I needed to do at times, but failed to commit decisively, hedging too much and then getting derailed by friction anyways.