The 2024 Grumbler Invitational Tourney

Dan Best, Dave Mareske, Paul Works and myself got together while we were at the Texas Tournament and discussed putting together an ASL weekend just for the four of us and some spouses. Just a nice, two day event where everyone could relax, socialize and play some solid ASL. The culmination of that idea bore fruit in the form of the Grumbler Invitational Tourney - hosted at my home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We kept it a very small event and I am fortunate to have three guest rooms, which worked great for everyone in attendance. In addition to ASL, we would also go out each afternoon for a nice luncheon which included spouses. It really was an amazing and fun weekend. And we'll share some of the highlights of this special weekend. And upfront, my apologies, that I could not include more folks from Tulsa, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and Arkansas. We may well put together a larger event in the future, which could included many more people.

This invitational tourney was set up for four games to be played on Saturday and again on Sunday. A total of 8 games would be played as each player played the other three opponents. The final game on Sunday would be between the number 1 and 2 players and number 3 and 4 players.

A select scenario list was created for AM and PM games.

At the end of the morning round each day, we would adjourn for lunch with our respective spouses. We would go to Siegis (German on Saturday) and Abuelos (Mexican) on Sunday. Both meals were fantastic and the group consensus was that the German meal was the best.

Scoring for the Grumbler will be expanded on below, but suffice to say that for each game won, the winning player would receive 10 points. These would then be added together with the total CVP inflicted by the player in each of his four games. Just winning all four games would not guarantee winning the Grumbler.

The schedule of events for the weekend. In addition to our lunch outings, we would also stop over at the Hussar, Tulsa's premier toy soldier shop. And our spouses would visit the Philbrook Museum and Oklahoma Aquarium.

Siegis is a fantastic German Restaurant in Tulsa. Our waitress was the owner's daughter. She had spent many years living in Berlin and was just awesome in helping the guys figure out the right beers to order and in assisting my wife with gluten-free options. And of course the food was extremely good. Their Schnitzels are certainly as good as any I have had in Germany.

Sunday's meal would be at Abuelos in Tulsa. We had hoped to get a table at Los Cabos, but the crowds were very large and a 40 minute wait time as just too much for us. Abuelos seated us right away and great food enjoyed by all.

The available scenarios for morning and afternoon play.

Some views of the prize table. The winner of this event would receive a replica German stick grenade that I found with online retailer specializing in kit for re-enactors.

The helmet liner was worn by a great-uncle, who served as an MP at the Panama Canal.

The diorama is based with GEO HEX (no longer in business). My set of GEO HEX is large enough to cover a 4 x 8 table and has been a prized possession since I got my set in 1988. The German Infantry are Airfix German Infantry, Luftwaffe Personnel and German Mountain Troops. The Tigers and STUG are Dragon 1/72nd Armor and other models are by ESCI. I was a miniatures gamer for much of my wargaming life and amassed a collection of roughly 12,000+ 1/72nd scale plastic miniatures. None of these are painted, except for a few of my Napoleonics, but that paint has largely flaked off of my Scottish Highlanders and French Fusiliers.

As much as I love miniature gaming, it has never been as easy to setup and as much fun to play as ASL.

Each player would receive a swag kit that I found at one of Tulsa's Army Surplus Stores.

These pouches appear to be made for traveling and have places for ID's, Passports, etc. Each player would place their Battle Stars (for each game won) on their respective pouches.

The pouches fold out to reveal various pockets, etc. They also come with a strap to allow the pouches to be worn around the neck or shoulder.

Each pack would also come with a Pen, small Pad, 6 Chessex Dice, a WWII Clicker, an 80th D-Day Anniversary Magnet and US Army Unit magnet.

I found these items at the WWII Museum's online store.

My pouch at the end of the event. I would win two games and win two of the Battle Stars and then the German Wound Badge for rolling the most Boxcars during the event.

There would be two gaming areas. One would be in our dining room.

The other table would be set up in my office.

Prior to starting Round 1, we would take a quick group picture.

Saturday Morning Round 1 Game - Dave Mareske vs. Dan Best in a playing of J241 It's a Battlefield. Dave would win this game.

Saturday Morning Round 1 - Paul Works vs. Scott Mullins. We would play J242 Courage of Cowan.

Paul would be the attacking SS and I would be the defending Americans. Paul is certainly one of the very best players in the Mid-West with multiple tournament wins on his resume. Our game would be extremely fun as I worked hard to slow down the German advance. Our game would go to the final turn as the SS Grenadiers took the final victory locations. Fun game and I was glad it was a challenging game for my opponent. Paul would take the win and get his first Battle Star.

Saturday Afternoon Round 2 - Dave Mareske vs. Paul Works. Dave and Paul would play FT293 Wildmen from Texas. They would play an intense game that went into the night. Dave would be the attacking Americans and Paul the defending Germans. Paul would win the game and receive his second Battle Star.

Saturday Afternoon Round 2 - Dan Best vs. Scott Mullins. We would play J237 Commandos at Kaiapit. Dan would be the attacking Australians against my defending Japanese. Our game would be a bloody affair as Dan's Australians just came right at me and engaged in multiple hand-to-hand close combats. Dan's Australians had to secure a hill position and then a number of Hut locations. Dan would successfully storm the hill, but fail to secure enough of the required Hut locations. We were both exhausted at the conclusion of this game. I would survive to win my first game and first Battle Star.

Sunday Morning Round 3 - Dan Best vs. Paul Works. They would play J234 Buckley's Chance. This scenario was played on the SF (Sparrow Force) Map.

The Sparrow Force map is pretty cool. I look forward to playing on it down the road. Paul would win the game and gain his third Battle Star.

Sunday Morning Round 3 - Dave Mareske vs. Scott Mullins. Dave and I would play FT219 Koniev's Finest. This is the largest AFV heavy scenario in the mix for the tourney. Dave would receive 75 CVP inflicted during this game and it would propel him to the championship.

Dave would command the Russians who have to exit 7 AFV's off the west edge. This number would lower based on the number of destroyed German AFV's. By game end, Dave would only need to exit three AFV's. He would shred my forces early and often.

I had 4 Elefants, some Marders, Halftracks and several STUGS. Dave's SU-76's, T-34/85's, and IS-2's would have to roll through me to win the game. I thought Elefants were tough. They weren't. On my first movement phase, Dave's IS-2's would destroy two of my Elefants and immobilize a third. I was absolutely stunned. At the long range and being a double big target, his L Guns were hitting me on 8's and 9's. I was aghast at the ease with which my most important AFV's were destroyed. My personal ELR plummeted and I contemplated conceding on Turn 2. But, both Dave and I needed the CVP points that this game would give us. So, I played on and made a game of it.

I would MALF's several guns (some due to Intensive Fire), and I would MALF the 88LL on my last remaining Elefant and then roll a Repair dr of 6 and watch it get recalled on the final turn. My dice were absolutely killing me and would throughout this weekend's games. I would roll 20 Boxcars and only 7 snakes. It's amazing that I won any games with $#@T dice like that.

Despite my horrid rolls, I still was able to knock out 6 of Dave's AFV's. And one of my rare snakes would allow a STUG III 75L to get a critical hit on one of the IS-2's and knock it out. So, I had some pretty memorably good moments this weekend as well. At game end and the final Russian movement phase, I had no AFV's left. My halftracks were holding back Russian infantry and I had my infantry positioned to go for Panzerschreck and Panzerfaust shots in a last ditch attempt to stop Dave's tanks exiting for the win. My Panzerschreck would roll a 10 and be X'd out and of course missing. I would only get one Panzerfaust hit on an IS-2 and fail to penetrate...when does a Panzerfaust not knock out a tank...well...when it hits an IS-2 in the front. My infantry screen failed to stop anything as my dice went stone cold. Dave would exit 5 AFV's for the win and his second Battle Star.

This game would be my 900th recorded game and my 100th of 2024.

Sunday Afternoon Round 4 Dan Best vs. Scott Mullins. Dan and I would meet again for our final game. We would play J238 Derrick's Show. Once again, Dan's Australians would attack my recalcitrant Japanese dug in on a 4 Level Hill. This would be Dan's third Japanese scenario in a row. Dan was gunning for the Close Combat Award. And this three scenarios would give him that in spades.

Derrick's Show would be even bloodier than our Round 2 Game. Just incredible the carnage as we met in hand-to-hand combat throughout the game. The hand-to-hand fighting would take a heavy toll on both sides and would thin the Australians as they struggled up the hill.

Dan's 4-5-8's would let Dan down throughout the game as they broke and pinned with regularity. A final pinning of a 4-5-8 would make it impossible for Dan to capture the necessary hill locations. But...I would end the game with only a 3-4-7 and 2-3-7 left alive. I had been nearly annihilated. Despite my horrific losses, I would hold the hill and get the win and my second battle star.

Sunday Afternoon Dave Mareske vs. Paul Works in Scenario FT304 Loosening the Noose. Going into this match, Paul had three wins to Dave's 2 wins. But, Dave was leading in points due to the high number of CVP he had inflicted particularly in our game with so many AFV's knocked out. In fact, Dave had amassed so many points that it was likely that anyone would catch him.

Dave would command the defending Germans vs. Paul's attacking French. Dave would get the win and his third Battlestar.

The final point totals for the 2024 Grumbler. Dave Mareske would be the overall winner with Paul Works in second place, myself in third place and Dan Best in fourth place.

Time to give out the awards!

Dave Mareske with his Grumbler Grenade!

Congrats Dave on the win!!

Dave would also win the Sniper Award.

And Dave would win the award for most

Snake Eyes with 19 total.

Dan Best would win the award for most MMC's eliminated during the tourney with 37 total.

Dan would also win the Close Combat Award for the most CC MMC's KIA'd with 21 total.

Paul Works would win the Edelweiss Award for winning the "Where the 2 Half-Squads Dare" Cable Car Challenge.

Paul would control British Major Smith, who was on top of the Cable Car and holding off an attack from two German Agents. I would play German Agent Christiansen and Dan would play German Agent Berkeley. Both Dan and I would successfully climb out the window and get on top of the cable car. I would be KIA'd and fall from the cable car as Major Smith took me out in the first CC. Dan as Berkelely would then advance on Paul's Major Smith for the final CC. Paul would roll SNAKES and casually toss Dan to his demise from the Cable Car. Quite the finish!!!

Well...as you might have expected, my dice were very hard on me throughout the tourney. And I would win the Award for most Boxcars. I would roll 20 of them and yes, they would hurt me badly in key moments in the various games. I would lose my Japanese 10-1 to a boxcars in my last game against Dan. I would see my final Elefant MALF it's MA. I say this often and I it's true...dice rolls matter. My 7 Snakes to 20 Boxcars was truly awful. All of my opponents had an equal number of snakes to boxcars or had many more snakes than boxcars.