FIREFIGHT FRIDAY No4: Those Damn Hills Again

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Master Chef and I are agreed that our gaming this week was the best in a long time. Two games - The first, a 1940 BEF skirmish action using elements from Ganesha Games' FLYING LEAD plus additional rules we made up as the action progressed. One of our most inspired and fun games ever.

Basically, a platoon of Tommies (Maff) are retreating to Dunkirk and have been cut off by Jerry (me). The thing is, we are playing a virtual based game where the only figures on the table are Corporal Compo's section plus Jerries as and when required.

The game required action, if the Brits decide to 'camp out' and snipe from long range, more and more Jerries from Auflerungs Aufschwardron Leichte will turn up to bar their way. However, a straighforward dash to the safety of the farm will probably see them cut down.

Compo did a sterling job leading his men. His section made it across the field to the road. They took cover and beat down the Jerry fire sufficiently to make a dash into the orchard across the road. A short cowboy and Indian skirmish with the Jerries hiding behind the apple trees ended with the section losing a couple of good blokes but well and truly ensconced in the farm.

Compo's Bren half section beat back a half hearted German assault whilst the rest of the platoon slipped out the back and another couple of miles towards the coast.

It was fast, fun and we were on a roll. Couldn't leave it there so set up game two, a futurist hill assault loosely based on the Falklands but set on the Moon.

GZG L-UNSC (me, figures painted black, GI Joe movie-style) assaulting Rebel Minis Earth Force Marines (Maff) ensconced amongst rocks, craters and crevices of Mons Hadley. Again some of the action was virtualised, and I'll explain more about that later. The game was really aimed at trying out our emerging ideas. One squad of L-UNSC were in play the others being virtualised. Hits against the squad in play were 'passed onto' the virtual squads - unless, one of the L-UNSC decided to have a Sgt McKay moment and heroically, but conspicuously take on the enemy.

Inch by inch the L-UNSC fought up the hill, the virtualisation of hits keeping the momentum of the game going even though there were moments when the L-UNSC just had to hunker down under the weight of Rebel Marine firepower. Every now and again, an L-UNSC trooper stepped into the breach, giving his life to take out a Marine position to allow his squadmates to move forward.

The hill fell with two L-UNSC going forward against the last Marine sniper team in a bloody final encounter. Only one L-UNSC trooper remained standing to be joined by his three surviving squadmates.

Another successful game - the virtualisation system worked brilliantly - meeting our expectations and removing the old "my figure is firing at your figure" as being the sole measurement of firepower and combat stressors on the tabletop. Of course, it helps where you have two gamers who are friends first and for whom the game and how it plays out is more important than who wins.

Photos later. I want to enjoy the day and build some 15mm Spanish fincas out in the sun.

Cheers
Mark
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