Saturday evening... With two defeats already under my belt I was keen to do much better in this game. It's 1918 and the German Spring Offensives are in full swing. Two patrols encounter each other somewhere in the French countryside east of Amiens... Here's the table.
And again from a different angle. Phil had kindly brought along some of his ruined buildings and other scenic bits & pieces.
Here we see that the Germans have quickly occupied the ruined church and brought forward an MG08 to support the advance. My wife Jenny started leading the British in this game but as time was getting on she went to bed and Phil (who up until that point had been busily polishing his dice) took over. In the background you can see some BEF behind the wall - probably eyeing up that house as a good point to launch a flank attack against the Germans.
More BEF in the centre of the field. They have brought up a Vickers to try to keep the German's heads down! Note the little shock marker - a yellow dice in a scenic 'pot'. Phil forced his poor children to work for nothing to produce these - what a slave driver eh?
At this point in the game both sides have brought on all their forces (basically a platoon with an HMG in support) and are inflicting shock, but very few casualties.
"It's no use chaps ... the blasted Boche are already in the farmhouse ... let 'em have it!"
The Germans quickly occupy the ruined house - an ideal vatange point from which to shoot at the Tommies.
This part of the battle became a close range firefight in which (amazingly) the British gradually gained the upper hand. It's Phil and his bl**dy dice again!!!
The BEF bring a section across from the centre to decide the issue against the Germans in the ruined farmhouse.
But by the time they arrive it's clear that the Germans are on the back foot, so they head off along the road towards the German centre - accumulating shock as they go.
As they near the Church they go "tactical" - hence the corrugated iron counter.
During this time the Germans in the centre have not been idle. The MG08 had dealt with the Vickers but was then itself eliminated by concentrated British rifle fire. Another German section had advanced on their left flank and took their bayonets to a detached Lewis Gun team - but at what cost!! The Lewis was eliminated but the casualties inflicted on the German section were horrendous. This, along with other incidents across the field, were taking a heavy toll on the German morale. Soon I was down to 4 command dice, then 3.
The pig makes a run for it!
The key moment in the final stage of the battle was a grenade duel in the ruined church. But again the British had the best of it. With that the German morale was reduced to zero and it was a win for the British forces ... and Phil.
A simply spiffing game! Thoroughly good fun all round, played with a gentlemanly air of good grace and fair play. Chain of Command is rapidly becoming my absolute favourite set of rules.
The final report from the weekend - a big game of Dark Ages War & Conquest from the "Age of Alfred" - will follow in a few days. After that ... well, it will hopefully be something slightly different ;o)
And again from a different angle. Phil had kindly brought along some of his ruined buildings and other scenic bits & pieces.
Here we see that the Germans have quickly occupied the ruined church and brought forward an MG08 to support the advance. My wife Jenny started leading the British in this game but as time was getting on she went to bed and Phil (who up until that point had been busily polishing his dice) took over. In the background you can see some BEF behind the wall - probably eyeing up that house as a good point to launch a flank attack against the Germans.
More BEF in the centre of the field. They have brought up a Vickers to try to keep the German's heads down! Note the little shock marker - a yellow dice in a scenic 'pot'. Phil forced his poor children to work for nothing to produce these - what a slave driver eh?
At this point in the game both sides have brought on all their forces (basically a platoon with an HMG in support) and are inflicting shock, but very few casualties.
"It's no use chaps ... the blasted Boche are already in the farmhouse ... let 'em have it!"
The Germans quickly occupy the ruined house - an ideal vatange point from which to shoot at the Tommies.
This part of the battle became a close range firefight in which (amazingly) the British gradually gained the upper hand. It's Phil and his bl**dy dice again!!!
The BEF bring a section across from the centre to decide the issue against the Germans in the ruined farmhouse.
But by the time they arrive it's clear that the Germans are on the back foot, so they head off along the road towards the German centre - accumulating shock as they go.
As they near the Church they go "tactical" - hence the corrugated iron counter.
During this time the Germans in the centre have not been idle. The MG08 had dealt with the Vickers but was then itself eliminated by concentrated British rifle fire. Another German section had advanced on their left flank and took their bayonets to a detached Lewis Gun team - but at what cost!! The Lewis was eliminated but the casualties inflicted on the German section were horrendous. This, along with other incidents across the field, were taking a heavy toll on the German morale. Soon I was down to 4 command dice, then 3.
The pig makes a run for it!
The key moment in the final stage of the battle was a grenade duel in the ruined church. But again the British had the best of it. With that the German morale was reduced to zero and it was a win for the British forces ... and Phil.
A simply spiffing game! Thoroughly good fun all round, played with a gentlemanly air of good grace and fair play. Chain of Command is rapidly becoming my absolute favourite set of rules.
The final report from the weekend - a big game of Dark Ages War & Conquest from the "Age of Alfred" - will follow in a few days. After that ... well, it will hopefully be something slightly different ;o)
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