Bolt Inaction

The big German vs Russian game at the club did not happen as Simon had done his back in and had not recovered by last night, Andy's collection is huge but mainly 20mm so it was time for both my new armies to hit the deck. I was quite happy as I had rushed my British armour for just this eventuality, I did not manage to finish the British truck so the transport rules will have to wait.

It was another small attrition game and I took the British and just stayed on the table side I used for setting up, once I saw Andy's deployment I thought I would hold with the left and make my main effort on the right. This would have been fine if I had not been an idiot and put my armoured car in a hedged field which it could not cross, I spent a couple of moves getting it out of the field and it ended up way out on my left.

Onward to Caen boys.

  There was a surprise for Andy as well as he thought his men would just jump out of the way of his tank, but they don't in BA, so he had to reverse and trundle over some walls, around about the same time I opened up with a ton of lead on his squad in the open and it was quickly pinned and eventually destroyed. I was going for pins on his forces as I had learned this from the first game and it was backed up by some sound advice from a mate.

Get the house men!

Easy target.

  I am not the best WWII gamer, and never have been, but I noticed I could have a shot at the SdKfz 222 which poked above the hedge, I was quite pleased, bang, up it went, Andy tried to respond with a Panzerschrek team only to miss and get them killed as again overwhelming fire was turned on them. Things were really going my way, I decided therefore to move the Cromwell against the lone platoon on my right, it was already under pins from small arms and mortar fire so it shouldn't be too hard to knock them out. I had a vague notion of hiding around the building and hitting the panzer in the side. Andy got the drop on me, took his shot and up went my boys, like him I responded with my PIAT only to have it miss on at least two, maybe three occasions.

Better late than never.

Ah S*$t!

I was going to struggle against the monster without adequate anti-tank but we both knew that turn six was not going to make a difference to the fact that the British had won, so we wrapped up

Not a hugely exciting game but a good one for learning things and coming to grips with the rules, especially those relating to vehicles. Sharp Practice II has made it to this corner of Lancashire and Stewart has run two demo games now, last nights looked very impressive and everyone seemed to enjoy it, the boardgamers are back on to the Wars of the Roses with the battle of Blore Heath, and of course there was a Bloodbowl game in the background. I think we are doing Bolt Action again next week and if so I hope to have the transports and anti-tank guns ready. There are a few strange things in the rules which may jar if you know anything at all about the conflict, but no rule set is perfect and I like the feel of this one, it is pretty fast paced and good fun.

I started re-reading that book I told you about last night, and here is an interesting fact, the largest regiment in the British Army in WWII was the Royal Artillery with around 700,000 men, more men than the infantry, would you have believed that. It was also able to bring down a heavier concentration of artillery more quickly and more accurately than any other army. What do they have now, a dozen guns?