Up in Flames

 I set up a small 800 point Bolt Action game for newbie Jimi last night at the club, I have lots of BA scenarios but many are just not suitable for a club night, needing large forces or lots of terrain and the club is limited with the latter. I have plenty of terrain but it is not feasible to hump it all to the club.

Anyway, the table was split into four quarters, we set up in opposite quarters and had to take the neutral ones and if possible get troops into the enemy quarter. Jimi wanted to bring along what he had of his Airborne troops so as these did not amount to 800 points I offered choices from my British Army which can just about cover everything available from 1944 to 1945. In the end he went for veteran paratroops with mortar, sniper and MMG supports, I went for four small regular squads and spent my money on a Stummel with short barreled 75mm howitzer, one halftrack and a 222 armoured car, my plan was to rush ahead and use the howitzer and 20mm cannon to cause a lot of hurt.

So much for plans, the preparatory bombardment hit my Stummel and took it out before the game had even started, so much for Plan A. Nevertheless I advanced everyone bar my HQ who were happy to sit as far away from the action as possible. Jimi moved out as well and although he had big squads of ten men my MG42's began to strike home and one squad in particular soon became heavily pinned and went to ground. I now moved up my armoured car to the hedge and began blasting away with the auto-cannon, suddenly a mortar round hit and caused a fire, knowing the artillery was now on target I tried to move the car in the next turn, it refused and paid the price, Plan B was now scuppered.

 Jimi did send his PIAT team bravely forward and they managed a shot at the armoured car but missed, sadly the mortar in the next few seconds didn't. By now I had two squads in each of the neutral quarters and managed to even the odds by taking out an Airborne squad and the PIAT team. When the clock struck I ended up with 8 victory points to 4, despite my dreadful luck I had managed to pull a win.

 Jimi learned a lot from this game as only one of his squads had brought an LMG and perhaps a British armoured car would have evened things up a bit, also with veterans smaller squads are just as good being harder to kill. I am sure things will be different the next time.

I am a bit rushed at the moment, Stuart asked me last night if I could arrange an ACW game for tomorrow for him, Rob and Paul, so I have spent the morning putting Perbais back in its box and building a new table and setting out troops. I have also managed to pen this and this afternoon I am back at mapping and because I am wargaming tomorrow I have a barbecue to build tonight. Did I mention I also have a visitor coming to take on the Thunderbolts on Sunday.

I noticed the Great Wargaming Survey is out, I got as far as the second question before closing the page. 'What did I think of myself as' was the question, in all my years that thought has never entered my head apart from the idea I am still 21, which is not true of course despite my good looks. Also in over 50 years of wargaming have I ever come across a Non-Binary or an Other, what on earth has that to do with wargaming.

 

 Because I am a bit rusty with Bolt Action I wasn't sure I had done the HE against Vehicles right, so like a fool I once again asked on the BA Facebook page, the first comedian and several others said don't bring the vehicle on first move, that wasn't what I asked, the next hilarious suggestion was that I should up end the table, at this point with the keyboard red hot with my indignation I stopped and simply deleted the post. Aaaaaaaaaand......2.....3.......