Top Secret

Beautiful day yesterday, the first really nice day of 2018 and we are only a quarter of the way through, paradise, while the rest of you are 'beeking' the new word for basking presumably (why?) I have just had to go and get a jumper because I am cold. Anyway things were hot yesterday on the games table as well.

I was busy right up until half an hour before Kevin turned up, I have a map project I wanted to break the back of, so I just flicked through the rule book and spotted the 'Top Secret' scenario. As I did not have a shot down plane I ad-libbed, a German staff officer's command half track had been shot up by a passing Jabo and the poor man or Nazi scum depending on your outlook, killed along with the crew, he was carrying plans for an upcoming counterattack outside Caen in the summer of '44. Both sides now had to get their hands on the briefcase.

I went for a fairly open battlefield and an infantry force for both sides, the Germans had a small armoured car and one halftrack while the British had a slightly heftier armoured car and a Bren Carrier, this was offset by the Panzerschrek on the enemy side. My plan was to go straight for the smashed up halftrack and I put two squads in the centre along with my MMG and the vehicles for support, I also put two squads way out on each wing in case I needed to flank anyone. Kevin almost matched me but put his main effort with the vehicles on his left, coming on and proceeding along the road to the objective.

As the action opened I managed after three shots to put his armoured car out of action and aggressively sent my infantry forward all along the line. I lost my left hand flankers due to a bad decision not helped by a German command die coming out first, however my MMG and the LMG's on the Bren Carrier meant it did not become a disaster. I rushed a squad to the halftrack and grabbed the bloody bag, but then had to go to ground as a lot of fire was coming my way, this prevented me making a clean escape. The Germans woke up to the threat and threw everything they could at my boys. Up until now mostly British dice had come out of the bag first, all of a sudden they were all German, I couldn't get my guys to budge and they succumbed to heavy fire leaving the bag on the ground. The damn Hanomag was proving a real pain as it hovered in the area shooting everyone who made a move towards the objective, I couldn't use my armoured car as it had fallen to the Panzerschrek. I eventually got it with the PIAT after a couple of shots but it was too late. My brave commander got to the briefcase only to be shot down.

As the game ended we had both lost five units and neither of us was going to be able to grab the bag and make it off the table. What had at first looked like an easy victory for me and a fast game turned into an exciting struggle over the objective and it ended a draw. That is two Warlord scenarios I have played and I have to hold my hands up and say both have been excellent games. You will notice perhaps that I stay away from snipers and flamethrowers and I do think this helps.

I also present my latest addition to the Seleucid army, Thracian Peltasts, these are Late period so do not have the multicoloured clothes or the funny dog eared cap. You will notice they are 'uniform' as, like most wargamers I suspect, I was drawn to the small note that describes them at the Battle of Pydna wearing black tunics and having white shields. I went back to weathering my shields for this unit, something which I have done for most of my armies but not always with this one, a bit of dust and in some cases blood spatter which Dexter would approve of. I think I am going to go back and sort some of the other shields out.

Next up are the mercenary hoplites, I hope to receive them today so I can get them sorted and primed over the weekend, a bit of a waiting game after that. I am beginning to get 'hankerings' foremost in my head is the mad idea of a Mid Imperial Roman army or perhaps a dabble with the Jacobite Rebellions although I am unsure which rule set would match the latter. There is always Muskets and Tomahawks as well, oh, and don't forget the Tiger tank and maybe some trucks and cars for Bolt Action.