One of my helpers has moved on

It's not enough that I have 9 draft posts to finish but yesterday evening Mrs Grigork and I had to say goodbye to one of my wargaming helpers. Jess gave us great joy over her 12.5 years with us and over the course of half a day the minor complaint we thought we were having checked out at the vets turned in to something terminal. She didn't suffer and lived her live to the full as only a cat can.

I'll miss her sharping her claws on fields, biting bayonets, tapping figures on to the floor, biting trees, putting her nose into everything left uncovered, making the space cloth hairy and last but not least the famous flock/litter tray debacle, quickly followed by the basing sand tray disaster (all trays were on shelves high up on a book case).

Jess checking the Soviet approach 

The sniper is here. My opponent hadn't noticed until the team was pointed out.

Fields my favourite

Jess not approving of Full Thrust

I still haven't finished these

2016 September Conwy Wargames Club - Force on Force

Dave hosted another Force on Force game set in our imagi-nation of Tangerine circa 2010.

Scenario
'Replace the bridge over the river Kiora'
The UN recognised government forces are sending out an armed force with a bridge layer to replace the destroyed bridge on a key trade route. This route is vital for keeping the official government controlled areas supplied.The popular 'rebel' government forces that control most of the country have set an ambush led by Mr Big.

The Forces

DAFT (Defensive Armed Forces of Tangerine) (D8s)

3 x BTR60  each with 2 x 3 man fire teams, 1 x RPG or LMG
2 x T62 tank
2 x truck
1 x bridge layer

Republic of Tangerine (ROT) militia (D6s)
6 hot spots
On board:
3 x 8 man squads including a LMG and 2 have an RPG
2 x pick ups with HMG
1 x pick with 106mm recoiless rifle

1 x Secret surprise

The Game
Dave umpired and Chris commanded the DAFT and myself and Ian commanded Mr Big ROTers.

The DAFT advance guard

Nothing to see in Kioraford

Highway to hell

The rest of the DAFT convoy arrives

Chris decides to ignore concerns about harming civilians and begins to shoot up Kioraford for no reason.

The first building is destroyed. Civilian casualties not known

Enraged by this atrocity and the fact the criminal government forces had come in to optimum range both Ian and I's forces opened up. 2 x BTR60s are quickly taken out and the majority of their fire squads made ineffective. 

You can just see Ian sitting down contemplating his next move after losing a group of militia. I had militia in the village who were mostly destoyed but did tie up government return fire. My recoiless rifle bottom right is pinned.

More militia appear

Carnage in Kioraford. A militiaman nicknamed Rambo single handedley chews up a government squad who tried to seek cover in his hut.

Pictures of the rebel success were quickly posted on social media

... rebel news channels

... Reuters

... radio. Erm maybe not radio

More militia

Even better more RPGs

These courageous chaps under my command fire on the dismounted government troops that were still effectively returning fire

Mr Big's tank rocks up and open's up down the road

Ian's pick up is knocked over by government tank fire

Aerial footage of the stalled convoy. The day was ending and they were clearly not getting through to the bridge so the DAFT began to retreat. The true government of ROT wins the day.

I'd not seen these inserts before for Really Useful boxes. They're ideal for 20mm figures allowing 2 tiers per box. I shall investigate how to get hold of some.

Great game. All of us had fun and it wasn't all one sided as my biased write up makes it seem. Dave felt we had too many vehicles to manage, and we all agreed the rules probably would not cope with a game larger than this.