The Old Shellskin Farm (Chain of Command VBCW AAR)

Firstly all the pics came out blurred as when I got home I found I was on landscape mode on the camera and not close up! Whoops! Sorry about that.

Yesterday at the club we played a Very British Civil War using the Chain of Command rules. Matt and Kev were the Anglican league while Ian and myself were the British Union of Fascists(Gravesend Branch!). We played a couple of encounter patrols set around the Shellskin Farm area (Made up name) just of off the River Medway.

We each tried to make a complete platoon but I was a few figures short so did not field the 2" Mortar or the Boys Antitank Rifle and had to borrow a Lewis gunner from Mats collection (He was dressed in Italian uniform) so a big thanks to Matt for the assistance getting my force together. I did have a trench catapult to use as a 2" mortar but put it in the wrong box.

We both used the "Official" Too Fat Lardies 1940 British army lists and rolled for morale and sorted out assets. I rolled the best I could get and started with 11 Morale, Matt started on 9 Morale. And due to the lack of Antitank weapons Matt allowed me to start with an armoured car as my Asset. very kind of him, but at least this would give his Boys something to fire at!

 I got the first 2 turns by rolling double 6 on 5D6 but only managed to bring on a squad in the first 2 turns. But I did increase the COC (Chain of Command) dice. So not a waste at all.

Matt and Kev get the next turn and bring on 3 squads! Gulp! Then we Bring on a squad and the shooting starts.

 I get to fire first at Mats Aylsford Friars who emerge from a wood and take a tactile stance. The firing is not very effective in the first round just giving them 1 point of shock!
When Matt fired back he did better and Killed one of mine. After that we continued to fire at each other with me gradually getting the better dice.

 Ian Quickly brings on our armoured Car, which then sits there for a couple of turns and A squad in the wheat field.

 Which Kev systematically destroys and eventually forces them to run like billy-oh and they leave the table!

 The Armoured car moves forward slowly but does not do much at this stage as it is aware of Matts Boys Antitank rifle and they are trying to keep a building between them! They both are.

 Matt Moves forward with his centre squad. and my reserve squad gets placed on the table and fires at the squad in the open as does the Armoured car. The firing from both units takes it's toll and the squad in the open takes 3 casualties so mat moves them back around the building out of sight,

 My First Squad has by now taken quite a toll on the Friars and they break and run from the table. My squad is mostly intact but very shocked. So shocked that if the turn ends they two would probably break or at least be pinned an ineffective, so I bought on my Platoon sergeant and used him to give the Gravesend boys a stiff talking to,

Kev moves into the wheat field and Matt brings the Boys into play. He does hit but the damage is minimal and when Ian returns fire wipes the anti-tank team out. Kev moves up and lobs 2 grenades at the armoured car and manages to kill the driver. But the machine gunner despite the shock kills the junior NCO of the squad and suddenly the Anglican league are on a Morale check and their whole force breaks and game one the Gravesend Fascists as the BUF win.

Conclusion: We did play a second game and it was a second win for Ian and myself and the British Union of Fascists. The rules worked very well indeed and I anticipate a few more games in the near future. The rules were easy to understand and play with and if you are not so fussy trying to be too rigid and competitive give a really good game and I am not just saying that because I won!

In the Second Game Matt deployed his 2" mortar and used smoke to good effect. he also used a sniper which was very effective and would have been more so if his dice were better, But the sniper did mean we were always careful about lines of sight. But as the sniper cost the same amount of asset points as the armoured car one would hope it was effective. Given the choice of armoured car or Sniper I am now unsure what I would select!

Overall a very good day and an excellent set of rules that I look forward to using again and again.