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| The 4 x 4 table for the game |
I have realised as we play test the scenarios from the new book that they hit two buttons which would be important to me (and I hope other enthusiasts) if I was buying a book on a period in which I had an interest.
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| One of the Guard patrols make a circuit of the camp |
The first is to shine a light and a different perspective into the conflict and highlight some aspects which may not have been emphasised too much in the past or in other source material. The second, perhaps even more importantly, is having fun.
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| First home run - Captain DuPlessis dashes for freedom |
Gerry, Bob and I had not gamed together since the early autumn. This game was long overdue as we've all been working hard and dealing with our own little bundles of challenges.
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| A group of escapees break from tent 1 |
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| ...and are ruthlessly shot down for their efforts by the Guards |
We could have played a big game but in the end, two smallish but challenging scenarios were the focus of the day.
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| A break from tent 9 gets stuck in the bog and shot to pieces |
In this first peek behind the curtain a scenario which has the official title 'The Great Escape' was retitled in a Tarantino parody ' Kill Beale' (Kill Bill??). The eponymous hero/villain of the piece was the Captain of the Guard at Dundalk camp named for an equally risible UK TV Soap character!
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| Captain Beale wades in against a group of escapees |
What started as a prison break turned into a slaughter of biblical proportions around the feet of Captain Beale (Gerry's Hero character) as escapees decided to attack Beale rather than make a break for it.
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| View of the action from just beyond Guard position 3 |
Bob's hero Captain Du Plessis appeared and actually escaped all on turn 1! He was the first character on the table and the first off it! Never mind, waiting around to lead his men, he was on his toes and away T1.
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| What a carve up.. Beale has finally fallen amidst a pile of other bodies |
Bob's escapees neglected to pick up the various weapons lying around in the camp and choose to bolt for the bogs or fight their captors with bare hands. The result was 12 rounds of slaughter and me running out of casualty models - I had painted a huge wadge of those too!
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| Toggy appears happy for a man who was pipped on the last card of the last turn |
In the end Bob missed his escapee home run target by 1. Throwing a 3 and not a 4 on his last escape attempt meant the three runners who would have got him to his target missed leaving the board by 12.5mm! So close yet so far...
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| All aboard... the next scenario............... |
Oh, and Captain Beale finally fell in turn 11 amidst the heaps of his own men and the prisoners at his feet. Photographic evidence provided!