Securing the keys

This time Terry chose to use this staff car

So, this time it was my turn to raise up against the British government and fight for freedom, liberty and a hard boil egg, or something like that. Having no models suitable for representing the 5th column I borrowed the forces that Terry had used in the previous games.

This saw me taking two squads of ten columnists, four smaller squads, with six in each and a few support weapons including an anti-tank gun. A couple of officers and a spy rounded off the force. In the first scenario, despite my German forces being fended off, the Abwer Agent had been able to slip off into the undergrowth and Terry and I both agreed that it would be the perfect scenario to bring the agent back and he was now dressed as a shapely young lady who's taken the officer's fancy. 

Turn 1:

Hello.
The insurrection begins.

Getting the first dice of the game, I bought on my first six-man squad on the North East side of the board, towards one of Terry's units. Terry's forces were deployed similarly to how I had deployed the week earlier and so I decided to bring on my forces from the north. My Columnist opened fire at Terry, causing a pin marker. Not bad, that I only had 2/3 shots (It was dependant of if the man with the pistol was within range) and they were inexperienced rabble rousers

I had the next few dice, and bought on 3 more of the six men squads and deployed them in the North East and North West of the board edges. 

Terry received his first dice of the game and activated the squad who had gained a pin marker. They easily passed their order test and charged in the squad who had shot at them. It was a grim affair and my squad was quickly wiped out. Though this was a blow for my plan, I had a new idea that the 5th Columnists had been given orders from their German "Allies" no surrender and so I hadn't lost men, they were all martyrs to the cause. 

Nothing to see here.

I then gained another dice and began to send a squad down the side of the building in a nice and stealthy manner. Meanwhile, alerted to the presence of the enemy Terry opened fire with his MMG and wipped out three of the columnists from one of the squads, who were able to pass their morale check, much to my disbelief. 

The Abwer Agent slunk on to the battlefield, knowing that the forces were arriving from the north, he arrived in from the south and hid in a forest. Claiming he was nothing more than a local poacher, as a squad ran by. 

Terry moved the staff car forward so that the Smith Gun had a better line of sight over the square and then charged the angry ladies and wiped them out in a single round of combat. My light mortar tried to drop a shell on the sqaud patrolling the centre of the board and missed. This action, saw them become the target of that squad who charged in, and the mortar was no more. 

As the turn came to an end, and the last few dice for the pair of us came out. I repeated Terry's trick from the previous week and bought on two units of columnists. One squad was able to kill one of the hasty Home Guard voluneters and the other shot at a squad of Home Guard and killed two. As they were green, we checked to see what would happen, and they decided that they were not as inexperienced as they thought and were now treating as regulars. 

Turn 2:

Turn 2 began with the first dice being mine and one of the Big Squads charged forward, and attacked the Hasty Volunteers in combat and wiped them out, before consolidating 5inches towards the objective. 

Terry, spotting this squad advancing forward, aimed the Smith Gun at them, but the shot missed and exploded against the side of a building. Terry then unleashed the MMG at the same target again, and another one of their number was cut down.

My other big squad advanced forward and charged the Home Guard squad. They were able to kill four, with Terry killing three in return. The Home Guard squad was wiped out. Meanwhile, in the centre of the board, one of my six men squads made a dash for it and was now in contact with the building the officer was busy keeping his young "Lady" entertained. 

Forward

The two men, left after getting to close to the MMG, tried to charge in and fight it in combat but decided that hiding would be the best course. Meanwhile the Abwer Agent moved into view, as he crept into a field. He was risking a lot, but he knew it would be time to contact his colleague. 

Terry ran his squad into the edge of the square, hoping to kill the squad who were so near the keys. Meanwhile, my officer and his men took a pot shot at the squad in the North-East and killed two of them. Bellowing orders at the nearby squad, they charged in and wipd out the remains of the squad in combat. 

As the turn came to an end, Terry's officer caused a pin on one of the bigger squads, and in return my Anti-Tank rifle completely missed the officer. No matter, as it was time for me to make my move. The Abwer Agent revealed that she was a he, and cut down Terry's officer in the prime of his life. The keys were now mine, now I just had to escape off the board with them. 

Turn 3:

This was going to be a vital turn, and so I needed to get everything right. I was lucky enough to pull the first dice. Excellent, activating one of the bigger Columnist squads they were going to move and reinforce the men with the keys. 

Things don't go so well. 

Except, they had a pin marker on, and I failed the order test. Not good.

  Terry then got the next couple of dice. He charged the squad that had just decided to find out what tarmac had been used for the road. We both killed 2 each, and so another round of combat was fought. I killed another four of Terry's men, but he killed five in return. He had won the combat, and consolidated forward 5inches.

Meanwhile, in the north, Terry charged one of the six men squads, who shot as he came in, and gave them a pin marker. Terry, caused four wounds, ouch, and I was unable to cause any wounds and another squad had died for the cause. I then charged in another six-man squad hoping to do some damage. We both caused four wounds, and Terry was then able to gain the upped hand by wiping the squad out in the next round of combat. What was that about the turn needing to go perfectly.

On the other side of the board the last 2 men, passed their morale check and charged the MMG. They were able to kill one of the team, before being wiped out. 

However, the German Abwer Agents were not concerned about the Fifth Columnist, they needed to get the keys out of the building and off to the German Command base. The problem was, Terry had a squad in the way. The Agent in the field, opened fired with his SMG and put a pin on the last two men of the squad. 

I've got them, now run. 

And in a somewhat foolish move, the Abwer Agent with they keys charged into combat with these two men. Killing one of them. Terry only had to inflict a wound, and he would have the keys, and killed my Abwer Agent. 

The dice did not go in his favour and he missed. Thank goodness for Abwer Agents being veterans, or as the narrative would have it, the man fumbled as a man-man, dressed in an evening dress, came charging out. My Abwer Agent then consolidated 4inches. 

Terry then spun his Smith gun and opened fire at the nearby officer and his men. All three men were hit, but the officer stepped forward, unscratched. In response, I targeted Terry's officer with the Anti-Tank Rifle and killed him with a single shot. 

As the turn came to an end, Terry retreated the staff car backwards, and I moved the last of my six men squads into the centre of the board. I still had the keys, and so this turn was a sucess just not how I had planned it. 

Turn 4:

Terry got the first dice and, after passing his order test, ran the rest of his troopers into the Staff Car. The engines were revering and somebody began to hum a chase tune. The chase was on as the Staff Car set off in pursuit of the keys. 

The chase is on. 

In response the Abwer Agents nodded in agreement, and both fled towards the board edge and the win. It was close, but even with a 12inch run, they were not able to make it this turn. 

Meanwhile, the remaining Fith Columnist unit, braving a hail of Machine Gun fire charged in against Terry's MMG and wiped them out in a single round of combat. There was a bunch of manoeuvering by the remainder of the 5th Columnist forces with the Anti-Tank rifle, seeing the Staff Car, moved into a better position to take a pot shot the following turn. 

Turn 5:

This was it, the keys were mine and my agents were close to the board. All I needed was the first dice out of the bag, and I would be able to escape. I reached in and pulled out....

And they make their escape.

One of Terry's. Not what I wanted. Terry used this dice to move the staff car close to the escaping Abwer Agents. I reached into the bag and pulled out a dice. It was mine. I did think about using the perfectly positioned Anti-Tank rifle to take out the staff car. It would a beautiful narrative thing to do, but knowing my look, the men inside would survive, Terry would get the next dice and shoot the Abwer Agents down.

So I legged the Abwer Agent with the keys of the board and won the game. 

That was a fun game, with a very good narrative feel, that came from the scenario. Though, I wouldn't be in a hurry to use the fifth columnist again any time soon. I was glad that I was able to use them for the greater good of the German invasion. I had escaped with the keys, and when Terry decided to give chase with the last few surviours of his squad in the staff car, it truly became a game from the movies.

This gave me another 13 campaign points and so after three games the scores are.

Terry 32, David 26.

Until the next game.