Square Bashing 2 Playtest

The new version of Square Bashing are well into playtest. Sorry if the below report seems vague but I dont want to 'leak' mechanisms for a game not yet released and without permission from Martin. hopefully it is a flavour of what is to come and will wet the appetite enough to give the game a go when they are released later in the year.

3 new players were taken through a game last night. 2 had in their words
'pigged' before, 1 had not.

Early war British taken by Ade and Jim. Early war German by myself and Keith.
Keith did most of our rolling in the countdown to war doing very well with two
top of the three results causing Ade and Jim to put two units back into the
toy box and alot into reserve. We ended up 'attacking along the sector' and
things were looking dodgy before the game even started through depletions with
the Brits having just two professional infantry units, 2 field guns and 4 mgs on
table.

The Brits army had from memory

7 Professional units
1 Regular (actually a French unit just painted up!)
2 Prof Cavalry
5 Mgs
5 Guns (these may be slightly out...)

The Germans

1 Professional unit
8 Regular units
2 Reserves
1 Regular cav
1 Reserve cav
6 mgs
5 guns

A 640pt game but with the new artillery costing of 15pts.

The Germans pushed on from the start and in turn threw a point barrage centred
on some British mgs but deviated and fell on the head of unsuspecting General
Melchett supping Early Grey in a town on the British board edge.

The British never managed to get their Higher command back on the table. They
did make very good use of the suppression barrage and halted the Germans in
their tracks.

On Keiths flank he bravely charged both cavalry units at a British unit and mg
behind hasty works in a wood. Despite me getting the factors wrong for the
cavalry (I gave them 3 dice per unit instead of the 1 they should have had for
attacking troops in a wood/behind works) they bounced off mainly thanks to the
mg.

Reinforcements were slow to arrive for the British intially until they opted for
option C (1 auto, roll for two more, all arrive on the road). The crossroads
objective was in row two and by game end was defended by 3 British Prof units
behind works which saw off assaults from front and flank.

Both sides managed to bring on an aeroplane which was put to good use strafing
ground troops.

The game lasted 5 turns with some high rolls for countdown. The Germans managed
to break through in two squares. Both sides held two objectives. The British
still had inf artillery and cavalry in reinforcements by game end. The Germans
lost 20 odd bases, the Brits only 4!! Professionals saving on 3's was a big
help.

Points tally was British 48 Germans 49.

All three new players thoroughly enjoyed the game. None had played the old
square bashing and Jim being a complete newcomer to Peter Pig games soon got the
hang of how things worked. With lots of chatting and visits into the room from
other club members I would say the game lasted 2 hours start to finish. There
will be a couple of pictures on the blog later and I'll put them on the group
here too shortly.

We used the original depletions system as I had forgotten to take the new one
with me to club. I did use the deduction for units on an objective. Professional
Brits were rolling 3 dice instead of 4 and the two units on the objective rolled
2.

Oh and my new Tablescape trees looked lovely. 4 per wood!!!!

Now some pictures from our official photographer...

The British army (with a newly painted French battalion acting as regular troops) lined up ready for a stout defence.

 The view along the British line at game start. The rules create an attack defence game as per usual with RFCM rules. The British were just about in the worst situation they could be.

 The Germans lined up ready for the big push. Actually an attack all along the sector.

 The unfinished crossroads objective rather sticks out like a sore thumb. Must get some greenery on it.

This is the first barrage of the game from the Germans. Unfortunately it deviated onto the town square hitting the British high command (christened General Melchett...Bah!!!)

Sean