For reasons many and varied, and not altogether happy to be honest, DG is down currently, and contacted me last week to ask for the possibility of a game.. needless to say I was more than happy to bit his arm off...
Conversation then changed to the delightful subject of "what to play?" - casting my mind back over previous games I offered him Marlburian or 15mm WWII skirmish (DG is not fond of Blitzkrieg Commander so a big battle WWII was not an option) neither of which we'd played before..
So DG went and surprised me slightly by going for the WWII Skirmish option - now I say surprised because DG plays a fair amount of Chain of Command for this scale of gaming, and, errr... I don't... I use a fairly unknown set published by Crusader a number of years ago called
"Rate of Fire" [clicky] and still marketed by them (I also note you can get a PDF of the rules for a mere six squids - that's less than the price of a pint and a half!). Either way, it looks like the forces of France will yet again attempt to stall the Wehrmacht in it's tracks, somewhere near the Belgian border in May 1940..
For the scenario I have turned yet again to "One Hour Wargames" and we are playing the next scenario in the book - #14 "Static Defence". The scenario calls for 6 "units" per side which translates quite nicely into the sub-platoon size elements that Rate of Fire deals in - so I envisage Platoon HQ, two rifle squads (each with Rifle section and MG section) and then each side can choose a support - either another MG section, mortar section, or another rifle section - no need for anti-tank.
French will defend, and deploy as per the scenario requirements - they will be allowed to deploy concealed if they wish (Germans have to spot them, or they are automatically revealed should they move or fire). The Germans then will attack; in order to balance the game, and because they are attacking, I will give the Germans improved training and or command factors.
Table is as follows - French deployment area is top third of table and as per the scenario, Germans arrive at the bottom edge... the victory conditions are as per the scenario, objectives are the "town" (which in this instance constitutes the terrace), and the hill top left...
On y va, mes enfants!