Operation Fish ‘n’ Chips - Game 1 of 5

General background fluff

Unpopular king Edward VIII is hiding out with his new American wife in Worcester having being injured by a bomb blast at his coronation. In London a Mosley led fascist rump governments attempt to remodel British society has caused whole areas to rise up in rebellion. 

There, I think that covered the essentials.

By the Engine sheds on Caldwell Lane Len Tyler and Malcolm Laidlaw police the incoming trickle of refugees from the fighting further south.

Campaign fluff

Following their failed attempt to seize the contents of the TA armoury on Billings street the Brompton BUF have been forced out of town and have regrouped at a farmhouse two miles to the east.  As further reinforcements begin to trickle in from Smethwick, failed ladder salesman and Brompton BUF supremo Eric Hartwell receives orders to go back and gain control of the important industrial zone to the north east of the town.

Meanwhile…After violent skirmishes between the townsfolk and Hartwell’s men the town council felt it necessary to raise the Brompton Local Defence Volunteers, an armed group, to patrol the towns boundaries and keep Hartwell’s troublemakers at bay.

The mission set up fluff

Normally both factions roll off to determine who is to be the attacker and defender, but given the pregame narrative I’ve allowed the BUF to have the attacker role by default. Both factions however rolled off to determine the importance of the mission to their side. As it turned out the dice (and therefore those higher in the chain of command) felt the mission was of moderate importance to both sides.

Moderate importance means that if either side have three men out of action* at any one time they automatically lose the game and retire. A win in a scenario of moderate importance grants three campaign victory points to the victorious faction - which they can spend on replacements, new equipment or bank towards the final campaign total.

Operation Fish ‘n’ Chips - Wednesday August 4th 1937

Hartwell’s BUF cadre receive a tip off that the BLDV in the Parkside area have been using the codeword Fish ‘n’ Chips to identify friend from foe, and so Eric decides to use this information to pass through his opponents defences and seize some of the key buildings behind them. What Hartwell doesn’t know is that the password is changed every Wednesday and today is…

Victory conditions. First side to have three chaps out of action at any one time is the loser and the opponent automatically the winner. If the BUF win they gain one extra point for every building solely occupied by them.

Side note: Thought I’d add an element of uncertainty to this mission. I gave the wife three post it notes each of which had a different password on them. I asked her to choose one and discard the rest. When Hartwell arrives at the check point he’ll use the Fish ‘n’ Chips one and we’ll see if it’s still in use. The three code words given to the wife were Fish ‘n’ Chips, UR Mum (done in text speak to annoy her) and The Cat’s Pyjamas.

As you can see below the games been set up and I will cover the outcome in a separate batrep soonish.

Here’s a couple of set up piccies to whet your appetite, or wet your pants if you get excited over these things.

Bernie Sykes stops the BUF lorry at the Birmingham Road checkpoint unaware of who is hiding in the back. “Alright chief. Password please?” “Yeah” says Hartwell from the cab. “Fish ‘n’ chips.”

The BUF contingent. Playing cards determine the movement order and sometimes bestow special abilities depending on type / suit. Black grenade counters on the unit cards are frag grenades and the white are smoke ones. They’re a rarity in game and only issued to the attackers troops.

Stay safe out there mes amis. Remember, there is no such thing as gravity, the world sucks!

Toodleooh.

*Down but not necessarily out. They play no further part in the action, but their final condition is determined post game.