Dispatches from the Front: One Hour Skirmish

Recently I purchased a copy of "One hour Skirmish" by John Lambshead. It was published in 2018 and there are plenty of reviews on the internet, so I won't give an in depth one here. But please allow me to say they are great if you are looking for a fun smack-down that will keep all players engaged all the time.

For our game we once again returned to my Colonial Imagination of Butiwanto. Someone has been stirring up trouble with the not too friendly Duhwanna tribes and the American Consulate has been recalled. To aid with the evacuation a gunboat has been dispatched with a squad of US Marines on board. When the boat arrives all the Diplomatic Attache has to do is make it to the dock and be off.

But nothing in Butiwanto is that easy....... The Grand Poobah of the local Duhwanna tribe, the Emir Bubba-Ooh Mao Mao has other ideas. He wants the American Diplomat captured at best, but dead is fine too....

At the top middle of the photo is the Consulate. At the bottom is the American Gunboat with the Marines. The Duhwanna Tribesmen will begin in the three buildings on both the left and right of the photo. The American units are in their starting positions on the board (Diplomatic Guards and Consul in the building, the Marines on the dock). The Tribesmen are just on the table. They aren't required to declare where they are entering till they show up.

The forces are as follows:

Mike: The Consul is guarded by a squad of 5 men led by their Sergeant (7 figures).

Me: The 4 man Marines squad is being lead by a Sergeant and Corporal (6 men). There is also a Light Ships Gun located on the bow of the Gunboat.

Kevin: The Duhwanna tribe on the left has a Leader, 6 men with rifles and 10 men with spears.

Danny: The Duhwanna tribe on the right has a Leader and 10 men with rifles.

To balance the game, the Duhwanna forces have weaker motivation and it takes 2AP for the rifles to shoot.

The US Marines are ready to earn their pay...

The Diplomatic Mission is ready to leave

The Tribesmen are milling about, waiting for something to happen...

The game started off with both American forces moving first. Kevin's Duhwannas moved out in a not to friendly manner so the Gunboat crew swung into action, covering the Marines that had left the dock....

BOOM!!

On (my) right side of the table Danny moved his rifle armed Duhwannas out. My Marines met his aggression with some of their own.

Mike kept moving the Consulate Guard toward the Gunboat stopping when he could to shoot any Duhwannas threatening the Consul.

"This way men..."

As Mike moved toward the awaiting Gunboat, my Marines formed a "U-shaped" defensive screen to protect his escape route. The Duhwannas pressed hard and my Marines began to fall...

The Consul and some of his Guards closes in on the fighting around the Gunboat...

The Gun Crew adds fire support to help get the Console aboard...

As the Consul nears his escape, the fighting around the Dock is furious, often savage Hand to Hand!!

More Duhwanna fighters join the fray!! The Infidel must not be allowed to leave!!

And then it happens.......

Mike moves the Consul to make a break for the Gunboat. Screaming and shouting men perform a dance of death all around him! Kevin charges one of his Tribesmen at the Console, who turns, levels his pistol at his attacker and......

The death of the Consul....

At this point Kevin and my Brother whoop it up with glee! They feel victory is theirs. "Not so fast," I say. "Mike, tell them the victory conditions."

"If we get the Consul to the boat we win. If we get his body to the boat...it's a draw".

Mike and Danny scowl at me but the fight continues! Mike and I kill off the Tribesmen who are around the body of the Consul. I move one of my Marines to a position that he will be able to grab the corpse and get it to the Gunboat. By this time Kevin's forces have broken and left the fight. All that is left to stop me is Danny's Tribesmen...

Danny wins the initiative and goes before me. His forces are more than a single move from my Marine so he will need a few Action points to catch me and force HtH combat. And remember, his rifles take two Action points to shoot.

Kevin flips a card to determine Danny's AP........