for each side according to the rules.
The scenario
This 'Snowball-fight' take places in 1960 during the Norwegian winter exercise "Blefjell-60". A reconnaissance patrol from "Team Red" are about to enter the small junction of "Svingen" from east with their M29 Weasel, at the very same time as a reconnaissance patrol from "Team Blue" arrives "Svingen" from west (also in a Weasel):
There are no "battle referees" present to "judge" the highly unofficial battle in this small clash, so both patrols sees an opportunity; After a week of exercising their boxes of MREs are out of 'exotic meals' so both patrols decides to raid the "enemy's" Weasel and steal their rations of MREs to see if they have more exciting rations left. Since guns with "blanks" won't do in this battle, perhaps snowballs will.
Snowball-fighters hit twice must return to their vehicles where they have their medical kit to patch up for 2 turns. The optional rule for frozen fingers are not an issue, as these soldiers are equipped for Arctic warfare.
Forces:
- Team Blue (are usually just "unmarked"):
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| The 4 team members of Team Blue, their M29 Weasel "HQ", the cardboard box with MREs and the big snowballs are only activation tokens |
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| The 4 members of Team Red, their M29 Weasel "HQ", the cardboard box with MREs and 4 giant snowballs as activation tokens |
Mission:
- Both teams will try to get by another and get to the 'enemy's' M29 Weasel and steal their box of MREs and bring it back to their own.
- Team Red will let 2 members advance along 2 flanks each.
- Team Blue will let one member defend their M29 Weasel, and let 3 members advance along 2 flanks; 2 in front of the station and 1 behind.
The Game
Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Turns: 33 (!)
Result: We might call this a Draw
The mini-dice I used for 'hit stats' wasn't very 'mini' anymore compared to my H0 miniatures (the track gauge is 9mm). The Blue got the initiative first, and started to advance towards 'Reds':
The Read team couldn't see any from the Blue team yet, and started their advance along 2 flanks:
When reaching the station building at "Svingen" the Blue team could see that the 'Reds' were approaching, and took cover behind the corners and some nearby vegetation:
The Blues tried to surprise the advancing Reds with an ambush. The range was a little too long to give the really moment of surprise as the Blue team missed:
The Reds returned 'fire', and soon there was a heavy snowball fight going on:
And it looks like the Reds were a little bit better "throwers" than Blue:
Throwing more accurate and longer gave the Reds the initiative in the snowball fight:
Which let the Reds keep pushing the Blues back:
Hit! The Blue team-member must return to his Weasel to get the first aid kit:
The Reds team keeps pushing the Blues back...
...But Blue team does not easily gives up their base and cardbox of MREs:
And a fierce snowball fight take place just outside the 'Blue base':
Having a team-member to defend their base was clever. He managed to avoid letting members from the Red team enter their base:
And soon both the Red team members are driven on retreat:
The Blue team decides to use the Red retreat to regain the initiative in the battle and make an assault on the 'Red base':
The Blues meets a single Red in the woods...
...but the Red is chanceless and soon he's retreating as well:
Now the battle had developed to "a Race" to reach the Red base first:
And it looks like members from the Blue team is about to win this "Race":
The single Red soldier at the Red base has just patched up, and are taken by surprise by 2 Blue team-members, and their snowball assault is massive:
This enables one of the Blue team-members to make a run for it and enter the 'Red base' and grab that cardboard box of MREs:
By this time I had to fight his way out of the base too:
But he succeeds and keep on running with the box:
Can this become a 'Home Run' for the Blues? The Reds hurries up to patch up and go into battle again:
And they shoots the Blue team-member with the box in the back and he drops it:
Now the Reds are in the initiative again:
And they tries to use the Blues failed assault to race back to the Blue base:
But the Blue Team are putting up a defense line...
...and are ready to fight for their box of cardboard:
A heavy snowball fight evolves...
...and soon it's an inferno of hailing snowballs:
The Blue team manage to stop the Red offensive...
...and make the Read team retreat a second time:
This snowball fight just seems to wage back and forth, so while driven the 'Reds' off and holding their ground, The Blue team decides to embark their vehicle and leave:
Pros
- The rules are free.
- The rules are very fast to learn and easy to play.
- It's a non-lethal wargame.
Cons
- This cons is not really a cons on the rules them selves. I just didn't find any information about the turn sequence in link to the rules initially provided by Alan. I found it when I searched in older blogger-posts by Mark on Man of Tin blog, and through the development of these rules though: Turn sequence is to roll for initiative, side A moves, side B moves, side A throws snowballs and then side B throws.
Conclusion
This 'challenge' led me into combining 2 of my hobbies; model railways and wargaming. It also led me into wargaming in H0 scale (1:87), and I think this must be a seldom combination, if ever done before (?). So small miniatures in small fragile fixed terrain was an fiddly experience. I won't exclude the idea that I'll do it again, and will add another label for this.
.jpg "Free wargame rules: Old West Mini-Wargame: Showdown at High Noon - A Wargame in a Matchbox Epilogue.")
