For students of Victorian military blunders, the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal is something of a gold mine. Two years after Ntshingwayo Khoza’s impi made famous Isandlwana, and nineteen years before Botha’s Boers ensured Spion Kop would never be forgotten, near a mountain pass called Laing’s Nek, a force of poorly-led British redcoats suffered a series of defeats so shocking they effectively ended a war.
If today’s co-op brainteaser leaves your cerebrum black and blue don’t blame Roman. 98% of the ‘missing vowels’ foxer below is the work of guest foxer setter, Colonel K.
The Comment Commanders need a new lucky rabbit’s foot, or a bigger one. Their current model failed to prevent a Pod IFV potting their (inadequately) armoured car two seconds into turn number ten.
Three contiguous clashes supply most of the drama for today’s battle update. Looking north and working from left to right, the first involves a previously undetected Pod sniper, and two Zen scouts who are endeavouring to patch up a wounded team member.
Unlike the formidable Friday foxers, the Monday kind are designed with lone truth sleuths in mind. While Roman, my Chief Foxer Setter, would be very interested to know how long it takes you to defox today’s brainteaser, he requests that the comments section isn’t used to share solutions or drop hints.
Steam tells me I’ve played Panzer Division Games’ debut for twelve hours and would like to know if I’d recommend it to other players. When, shunning the proffered ‘yes’ and ‘no’ options, I reply “That depends”, the Great One’s speech becomes garbled and smoke starts trickling from its imperial apertures.
Every Friday at 1300 hours, Tally-Ho Corner’s cleverest clogs come together to solve a ‘foxer’ handcrafted by my sadistic chum and colleague, Roman. A complete ‘defoxing’ sometimes takes several days and usually involves the little grey cells of many readers. Don’t be shy. All are welcome to participate.
During the first seven turns of Operation Oryx the Comment Commanders have eliminated three enemy AFVs and two trucks, and severely mauled two infantry squads. They’ve lost in the process a single scout. By play-by-comment CM standards, their success has been extraordinary. Will the honeymoon end in Turn 8?