Tag communal combat mission

Combat Mission Olympiad: Turn 7

The inauspiciously named Corporal Bignon fires his cumbersome bolt-action elephant gun four times during the course of Turn 7. Three 0.55 calibre armour harmers whizz in the direction of a zealous scout car, while the other outsized bullet attempts to…

Combat Mission Olympiad: Turn 6

Mars, Ares, Odin, Huītzilōpōchtli… I’ve been fortunate enough to interview quite a few gods of war during my time as a wargame correspondent. While most of them seemed to respect bravery and self-sacrifice, to a man/deity they all sneered, sniggered,…

Combat Mission Olympiad: Turn 4

I’m not saying the first three minutes of this CMAK contest were uneventful, but when the TV camera panned across the grandstands at the end of Turn 3, I noticed several people scrutinising phones or reading newspapers, and at least…

Combat Mission Olympiad: Turn 2

While it’s theoretically possible that the distant dust clouds spotted by both teams during Turn 2 have been raised by restless breezes, stampeding camels, or whirling dervishes, by far the most likely culprits are Afrika Korps AFVs on the move.

Combat Mission Olympiad: Turn 1

Apart from the green ‘GO!’ flare fired into the sky by a match official at the very start of this turn, the Olympiad’s first minute of action is fireworks free. Both teams race their infantry and their mortar-team taxis towards…

The 2024 Combat Mission Olympiad

Due to budget cuts, the 2024 CM Olympiad will consist of just one event – team play-by-comment Combat Mission: Afrika Korps – and involve just two teams – 2020 finalists France and Great Britain. Over the next fourteen weeks, said…

Operation Oryx: Postscript

The only smoke that hangs over Strupnic today rises from chimney pots and bonfires. The only tracked vehicles you see in fields and streets are Zendor 600 and 800 tractors. It’s hard to believe this village of cooing doves, dozing…

Operation Oryx: Final Turn

Several feisty eleventh hour orders should guarantee Operation Oryx goes out with a bang rather than a whimper. When we parted company last Monday, three of our mortarmen were running the gauntlet, our Patton was scrutinising a small patch of…