Once upon a time in Germany

 Somewhere in Germany 1984 - The Soviet OP is in the ruined building. 

The cars represent outbuildings. The British advance from north and south.

Capability Savage & Tootsie Royale paid a call last night as did Donogh.  Mrs Kinch was delighted to see someone who wasn't me and whose first name wasn't nurse. She, Tootsie and Mrs Kinch major retired to the front room with a CD player full of show tunes, some cats and several bottles of white wine, while we repaired to the War Room.

I've been collecting Elheim Cold War Figures for a while now and it was finally time for them to see some action. The rules were Force on Force ably umpired by Donogh. We used the Top Malo House scenario from the basic rulebook, but with Soviets substituted for Argentineans.

Once upon a time in Germany, circa 1984:

The BAOR are conducting their traditional heroic retreat (Agincourt, Corunna, Mons, Dunkirk et al) while buying time for Reforger to arrive. Captain Mikhail Savageski of the 33rd Soviet Motor Rifle Division has led a platoon of Razvedcheki to an abandoned house over looking a major road in the hopes of calling in artillery on the retreating capitalists.

Captain "Rupert" John Anthony Cunningham-Howard of the Irish Guards has spotted the Soviet OP and decided to clear it out. However, the Soviets have already gathered valuable intelligence and if they manage to get away it will imperil the retreat.  The Guards must clear the OP out and pronto.

The victory points for this scenario, the Soviet player recieves a point for every kill or serious casualty he inflicts, while the British player gains three points for driving the Soviets out of the building and five if he manages to kill or capture EVERY Soviet soldier.

 The Soviet scouts crammed in to the OP

The building was a prepainted resin job I picked up some years ago. I believe it's produced by Conflix. I think it's actually a rather good fit for Second World War or Modern scenarios. 

 The British assault group, please forgive the poor camera phone pictures

This unit is made up of three groups, the good Captain, his radio man Corporal Dornan and his trusty M79 toting batman Private Gorman. They are hiding behind the hill. The chaps on top are the gun group with a GPMG, another M79 and some SLRs, while the lads on the left are armed with SLRs and another M79.

I placed these chaps on overwatch hoping preempt any retaliatory fire from the Soviets. My plan was to close, rocket the building until it collapsed and try to flank the building while the Soviets tried to flee.

 The Support Group from the south crest the hill and 

let rip with their GPMG and 66mm LAW rockets. 

The explosions down two Soviet soldiers, but the return fire from the building was crushing. 

 The entire group go down in the fusilade, I had hoped that the unit on overwatch might prevent this, but I blew my roll and was only allowed one round of fire before coming off overwatch.

 My fire managed to knock over a number of the defenders, but with friendly troops able to render aid, there was no telling how many of those men were injured, dead or just suppressed. The building withstood the shock of the LAW impacts this time, but it was looking shakier than it had.

 My first aid was relatively poor, three Guardsmen down with serious wounds, while the GPMG gunner managed to man his weapon. Things were looking distinctly sticky for the British. Corporal Dornan radio'd for medical assistance. Inside the house, things were looking slightly better for the Soviets as several of their men were just stunned by the concussion, though two of the fellows in the northern part of the house were seriously wounded.

 Placing the gun group on overwatch, I sent the maneuvre group around to the north to flank the Soviets. They opened up on the running men, unsuccessfully, but rather did rather better when the  the support group (the chaps to the south) attempted to suppress them. 

 The Soviet fire was remorseless and the three remaining men of the support group went down. Only the GPMG gunner remained. The British fire had failed to kill the Soviets, but the LAW fire was beginning to have an effect on the shell of the building. Captain Savageski was quickly realising that it wouldn't take much more of this. With that in mind and with three victory points already in the bag for causing three serious wounds, he decided to focus on getting some of his men off the board. This would prevent me from wiping out his entire force, which would leave me hoping for a draw at best.

 When then decisive moment comes, you need a chap who has been to the right sort of school. I managed to move up Captain Rupert command section up and he, Dornan and Gorman laid all about them with SLR and M79. The resulting torrent of fire knocked the Soviets down like nine-pins. One could only hope they were hit and were not simply shamming...

 It was not looking good for the Soviets as none of the fallen men were able to get up. Unfortunately, my first aid rolls were equally poor and two of the chaps from the support group looked like they'd copped blighty ones. This took me to five casualties and gave the Soviets five points. I would gain three points as soon as they vacated the building, but it didn't look like it was going to be enough.

 Captain Savageski bolted from the building leading a few desperate survivors in a mad charge to reach the cover of the cars. The sole unwounded man in the support group opened up with his GPMG, but was severely wounded by return fire.

With a crash the building started to collapse, killing the Soviet wounded trapped inside. The howls from within rebuked Captain Savageski for abandoning his men, but he steeled his heart - knowing that the information he had about troop movement was of more worth to the Rodina. 

Captain Savageski's men leap up from behind the scattered cars and make a run for board edge. Captain Rupert and chums prepare to fill them with lead. If this round of fire down the Soviets or pins them, they will lose the game. If any of the Soviets make it off the board, Captain Rupert will have the satisfaction of holding the field and driving them off, but at an unacceptably high cost. 

 We roll off and the Soviets make it. The Razvedcheki run from the field before the British fire can take effect, leaving behind a burning building and a dozen of their comrades, but with the information required by HQ.

Counting the cost

Captain Rupert is left to organise medical attention and evacuation for the wounded. The butchers bill for this small house was too dear a price to pay. But next time Savageski, next time.

It was fun to finally get a game in with my Cold War forces, though there were some last minute substitutions when I discovered I didn't actually have everything I needed. Thanks to Donogh for extemporising the game out of what we had available and congratulations to Savage on a solid win. One earned by rigorous maintenance of aim.

But Captain Rupert and the Irish Guards will march again...