XCOM - First Contact - Operation Hidden Hand

THE COUNCIL OF NATIONS HAS AUTHORISED THE 

XCOM PROJECT

Operation Hidden Hand

"The German Government has asked for our help. Unidentified forces have attacked the old quarter of Leipzig and panic has ensued - Our mission is to secure the area...."

The Drop ship has arrived.

"I want a good clean dispersal this time..."

The squad dash to use cars as cover..

One squaddie has enough time to enter Overwatch..

Wait.... What is that? ...

Dashing to investigate the smoking structures, what has happened to these poor Devils?

With the rest of the squad holding in Overwatch the too anxious advance to the truck triggers...

Alien life on Earth?! ...

The aliens scuttle into cover adopting Hunker Down

Our intepid Squad lets loose a hail of fire

(We come in peace - shoot to kill!)

One alien wounded and another killed in the deadly crossfire.......................... the third alien summons help

Then strange rays pass from a new alien to the wounded One

Seemingly strengthened it fires a deadly blast dropping the squaddie behind the truck...he's bleeding out!

A new alien steps forward and wounds the squaddie sheltering behind the trike

Throwing caution to the wind the troopers rush forward to shoot at close range..... the use of a grenade kills one alien and seriously wounds two more

Alien shooting drops one trooper who is bleeding out whilst the second is disintegrated at short range!

At last fortune favours the squaddies

Dropping two more aliens in one turn, but ammo is running low!

The aliens back off and take cover but to no avail. A great long range shot drops one alien...

The last Trooper rushes forward to finish the last Alien only to find his magazine is empty!!
Flinging his grenade destroys the final Alien! in the nick of time.

The Alien threat has been eliminated

Six Aliens dead and One trooper killed, but two more critically wounded 

the dropship arrives to gather what's left of the squad.

The First Contact had been Bloody, and tactics will need to be revised in future, The remaining troopers have gained vital experience and will be promoted accordingly ...

NEXT TIME - OPERATION DISMAL GODS where new challenges await the XCOM Soldiers

X-COM TABLETOP GAME

I've been a long time player of the original X-COM and some of its derivatives... and latterly of course ENEMY UNKNOWN and ENEMY WITHIN

This blog post will chart my efforts to recreate the game for tabletop miniatures Wargaming.

It's purely a fanboy thing and will use some of the iconography from the brilliant EA games computer game. 

It's entirely unofficial and is in no way intended as a challenge to existing patents copyrights or trademarks.

XCOM SOLDIERS

A great thing about XCOM is the variety of appearances your troops can take. Choosing armour style, colour and headgear. This is a boon to those of us unable to commission our own models as many commercial models look pretty appropriate. 

For the first campaign games I use GW Elysian Droptroopers and have rung some changes with colour schemes..

Alien representation is more problematic needing new sculpts or conversions 

Here is my take on a floater ...

Meanwhile my favourite option for the XCOM Skyranger is the GW Valkyrie

I intend to build my own interpretation of the Skyranger in due course, but for now, as the ship plays very little role in the games (and could even be dispensed with -more later) the Valkyrie will serve.

Next Time - First Contact OPERATION HIDDEN HAND

The Warre Game 1632 Printed

Well after much toil the Warre Game has been Printed.

I was fortunate to be asked to put on a participation game of Lutzen 1632 at Penarth Wargames Show - Crusade 2015 so with over 800 figures in tow and the help of my good friends Rob Ben Adrian and Del we set about it.

Imperial position

Scratch built windmills

Wallenstein

Lutzen Town

The Warre Game Rules are available from me if you are interested drop me a line via this blog or at 

TheWarreGame1632@aol.com