Operation Squad WW2 - First Game

Finally had a chance to try out the rules for Operation Squad WW2. It's, as you might expect by the name, a squad-level skirmish game set in World War 2. Shocking right? Anyway, we set up a basic table and just tried a straight-up fight, rather than using any of the six scenarios from the core rule book.

We played using my Tamiya 1:48 scale Panzer Grenadiers and Russian Infantry sets.

Rick chose the Germans, won the initiative and started setting up first. The deployment of your figures is done in alternative order. Once we were all set up we rolled for first round initiative and started declaring our actions and reactions. Without duplicating the entire rules here's an example of how it works.

The player with initiative can decide to go first or second, and then we make declarations. Say my opponent decides to go first; he picks a figure on the table who hasn't acted and says what he'll do. Maybe he's going to run into the trees over to his left. The miniature doesn't move yet, it's just a statement of intention. I think pick one of my figures and do the same. I'll have my heavy machine gunner run up to the stand of trees to the north, trying to get a good spot in cover.

You do this until three figures on each side have declared intentions (or less, when it gets near the end of the round). After this, each figure rolls two dice and adds their tactical value to the total; this determines their priority. Now the figures perform their actions, in descending order. It might sound a little complicated, but after you try it out it's actually very simple, and leads to some really interesting situations.

Being our first game we made tons of mistakes regarding whether or not figures were hidden, spotting tests and even choosing targets to shoot at. We also had to quit before either side had lost enough troops to require morale tests. I had lost more soldiers, but Rick was in trouble with four wounded, so we called it a draw based on time constraints. All that aside however, it was good fun! I'd really like to try it again to see if we can get some melee assaults, play the rules closer to correctly, try some different squad configurations and test out a few of the scenarios.

Painting up an American and British squad just moved quite a ways closer to the top of my to-do list...

The game itself is definitely worth a try. I got mine as a PDF download from Ganesha Games. If you're so inclined there are also two expansions available adding more vehicles and tons more squad lists.