Firstly I am a bit nervous about posting this as it does not feature any painted miniatures so mods please delete this if I am infringing forum rules. In my defence, this is a recount of a fun game played with the basic version of a set of well-known wargame rules (and I for one have to make the most of any opportunity to game under current circumstances!) so it might be of interest to others in a similar position.
Today my 8 year old son said he did not want to play Frostgrave (the game I have enjoyed most with him previously). Instead he said he wanted to play Lego spacemen with me. Normally I am happy to build Lego spaceships all day long, but I had been hoping for a spot of dice rolling this weekend. So I told him about Galactic Heroes, which I own but have hardly played, and suggested that we could try it with his Lego figures. He was interested, so I told him to build two forces, each consisting of a Leader, Specialist and three Crewmen and to set up a battlefield, while I brushed up on the rules.
He knows I like Star Wars, so he gave me Obi-wan as a Leader, with a jetpack equipped Boba Fett as my Specialist, and an assortment of Imperial troopers to fill up the ranks, including Death Trooper 1 (with a submachine gun), Death Trooper 2 (with two pistols), and a Stromtrooper with, er, a crossbow (the perils of letting your opponent chose your soldiers' weaponry).
His gang was more original, led by an angry lad with spikey hair, and with some sort of ghost as his specialist. His crew included a chap with mechanical wings, someone apparently called "Bald Ritchie" (no idea) and a Robot. We did not worry too much about traits and focussed on working out which weapons each character was carrying (e.g. a blaster rifle seemed appropriate for Boba Fett while Bald Ritchie's weapon had an orange tip so we decided it was a flamer).
I said we needed a scenario, so my son came up with the idea that the Robot on his side originally belonged to Obi-Wan and my objective was to defeat the robot in close combat and take it home for re-programming.
The game began with Obi-Wan leading a cautious advance towards the enemy. In response my son's leader jumped into a nearby helicopter and blasted the Jedi with a salvo of missiles. Once the smoke cleared a brown-robed figure could be seen lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. He would play no further part in the game.
Intent on avenging their fallen leader my men focussed their fire on the hovering enemy vehicle. Bullets pinged harmlessly off the helicopter's armour, while wild blaster fire from Boba Fett flashed through the afternoon air but to no effect. My last opportunity came from my crossbow-armed stormtrooper who was working his way round the left flank. Somehow, the bolt flew true, bringing down the mighty war machine and leaving the enemy leader buried within the wreckage.
On my left flank an intense firefight developed. In an attempt to increase the effect of his pistols the Winged Man broke cover and charged the crossbowman, sending him cowering amid the hail of bullets.
On the right flank Boba Fett and Death Trooper 1 were preoccupied with the ghost, and did not notice Bald Ritchie creeping around the crashed chopper until it was too late. Ritchie squeezed his trigger and a jet of flame engulfed both the bounty hunter and the Death Trooper.
Death Trooper 1 reacted quickly; ignoring the smell of his singed uniform he spun round and fired repeated short bursts of 9mm at the source of the flames, sending Bald Ritchie sprawling. But when the Death Trooper looked round he saw the smouldering body of Boba lying motionless next to him.
Before he could check on his fallen comrade a familiar-looking robot lumbered around the corner wielding a whirring chain sword. The robot was a fearsome close combat opponent, but against the odds, Death Trooper 1 emerged victorious. Recognising the inert machine lying at his feet as the mission objective, Death Trooper 1 ditched his SMG and hoisted the robot over his shoulder and started to stagger towards the rear.
Seeing the encumbered Death Trooper withdrawing the remaining members of my son's team gave chase. Ghost glided forward and took aim with his Heavy Laser. At close range and with no cover it was an easy shot, and the valiant Death Trooper toppled forward.
In reply the Death Trooper 2 let rip with his auto pistols and in a splatter of ectoplasm the ghost was no more. Death Trooper 2 was unable, however, to stop the Winged Man swooping past and scooping up the unconscious robot.
The Crossbow Stormtrooper, grievously wounded in the firefight, could do no more than drag himself slowly behind cover.
The Winged Man then shed his wings and bundled himself and the robot into a nearby car.
The Twin-Pistolled Death Trooper knew he would get just one chance to take down the car before it sped away. He took aim across the blood-soaked grass as the car containing both the Formerly Winged Man and the mission objective picked up speed. Knowing that the success or failure of the mission had come down to this final shot, Death Trooper 2 aimed, fired... and missed.
As the sound of the car engine faded into the afternoon air, the Death Trooper contemplated the scene of destruction around him. Someone was going to have clear all this up...