The Insects have the smallest roster of units available in the game, but they more than make up for it with their ability to punch through human defenses and soak up massive amounts of firepower.

Giant Workers are the basic unit that of an Insect army. Like all Insect units, they have a giant, double-digit health amount and throw a huge number of dice at the enemy. Making them even more resilient is their Burrowers ability, which makes them harder to hit when they are further away from enemy munitions.

The Giant Flyer is a specialized offshoot of the worker which trades some offensive strength for speed and flight, letting it control vital points on the battlefield while slower monsters creep forward behind it.

With its acid spit, the Giant Spitter is the only ranged capable arthropod in the Insect roster. Its terrible attack specializes in destroying unarmored infantry, melting them into a digestible goo!

​​The largest and most terrifying of the Insects is the Giant Soldier. With the highest health value in the game and an unbelievably bad attitude, they are the rarest sights on the battlefield. Its pincers can shred the strongest human armor like a can opener and a its behemoth size means it will never back away from a fight, even when it has been heavily damaged.

​My buddy Greg and I have started to play through A Qualified Success, a "Pint Sized Campaign" written for the WWII game Chain of Command. The campaign focuses on Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, specifically the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry pushing north toward Syracuse while the Italian Coastal defenders and Napoli Infantry Regiment try to slow them down.

"The British have fallen back, we must continue to push! At all costs we must stall them just a little longer!" Tenente Bortolo Saracco's radio crackles. The Italian Napoli Regiment have gained momentum after their counterattack and pushed the British back to the village of Cassibile. If they can push the Kings Own Light Infantry back just a bit further, it will have secured invaluable time for the island of Sicily to be evacuated (and I would win the campaign!). 

With great determination, a section of the Italians takes up a fire position at a bombed out farmhouse. They are supported by a Fiat light tank with dual machine guns.

An Italian scout team moves forward and finds themselves in the crosshairs of a strongly held British position. Before they know it, hand grenades and deadly machine gun fire are raining down on them. They soon flee with heavy casualties.

Meanwhile an Italian rifle team advances across open ground on the British left and meets only token resistance.

The British are now at an impasse. Flanked on their left they have no choice but to shift their momentum and adapt. A section bravely charges a larger Italian squad and due to the firepower from their Bren and Sten guns, as well as their pluck in the face of danger, the Italians are driven back. While the British have sustained significant losses, the Italians have completely exhausted their manpower attempting to break through the British lines. With extremely heavy casualties they find themselves falling back without having achieved their goal.

The heroic British squad that advanced across open ground under heavy fire and broke the Italian advance.

July 14, 1943

After pushing through Cassibile, the British face resistance as they advance Northwest. The Italian coastal defense force has taken a beating in the previous engagement and the British hope to carry forward with momentum. British patrols encounter a small pocket of riflemen in the fields off the main road. 

Two infantry squads and a mortar from the Kings Own take up positions behind a hedgerow and begin a prolonged firefight. Unfortunately for them, the Italians represent just a minor scouting party. And rather than the poorly equipped coastal defenders, the British face a counterattack from the Napoli Infantry Regiment!

The bulk of the Italian platoon present themselves in force on the British right and advance unopposed around the flank. It becomes clear that the Italians will soon have open firing lines to the bulk of the British forces. The British commander issues an order to fall back to a safer position at the edge of Cassibile and regroup.

Tenente Bartolo Saracco of the Napoli division knows that Sicily will be lost for a time. If he can hold up the allies just a little longer though, the Italians may have a chance to regroup and recover their lost territory...

​My buddy Greg and I have started to play through A Qualified Success, a "Pint Sized Campaign" written for the WWII game Chain of Command. The campaign focuses on Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, specifically the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry pushing north toward Syracuse while the Italian Coastal defenders and Napoli Infantry Regiment try to slow them down.

July 13, 1943

Platoon Sergeant Roy Keane leads a squad on a reconnaissance-in-force, testing the outskirts of the village of Cassibile. Anticipating heavy resistance in the two story buildings, he swings to the left towards a hedgerow and crop fields. Suddenly a machine gun next opens up and additional Italian troops are seen moving through the field.

Keane and his men luckily make it across to the hedge where his men lay down accurate fire on the Italian infantry within the crops. The Bredas can't keep up with the Bren and the Italian riflemen have trouble getting a clear shot past their comrades. 

At the same time a rumbling sound echoes from the road--a Sherman arrives and sends two shells directly into the machine gun nest. Men scream as shrapnel tears through them.

Keane and his squad continue to apply the pressure to the remaining Italian squad. Several men, including Caporale Cino Casaletto are instantly killed, and the remainder crack under the fire. Seeing their right flank collapse, any men who were holding onto the buildings in town retreat as well. 

For his role leading the assault, Platoon Sergeant Keane has earned the respect of his men as well as mentions in the dispatches of his COs. The British continue their push towards Syracuse, but the now-organized Napoli Infantry Regiment might have something to say about that!

July 11, 1943

The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry have landed on the shores of Sicily meeting only token resistance from scattered and under-equipped coastal defense forces. They moved to take control of a railway station just outside the small village of Cassibile but soon came under fire from unexpectedly strong positions within the brick station itself as well as entrenchments and sandbag fortifications. 

Under deadly fire from four Breda machine guns, two squads of the British platoon soon take casualties and become disordered. The British commander decides to pull back and wait for another chance. The green coastal defenders are ecstatic--if this is all the British can throw at them, perhaps Sicily is saved!

July 12, 1943

The next day is eerily quiet as the Yorkshire Brigade sends out a fresh platoon to attempt the capture of the rail station. A pair of mortars lay down a smokescreen but there's still no sign of the Italian defenders. Two British squads see the opportunity and begin an all-out sprint over the rails (this is where Greg got a quadruple phase while I had zero soldiers on the board!).

Finally, after two jump off points had been captured by the British, they heard a sound coming from the train station--the coastal defense platoon was singing songs and still celebrating their victory of the previous day. And the sentries seemed to have come in for limoncello too!

A few confused men staggered out of the station to trade shots with the British but the result was clear--after two attempts the Yorkshires had taken control of the train station. Next they'd be headed to the village of Cassibile.

My buddy Greg and I have started to play through A Qualified Success, a "Pint Sized Campaign" written for the WWII game Chain of Command. The campaign focuses on Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, specifically the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry pushing north toward Syracuse while the Italian Coastal defenders and Napoli Infantry Regiment try to slow them down.