Raymond Weilacher
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    • Bronze Shield, Silver Coin
    • Earth vs the Invaders
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Faction Focus: The Giant Insects!

3/31/2026

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Today we're starting a series that will cover all the Invader factions in the upcoming wargame Earth vs the Invaders. Set in the 1950's, Earth is an asymmetrical wargame where one player takes control of the civilian defenders and National Guard of Anytown, America while their opponent controls the hideous beings bent on destroying all we hold dear! 
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While the Human Forces stay consistent, the choice of Invader faction will significantly alter the game. Each force has been designed to provide a different, interesting tactical challenge that will keep both players on their toes.

The Giant Insects: Overview

The Giant Insects faction was the first that I designed and playtested for Earth vs the Invaders, being inspired by the greatest of all 50's scifi monster monster movies, Them!. 

The Giant Insects force is a predominately melee-oriented and very tough roster of monstrous units. They specialize in massive, primitive destruction. This faction will likely field the lowest number of units in the game but each multi-legged behemoth will be a serious threat that the human players will have to deal with.

The Giant Insects are able to place Tunnel Openings across the board to threaten the defenders of civilization no matter where they attempt to hide.
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The Giant Insects: Units

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.
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If you're ready to start your own Giant Insects army, I have suggestions for models in my article on building an army for Earth vs the Invaders.

Earth vs the Invaders will be available starting April 21, 2026 from WargameVault.com!

Join the Small Batch Discord for more news and to share your invasion!
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A Qualified Success Battle Report 5

3/30/2026

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​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.
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"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!). 
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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.
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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.
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Meanwhile an Italian rifle team advances across open ground on the British left and meets only token resistance.
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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.
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The heroic British squad that advanced across open ground under heavy fire and broke the Italian advance.
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A Qualified Success Battle Report 4

3/9/2026

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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.
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Counterattack!

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. 
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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!
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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.
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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...
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