plural

so

in my youth

I used to play a number of highly strategic war games
[Many were made by SSI for those of you who might know them]

think Risk but much much more complicated

they use accurate maps including terrain features
which affect the movement and line of sight of your units

most of the scenarios we played
where historically accurate
re-staging of old battles

the idea is you and your friend(s)
take control of the same units a military commander
fight over the same ground
with the same advantages and disadvantages
for the same objectives
as historic commanders

and try to look like a stud
by turning a historic defeat
into a glorious victory

well anyway
a few days ago
a friend of mine sent me a link
to a free download of a computerized version
of one of these games
titled "Steel Panthers"

so for the past few days
I have amused myself from time to time
replaying the allied campaign of operation overlord

in this particular campaign
you start not on the beaches of Normandy
but in the hedgerows commanding a group of paratroopers

as of course can be expected
I have been resoundingly crushing all opposition
but tonight
I scored a singularly amusing victory

historically the scenario
was an allied delaying action
of the German winter offensive in the Ardennes

of course under my brilliant guidance
it was an utter rout

The Allied Forces