Not sure if it’s something I missed over the years, but I see a lot of talk about “game” referring to

basically picking up women… From what I’ve gathered, it is men acting “Alpha” and reacting to
“modern” women out and about…. Pretty sure I would have been one of these people when I was out
hitting the bars during and immediately after my time in the Army… Not so much that I was consciously
running “a game” or anything, mostly I got myself into a situation where I fully expected to die and I
really just stopped caring. And I really stopped trying. Pretty much to that point my luck with women
was extremely limited, one serious girlfriend in High School, one in College, and that was about it really…
Now, there were not many “serious” ones in Germany, and when Dave, Tom and I went out we were
like Jedi hunting  looking back on it this all sounds REALLY bad, especially in this day and age with
Aids, etc… But it was certainly a LOT of fun… And the general attitude a lot of European women had
about sex was VERY different than American women’s, and to be honest a lot of American men were
confused and had a really hard time wrapping their heads around the reality on the ground there. It was
actually fairly common for a woman to walk right up to a guy, explain that they were attracted to him,
wanted to take him home with her, and in the morning she would fix him breakfast and either drive him
back or pay his cab fare back to base… Now, being a poor GI, not sure how this could have been
improved on, so this was a situation I was REALLY into. Not at all sure what made me attractive at first
to a lot of the women, I was a good shape, but I certainly wasn’t hitting on anyone or trying to pick up
anyone. Looking back, there was a combination of: being in good shape, quiet confidence and a
restrained violence that was probably what drew their attention. Yes, there were a few brawls and
general bar fights… But we never started them, and our unit (Platoon) always stuck together when we
went out. I mean Squad then Platoon when I say “Unit” because really that was the extent of what our
local loyalties really were… We had almost nothing (good) to do with the other Companies in the
Battalion, and non-Engineers? Yeah, technically we were on the same side, but no love was lost there.
Non-Army? Yeah, only “not enemy” when faced with actual “other” enemies… Anyway, there was
always a smallish group of us who stuck together going out, and we actually preferred going to “local”
places since several of us spoke German well enough to get by… Mind, we usually didn’t let on that we
spoke Deutsch… Was always amusing hearing what they said assuming “Kein Amerikaner sprech
Deutsch”… Only caused trouble for me once, and she was already close to breaking up with me, so no
big deal … Really, I think the whole “women” situation was a snowball effect as more came and went,
more of them watching us found us more interesting. Some of the lads found the “one” that they’d be
with for a while (and some still are with their girls from back then), but those of us who weren’t looking
for the “one” found a lot of “close enough, for now’s”

So, played IG this evening… Pretty good list, and he had an extra 150 points to play with, so I figured it
was going to be a LONG game. Brought my “Let’s Break the Kill Point Mission” list… And it did just that.
Having 8 Kill Points in total, and starting a bunch in reserve meant that his list was at a serious
disadvantage from the beginning. The Wraithguard starting in cover with Stealth and re-rollable saves
were just on fire… For his first turn he basically emptied his army’s long range AT firepower into the
squad causing the loss of a single figure when the dust cleared. I sniped a few kill points while marching
the brick forward, then his Vet Squads deployed and opened up on the Uber-Brick killing a few, but the
majority of the squad lived… Karanadras broke off to kill off the Company command squad single
handedly (some named character, extra orders… Not that impressive really), then wipe out a Vet Squad
while the Wraithguard took a few kill points themselves before finally all dying… Eldrad himself survived
to link up with the Fire Dragons who were delayed a LOT by the Master of the Fleet, thus preserving in
that transport almost half of my original kill points… So, pretty much the one chance in 3 for that one I
win on the basis of my army build. One chance in three that I would have likely lost or at least would
have had to bum rush the other side’s objectives… MUCH more difficult if he plays smart, and Cyrus
would likely have played it right… So, likely a draw at best for me. The last third, would have been a
draw likely with me holding my objective and MAYBE me contesting his on a last turn rush with a fast
skimmer if any survived … So, now likely I have an extra space on the map with the manufactorum for
the 150 point bonus… Probably will hurt more than help knowing my luck…

We're surrounded. That simplifies the problem.

- Chesty Puller, USMC

"Hard pressed on my right. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver.

Situation excellent. I am attacking."

- Ferdinand Foch at the Battle of the Marne

Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare
yourself, and let the troops see that you don't in your endurance of fatigue and
privation. always be tactful and well-mannered and teach your subordinates to
do the same. Avoid excessive sharpness or harshness of voice, which usually
indicates the man who has shortcomings of his own to hide.

- Field Marshall Erwin Rommel