Next Project .

I've been clearing out boxes from under my wargaming table with a view to selling off a lot of the stuff I will never use and its surprising what you find (I once found a dead blackbird hidden there by one of the cats- uck!) -

Two Peter Pig 15mm Russian Civil War armies , bought several years ago in one of his 'army in a box' deals - I based up and sprayed them ready for painting . I was going to use them with his 'Square Bashing' rules .Above is the White army .

The H.Q. base and Tchanka - how cute are they !.

The Red army box , again based up and sprayed . My first impulse was to put them on the pile of 'For Sale' things - then I started looking through them and thought how easily they would paint up, the RCW is not renowned for its complected uniforms ! . 

Red army Armoured Car , Artillery and M/G bases . With my FPW project nearly finished (only 2 cavalry regiments to paint up)  this would make a fine change and with the added bonus that its all ready for painting . See how I've talked myself into it ! - watch this space !

Back of Beyond Game.

 

I've had these rules for over a year and have never got around to trying them out , so when 'S' was coming around for a game it seemed a good opportunity to give them a run.

 

 

'S' brought along his Afghans who would be masquerading as Bukharin tribesmen and some Turks to help them out - I fielded a Bolshevik force of varying quality. 'S'  set up his tribesmen in the village and his Turkish troops would come on as reinforcements. My mission was to attack the village.

 

 

The village defenders .

 

 

My Naval troops move forward ! . I'm afraid I did not keep a blow by blow record of the encounter as things got hectic and we were learning the rules .

 

 

'S's reinforcements move onto the table .

 

 

The high point of the game (for me anyway !) as my forces storm into the village.

 

 

Oh Dear !!!!!!!

 

 

The result ! - don't have poor quality troops caught in the open by M/G's and dug in infantry !

 

 

The survivors take cover ! and are suppressed (hence the marker).

 

 

On the other flank my M/G  takes revenge ! (ammo box marker means they are running short of ammo - -1 to firing !)

 

 

By the end we were both paranoid about  M/G's and here 'S' s troops cower behind cover frightened about coming out ! . My troops started to run short of ammo towards the end of the game (when you fire if you roll more '1's than '6's you run short of ammo - do it twice and you've none left) and my casualties meant I had to take a Army morale test each move having failed this two goes running I had to retire off the table - Victory to 'S' !. The rules seem simple enough - D6 orientated and give a quick game - we rarely had to look at the rule book after the first few moves and each unit is randomly activated using a card system which adds tension to the game . We both learned lessons and think we will be giving these rules another try .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blowing up the Bridge (3)

 

The White Russians and Bandits charge across the bridge as the remaining 'Reds' flee !.

 

 

Some more guards are alerted and move towards the bridge.

 

 

D'Anger gives his bearers a shinny sixpence each for delivering the explosives and they scamper off to safety . He sets to wiring up the charges ready to blow the bridge.

 

 

Suzi Wong and her band charge the Russians but fall short and start to take casualties.

 

 

The new unit of guards charge towards towards the bridge but are pinned down by the 'White' Russians and fail their morale roll and flee !.

 

 

At this point D'Anger got very lucky ( he needed to roll a '6' on the first move to set the charge off , a '5'or'6' on move two etc ) and rolled a '6' and was able to set the explosives off destroying the bridge !. This will prevent the Bolsheviks transporting the captured Royal family to Moscow by train and so they will have to use a cross country route . D'Anger has now time to plot a rescue attempt . Too be continued ....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blowing up the Bridge (2)

 

The game started with the 2 units of Chinese bandits breaking cover and charging towards the bridge , the Bolsheviks opened fire on them killing one figure .

 

 

Hiram Holliday and the 'White' Russians charged down the railway track towards the bridge.

 

 

Hiram opens fire and pins the 'Reds' down .

 

 

The 'Whites' charge and the pinned 'Reds' flee .

 

 

All this shooting awakes the Commissar Ivan Borodin (the Red Hero).

 

 

He alerts the veteran Siberian Rifles and they rush to reinforce the bridge.

 

 

Hiram leads his unit across the bridge under heavy fire losing 3 men (the little groups of pebbles on coins keep track of the suppression's caused on the unit, these reduce the units efficiency, when they equal the number of figures left in the unit they must take a moral test). The bandits also charge across eager for loot.

 

 

D'Anger and his bearers move onto the bridge , things are going to plan - so far ! . Too be continued......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blowing up the Bridge (1)

 

I'm ready to play my first game using 'Triumph & Tragedy', each unit has a card with it's stats on it - red for the Bolsheviks , green for the Allies. The others are the order cards issued each move to each unit as it is activated. In the past I've used these rules a lot and found them a easy and fun set to use.

 

 

The table set out , the bridge which the Allies have to blow up to prevent the Royal family being move to Moscow crosses a stream. , Although only a minor structure it is not well guarded and its destruction would take many days to repair in this remote region .

 

 

Captain D'Anger counts as a hero in the rules (one per side) and his 2 bearers carrying the high explosives to demolish the bridge.

 

 

American Hiram Holliday (with his trusty BAR light m/g) and a group of 'White' Russian soldiers in the service of the local Chinese warlord (veterans) who has loaned them to ingratiate himself with the British.

 

 

A unit of Chinese bandits lead by Soh Long loured by the promise of British gold sovereigns and loot. ( untrained and only half armed with rifles)

 

 

Another unit of bandits lead by his enigmatic daughter Suzi Wong (untrained and only half armed with rifles), her reasons for joining the attack  are not yet clear.

 

 

The guards at the bridge (untrained) .The remainder of the force are asleep in the station buildings nearby. It is dawn and they are blissfully unaware of what is going to happen.

 

 

Hiram and his men move forward under cover of the woods ready for the signal to attack the bridge.

 

 

D'Anger 'encourages' his bearers forward - they are less than happy about carrying their loads of explosives into action. Both sides point values are equal (450 point) and about 36 figures aside. Too be continued.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Triumph & Tragedy RCW Campaign

 

After the elimination of the Tsar and his family at Yekaterinburg the Bolsheviks made great efforts to round up any of his remaining relatives . This resulted in the capture of Prince Gorky and his family , this was reported in the British press and forced the Government to try and make a rescue attempt so that the Prince and his family can be used by the Allies and the' Whites' as a figurehead to rally support.

 

 

The local Committee argue what to do with their captives - opinion's differ between shooting them out of hand or transporting them to Moscow , the debate is vigorous !.

 

 

The British must act swiftly, their only 'man on the ground' is Captain D'Anger of the Royal Engineers (and all round good egg)  busy on a surveying trip in the Hindu Kush . On being alerted he crosses the border with a Yak caravan and meets his contact a mysterious Chinese beauty . He is immediately suspicious of a double cross but has no other choice but to believe her as he must start a rescue mission at once before the Reds can carry out their beastly plan !. Can D'Anger rescue the Royal family - too be continued .............