Thursday Evening Mishmash!

                        Thursday 15th June.

Since Lady Watson was working late and I found myself bored to tears even with all these figures to paint I decided to pay a visit to the SESWC club to see if there was anything interesting on offer.Not expecting much I was amazed to find that Black Angus was putting on a multiplayer Back of Beyond game involving 8 people around a well padded table.Not wishing to sound rude I consented to play-more like cutting somebody's fingers off to play.

Peter setting up

Black Angus regaling us with nautical tales.

Campbell's train needing to be rerailed.

The bad guys heading for cover.

Bart's armour.

I was given along with Dougie Trail charge of some White Russian forces(mine were officer cadets) with the object of taking back a village occupied by the dreaded red peril in the form of Peter's bolshevik scum.Our forces were aided and abetted by various forces in the form of a Polish contingent commanded by of all people-Oor Bart whose forces came complete with an Albatross aircraft and an armoured car which had a slight resemblance to a tractor.He spent his evening picking on Bill Gilchrist and using his plane to roam and shoot at anything that moved usually the village garrison and Campbell's reinforcements who were hoping to relieve the village.

Bill's forces came complete with naval support which came in the form of a machine gun armed vessel.

A wee bit too modern I think.

Our favourite skulker or Donald as his wife calls him(on a good day)was in charge of the British intervention forces which also had naval support as well as an armoured car and a field gun.As already stated Campbell's forces were intended as reinforcements but as soon as he entered the field he also entered into the line of sight of my eager cavalry which came with a Renault tank for support.This tank proved to be my best unit of the evening.

H.M.S Skulker with Admiral Adamson in charge.

The game kicked off with everybody heading for the village.Some units were already on the board with the remainder coming on as reinforcements and latecomers.Bart in his usual style headed straight into the flank of Bill's reds,fancy tank and all.Dougie's forces were also quick off the mark but I decided to hang ten as I knew Campbell's cavalry and armoured car would be arriving very shortly and I didn't want them charging into the side of me.

Ma boys

Meanwhile Donald's British as usual were finding it hard to get moving with only his artillery and gunboat progressing.His field gun was taking some very accurate pot shots at the village whilst his gunboat was heading in the direction of Bill's gunboat to prove that Britannia still ruled the waves which on this occasion did with some peppering fire which eventually blew Bill's boat up.

Campbell's artillery and cavalry moved up the road giving my cavalry a chance to attack his cavalry in the rear.which actually didn't do him any damage.The only saving grace being Donald's field gun which engaged the front of Campbell's column and did more damage with one shot than all my cavalry did.

And he is still skulking

The object of my fighting desires

Run away Campbell

No sooner were my cavalry pulling up from their charge when Campbell's armoured car started spraying them with machine gun fire causing multiple casualties.My partner in crime was moving his forces in leaps and bounds towards the buildings on the outskirts of the village hoping to clear them out with cold steel.Peter's defenders weren't giving up without a fight and were picking Dougie's Whites off in order for the hand to hand to be more in his favour.

Devilish Bolsheviks

Dougie's daredevils suitably fortified

Bart's Poles were getting stuck into Bill's Reds but losing a few in the process.Bart decided to bring on his Ace which came in the form of an Albatross aircraft in Polish markings which proceeded to strafe Bill's infantry before heading for the village for a few pot shots at Peter's lads finishing off with a murderous rake on Campbell's second unit of cavalry.This gave an opportunity for my Renault tank to go into action against the rest of them scattering them to the four winds.

A wee bit prep

And we're off

Da da da da da da (in Polish)

Bombs away(in Polish)

Into them

Shot in the back

Meanwhile Donald's forces who were beginning to flatter to deceive finally started advancing.Mind you it needed the destruction of his field gun to motivate them.It was destroyed by a well placed machine gun placed in a church steeple.

I don't know what is worse a burning boat or an empty beer glass.

And he denies skulking

Dougie's forces were very bravely making their way from house to house clearing them as he went.It must have been the beer he was quaffing that was making him so brazen.

Campbell's remaining forceshad finally reached the reasonable safety of the village unlimbering hiscannon in order to fire at my White Russian officer cadets who at the time were just innocently foraging for some mushrooms in the forest with not an evil thought in their minds.Revenge came in the form of my tank which was roving about looking for targets of opportunity which came in the form of Peter's emplaced infantry and the machine gun that had taken out Donald's gun.

My innocent lads foraging for mushrooms.

Donald eventually brought his gunboat into the harbour and started shelling the village taking out Campbell's armoured car in the process.

About f'ng time.

Donald decides to move.

The end of the skirmish was drawing near so we had a last push towards the village.I brought my tank up screened from Campbell's gun by his burning armoured car.Donald's infantry and armoured car started skirmishing on the outskirts of the village and Dougie's infantry fortified by Newcastle Brown were house clearing.Bill and Bart seemed to be having their own personal feud with Bill trying to reach the beleaguered village with Bart sniping him on the side.

About f'ng time 2

About f'ng time 3

Bill's forces having a rest from being picked on by Bart

Cannon fodder for my tank

Ha'way the lads!

I would class the game as a score draw but if here had been more time I'm sure the righteous Whites and their gallant allies would have taken the day.

Advantage taker

A stupendous game enjoyed by one and all as Back of Beyond games usually are.

Most figures,scenery and scenario provided by Black Angus Konstam as well as the copious amounts of ale he drank ably abetted by Dougie Trail.

Bart and Campbell provided their own figs and models.

The remainder of the scenery came from the dark and damp vaults were we keep all the scenery.

Thanks to all for a great game a lot more than I was expecting and also many thanks to Campbell for being able to use his photos.

Black Angus's take on things can be seen on his page.http://www.edinburghwargames.com/assault-on-vozyliuka-1919/