Back of Beyond - Bolsheviks - the Siberians

 This weeks painting has been the last lot of Copplestone Bolsheviks in the stash  . Greatcoats  and fur hats . As ever they are really easy to paint . 

These will be fighting in our ongoing campaign shortly . My far east Bolos are fighting the Japanese who have invaded North of Vladivostok. This takes me to over 100 foot.  

I have a further out with Eureka to top up the factory worker militia which should arrive this week.

The plan is to run a really big game in November at the local Battlegrouhd show . 

Terrain. Extra winter roads and trees

 With a really warm and sunny day today I took the opportunity to make the extra winter roads I want for a game at the end of the month . I had also found the missing box of conifers that needed snow scatter adding . 

12 feet with a range of sizes . I had a roll of 50mm wide and 1.5mm thick neoprene that I picked up from Amazon a while ago . This was cut into various sizes . 16, 12, 8 , 6 and 4 with a few oblique ends and some triangle pieces for corner bits.

I ran the hand held sander over it  with a rough grit paper on it . This helps the next stage to adhere 

A mix of decorators caulk and sealant with a brown acrylic craft paint added to it was then spread over the sections and these were left in the sun . I textured it with an old knife handle for some ruts

Once dried after a couple of hours I gave them a spray of a dark brown rattle can and then a dry brush . 

PVA was added to edges and in some places in the middle and the Woodland Scenics Snow scatter was added . I used my spray glue to hit the trees and added the scatter 

Job done . I just need a bit more river stuff sorting for later in May . 

Gaming - the Battle of Orenburg Junction

 Today’s game was a BoB campaign game with the Freikorp attacking the Bolos at Orenburg junction . There are rumours of imperial gold and Comtesse Reynaud plying her wares .i was umpiring with DiscoDave as Bolos , Bob as the Freikorp , and John as the White Cossacks . 

Bobs Freikorp had massed to attack the junction , outnumbering the on table Bolos by 2-1 . 

Freikorp  Here they come 

Train guards and the “secret Comtesse”

Comtesse Reynaud ,, working out where to go .
Having watch Dr Zhivago again recently Julie Christie , AKA the Comtesse will I am sure be a regular in our games 

Bolo Tachanka with Dismounted HMG 

The train is refueling with coal and water - rolls1d6 per activation , needs to get to 16 to move . A 5 , then 1, 1 , 1 4, 4 , means turn 7 before before steam is available.

Bolo infantry arrive 

After turn 3 the Cossack Lancers approach the train.

Bolo cavalry v White regulars .. nasty 

Col Osipov eyes the Comtesse and encourages the train crew 

Time to leave with objective done for Col Osipov’s Whites 

Cracking game . As umpire I managed to keep info from the 3 players and feed stuff into the  game as it  went on . John concentrated on his objective , Bob and Dave fought each other . John won . Bob[s Freicorp wrecked railway works , but not the Cheka HQ . The Bolo defensive fire was brutal at times , the Frei corp will lick their wounds in due course l 

The imperial gold and the Comtesse are back in the White sphere after the Cossacks overwhelmed the train guards and Col Osipov leading from the front he jumped onto the footplate of the loco and persuaded the the driver and fireman to stop the train and move in the other direction . 

The Bolo reinforcements secured the area both the Freicorp and Whites retired , 

A great game was had 

Gaming - Schleswig Holstein Wars

 Today we did some gaming using DaveP’s baby . He has been building his own figure range for the this war (available from Pendraken - Here) . 

The table was 16 foot long , with the Danes defending against Bavarians and Prussians . 

The rules are a work in progress to try and get a simple quick play version .

 

With over 1000 28mm figures on the table it looked great .Some fun was had too 

Gaming - Counter Revolution in Tashkent. The Osipov Revolt

 Today was a game with my Bolos being attacked by John’s growing White force . The scenario was lifted from the Red Dawn Rises early revolution scenario book for Setting the East Ablaze . It’s set on a6x4. The whites outnumber the reds who expect reinforcements after turn 6 .

White cavalry on their left flank 

Railway workers man the limited trench line 

Red Guard cavalry mass in the town square 

 

The Bolo 2 I/c Commisar urges the gun crew on . 

White Armoured support advances .

White infantry let by a flamethrower team advances .

Red Guards launch a counter attack .which hammered the Cossacks , until an armoured unit let fly with its MGs 

The Cheka stay at the back in the barracks . 

The two white armoured  units are causing a lot of damage and I have little to stop them with .

White start to attack the brewery area .

The  railway workers who are heading toward the town are suppressed by fire .

The flamethrower kills a Bolo LMG team and then sets fire to the building . Causing it to be abandoned 

The white aircraft turns up on turn 4 , heading down the Bolo line 

The Bolo commanders advances to the rear to join in the final defense of the barracks with the Cheka . They fall to the man.

Bolo reinforcements turn up on turn o but are pinned in by the White armour 

A dog fight that is inconclusive takes place over the station 

White raise the flag over the barracks .

The remaining white cavalry arrive in town

This turned into a full White victory . It was touch and go until turn 5 . The White aircraft was lethal , knocking out a field gun , straggling the railway workers and then moving on to Harry the reinforcements. The loss of the Bolo field gun in the town edge early let the Whute armoured units advance with impunity - and they didn’t even break down . 

 

A great game was had . We took the time to work through the various firing and morale mods and get these more embedded in the memory .