RM6.2 part three. Conclusion

Part Three of this game was played on Thursday 1 April 2010.
Players were Jan, Goeg and Oleg

Part one can be found here
Part two can be found here

The table top in the initial rounds (seen from the West)
Note Oleg has moved the destroyed fieldgun which was blocking the donkey path

Lt Leftbridge-Smythe's second Mk II makes a break for it
trying unsuccessfully to hide in the smoke from the K4 (seen from the North)

Sir John sends a MkII down to tackle the Uzbek K1 which is proving a nuisance for the
advancing British infantry, as the tank moves forward,
Goeg activates an anti tank mine counter (seen from the North)

Lt Leftbridge-Smythe and a supporting Vickers Mk VIc move to meet the Bolshevik heavy tank assault
(seen from the North)

Goeg's mine fails to incapacitate the tank and Sir John's armoured flank turns to face the second advancing K4 heavy tank as it moves up to engage the Mk VIc on the main road (seen from theNorth)

The height of the battle and the second K4 defeats the Mk VIc on the Main Road
(seen from the East)

Part three began with only three players. Due to Palle's illness and a loss of interest on Tracey's part (and Rasmus still unable to attend), I ended up playing the British side alone whilst Oleg and Goeg played the Bolshevik's. For all that it was a brilliant evening, made all the more pleasant by the lack of diversion. Setting up the table top took the better part of an hour, but since it was Easter, we could start some what earlier and so the game was finished on time (by 23:00).

We had to roll for initiative as we couldn't recall what had been the last move two weeks ago, and Jan won the toss. The British immediately went on the offensive, moving up as many infantry as possible whilst jostling the tanks. The British began to use grenades to clear rooms and any spaces where an enemy might be hiding. This meant the deliberate waste of grenades, but since the British had a large supply of grenades, this didn't signify any great loss of resources, and after all, one prefers to use grenades to clear rooms and spaces in urban combat.

Oleg also decided to begin the game in a hefty fashion and began firing down the obscured-by-smoke donkey trail with the 60mm guns on his K4 tank, he managed to defeat several Sikh infantry who were moving up. Firing blind however, he was unable to disable the Vickers VI which was guarding the trail. Pausing only to move the damaged field gun which was blocking the head of the donkey path (See images above), he then began moving one of his K4 heavy tanks along it. This caused the British to take counter measures and the Vickers Mk VI which was guarding the donkey path and a Vickers Mk II belonging to Lt Leftbridge-Smythe (which was lurking in a ruin off to one side of the donkey trail) were forced to move to avoid being blown to bits. The Mk VI fled into the forecourt of the compound ruin, where it joined the other Mk VI and the Vickers MkII attempted to drive through the smoke, in the opposite direction as the same time as the K4.

Two of Jan's Sikh's had moved along the donkey trail and penetrated the veil of smoke issuing from the Motor Tachanaka. One of these was defeated but the other ran back to warn his companions of the approaching Bolshevik Heavy Tank. Alas, he met a Black Guard rifleman in the smoke and got into a bayonet duel. Both rolled ones and so were left standing in the path of the smoke blinded MkII as it sought to evade the K4. End result; both were flattened by British tank. Alas for the Brits, the move failed to evade the K4 which opened fire on the smaller tank. The MkII was partially knocked out (mobility kill; disables the tracks but leaves the turret working) but able to return fire for a round or so before the Bolshevik infantry nobbled it. With its last round and with a little help from the surrounding Sikh infantry who were lobbing grenades for all they were worth, the Bolshevik Black Guards lost their first heavy tank.

With the donkey path now well and truly blocked, the gravity of the game shifted towards the main road and upper road and Jan moved multiple armoured vehicles in an attempt to dilute Oleg's fire by giving him multiple targets.

Palle had outlined his plan of action against Goeg as the weakest link in the Bolshevik force, so Jan followed the plan and began to attack with everything possible. Sir John Napier had three medium tanks on the upper road and Jan moved these to cover the small path which led across the centre of the map to the donkey path. This path was the only way for a tank to move across the middle of the map and it was guarded by Goeg's Uzbek K1 Light Tank. Sir John's tanks tried to dislodge the K1 which was sheltering behind a wall but despite several well placed shots, the wall gave plenty of cover. Sir John's infantry however, backed by a section of Sikh's, moved forward through the ruins to bring grenades to bear and a Royal Afghan Rolls-Royce Fordson positioned itself in the midst of the ruins to provide more covering fire against the Uzbek and Anarchist forces.

After a short while, Oleg moved a second K1 forward along the main road and Sir John's medium tanks tried desperately to manoeuvre themselves into an advantageous firing position, but to no avail. Jan had moved Lt Leftbridge-Smythe's Vickers Mk II to the head of the main road, but now facing the advancing K4 Leftbridge-Smythe retreated out of the line of fire. This left a single Vickers Mk VIc guarding the main road and the inevitable happened, Oleg blew it away with the K4 as he moved forward faster than Sir John's tanks could bring their guns to bear.

At this point, Rocketman (supported by various other elements) used his remaining four Hero Points and lobbed a grenade onto the back of the K4, defeating it. Effectively, this was Oleg's own idea as he got slightly carried away I think, but I was happy to use the idea (I might have thought of it myself once I'd considered the options) and in effect win the game with a flourish of unrealistic heroism!

With the loss of the K4, the unstoppable tide had turned and the Uzbek and Anarchists began to fall back. Goeg moved the K1 forward in a vain attempt to block the advance of Sir John's armour, but the upper road was left wide open and Sir John headed for the Bolshevik rear. The game finally ended at this point with victory being awarded the the British. The post game damage rolls showed that about half of the British losses were permanent but only one light tank was ultimately lost.

On the whole, I have to say that this game lived up to my expectations. As usual there were any number of things I'd over looked but on the whole the game, played over the course of three evenings was fantastic. Oleg's enthusiasm helped move things along considerably and here's a big thank you for helping out!

Goeg sacrifices the K1 to block the path of Sir John's advance but ultimately to no avail (seen from the North)

Rockeman takes out the second K4, with a little help from his friends (seen from the North)

A concealed Uzbeck tosses a grenade at an advancing Sikh section (seen from the West)

A. Defeated British Vickers Mk II Medium Tank
(Element survived to next chapter as damaged)
B. First defeated Black Guards K4 Heavy Tank.
C. Second defeated Black Guards K4 Heavy Tank.
D. Defeated Uzbeck K1 Light Tank
E. Lt Col Sir John Napier in his Vickers Medium Mk III Tank.
F. Retreating Anarchist vehicles
G. Surviving Black Guards K4 Heavy Tank.
H. Defeated British Vickers Mk VIc Light Tank (Element destroyed)
I. 'Mad Dog' Mitchell's truck.
J. Lt Leftbridge-Smythe in his Vickers Mk II Medium Tank,
followed by a Royal Afghan Rolls Royce Fordson Armoured Car.
K. Second Royal Afghan Rolls Royce Fordson Armoured Car.
L. British Vickers Mk II Medium Tank.
M. Two British Vickers Mk VI Light Tanks
(One has been defeated, but survived to next chapter as damaged)
N. Rocketman lurking in an alley
O. Yuri, Commander of the Black Guards.

Game Over!