Saturday 17 October 2020

Battle for Penrithski Junction : RCW

In the gradual tightening grip of lockdown so it looks like virtual gaming will be back on the menu. Sadly not the massive games I love so much but entertaining, and way better than nothing. This time Phil from NEWS FROM THE FRONT was up for a game so I rolled out my RCW figures. 

A small game using Bolt Action which works for virtual games lasting at most a couple of hours. Somewhere in the Northern Ukraine a train has been stopped before it could reach the intended Tsarist forces. The prize for both sides is a recently imported Mk IV Tank but food is also running low and troops are getting hungry not far from the abandoned train is a local pig farm !

Penrithski junction where the train has been stopped, both forces are rushing to claim the tank 
The Whites from the north, fan out and position their Howitzer in the long grass
The Reds a more mixed force of elite sailors and irregular troops, but they do have a captured armoured car and a machine gun. But the machine gun only last one turn with a fluke direct hit from the howitzer second turn !
But the Reds are not holding back and already have numbers of troops looking to defend the tank
The Whites also advance towards the Pig Farm realising this is equally important to capture
Urged on by the commissar and motivated by hunger an irregular unit also races for the Pork !
A fire fight kicks off across the pig pens
and initially the Reds get the better of it, able to direct more fire in this direction
The white commander looks on with disgust as a unit of Cossacks mis-understand their orders and retreat away from their objective ( this was Phil’s first experience of my random events and he got the better of them !)
Finally the Cossacks rally back towards the objectives but they are caught in the centre and it’s not clear where they should go ?
The Reds are still in a commanding position, a full unit over looked by Natasha the Red Commander
A second white unit has replaced the first at the pig farm and continues to exchange fire their morale supported by the standard bearer
On the far side the ‘white’ unit has been exchanging fire with the Red sailors who have been whittled down to the last few, the Whites then see their chance and charge towards the tank across the road. 
At this rate there will be nobody left to eat the pigs !
After an initial exchange of fire the Reds make a determined assault, leaping across the tank to force the enemy away. This is classic grim hand to hand combat lasting several rounds. 
but wielding his grandfathers saber Captain Philipski somehow manages to single handedly  fight off the White assault 👍
No wonder the White commander is looking glum there will be no bacon for him this evening as the commissar and the irregulars take control of the Pig farm in the last turn


The reward for Captain Philipski is a warm embrace from Natasha whilst the sailors admire their captured prize, but his mind is already thinking of a bacon sandwich !

A fun game played in good spirits. Nice to get the RCW on the table, I do have a couple more units to paint up when I get around to them 🙂


30 comments:

  1. That is one lovely looking game and a great AAR too:).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Steve......nice to get a game and the RCW is more colourful than people think

      Delete
  2. Great fun and a visual spectacle, Matt! Good show!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jonathan , fun to play as well until my troops started to run away 😢

      Delete
  3. A great little scenario using beautiful figures and terrain Matt, and narrated with style and humour! You have done a nice job on Natasha - I have both her twin sisters in my Red Army too (yes, I did buy TWO packets of Bolshevik Heroines!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you....I have the other heroines to paint somewhere and ought to get them out

      Delete
  4. Splendid pics and write up of an equally splendid game, thank you for putting it on, a most enjoyable couple of hours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Phil glad you were able to enjoy the game, always nice to talk wargaming as well 👍

      Delete
  5. Really cool game, talk soon. Have a plan for a game

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good looks and a ton of fun, the rail set looks superb and all in the wonderful setting of Cumbriski, who would have thought! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Norm.....I really ought to sort a more appropriate setting for my RCW games. In fact I think I will do that 👍

      Delete
  7. Fantastic report Matt, once again I do like your vehicles, they add a lot to the atmosphere...Splendid terrain and minis as well...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Phil, as per previous post the Tank is a 3D print so a very reasonable price.

      Delete
  8. Great write up and table Matt, nice to get some toys on the table.
    Cheers
    Stu

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Stuart certainly good to get a game during these slightly uncertain times

      Delete
  9. Splendid looking game there Matt. Shame Phil sneaked a win though...😁

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks David, it wasn’t helped when my troops started to run away !

      Delete
  10. Wonderful images of a fantastic looking game, Matt! Lots of variety of troops and vehicles, and lovely terrain too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank Dean......a nice period and some nice figures available out there 🤔

      Delete
  11. Great AAR. You’re really getting the hang of this virtual gaming.

    I’ve know many good women in my life, but I’ve known more great bacon sandwiches! 😀

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Stew....virtual gaming seems to work and is definitely better than nothing. As to sandwiches vs Women 🤔

      Delete
  12. Splendid looking game, sounds like great fun and everything is better with a bacon sandwich!
    Best Iain

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Iain .........the world would be a sad place without bacon sandwiches in my view 👍

      Delete
  13. Very good AAR nice to see the RCW on your table again.
    Sorry to hear about lock downs coming back into play there, keep well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by 👍 the RCW works well for virtual games and is visually appealing. As for lockdown I’m afraid it’s going to be like this for a while here 😢

      Delete