Richard's Chinese Warlord army decisively defeated Kamall's Bolshevik army at the War Room earlier today, in the space of four game turns.
Richard, Doug and Joel were the Chinese (14 infantry brigades and five cavalry brigades), while Mal, Alex and Trevor were the Bolsheviks (six infantry brigades and eight cavalry brigades).
The context in turn seven of our Back of Beyond campaign was Richard intercepting Mal's army before he could reach his target urban centre; the game being fought around the town of Shardara in Kazakhstan - the third battle at this location.
The table was largely open ground, apart from three hills, three small woods, and the town and a farm on either end.
Turn One
Bolshevik initiative led to the Reds advancing all along their line.
Mal moved his two cavalry brigades on the left forward.
Trevor pushed the infantry forward in the centre, occupying the central hill.
Meanwhile Alex's infantry on the far right of the Bolshevik line advanced into the town.
Alex then moved his three cavalry brigades (6th, 7th, 4th) on the right forward.
Richard responded by unlimbering his artillery facing Alex's cavalry, and inflicting five casualties.
His artillery missed against Trevor's infantry in the centre, however
Doug now occupied the wood on the Chinese right, giving him good cover
While Joel moved his Chinese infantry towards the town.
Turn Two
The Chinese had the initiative, and Joel entered the town on the Chinese left
Doug's machine gun and mortar fire from the wood inflicted seven casualties on Trevor's infantry as it continued to move forward
Richard's fire soon led to Trevor's only light gun being lost, besides causing three more casualties on the 2nd Bolshevik brigade
Doug moved on to the next Red formation and gave four hits to the 1st Bolshevik brigade, even as Richard destroyed the LMG belonging to the 4th Bolshevik brigade
Richard's line, thick with heavy weapons, dealt six casualties to the 7th Bolshevik cavalry brigade and three more to the 6th cavalry brigade (on the left of the Chinese line)
The Bolsheviks were exposed and had begun to take mounting losses at a distance from Chinese fire
But both Mal (on the Red left) and Alex (with his three cavalry brigades on the Red right) kept advancing into withering fire - for Bread, Land, and Peace!
As Trevor advanced in the centre, he dealt two casualties to the Chinese (including one to the Elite Mercenaries)
Alex also kept his infantry advancing into the town
Turn Three
As the Bolsheviks won the initiative, they kept on doggedly advancing...
However, one unit from the 5th Bolshevik infantry brigade broke after a failed morale test
Nevertheless, Alex, showing astonishing composure, amazing courage, and scintillating elan in the face of Chinese numerical superiority and a storm of steel, charged elements of his 4th Bolshevik cavalry brigade into the Chinese infantry of the 2nd Gansu brigade on the Chinese left
While many of us onlookers were skeptical, the bold charge proved to be very effective. Richard's infantry fired but missed...
The cavalry charged in and won the first melee - pushing the Chinese infantry back!
In the second round of close combat the Bolshevik horsemen won again, this time routing the second unit of infantry!
Using an HQ order, Alex's cavalry ploughed on and routed the third Chinese infantry unit - who were Assault Troops to boot!
In the fourth and final action, the Red horse again won. By now it had inflicted 11 casualties for the loss of 4...
Alex tried to capitalise on the charge, but his 6th Bolshevik cavalry brigade had to go to ground after not activating. He nevertheless charged a small unit from the 7th cavalry brigade into one of Richard's artillery pieces..
Simultaneously, another Red cavalry unit from the 4th brigade advanced on Richard's line
The result of the attack on the artillery was the dispersal of the Red horsemen, but they did manage to take out two Chinese artillery pieces (losing crew and so out of action if not actually destroyed). A legendary action by the fearsome Red cavalry!
Perhaps encouraged, Mal kept on advancing on the Red left, as did Trevor in the centre. Both inflicted a few casualties on Doug's infantry...
However, Mal's Cossacks had lost 10 men to combined fire from Doug's infantry emplaced on a rocky outcrop, anchoring the Chinese right...
As Doug's men scythed down the Bolsheviks to their front, he deployed a cavalry brigade to his right flank from a rearward position
Clearly inflamed with bloodlust, Doug's infantry inflicted another 15 hits on Mal's advancing infantry (which had no cover)
Trevor meanwhile lost 12 casualties to Doug and Richard's fire in the centre
As the Chinese sensed the tide of battle turning in their favour, the Reds were beginning to bleed out...
Turn Four
Before the turn got going, Alex failed a morale test and one cavalry unit routed from the 6th cavalry brigade, on the Bolshevik right
One of Richard's units from the damaged 2nd Gansu brigade routed, but two held on. One of Richard's guns was abandoned and taken off the table
As the Chinese won the initiative they doubled down on their devastating fire from the previous turn...
The final turn became a catalogue of brutal Chinese volleys against the exposed Bolsheviks...
Joel inflicted four hits on Alex's cavalry on the left of the Chinese position, and four more on the Bolshevik infantry in the town
Doug dealt seven casualties to Mal's Cossack brigade which ceased to exist apart from its armoured car. He hit Mal's infantry five more times as well...
Meanwhile, Richard dispersed one of Trevor's elite units, and added 14 more hits to another two of Trevor's brigades. How much more could the Bolos withstand?
Richard also polished off Alex's cavalry, while Alex lost eight men in the town to Joel's six
With the losses coming thick and fast, Mal duly ordered a retreat (despite Trevor's rearguard causing 12 casualties on the Elite Mercenaries in the centre on the last turn).
The Bolshevik army looked threadbare as it limped off the field, yet in reasonably good order, with honour intact and shredded red flags flying...
Conclusion
While the game ended before 3pm, it had been very enjoyable. The figures and terrain alone were spectacular.
The Bolsheviks lost 80 infantry and 45 cavalry figures, the Chinese lost 38 infantry and one monk. The Chinese had outnumbered and outgunned the Bolsheviks (4:1 in artillery, 2:1 in MGs, over 2:1 in infantry), who paradoxically decided to attack all along the line. Richard's plan had been to lure the Reds into an assault and then attack both their flanks. In the end, brave but indiscriminate Bolshevik assaults in the open against a far stronger enemy ended in a comprehensive Chinese victory.
Trevor lamented the loss of Bolshevik heavy weapons early on in the game, but the Chinese just had more MGs and artillery as well as more infantry, most of it not engaged. Mal's army lost its armoured car to a breakdown, and this as well as Shardara town were now in Chinese hands. Alex's cavalry charge was the one bright moment for the Reds, but only got as far as it did because of unlucky Chinese infantry rolls, before being extinguished. Richard elected to pursue any Bolshevik stragglers with his intact cavalry. He had destroyed the small Red artillery contingent and dispersed, with Doug, at least four cavalry brigades.
Thanks to Rob for hospitality and hosting an excellent and decisive game!
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