Truants Week 1: SCW

So all that painting and blather had to result in a Spanish Civil War game, right?

I hauled out a whole pile of figures. Many were freshly painted. I also made some new goodies. Instead of using poker chips or something else as order chits, I made up little cards and laminated them so players could place their orders without giving anything away.

I devised a scenario with a strong Republican force attacking a smaller entrenched fascist brigade. The Republicans outnumbered the defenders almost three to one and had air and artillery support for the first couple of turns. The Nationalists had reinforcements rolling on to the table in a fairly steady stream after turn three. My thinking was the Republicans would be able to occupy and hold the Nationalist entrenchments and defend against the massive counterattack coming in their direction.

I was wrong. The Republicans had a hard time getting anything to work very well. The Nationalists clung to their entrenchments pretty stubbornly and dang the rolled well, just chopping up some units. Adrian Nelson managed to get into one trench, and Mark Waddington eliminated a heavy machine gun battalion, but that's about as far as things got. The Nationalists funneled a brigade of Carlist infantry through one of the two towns, and they were mauled pretty badly by Al Rivers' militia brigade, but the ownership of the town was at best uncertain. Further Nationalist reinforcements could be sent freely through the the big city. It was all complicated by great die rolls by the Nationalists. Joe Waddington could not miss and he took it out on his dad. All the Repbublican armor was pretty shot up. Not a happy business, the attack was a failure.

I also learned about some minor changes to make to the rules. We play with Dick Larsen's home grown Non Pasaran that I've freely modified for my 15mm figures and in order to include more figures. Lots of positive comments, and we'll play again on July 31st at the summer meeting day at Metro Seattle gamers.

Pictures clockwise from the top left:
1. Mark Waddington advanced his T-26's to confront his son's Pz.1's. They will be slaughtered by heavy mg fire. 2. Adrian Nelson's International Brigade infantry prepare to assault the Fascist center while Al Rivers attacks the town of Ariadna on the left. 3. Turn 1 finds the advanced Fascist positions covered by bombardment chits. Not a happy time.
4. Adrian is ready to assault the center with his I.B. troops and Assault Guards. He's taken fire already and some of stands are pinned (white markers.) The flags are the order chits given to each unit.