Last Train to Kashgar

Today's club game was a Back of Beyond encounter between the Bolsheviks and Chinese Warlord forces using "Setting the East Ablaze" rules.

Steve C had the Chinese, Allan the Russians and I had the rulebook !

The Chinese Warlord leads his ragged cavalrymen

As Allan's Bolshevik cavalry backed up by armoured cars and truck towed artillery arrive

The Chinese have some Siberian infantry

Hello - the Russians have a Whippet tank !

Both sides have their sights on the last train for Kashgar - somebody important is on that train and they both want to capture him before its too late

Siberians and Bolshevik cavalry clash near the tail end of the train

The Red flag proudly flutters

The Bolsheviks have clearly got control of the train before the Chinese can get there

The Chinese cavalry make a brave charge

backed up by ferocious spearmen

but are they too late ?

with armoured car support

The Russian Whippet tank has skirted around the mountains to engage the Chines from their flank

The Bolsheviks have managed to get an armoured car and a field gun across the track in front of the Chinese attack which causes problems for the advancing enemy

One of the Chinese armoured cars erupts in flames

and the Bolsheviks have "liberated" the Person of Interest from the train

The Chinese were defeated in hand to hand combat at the same time and several units routed - the Russians were declared the victors.

Photos courtesy of Steve C as I had left my iPhone at home !!!

We are unsure on how exactly to use the artillery and armour rules so far, so will have to re-read them  and see what we are missing, otherwise it was an enjoyable game.

Battle of Soggy Bottom

Simon Miller made this scenario freely available to followers of "For King & Parliament" ECW war-games rules just before Christmas, so the least we could do was play the game !

The Parliamentary forces under General Philip Skippon are defending the village of Soggy Bottom (right of picture) and have some siege guns on the hill to the right of the village.

On the Parliamentarian left wing, a brigade called The Borsetshire Horse is under the command of Sir Arthur Haselrig, beside them, covering the village is Oliver Sterling's infantry brigade.

The Parliamentarian right wing has Colonel Cromwell's cavalry & dragoon brigade, with to their left Colonel Hampden's infantry brigade plus the guns on the hill.

Parliamentarian commanders : Martin, Steve C & Ernie (Graham on the left is Royalist commander of our left wing cavalry also known as Lord Goring !)

To Graham's right, we had Astley's infantry brigade which included the King's Lifeguard

His Majesty was on high ground by the Royalist field guns together with his Gentlemen Pensioners.

Here's Graham's alter ego, Lord Goring

Out on our Royalist right flank, we had Lord Pargetter's horse brigade (Me!)

Here's Steve C's command stand - Haselrig

Hampden (Martin) commanded the Parliamentarian centre

The Royalist siege guns

Pensive looking Parliamentarian commanders watch the Royalists commence the battle - both wings of cavalry press forward !

Richard and Graham confer before committing the troops to battle

You may not be surprised to hear that the local landlord is known as Al Murray and he has just popped outside to see what all the fuss is about - after all, Soggy Bottom is usually very quiet.

Right here we go ! Royalist cavalry charges !

Left and right wings simultaneously

Naturally, the Parliamentary cavalry counter charged

These clashes continued for much of the day

Astley's and Archer's Brigades advance towards Soggy Bottom to try and wrestle control of the village away from the enemy but they are thwarted by the marsh just outside the village and the enemy foot firing from behind the walls. 

Things start to go wrong for the Royalist cavalry out on our left _ Ernie's managing to destroy Royalist cavalry units

Graham's beautifully painted horsemen are disappearing one by one

but his Foot keep pressing against Martin's regiments in and around the siege guns on the hill.

My infantry attacks against the village falter under devastating fire

All our hopes are on the two regiments of the King's Lifeguard - can they smash their way through to the enemy guns ?

Another Royalist cavalry regiment has fled the field leaving a big gap !

Graham is now badly outnumbered on our left and faced with withdrawal

and my cavalry are not faring any better !

We must take that pesky village !

But two infantry units are beaten 

With both cavalry wings decimated and the infantry attack headed by the King's Lifeguard beaten too, we had been forced to hand over so many Victory Tokens to deem it a clear Parliamentary win

But the King escaped so we can have more "For King & Parliament" fun another day.

More pictures and Martin's account of the battle are on the Essex Warrior's Facebook page.