Friday 16 December 2016

Spanish Civil War AAR (Battle of Alecco Gaol)

The Town
Which is still unpainted.
Opps Sorry about that!
Defended by Tim's Nationalist  Anarchists.
I had set the game up for 6 players and me as ref. But we had only 4 players ad me as a ref. Also I wanted to try the Rapid Fire rules out for SCW. Previously I have only witnessed Rapid Fire games with Many more tanks than infantry. And many of those games did tend to be late war with the big cats and Animal hunters, and not a less mechanised war. As such I was not sure how they would play,

Matt with a Republican assault column
All mounted in trucks is able
to move a long way on roads
As such he by passes the jail and heads for the village.
The scenario is that the red forces had pushed through in Northern Spain during the early part of the war. The republican army (reds) were tasked with a) Seizing the prison and b) taking the town. They had 15 turns to do so, but all in all the game lasted 13 turns. The Nationalists had to defend the prison to stop the prisoners joining up to the Republican side. In Addition each person was given a random personal mission. These personal missions are on small pieces of paper and drawn randomly 1 for each player and if the player has any sense kept secret from all INCLUDING your own side. These represent the true feelings and motivations of the commanders and may be contradictory to your stated team objectives or even other team members.

At the end I will reveal each players personal mission and it will make certain actions more clear and why some players faired better and some worse in the Victory point calculations.

Matts Tanks
Any field with a template and a hedge in the field was a vineyard)
Peter's artillery is also in evidence.
It is worth saying that Tim Playing Anachists working with the Nationalists for a change. Graham was the Police (Guardia Civil) guarding the jail and supported by 2 65mm howitzers.

Matt drops of platoons of infantry before reaching the town
 for an infantry assault.
 
Matt playing as Republicans had a company of infantry in trucks (one of which was armoured and would sink into the ground if it left the road) Only sink up to axle depth but would then remain stationary until the game was over. Matt also had 4 tanks (2x BT5's and 2 CV 33s) They had been supplied by the Mexican government however The pin linkage joining the tracks was not attached properly when they arrived in country and they would need to roll each time they moved or throw a track and stop until repaired. A 6 would represent a breakdown and a reoair truck would need to spend a turn stopped in contact to repair the tracks. Yes Matt did also control the truck (soft skin) that could repair the tracks temporarily (until another 6 was rolled) If anyone thinks this unlikely I will let them know of 2 instances by the British army in WW where something similar happened!)

Tim leaves the town with his anarchists
 to meet the Republicans in the fields.
Peter had a company of infantry and 2 Frernch 76mm field guns of WW1 Vintage. When I talk about a company I do mean a company (about 120 men) and not a rapid fire company of 8 figures! Like wise with tanks one tank is 1 tank and 1 gun is 1 gun. peter also had a DEPLETED platoon of Cavalry with a single Machinegun (Loaded on Pack mules.). This was not and never going to be Western Europe  late war with loads of equipment. Many more men than tanks/guns. But realistically still too many.













Peters infantry on foot enter on the road.
Like I said a Company of Infantry

















Several break downs later Matt can finally get his tanks to the gaol walls
 and start pushing down walls ready to enter
While holding the hedgerow of the town
as Tim tries to charge with no cover across the distance
being in cover is a GOOD thing in Rapid fire.
Tim now realises that.


















While Tim's Anachists get shot to pieces in the open fields.
Matt moves his last platoon into the town
In an armoured truck.
Graham moves 1 of his police platoons OUT of the gaol
 and falls back to protect his 2 small howitzers.
Peter uses his Guns to help but with at this time little success.



















While 2 of peters platoons head towards the gaol,
His other platoon moves to support the town attack.
Having debussed Matt uses the Armoured truck to
machinegun Grahams Artillery.
Graham uses and airstrike to severly deplete Peters infantry
attacking the jail.
And to Bomb one of Matts tanks
(If I remember correctly)
the first bombing run had little effect on the tanks though!






















Peters Troops repare to assault the jail
while his guns carry out counter battery fire
on Grahams cannon
With nothing to counter the air attacks they continue
And Peter looses a morale check and a platoon scurry from the table.



















Tim takes control of an assult column of Guardis Assulto
(paramilitary police) with an armoured car and
 a support platoon which even has a mortar.
(at the beginning of the SCW there were only 6 in the whole country
but more quickly arrived)


















All Matts troops in the town take to the buildings
for the best defence they could find.
Matt also looses the repair truck destroyed by the last 2 stands in the jail.
So if any tanks break from now on they are static pill boxes.
The fight in the town is fierce.
Grahams troops that originally fell back, Tims Guardia Assulto and the support platoon
and some mortar and by now limited artillery support
against Matts single Platoon.
 






















Tims Armoured car is destroyed by Republican artillery
Peters second platoon routs due to casualties
Cavalry is barely holding on BUT has at last entered the jail.
Matts Tanks are slowly breaking down,
But not where he wants them
Tim's Anachists are pretty much all dead or wounded.
Grahams police are pushed back to the very limit of the gaol or fighting against the last of Matts tanks.

Matts troops in the town are holding out but cannot do anything
except return fire and are cut off.
 

























Finally Matts troops in the town are surrounded cut off and
vastly out numbered.
 




















Conclusion: Firstly the rules did work very well. MUCH better than having seriously heavy late war tanks all over the place. So I would have no problem using them for SCW again.

As for the Victory conditions. Both sides fought themselves to a standstill and it would all depend on which side could be supported first.

Republican
  •  +20 for taking the Gaol.
Nationalists
  • +10 for Holding the town
Individually

Matt -1 for each gun lost (so -1)

Peter -5 for taking MORE casualties than Matt

Graham + 5 for having 1 Platoon on his side that had taken NO casualties.

Tim zero (for not extiting a truck of the opposite board edge)

So Final results were

  1. Matt +19
  2. Peter and Graham Both on +15
  3. Tim +10
With personal goals it really does make a difference. Graham would have kept 2 platoons of Police in the Gaol and his 2 guns. he only got the +5 due to Tim and his support Platoon taking NO casualties.
Tim Had no chance to get a truck from the board at all. If the guns had not fired at each other as much Matt would have scored higher, But they got in a tit for tat situation. If Peter had hung back and let Matt take the beating instead of him he would have lost less troops.

But If any player had known their allies personal objectives they would have been playing the rules and not playing the game.

Over all I thought the game a success and would be happy to put another game on in the future.





24 comments:

  1. Cool looking game Clint, I think its about time the Rejects had another go with your SCW figures??

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Ray. If the rejects did want another game I would change the rules to these. They are simple and easy to follow. I do not like them for some settings in that the tanks can just escalate into a who has the biggest tank game. But they work well for SCW as I would imagine they would for Far east games.

      Any time you Postie Et Al want a game, no problem. Just give me a few weeks notice.

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  2. Your battles always sound fun Clint, I think i need to come up there in the new year and sample some of that

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    1. Thanks Andy you would be welcome any time. But right now in my head is a game that I think would appeal.

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    2. Give me a decent head start and I'll try and get the time off!!

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    3. It is possible we might play "En Garde!" at Broadside which you could join in. Or we will be doing a game at Spring Skirmish of the Zulu war. Again plenty of chance to join in.

      But for you I was thinking of In Her Majesties Name.... Sky Pirates raiding a steam punk naval dock yard! (But that would take time to set in motion.

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  3. Terrific sounding fun, Clint. Perhaps you set up a 'Clint Con' weekend, where a few of us followers could swoop upon your tiny piece of England and spend a couple of days gaming, chatting and admiring your minis :-)

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    1. Thanks you Blax. I am humbled by such a suggestion. I remember Ray was asked if he could set up a Southern Blog con. But that never came to fruition.

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    2. I would put a game on at a southern Blog con if asked! So just bother Ray sufficiently to make it happen.

      (Phew Buck passed successfully!)

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  4. Replies
    1. Thanks Fran. I think the Rejects would cope with these rules quite quickly.

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  5. Great game report- I like the use of personal briefings, it is something I'll try and write into my own scenarios I think.

    Cheers,

    Pete.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Pete. Tha Spanish Civil War is ripe for individual and personal objectives. Most wars are far more linear with the whole force trying to gain one single objective.

      So pick your wars/settings to do this in some just will not work as well as others. But some background reading will sort that out and make it clear when it is appropriate.

      I find printed chits are best and players pick one at random. I do allow players to take a second personal objective as well BUT that does not mean they change the 1st personal objective Just that they have BOTH.

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  6. Nice looking wargame ....I think my new year resolution is to seek out a club, but they are all a bit far😢

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    1. Thanks Matt. I would imagine any club would be delighted to have you as a member.

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  7. A good game played in good company. The rapid fire rules worked well I thought particularly as it was a mostly infanrty game. I'm ready and very willing to play again.

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    1. Thank you Tim. It is great when players let you know they liked the game. I can see us doing it again. Maybe get Ian and Bob involved next time.

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  8. Enjoyed the report! Looking for WW2 rules so it was interesting to read what you had to say.

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    1. Thanks David. The rules are very old. I think you need to get the balance right as well. So many times I have seen a player with 20 king tigers and the game does not work. But I did like them for Spanish Civil war. So be cautious in using the rules. I do not think they work well after mid war at all as the Infantry/tank balance is all wrong. (Not in real life but in wargames. Remember even in major battles in WW2 there were about 600 men for every tank!

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  9. What more could you want from a game that looked good, seemed to play well and 'sounded' like a lot of fun -proabably moreso for you as Umpire!
    I do think the individual objectives add a lo to such a confused period, adding a lot of 'flavour'.

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    1. Thank you Joe the personal objectives do in this period add to the confusion! They also stop it being predictable. Some objectives do involve switching sides for example either directly or indirectly.

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  10. What a great looking game, love your buildings and vehicles!

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    1. Thanks Phil. Most of the buildings are Timecast, but they are straight from the box and unpainted. But that will change. I have a few more vehicles coming as well. (Ordered but yet to arrive.)

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