Some Spanish Civil War on a Shedquarters Day

 At last! A face to face game. After nearly a year's break, there was a chance for a Quarterly gang meet up, and we seized it. The weather was good, so having all the doors and windows open was no hardship, and barbecuing was possible. The only blight on the day was my SLR is still in the repair shop, so I had to rely on my tablet which, alas, seems to be on a setting that makes all the pictures extremely...colourful. I have been able to filter out some of the effects but...well, you'll see.

Richard (not that one) arrived first, as befits the man who has driven the furthest. He was excited to play "For Whom The Dice Rolls", having previously only played an on-line game and had even brought a copy with him! He took post in the corner of the table, unwittingly therefore volunteering to be the Italians. Which is great, because you get well organised, infantry battalions, trucks, howitzers, armoured vehicles, mortars, the whole shebang. Shame they might not want to be there. He was accompanied by a brigade of Carlists, which would be commanded by Phil at some point.

Chris A was next to arrive, and took over the defenders. These were a brigade of Basques with a couple of Trubia tanks in support. Both sides had some reinforcements that would arrive with a Joker. The players had a choice with the Jokers, either bring on reinforcements, or order an airstrike.

The Carlists drove on the table in an aggressive fashion before halting and deciding to start dismounting. All my players have a fear of being caught by an airstrike whilst in trucks. Which is probably fair.

Richard then unlimbered his guns and started to shell one of the villages.

He also drove up some trucks and dismounted from them.

Didn't stop Chris plastering them whilst they milled around in the open. (I'm really sorry about the picture quality. Looks a bit fuzzy).

The Carlist armoured car pulled up close and enfiladed the troops in the wood. I cannot explain why the table looks orange.

The Basques responded by swinging their MGs round and managed to inflict a hit on the armoured car.

Richard was luckier with another battalion, and got up to the village and deployed in a firing line.

The Nationalist generals sat and considered their options. The white board has the movement suits for all the factions employed. We're using Spanish playing cards, which slowed the game down a bit at first ("Is that a club? Why does it look like a gherkin?"). 

Richard unwittingly had deployed in range of an MG in Chris' line of entrenchments. He took some damage.

He hastily reorganised and scrambled out of range.

The Basques in the wood also reorg'd but were able to stick in a round of firing to destroy the armoured car. They don't seem to last long in most games.

First airstrike of the game adds more grief to the already under-fire village.

Phil brought up a unit and stormed into the wood, overrunning the Basque MG company.

In the centre, Chris had pushed forwards his Trubia tanks. Richard responded with his CV35s and using his "Lance Flamme" destroyed one of the Basque vehicles.

Chris swung round behind and hit the Lance Flamme twice.

The Italian tankettes dropped back, and Richard sent in close assault teams, who brewed up the remaining Trubia.

Chris was able to respond to the onslaught with some air power of his own. It didn't cause a lot of damage.

Phil has now rushed more of his Carlists past his burning armoured car and deployed in Chris' rear.

Both sides review the cards available to them.

Phil launches a close assault on Chris' unit in the wood. The combat is short and lethal.

Chris' artillery zones in on the Italian infantry in the middle of the table. There is a fair amount of carnage.

Having had enough of their irritating fire, Richard shells the MGs in the centre of the Basque position.

The Nationalists respond to the artillery smashing their centre by bombing it.

Richard has set up two battalions of Italians to take the Basque left hand village. He lifts the bombardment and storms in.

The Basques give fire as they come in. It is a desperate fight.

The Italians are repelled. Everyone is a bit the worse for wear.

Richard brings up armour support, but some of the tankettes explode. Why is this?

Republican reinforcements have arrived, in the shape of a couple of BA-6s. Their 45mm cannon make short work of the CV35s.

To prepare the Basque position for his attack, Phil called in the bombers.

Not to be out done, the Republicans responded.

In an attempt to silence the Republican guns, Richard rushed them with a CV35. It did not end well.

Meanwhile, on his left, Chris had received some reinforcements. Their opening round of fire further discomforted Richard's Italians outside the village.

The reaction was to call in the airforce again. It overshot and blew up a lot of trees.

As night fell (well, as I went to fire up the BBQ) the Basques were firmly on the back foot. Phil was about to overwhelm Chris right flank, but in the centre and on his left the Italians were struggling to make an impact.

Well, that was fun. Great to be pushing lead around with some other people, rather than having to do it all myself.