Back of Beyond Battle Photos

I introduced my son to  an al fresco game of Contemptible Little Armies in the Back of Beyond today, with the Bolshevik Third Workers and Peasants Shock Brigade attempting to capture an oil well from the Texaco Expedition. I set up the scenario as a Meeting Engagement to keep it simple but I did give the Texans a ruined building as light cover from the Red's field gun artillery and big scary tank. The game was a bit disjointed, as we were interrupted several times but in the end we played at least a dozen turns, resulting in a Bolshevik victory on points but a Texan victory on units routed or destroyed. I haven't got time for a full write up, so here are some pictures to show you how it all played out.

The usually useless Schneider CA1 tank did surprisingly well, lasting until the final turn when it broke down, but the improvised and unarmoured vehicles of the Texans did their usual chocolate teapot impression, apart from one which went the full distance. The Bolsheviks lost two infantry units routed and the Cheka suffered heavy casualties, as well as having the field gun crew machine gunned in the final turn. The White Russians and Texan Oilers only lost a couple of figures each, so got off very lightly. In the end, the Reds failed to capture the oil well but the Texans will have to walk home, having lost almost all of their vehicles, so a tactical draw of sorts (at least that's what Comrade Commander Igor Tubugerov will put in his report).