Purple Patch for the Afghanis-Bad day for the Empires!

 Wednesday 19th January.

Andrew slavering at my misfortune.

                 Back out to the Garvald Film Studios this evening thinking we would be partaking of another Venetian game only to be told that we would be indulging in a North West frontier game.Yes I thought Mounties and Canadian s**t!No dipstick,North West frontier in India.One day I’m going to listen when people talk to me but not tonight as usual.

A mountain high village.

With many a detached holiday villa.

My lads ready to repel boarders.

                       Tonight’s game was a three way game which initially was to be a Great Game encounter between Russians and Brits on the North West Frontier with a later(after pizza and beer)intervention by “tausends”of Afghani tribesmen which set us up for a rip-roaring game which ended up with the demise of an awful lot of empire builders.This wasn’t helped by Andrew who was in charge of the Afghanis throwing a s******d of good dice.

“Onwards!”

Before the slaughter.

“Change of Tack!”

                    Colin and I started off with the initial pre-pub skirmishes with his Russian forces attacking the beleaguered defenders of the border outpost defended by a squad of Indian infantry backed up by a very misfiring machine gun and a mortar hopefully holding out until reinforcements arrived.Colin’s Russians consisted of a trio of varying infantry backed up by an artillery piece and a machine gun.I had full confidence in the defenders until the machine gun crew couldn’t be bothered getting their act together and continued to prove rather lack lustre.Luckily the mortar crew weren’t as uninspired as their first shot landed slap bang in the middle of Colin’s front squad causing a few casualties. My reinforcements started to come on with a confidence that would be shot down in flames at the beginning of the second half.

Russian artillery piece.

First casualties.

“”Watch where you are putting that cross”in Russian.

                               Colin’s men surged on and deployed in order to attack the outpost on a wide scale hoping to reach the outpost before the natives arrived but this wasn’t to be as the defenders held on heroically apart from the said machine gun which was proving to be as useless as a chocolate fireguard.Pizza break arrived and the both of us headed to the pub to be met by Andrew and his wife Lesley for the consumption of ale and pizzas.Andrew was informed that he would be taking charge of the local tribesmen which he seemed a bit curious about but that’s the thing about being last to arrive you have to take what you are given.        

Machine Gunski.

Proud and naive.

Searching for Russian targets.

                         The second half commenced with Andrew deploying his ever so large units and even although most of them were classed as inexperienced there was still an awful lot of them so an awful lot of lucky dice rolls were going to be needed and they did come but alas usually in Andrew’s hands.My overconfidence crept in as I decided that since Colin wasn’t making too much headway I would diversify and attack the mountain village with a couple of squads and pile up the victory points.Wrong for as soon as my squads climbed the mountains they were met by a large tribe of locals who although weren’t the best of shots there was a lot of rifles firing at me and the law of averages meant that I was going to take a lot of hits and that I did a rolling sixes was becoming common to Andrew and therefore my lads were being whittled down.      

H

A wee bit crowded.

A dinky wee gun.

The Afghani first appearance.

                             Colin’s Russians were receiving the same treatment as more of Andrew’s tribesmen were appearing on the other side of the table and these ones came complete with an ancient artillery piece which helped keep up the pressure on both of our forces with the cannon firing at my defenders whilst a load of the tribesmen were taking potshots at Colin’s Russians.It was nice to see that Andrew wasn’t taking sides and playing the Afghans to a tee.

My lads not doing well.

“Tausends of them!”

And. there’s more!

                After my lads started returning fire with the village inhabitants much to my surprise another horde of them appeared which sounded the death knell for my two attacking squads meaning my quickly changed plan was in tatters so it was back to the “defence of the Alamo plan”and therefore my third reinforcement squad was diverted towards the outpost leaving the British command squad in their wake.            

North West frontier-Alamo style.

Another drone shot.

The Russian assault falters.

Ready for the mad rush.

                 As time was drawing to a close Colin went for one last push and threw all his infantry into assaulting my beleaguered infantry but they came up short with the first two squads and needed to whittle my squad down to one man before the third squad finally triumphed.His other squads were trying to deal with the Afghans taking potshots from the neighbouring hills but to no real effect.Andrew was charging down from the mountains ready to do away with my last bastion and like a machine gun out of Carry on up the Khyber it just wilted.

“And their off!”

Not a lot of Russian left!

Afghani HQ chortling at the empire’ misfortunes.

              With the sight of Andrew’s wild tribesmen charging across the plain and Colin’s solitary squad ensconced in one part of the outpost full time was called much to my relief and tutting from Andrew.My lads lived to fight another day.

          Another great game put on at short notice be El Presidente and enjoyed even by myself and my dwindling figures.

            See You All When I See You.

       This has been a Garvald Film Studios Production.