NEWS FROM THE FRONT: On The Buses.

You wait for nearly a month for a game at OHQ then two come together. Today Dave made his first solo trip to OHQ since his hip op for a Spanish Civil War game and Jon is scheduled to come on Wednesday for a First Carlist War game.
For today's game I used Bolt Action rules, a straight up encounter between La Legion and Carlist Requettes and Anarchist militia supported by the International Brigade with the winner being the side which eliminated more enemy units.
I added an additional dice to the order dice in the bag this would generate a random event from the card deck, six cards one for each turn chosen randomly from my deck of eighteen cards by Dave before the game. Both sides would nominate which of their platoons would attempt to enter the table first, these would be required to pass an order test to enter. Once all these had been allocated dice the other platoon could attempt to enter with a minus one to their roll, any sections not on table in turn one would have to be given orders to enter in turn two before any on table sections could be given any. Units who failed to enter on turn two would be considered lost.
Dave as usual took command of the government forces while I took command of the rebels.

The Scene Of Today's Action

Turn one saw both sides with units still to enter the table, with the advantage to the rebels, the random card draw gave one of the rebel sections an extra move, this got a section of Legion to the stable yard wall. The Casa Blanca proved more of an hindrance to the rebels as it only had one window facing the government troops line of approach, I should really have just occupied the yard at the back and concentrated the remaining sections around the stable block, especially as that was where the main government thrust came from.

Turn two saw all units from both sides on table, with the run of the order dice enabling the rebels to concentrate their sections around the stables and position their 50mm mortar teams, meanwhile a section of anarchists stormed up the road drawing rebel fire away from the approach of the Internationals on their right. The card draw saw the removal of a government order dice for that turn, slowing their advance only slightly.

A Curious Bull Looks On At The Advancing Internationals

On to turn three, the Legion although being stubborn veterans still suffer from their small squad size, the section manning the wall against the advancing Internationals being depleted and pinned by them were assaulted by a anarchist section and wiped out. The Siesta Manana card being drawn ended the turn abruptly leaving my Carlists doing nothing this turn.

Things only got worse for the rebels in the next turn, the Republican Air Attack card was drawn, the legion section in the stable yard was targeted, taking two pins and three casualties, in turn they were assaulted by the victorious anarchist squad from the last turn and they too were wiped out to the man. This was to prove curtains for a depleted Legion section also sheltering there next turn, from there the rebels could not hope to redress the balance. Another convincing win for the government forces.