The Russian Civil War and Foch

 

How pleasing it is to find a shared interest with a fellow enthusiast. In my search for info’ on the Russian Civil War I find myself on Neil’s blog. Scotty's Wargaming: RCW.  Time well spent.

I have had a few units of Peter Pig figures for the RCW lying about for a few years. Other projects shoved them aside until now.

I came across an excellent extension to Dan Mersey’s TMWWBK. It was written by Pierre AYMERIC and covers WW1. Infantry, cavalry, grenades, rifle grenades, armoured cars/tanks and everything else. Artillery you would expect, flamethrowers were unexpected. 

Pierre calls his game “Foch” after the famous French General.  It is very good.

I set to thinking. I could see Foch lends itself very well to RCW and, indeed, Back of Beyond. Minifigs below, note the Staff officer.

I'm making a few adjustments to accommodate Tchanka use and RCW tactics. Also to mostly reduce the lethality of rifle fire. "Poor Shots" as the original says. I was interested to see that "chains" were still about from, at least, Napoleonic times. Basically two infantry regiments dynamically supporting each other. 

A couple of new formations are needed too. The basic infantry tactic can be accommodated by the existing Skirmish rule. Advance half speed and fire at reduced effect. Whites below as they have shoulder boards.

Tchanka teams could just park up and offer fire support. They could also dash up to HMG range and deal out death, quick sharp. Then they would head for a flank to repeat the exercise. 

An early and a later Peter Pig Tchanka below.  The early one is ever so slightly smaller. Check out those horses-it's not just perspective. I have 4 of these. I thought that too many but seemingly not.

Meantime cavalry rode in to exploit the confusion. Deadly, unless everyone got shot on the way in. All the same dramatic gaming. You can see it in the minds eye. Red cavalry above.

I'm pleased to tell you almost all the figures and vehicles, artillery etc needed were sitting in a box. Expenditure has happily been minimal.

Elsewhere on the battlefield were Armoured Cars and sometimes Tanks. Foch deems both to be impervious to gunfire. Iron Ivan thinks Armoured Cars were not safe from Heavy Machine Gun fire. Setting the World Ablaze concurs. I’m going with the not safe option for Armoured Cars I think.

A learning curve for me then, as it is pretty much a new period. In reserve I have Iron Ivan’s Price of Glory. Tried and tested.  

I thought to do an Event Table as I did for my Spanish Civil War Game. Then thought not. Further research changed my mind again. There will be an Event Table, of 6 possibilities so far. The Spanish one began as 6 but rose to 12. It works a treat.

For Activation I often like Cards. Not in this case we will dice as in TMWWBK. Where next on this? Units and stat's I think.

All the forgoing brought to mind my maternal Grandfather's experiences of the Western Front 1914-18. He was around for some interesting stuff, historically speaking and told me about it. For him as a personal experience it was Hell on Earth, he told me about that too.  Stories I might tell here. He had a colourful turn of phrase and excellent recall. "We are fighting for a monkey on a horse." He remembered saying.  Was that at a parade at Amiens ? Anyhow it stuck.

On this page you see what I have done so far.  More as it comes. Next week we are back in England or more probably Scotland. Yes, War of Three Kingdoms.