Back of Beyond - Summer 1920

As the summer wore on, both Bolshevik armies found themselves fighting desperately for their very survival. 

Further south on the edge of the desert, others to a more sedate approach to realizing their imperial ambitions. 

Second Battle of Pyrohy

 Ist Guard Regiment, Ipatiev House, did not even bother retreating all the way to Kroptkand to resupply for another expedition to Pyrohy. There was not point to doing so as there was no supplies there to be attained. Rather, Kombrig Mahat Mikhan rallied what forces he could and wheeled back to attack Pyrohy again, hoping to catch the Chinese off balance - or perhaps sneak back in and steal back the city if, in fact, they had vacated to march on the Bolshevik's capital at Kubassa!

The 5th Cavalry Regiment, scouting ahead of the army, found The Illustrious Arm of the Nine Illuminated Terrestrial Immortals still in attendance at Pyrohy and quite well entrenched! 

Teh Bolsheviks opened up with a devastating barrage! 

The Chinese artillery, in the meantime, drove off the Bolshevik Cavalry

The rest of the Bolshevik column arrived and advanced on the city! 

After a brief artillery duel, the Chinese guns were silenced - to the Bolsheviks could advance without at least that... 

Two battalions crossed at the bridge and the other two crossed at a ford further north. 

The Bolsheviks came under fire from the entrenched Chinese infantry and approaching tanks as they deployed. 

Despite the artillery support, the Bolsheviks were not doing well against the entrenched Chinese. 

Despite driving both the Heavy Battalions of Chinese infantry from their trenches before the city, the remaining Bolshevik battalion found itself beset on all sides by enemy infantry, cavalry and tanks! The were obliged to retire from the field of battle and Pyrohy remained in the hands of The Illustrious Arm of the Nine Illuminated Terrestrial Immortals! 

Second Battle of Borshka

(y'know, if we're not counting sieges...)

The Canadians of the Western Interventionist forces arrived before Borschka to find the Ist Babushka Army Corps well entrenched and ready for them. 

This battle likewise began with an artillery duel between the howitzers on both sides.

 The Bolsheviks were hopelessly outnumbered and their guns quickly fell silent. 

The Canadian advance was ponderous at best, waiting for their artillery to pound the Bolsheviks right out of their trenches. 

The Bolshevik cavalry tired of this and skirmished ahead to engage the slowly advancing Canadian battalions. After a brief skirmish, they were driven off by the combined firepower of two Canadian battalions, bristling with machine-guns! 

The Canadian advance resumed as their artillery continued to deliver their punishing cannonade. 

The 4th Transuralian Peoples Battalion was the last of the Bolsheviks to give up the field, and they sold themselves dearly! But the day was not theirs and eventually they joined their surviving comrades in the long march back to Baboushka. 

Siege of Wurumchi

The siege of Wurumchi dragged on through the summer. The Baron had too few men to storm the city and so remained encamped in the hills nearby raiding any trading cavavans that attempted to enter or leave the city and harrassing the peasants in the surrounding fields. 

The citizens of Wurumchi held on, certain their Khan would come to their aid and drive off the Russian and Mongol bandits (and terrified of his certain reprisals against the population should they capitulate)... but that relief never came.  

Situation at the end of Summer 1920 

Looks like this might be the death knell of both Russian Imperialism AND Bolshevism in the East... 

ORANGE

• Commander of the Field Army: Lieutenant General Sir Percy Arbuthnot-Worcester-Gruntfuttock-Smythe
• Faction: Western Interventionists
• Army: 14th Allied Eastern Expeditionary Army
• Base of Operations: Canadar 
• Other Cities: Canuckand, Molsensk, Stlojia
• Resource Points: 2
• Field Army:
• 3rd Battalion, Winnipeg Grenadiers (11)
• 5th Battalion, Cape Breton Highlanders  (15)
• 2nd Battalion, Regina Rifles - Heavy Infantry Battalion (12)
• 105th Canadian Fusiliers - Heavy Infantry Battalion (12)
• 8th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles - Cavalry (15)
• 37th Field Artillery (11)
• 38th Field Artillery (15) 

YELLOW

• Commander of the Field Army: Hedwig Markus von Eggenberg, Margrave of Grosswardein
• Faction: Tsarist
• Army: East Asia Cavalry Division 
• Base of Operations: Gura
• Other Cities:  Driutsek 
• Resource Points: 0
• Field Army:
• 337th Infantry Regiment (Heavy) (13)
• Mongolian Cavalry (9)
• 38th Hussars Cavalry (7)
• 77th Imperial Artillery Regiment (10) 

GREEN

• Commander of the Field Army: Altan Baatar Kahn
• Faction: Warlord Chinese
• Army: The Red Horde
• Base of Operations: Lung-Hu
• Other Cities: Wurumchi, Sui-Pei, Bashkent 
• Resource Points: 12
• Field Army:15
• Heavy Infantry Battalion (15)
• Heavy Infantry Battalion (15)
• Infantry Battalion (15)
• Infantry Battalion (15)
• Cavalry (15)
• Artillery (15)
• Tank (15) 

LIGHT BLUE

• Commander of the Field Army: Win-Cao Lo-Fat, The Most Illustrious Beacon of Celestial Light and Commander of the Arm of Earthly Might
• Faction: Warlord Chinese
• Army: The Illustrious Arm of the Nine Illuminated Terrestrial Immortals 
• Base of Operations: Wei-Li
• Other Cities: Ching-Ho, Ulaan-Goom, Pyrohy, Holopchi
• Resource Points: 3
• Field Army:
• 1st Heavy Infantry Battalion (9)
• 2nd Heavy Infantry Battalion (5) 
• 3rd Infantry Battalion (7)
• 4th Infantry Battalion (10)
• Cavalry Regiment (14)
• Artillery Regiment (4)
• Tank Regiment (14)

DARK BLUE

• Commander of the Field Army: Kombrig Mahat Mikhan
• Faction: Bolshevik
• Army: Ist Guard Regiment, Ipatiev House
• Base of Operations: Kubassa
• Other Cities: Kroptkand, Bakunin
• Resource Points: 0
• Field Army:
• 1st Infantry Battalion (Heavy)(2)
• 3rd Infantry Battalion (2)
• 4th Infantry Battalion (1)
• 5th Cavalry Regiment (3)
• 6th Artillery Regiment (7)

RED (of course) 

• Commander of the Field Army: Commissar-General Lev (Leon) Davidovitch Runstein
• Faction: Bolshevik
• Army: Первый Бабушка Армейский корпус (Ist Babushka Army Corps)
• Base of Operations: Baboushka
• Other Cities: Vlodkask
• Resource Points: 5
• Field Army:
• 1st Transuralian Peoples Infantry Battalion (Heavy)  (10)
• 2nd Transuralian Peoples Battalion (Heavy) (10)
• 3rd Transuralian Peoples Battalion (12)
• 4th Transuralian Peoples Battalion (10)
• 1st Babushka Cavalry Regiment (12)
• 1st Borschka Artillery Regiment (11)

Back of Beyond - Spring 1920

The Battle of Pyrohy

With Archduke Yevgeny Lytton Guard of the White King’s out of the picture, Kombrig Mahat Mikhan led the Bolshevik Ist Guard Regiment, Ipatiev House, back toward their base of operations at Kubassa, expecting the Chinese to have marched back there in the spring. They only got as far as Pyrohy. There they found the Chinese of the The Illustrious Arm of the Nine Illuminated Terrestrial Immortals and their leader, Win-Cao Lo-Fat, The Most Illustrious Beacon of Celestial Light and Commander of the Arm of Earthly Might, were just down the road , marching on the city! 

The first and Second battalions rushed ahead and dug in on a hill overlooking the road to Pyrohy. 

Soon after they were dug in, the Chinese assault began  after a devastating preliminary barrage. Also, this time the Chinese had TANKS! 

More Chinese arrived, as did the rest of the Russian Column. 

Bolshevik Cavalry rushed up to block the Chinese cavalry trying to flank the Russians' position while the rest of the Chinese advanced under heavy fire from the entrenched Bolsehviks. 

Sustained, combined heavy fire from the Chinese Infantry, tanks and artillery dealt heavy casualties to the Bolshevik 1st battalion and they were obliged to give up their positions. The 2nd battalion maneuvered down the line to replace them! 

The cavalry battle continued on the Bolshevik's left flank, giving the 3rd Battalion time to approach the fortified hill from behind - under cover from the Chinese artillery. 

Bolshevik Artillery initially hammered the Chinese infantry advancing on their positions, but then switched focus to try and silence the the Chinese guns. 

This caused the Chinese to shift their guns to return fire on the Bolsheviks. An artillery duel ensued for some time. Briefly, it looked like the Chinese might win it - but a lucky roll from the Russians (when they had only ONE strength point remaining!) drove off the Chinese before the Russian guns could be obliged to give up the field. 

The Bolshevik cavalry, depite initial success, had a hard time driving off the Chinese Cavlary. As the Bolshevik infantry was moving across the open ground behind the hill, the Chinese Cavalry saw an opportunity and Charged their flank - with devastating effect! 

It wasn't enough to utterly destroy the Bolshevik infantry battalion, though. As the Chinese Cavalry retreated from the Bolshevik infantry, the Bolsevhik Cavalry gave one last charge and finally drove the Chinese off! 

The Bolshevik 3rd Battalion gained the trenches, replacing the two previous battalions' positions... but in their weakened state, their tenure there was short-lived as well 

Under fire from two Chinese infantry battalions and a unit of tanks, there was little they could do. The Bolsehvik Cavalry, however, had galloped BEHIND the Chinese, hoping to take off a bit of the pressure! 

They even managed to charge the exposed flank of one of the Chinese infantry battalion... But they were not able to drive off the nearly full-stregth Infantry Battalion. 

REtreating from the charge, the Bolshevik Cavalry found their Infantry had completely given up the field and they were now surrounded by two Chinese infantry battalions - one of which had just gained the bolsevhiks entrenchments, and the Chinese tanks were just wheeling around to face them. There was nothing for it, but to gallop off and harrass some of the retreating wounded Chinese to their rear before finally returning to their own to screen any attempts at chasing them down as the column retreated back to Kroptkand. 

The Siege of Wurumchi

After much brooding and contemplation through 1919 - and a brief excursion to try and regain Stlojia, Hedwig Markus von Eggenberg, Margrave of Grosswardein decided on a new approach. Over the winter of 1919-1920 he massively reorganized the East Asia Cavalry Division, gathering all the remaining infantry into a single battalion and using what little resources he had at his disposal to acquire the artillery his force had sorely been lacking... 

In the spring the Division deployed to Driutsek and from there marched on Wurumchi and laid siege to the town. His new guns pounded the town mercilessly, but the inhabitants held out - mostly out of fear of reprisal from the slighly unhinged Altan Baatar Kahn, should he return and take back the town! 

The situation at the end of Spring 1920. 

ORANGE

• Commander of the Field Army: Lieutenant General Sir Percy Arbuthnot-Worcester-Gruntfuttock-Smythe
• Faction: Western Interventionists
• Army: 14th Allied Eastern Expeditionary Army
• Base of Operations: Canadar 
• Other Cities: Canuckand, Molsensk, Stlojia
• Resource Points: 2
• Field Army:
• 3rd Battalion, Winnipeg Grenadiers (15)
• 5th Battalion, Cape Breton Highlanders  (15)
• 2nd Battalion, Regina Rifles - Heavy Infantry Battalion (15)
• 105th Canadian Fusiliers - Heavy Infantry Battalion (15)
• 8th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles - Cavalry (15)
• 37th Field Artillery (15)
• 38th Field Artillery (15) 

YELLOW

• Commander of the Field Army: Hedwig Markus von Eggenberg, Margrave of Grosswardein
• Faction: Tsarist
• Army: East Asia Cavalry Division 
• Base of Operations: Gura
• Other Cities:  Driutsek 
• Resource Points: 0
• Field Army:
• 337th Infantry Regiment (Heavy) (15)
• Mongolian Cavalry (13)
• 38th Hussars Cavalry (13)
• 77th Imperial Artillery Regiment (15) 

GREEN

• Commander of the Field Army: Altan Baatar Kahn
• Faction: Warlord Chinese
• Army: The Red Horde
• Base of Operations: Lung-Hu
• Other Cities: Wurumchi, Sui-Pei, Bashkent 
• Resource Points: 12
• Field Army:15
• Heavy Infantry Battalion (15)
• Heavy Infantry Battalion (15)
• Infantry Battalion (15)
• Infantry Battalion (15)
• Cavalry (15)
• Artillery (15)
• Tank (15) 

LIGHT BLUE

• Commander of the Field Army: Win-Cao Lo-Fat, The Most Illustrious Beacon of Celestial Light and Commander of the Arm of Earthly Might
• Faction: Warlord Chinese
• Army: The Illustrious Arm of the Nine Illuminated Terrestrial Immortals 
• Base of Operations: Wei-Li
• Other Cities: Ching-Ho, Ulaan-Goom, Pyrohy, Holopchi
• Resource Points: 3
• Field Army:
• 1st Heavy Infantry Battalion (13)
• 2nd Heavy Infantry Battalion (8) 
• 3rd Infantry Battalion (11)
• 4th Infantry Battalion (10)
• Cavalry Regiment (14)
• Artillery Regiment (7)
• Tank Regiment (15)

DARK BLUE

• Commander of the Field Army: Kombrig Mahat Mikhan
• Faction: Bolshevik
• Army: Ist Guard Regiment, Ipatiev House
• Base of Operations: Kubassa
• Other Cities: Kroptkand, Bakunin
• Resource Points: 0
• Field Army:
• 1st Infantry Battalion (Heavy)(8)
• 2nd Infantry Battalion (6)
• 3rd Infantry Battalion (9)
• 4th Infantry Battalion (5)
• 5th Cavalry Regiment (6)
• 6th Artillery Regiment (11)

RED (of course) 

• Commander of the Field Army: Commissar-General Lev (Leon) Davidovitch Runstein
• Faction: Bolshevik
• Army: Первый Бабушка Армейский корпус (Ist Babushka Army Corps)
• Base of Operations: Baboushka
• Other Cities: Borschka, Vlodkask
• Resource Points: 10
• Field Army:
• 1st Transuralian Peoples Infantry Battalion (Heavy)  (15)
• 2nd Transuralian Peoples Battalion (15)
• 3rd Transuralian Peoples Battalion (15)
• 4th Transuralian Peoples Battalion (15)
• 1st Babushka Cavalry Regiment (15)
• 1st Borschka Artillery Regiment (15)

40K - 5th Company, 382nd Tallarn (Desert Raider) Regiment

Having finished up those Roughriders, I now have enough units to field and entirely non-mechanized Brigade Detachment of Tallarn infantry - foot and hooves only - no tanks, no other vehicles, not even a scout sentinel!  

Here, then is all the (non-mechanized) Tallarn in one place... 

5th Company, 382nd Tallarn (Desert Raider) Regiment

Over the weekend I was hoping to take pics of individual units and redo the 40K - 382nd Tallarn (Desert Raider) Regiment page. 

Here's what this force looks like in game terms... 

Tallarn Infantry Brigade Detachment

HQ 

• Company Commander (As Cadian Castellan with Plasma Pistol and Claw of the Desert Tiger) - 3PR - 55 points
• Platoon Command Squad - 4PR - 75 points
• Platoon Command Squad - 4PR - 75 points
• Platoon Command Squad - 4PR - 75 points
• +Astropath - 2PR - 40 points
• Primaris Psyker - 3PR - 60 points

Troops 

• Infantry Squad (+Plasma Pistol) - 3PR - 70 points
• Infantry Squad (+Plasma Pistol) - 3PR - 70 points
• Infantry Squad (+Plasma Pistol) - 3PR - 70 points
• Infantry Squad (+Plasma Pistol) - 3PR - 70 points
• Infantry Squad (+Plasma Pistol) - 3PR - 70 points
• Infantry Squad (+Plasma Pistol) - 3PR - 70 points
• Infantry Squad (+Plasma Pistol) - 3PR - 70 points
• Infantry Squad (+Plasma Pistol) - 3PR - 70 points
• Infantry Squad - 3PR - 65 points

Elites 

• Commissar - 3PR - 40 points
• Commissar (+Power Sword) - 3PR - 45 points
• Regimental Preacher - 2PR - 40

Fast Attack 

• Tallarn Roughriders (as Atillan Roughriders) (5) - 5PR - 100 points
• Tallarn Roughriders (as Atillan Roughriders) (5) - 5PR - 100 points
• Tallarn Roughriders (as Atillan Roughriders) (5) - 5PR - 100 points

Heavy Support 

• Heavy Weapon Squad - 3PR - 55 points
• Heavy Weapon Squad - 3PR - 55 points
• Heavy Weapon Squad - 3PR - 55 points

Total Power Rating: 79

Total Points: 1595 

What to do to bring it to 2000? 

Well, I DO have a lot of Armour that I could add... Y'know, if for some reason TOMORROW I needed to play with a 2000 point brigade detachment (or just a 2000 point/100 Power army - could be a Brigade detachment PLUS an Auxiliary Super Heavy Detachment - to bring out the Shadowsword). Or even if I decided I need to play a 2000 point game BEFORE I get around to finishing the rest of the foot infantry and such. 

ALL of this would be 157 Power Rating (a little over 3000 points - i can't be arsed to bean-count up the exact point as all the different weapons on the tanks still add up differently...) 

But I do ALSO have a lot more regular foot infantry, heavy weapon teams and Roughriders! 

Foot/Hoof stuff still to paint.

I have enough infantry to possibly do three more infantry squads for THIS detachment - making three platoons of four squads AND  three more infantry squads that could be part of a mechanized unit (likely a Spearhead Detachment for all my armour). 

And SO MANY Heavy Weapons teams... so many... I'm not sure what I'll EVER do with them all? Maybe swap out the mortars from time to time...? I could swap them into the Platoon Command Squads...?

Ideally I'd like to increase ALL Roughrider Units to 10. That alone would bring it to 1895 points - The problem is  I don't have 15 more Tallarn Roughriders to do that - I only have about 12.5 (13, but one in missing a horse!?). A brief look at ebay suggests I'll be paying over $100 to finish up that third unit... So maybe increase TWO of those units to 10 (or just add two more units of five? I'm not sure what works better...) 

I could add Astropaths (using old Wyrdvane Psykers) to other two Platoon Command Squads…? That seems a little silly… 

MOAR Commissars!?

Or maybe an Ogryn Bodyguard for the Castellan…? (this seems like a fun option) 

Or just add three more Infantry Squads...? 

Lots of options, for when I get around to painting more. When will I paint MORE!? I don't know. I'm really torn right now. Part of me wants to keep the momentum rolling and see if I COULD finish up 2000 points worth of Tallarn infantry and cavalry. If possible, if I could carry on and finish up ALL the Tallarn vehicles (I have another EIGHT Leman Russ tanks, two Basilisks, two Manticores and three Chimeras to paint!?)

On the other hand... I have a LOT Of other things I'd like to paint up... I have less than a dozen miniature to paint for ALL of the Guaiacan Commandoes to be completely finished. Same goes for the Cadians. It would seem prudent to go for the low-hanging fruit and completely finishing THOSE forces off, before tackling the rest of the Tallarn... 

And then there are ALL THE OTHER MINIATURES... even amongst the 40K options of Things To Do, there are piles of Kill Teams I'd love to finish up (because that actually seems like a game I'm more likely to PLAY!?). There are all the Warhammer Underworlds warbands... There are a bunch of Fantasy armies I'd like to finish up for Dragon Rampant... the English Civil War campaign is still on my radar and there are units to complete for that... 

Guess we'll have to wait and see... 

Finally, a little aside... 

Years ago, when I started painting these Tallarn, for once in my life I did something smart - I actually made a little made a little diagram of a Tallarn soldier and noted the colours I'd used. MOST are Vallejo paints, except the "Terrain Khaki" I use on the camo smock which is a Reaper Bones colour. 

Originally it was just on a scrap of paper, but I have since pasted it into a little hardcover sketch book where I TRY to remember to make notes of paints I'm using for other figures (or planning to use) on assorted other minis. 

40K - Tallarn Roughriders

Roughriders are back! (Technically they are "Attilan" Roughriders in the new codex - because those are the only ones GW is currently producing - which annoys me to no end... but I've complained about that enough, I'll shut up now...), so it seemed time to finish up a few of these old Tallarn Roughriders I've had sitting in a drawer for... well... a while... 

I just needed to finish up four of these to complete three "Squads" of five, making up the Fast Attack element of an entirely unmechanized Battalion Detachment! 

Four new Tallarn Roughriders. 

All the Tallarn Roughriders - in addition to painting up four more, they've all been rebased and had rifle buckets added (from Victoria Miniatures!) 

I do have a few more. Definitely enough to make two full squads of ten... but not QUITE enough to make a third... A brief look at eBay suggests it might cost me $100+ to try and finish up the third! Yikes! 

I do also have this old Suliman the Saracen model (from Warhammer Fantasy Battles 5th edition - so, a GW model) which I thought I could convert...? We shall see. I guess I should only worry about if if I actually get the first ten done and start seriously considering completing a third unit of ten. 

Back of Beyond - Winter 1919/20

Armies have retreated to winter quarters, gathered resources, recruited, armed and trained new troops, and deployed for spring campaigning. 

Yevgeny Lytton briefly declared himself Tsar-in-the-East hoping it would rally troops to his desperate cause, but after seeing it was not having the hope he expected, he disbanded the Guard of the White King's. Most of the infantry were seen marching in a large column towards Bakunin, but there are rumours that Lytton himself, along with his personal guard of Cossacks and what remained of his artillery, slipped through the pass to the south and offered up his services to the the Emir of Tashkabad. 

ORANGE

• Commander of the Field Army: Lieutenant General Sir Percy Arbuthnot-Worcester-Gruntfuttock-Smythe
• Faction: Western Interventionists
• Army: 14th Allied Eastern Expeditionary Army
• Base of Operations: Canadar 
• Other Cities: Canuckand, Molsensk, Stlojia
• Resource Points: 2
• Field Army:
• 3rd Battalion, Winnipeg Grenadiers (15)
• 5th Battalion, Cape Breton Highlanders  (15)
• 2nd Battalion, Regina Rifles - Heavy Infantry Battalion (15)
• 105th Canadian Fusiliers - Heavy Infantry Battalion (15)
• 8th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles - Cavalry (15)
• 37th Field Artillery (15)
• 38th Field Artillery (15) 

YELLOW

• Commander of the Field Army: Hedwig Markus von Eggenberg, Margrave of Grosswardein
• Faction: Tsarist
• Army: East Asia Cavalry Division 
• Base of Operations: Gura
• Other Cities:  Driutsek 
• Resource Points: 0
• Field Army:
• 337th Infantry Regiment (Heavy) (15)
• Mongolian Cavalry (13)
• 38th Hussars Cavalry (13)
• 77th Imperial Artillery Regiment (15) 

GREEN

• Commander of the Field Army: Altan Baatar Kahn
• Faction: Warlord Chinese
• Army: The Red Horde
• Base of Operations: Lung-Hu
• Other Cities: Wurumchi, Sui-Pei, Bashkent 
• Resource Points: 
• Field Army:15
• Heavy Infantry Battalion (15)
• Heavy Infantry Battalion (15)
• Infantry Battalion (15)
• Infantry Battalion (15)
• Cavalry (15)
• Artillery (15)
• Tank (15) 

LIGHT BLUE

• Commander of the Field Army: Win-Cao Lo-Fat, The Most Illustrious Beacon of Celestial Light and Commander of the Arm of Earthly Might
• Faction: Warlord Chinese
• Army: The Illustrious Arm of the Nine Illuminated Terrestrial Immortals 
• Base of Operations: Wei-Li
• Other Cities: Ching-Ho, Ulaan-Goom, Holopchi
• Resource Points: 3
• Field Army:
• 1st Heavy Infantry Battalion (15)
• 2nd Heavy Infantry Battalion (15) 
• 3rd Infantry Battalion (15)
• 4th Infantry Battalion (15)
• Cavalry Regiment (15)
• Artillery Regiment (15)
• Tank Regiment (15)

DARK BLUE

• Commander of the Field Army: Kombrig Mahat Mikhan
• Faction: Bolshevik
• Army: Ist Guard Regiment, Ipatiev House
• Base of Operations: Kubassa
• Other Cities: Kroptkand, Pyrohy, Bakunin
• Resource Points: 0
• Field Army:
• 1st Infantry Battalion (Heavy)(15)
• 2nd Infantry Battalion (12)
• 3rd Infantry Battalion (12)
• 4th Infantry Battalion (12)
• 5th Cavalry Regiment (15)
• 6th Artillery Regiment (15)

RED (of course) 

• Commander of the Field Army: Commissar-General Lev (Leon) Davidovitch Runstein
• Faction: Bolshevik
• Army: Первый Бабушка Армейский корпус (Ist Babushka Army Corps)
• Base of Operations: Baboushka
• Other Cities: Borschka, Vlodkask
• Resource Points: 10
• Field Army:
• 1st Transuralian Peoples Infantry Battalion (Heavy)  (15)
• 2nd Transuralian Peoples Battalion (15)
• 3rd Transuralian Peoples Battalion (15)
• 4th Transuralian Peoples Battalion (15)
• 1st Babushka Cavalry Regiment (15)
• 1st Borschka Artillery Regiment (15)

Back of Beyond Campaign - Autumn 1919

Autumn 1919 - the final campaigning round of 1919 - everyone was on the move!

Well... Almost everyone. 

The Battle of Bakunin

 Ist Guard Regiment, Ipatiev House, followed the Guard of the White King's all the way back to their regional capital at Bakunin, after the latter's defeat at Kroptkand in the summer. 

Arriving before Bakunin, the Bolsheviks found their opponents well dug in and ready to defend their regional capital! 

The Bolsheviks unleashed a devastating preparatory barrage on the White Russian lines - focusing on the Heavy Infantry and Artillery.  

The Bolsheviks began a slow and steady advance. The first few turns of the game involved a brutal artillery duel as each side tried to silence the others guns. 

Eventually the White Russians guns were silenced and the Bolshevik advance proceeded with artillery support. 

The White Russian Cossack Cavalry galloped out to meet the Bolshevik Cavlary and tried to disrupt and slow the Bolshevik advance! 

While the Cavalry battle raged in the centre of the battlefield, the Bolshevik infantry (with artillery support!) started rolling up the White Russian lines from the West 

The White Russians put up a stiff defence - despite their lack of numbers - and they  sold themselves dearly! 

But with such dwindling numbers to hold those trenches and under relentless pounding of the Bolshevik artillery, the White Russians were obliged to cede the day. 

The tattered remains of the White Russian army retreated to Englelsk, leaving much of their equipment and many of their wounded behind in the route. 

The Siege of Kubassa

After hearing the Bolsheviks had departed their regional capitol and marched on Kroptkand to relieve the siege by the White Russians,  Win-Cao Lo-Fat, The Most Illustrious Beacon of Celestial Light and Commander of the Arm of Earthly Might, led The Illustrious Arm of the Nine Illuminated Terrestrial Immortals out of Holopchi and marched on Kubassa! There they enveloped the town, but not long after the siege works were completed that chill winter winds came howling down from the north and the Chinese decided to give up the siege and march back to Holopchi. 

The Third Battle of Stlojia

Altan Baatar Kahnspent most of the spring and summer of 1919 communing with his ancestors, waiting for a sign on how to proceed. When Altan Baatar Kahn awoke from his opium indusced stupor, he led The Red Horde out of Bashkent and marched to Stlojia, hoping to march on Druitsek (not realizing he'd not the time to get there before winter). It mattered not, however, as it happened that the Margrave  von Eggenberg ALSO decided now was the time to lead his East Asia Cavalry Division back to Stlojia and retake the town!? 

The Chinese arrived at Stlojia to find the White Russians under Hedwig Markus von Eggenberg, Margrave of Grosswardein and his East Asian Cavalry Division

Besieging Russians pivot to face the advancing Chinese of the Red Horde! 

White Russian reinforcements arrive - including the Margraves own 38th Hussars on the left flank and his Mongolian Cavalry on the right. 

The Battle was desperate and brutal. 

Mongol Cavalry charging Chinese infantry

The 38th Hussars also charging Chinese infantry!

White Russian and Mongol Cavalry is driven back, but recovers and prepares to charge again. 

Flanking Chinese cavalry arrives on the Russians flank.

Soon the Margrave and his Hussars found themselves along on the battlefield - the rest of his force having abandoned him! 

The Hussars made one more insane charge and saw off a battalion of Chinese Heavy Infantry, before themselves being driven off by the combined fire of the other Chinese Infantry battalions and their artillery! 

The White Russian force returned to Gura for another winter of heavy drinking. 

The Second Siege of Borschka

In a near beat-for-beat repeat of the previous falls campaigning, the Canadians of the 14th Allied Eastern Expeditionary Army marched on Borschka. They'd expected to fight the Ist Babushka Army Corps, but instead arrived to find the Bolshevik army had departed to points westward, leaving only a small garrison to defend the ancient walled city. So, once again, the Canadians enveloped the town, digging tidy, well-sighted trenches all around and settled in for a siege! After about a month of occasional skirmishes, a tragically comical attempt at storming the towns defenses and sporadic bombardment, the winter winds began sweeping in from the north and with it came snow. With that, the Western Interventionists packed up and marched back to Canuckand.

Situation at the end of August 1919 

ORANGE

• Commander of the Field Army: Lieutenant General Sir Percy Arbuthnot-Worcester-Gruntfuttock-Smythe
• Faction: Western Interventionists
• Army: 14th Allied Eastern Expeditionary Army
• Base of Operations: Canadar 
• Other Cities: Canuckand, Molsensk, Stlojia
• Resource Points: 4
• Field Army:
• 3rd Battalion, Winnipeg Grenadiers (10)
• 5th Battalion, Cape Breton Highlanders  (10)
• 2nd Battalion, Regina Rifles - Heavy Infantry Battalion (10)
• 105th Canadian Fusiliers - Heavy Infantry Battalion (11)
• 8th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles - Cavalry (13)
• 37th Field Artillery (9)

YELLOW

• Commander of the Field Army: Hedwig Markus von Eggenberg, Margrave of Grosswardein
• Faction: Tsarist
• Army: East Asia Cavalry Division 
• Base of Operations: Gura
• Other Cities:  Driutsek 
• Resource Points: 0
• Field Army:
• 1st Battalion, 337th Infantry Regiment (Heavy) (5)
• 2nd Battalion, 337th Infantry Regiment (2)
• 1st Battalion, 369th Infantry Regiment (5)
• 2nd Battalion, 369th Infantry Regiment (3)
• Mongolian Cavalry (8)
• 38th Hussars Cavalry (13)

GREEN

• Commander of the Field Army: Altan Baatar Kahn
• Faction: Warlord Chinese
• Army: The Red Horde
• Base of Operations: Lung-Hu
• Other Cities: Wurumchi, Sui-Pei, Bashkent 
• Field Army:
• Heavy Infantry Battalion (11)
• Heavy Infantry Battalion (13)
• Infantry Battalion (15)
• Infantry Battalion (13)
• Cavalry (15)
• Artillery (15)

LIGHT BLUE

• Commander of the Field Army: Win-Cao Lo-Fat, The Most Illustrious Beacon of Celestial Light and Commander of the Arm of Earthly Might
• Faction: Warlord Chinese
• Army: The Illustrious Arm of the Nine Illuminated Terrestrial Immortals 
• Base of Operations: Wei-Li
• Other Cities: Ching-Ho, Ulaan-Goom, Holopchi
• Resource Points: 2
• Field Army:
• 1st Heavy Infantry Battalion (9)
• 2nd Heavy Infantry Battalion (9) 
• 3rd Infantry Battalion (12)
• 4th Infantry Battalion (14)
• Cavalry Regiment (15)
• Artillery Regiment (12)

DARK BLUE

• Commander of the Field Army: Kombrig Mahat Mikhan
• Faction: Bolshevik
• Army: Ist Guard Regiment, Ipatiev House
• Base of Operations: Kubassa
• Other Cities: Kroptkand, Pyrohy, Bakunin
• Resource Points: 0
• Field Army:
• 1st Infantry Battalion (Heavy )(7)
• 2nd Infantry Battalion (4)
• 3rd Infantry Battalion (8)
• 4th Infantry Battalion (3)
• 5th Cavalry Regiment (6)
• 6th Artillery Regiment (13)

PURPLE

• Commander of the Field Army: Archduke Yevgeny Lytton
• Faction: Tsarist
• Army: Gvardiya Belykh Koroley (Guard of the White King’s)
• Base of Operations: N/A
• Other Cities: Engelsk
• Resource Points: 0
• Field Army:
• 1st Battalion, 437th Infantry Regiment (Heavy) (3)
• 32nd Cossack Cavalry Regiment (5)
• 245th Artillery Regiment(2)

RED (of course) 

• Commander of the Field Army: Commissar-General Lev (Leon) Davidovitch Runstein
• Faction: Bolshevik
• Army: Первый Бабушка Армейский корпус (Ist Babushka Army Corps)
• Base of Operations: Baboushka
• Other Cities: Borschka, Vlodkask
• Resource Points: 0
• Field Army:
• 1st Transuralian Peoples Infantry Battalion (Heavy)  (10)
• 2nd Transuralian Peoples Battalion (12)
• 3rd Transuralian Peoples Battalion (13)
• 4th Transuralian Peoples Battalion (14)
• 1st Babushka Cavalry Regiment (9)
• 1st Borschka Artillery Regiment (12)