Action at Oxley Sidings

We’ve had rather a lot of snow here in the Midlands over the weekend, in Wolverhampton our first for four years I think. Phil and I had planned a VBCW game for Monday of this week, but by late Sunday after 7” of snow that looked very doubtful. But, we are not that easily subdued here in GHQ and Phil gamely battled the rush hour hordes to drop Diane off at work (up the hill from GHQ!) and duly presented himself at the door before I was washed and dressed! We had a leisurely breakfast and then repaired to GHQ to prepare our game. Just when we were having a coffee before starting, disaster struck! A pipe leak under the kitchen sink! An hour spent clearing and drying, then the plumber arrived! We were fixed and off we went into GHQ for Turn 1.

In all we managed seven Turns and a break for lunch, so the game will restart next Monday, when hopefully it will be less cold and dramatic. As ever in our VBCW games we were using Bolt Action 2 for the rules, a set we are comfortable with now and which keeps the interest of both players at a high level of involvement with the random dice activation. 

The action referred to in the title sees the Government forces attempting to capture, or destroy, an armoured train which the railwaymen of Oxley Sidings have been working on since the summer. Phil commanded the Government forces :- two large Brigades of Infantry, one Regular, the South Staffords, and one Volunteer, mostly from that nest of reaction that is Tettenhall, supported by cavalry, a Vickers Mk VIC tank, a Blacker Bombard, a Medium mortar, MMGs and an anti tank rifle. I commanded the Socialists, two brigades of Volunteer Militia, supported by three mortars, two armoured cars and an 18lb gun. 

I don’t want to give two much away before Part 2 is played out, but here are a couple of action shots to wet your appetite ~

The Armoured Train and its defenders.

The forces of Repression advancing in numbers.

The gallant railwaymen of Oxley Sidings.

All being well we shall play the game to a conclusion next Monday, so pop back next week for some pre-Christmas cheer, hopefully.