GWSH2 - Caucasus Counter-Attack

After playing some great board games in early January: Raiders of the North Sea, Kemet, Merchants & Marauders, Formula De, and 878 Vikings pimped out with 28mm figures, it was time to get back to the miniatures!

It took me a long time to setup this terrain, so you are likely to see it a couple more times.

This week's game...

When will blood cease to flow in the mountains?
when sugar-canes grow in the snows.
OLD CAUCASIAN PROVERB

Caucasus Counter-Attack

Scenario Background

The premise of this ahistorical battle is based on the reality on the ground in the Caucasus in early 1915. The Turks just finished their disastrous Caucasus campaign in December of 1914, and this is part of the wave of Russian counter-attacks following those dark days.

We have the Russian VI Army Corp (2 divisions, 7 regiments) attacking the Turkish X Army Corp (two divisions, 6 regiments). The Turkish regiments are about 2/3 or less the size of the Russian regiments and the Russians have more artillery.

This will be our first Defender vs Attacker GWSH2 scenario.

Rules, Players, and Miniatures

Rules: Great War Spearhead II by Shawn Taylor
Figures: 15mm Collection (Eric's), Mini-figs and Irregulars.
Players: Brian, Phil, Mike, Wes, and Charles (I'm umpire)

Setup

Here are a couple photos of the terrain and the map given to the players to plan their respective attack and defense. The terrain looks much more hilly in person, as my hills are under the terrain mat.

The Plans!

GWSH2 has players give orders by drawing on the maps. Here are both side's plans for the battle.

Russian Plan

Russians kept 2 Regiments (one from each division) in reserve off-table and brought the Field Gun brigade on during turn 2 to give room for maneuver.

Turkish Plan

Turks kept one regiment off board. They would have received VP if they didn't have to bring them in.

The Battle

View from the Turkish positions.

Using the village for cover

Far right Turkish flank, 92nd Regiment

Turkish MG takes cover in the snow covered woods

MASSED RUSSIANS

Hard work for the Russians

The East Siberian Rifle Regiments are going to clear the town.

Russian left flank assaulting the Dragon's Spine.

Overview, as Russian casualties mount in the center.

The blue markers indicate Stationary Fire. We just pick them up when we are done firing the unit.

The Dragon's Spine has become a graveyard of Russian men.

Russian Brigaded 76.2mm Field Guns start to impact the Turkish positions.

All the black splotches are destroyed companies!

Finally, the Russians have inflicted some casualties on the Turkish center.

7th East Siberian Rifle Regiment has done grim work, and paid a very heavy price to clear the village.

Here are some of the late game shelling I was able to do against the Turkish positions.

Because of time, we had to call the game. GWSH2 requires map planning before the game begins which tends to slow the start of the actual battle. The map planning is a critical and fun part of the game, however I think we lose 30 minutes doing so.


After Thoughts

We enjoyed ourselves again with GWSH2, and will start adding our own tweaks to the game.
1. Attached  support weapons (MGs) will need to be touch a combat company in order to fire through it. We found that, per the rules, letting them fire through any fighting company (not support unit) in the command was too flexible and looked weird.
2. Attached artillery must have a clear line of site (can't fire through fighting companies) in order to fire.

I plan on doing Belleau Wood in May (100 year anniversary), but may get another GWSH2 game in before that.

The week after this game I used the terrain for the same scenario, but 120 years earlier with the Potemkin Russians attacking the Ottoman defender.

A couple photos of that Russian victory!

Thanks
Eric