Great War Commander - solo play

Put GWC on table after a long hiatus and played first two 1914 French vs German scenarios.

Forgot how gorgeous this game is and whilst obviously very similar to Combat Commander it has several differences that affect game play and overall feel of the game.

Being able to order multiple leaders via the Offensive Order and Cohesion (units not in a leaders command radius going Suppressed each turn) are main ones but with several others coming into play along with new or amended versions of actions and events.

Strategy cards are a nice addition as are Aircraft Sorties.

Artillery has unsurprisingly a potentially larger role especially combined with units now representing Platoons rather than Squads and Tanks (not played with these yet) making a 'proper' appearance in the system.

Rules for trenches, shellholes, wire and various bunkers along with some suitably 'moonscape' maps does engender a WW1 Western Front vibe.

I have the British supplement must give it a whirl.

Commands and Colors: Ancients

As a change of pace Stephen and I played C&C Ancients today managing to play 3 Punic Wars scenarios.

These were fun and exciting games which I got so engrossed in that I forgot to take any pics !

Very much a ‘lite’ type of wargame but rather addictive and with enough variation and depth to garner an enjoyable game experience.

The blocks give it a nice tactile feel and I can see why several players use miniatures with the game.

Field of Battle 3 - Action at Eisdorf - Ulster Wargames Society

Set up and umpired FOB3 game today at the UWS meeting with adaptation of GDB scenario 'Action at Eisdorf' part of overall Battle of Lutzen 1813.

This one is an all infantry affair (only 1 lowly unit of Cossacks on table) with French attacking to gain control of bridge at Eisdorf defended by Russian forces (with a single Prussian artillery unit in support).

Jeremy and Brian (new club member) took the Russians whilst David T and David P (so many Davids at club !) taking charge of French.

This turned out to be very interesting and eventful game (as so often it is with FOB).

French had a turn when things just fell so well for them with combination of good cards and attaining 3 Moves segments with 2 Infantry brigades and with even rolls allowing them to pile in and melee with multiple attack columns against Russian lines, who only managed to recoil a single French unit.

This saw Russians taking a lot of casualties (ie morale chip losses) and led to their left wing quickly collapsing.

On Russian right it was more of a standoff as French essentially skirmished/refused and Russian were stymied by failing to move several times.

However the lowly Cossacks narrowly failed to defeat a unit of French lights caught in skirmish formation much to the relief of the French. 

The Russians had a glimmer of hope when their off-table reserve brigade of Foot Grenadiers (their best infantry) managed to deploy their guns and hit French in column with impunity from across river whilst their two units of Grenadiers deployed to left of Eisdorf.

However despite catching a single French column in flank and front they were repulsed with losses not once but twice !!

This same French battalion involved in this little vignette went on to further glory routing the Grenadiers entering Eisdorf and taking the bridge. 

French numbers on this flank then really told as Russians disintegrated and Russian morale completely collapsed and they failed their first Army Morale roll ending the battle.

So victory to the dastardly French. 

Russians were hampered by several reshuffles of deck that seemed to 'hide' their leadership cards until no one left to Rally and by some truly awful runs of dice rolls (Jeremy achieved a number rolls of 1 with any and all dice rivaled only by myself in battles past..........) the Russian morale was shattered early on by this no matter what the Army Morale level actually was. 

FOB can be a cruel game indeed (seems to kick a side when its down) but I just love the high playability (very easy to umpire) and the various episodes/events that occur to the joy of one side and consternation of the other, and just seems to play like a proper battle account (at least to my tiny wee mind) and a big plus is that even largish games are generally played to completion in a reasonable time (not always possible with more process/detail driven sets).

Russian initial deployment as French advance in center

French advance on right 

Later action as Russian left is being crushed (Grenadiers just arriving at bridge)

French have annihilated Russian left (note Grenadiers routing back across bridge) whilst stalemating Russian right wing.

Couple of pics 'borrowed' from Brian

View from Russian right in early stages.

The Cossacks who so nearly achieved glory and managed to survive to end

Russian Jager in skirmish being pinned with backs to river and overwhelmed by fast charging French columns

Also at club was a 15mm Black Powder game of Culloden run by Billy against David S which I sadly did not get to see much off beyond set up but which was won by British but with higher losses than historically (Brians pics again)

L'Art De La Guerre - Order of St John vs HYW English

Another LADG game to give Stephen practice for competition down in Limerick this weekend.

He of course used his HYW English and I used the Order of St John army again.

This was a very cagey game for several moves with a lot more maneuvering than usual 'go straight at 'em' style especially as I dismounted all my Knight types meaning it was an almost purely foot vs foot battle.

Whilst English won again it was a pretty bloody affair with English causing the required 22+ losses on St Johns but suffering 16 losses of their own.

Not sure how this would be scored in the competition but hopefully it gave Stephen another decent practice.

Quick catch up

Quick post re some solo wargame action past couple of days.

Planning a game of FOB3 this coming Saturday at Ulster Wargames Society, based on a GDB scenario 'Action at Eisdorf, so set up table so as I know what terrain to bring with me.

Last Saturday being 18th June I had to have a little Waterloo action so had a solo outing for 'Waterloo Quelle Affaire' a quick playing but fun game on the battle, French failed to defeat Wellington before Blucher turned up and crushed French.

Also currently running through a couple of solo games with Commands and Colors Ancients which I have not used in a long time and finding really fun even on ownsome.

Field Of Battle - Zorndorf The Morning Attack scenario played

Played out this scenario in earnest today using FOB3 with Stephen in charge of Prussians and I the Russians.

Russian musketry and artillery firing was really poor throughout which saw Prussians able to get right into faces of Russians troops and inflict lots of damage unhindered.

My two heavy artillery batteries were particularly poor even with point blank canister failing to inflict any hits or recoils but being blown to bits by enemy musketry and then crushed in melee.

As usually happens Prussians had one excellent sequence of cards combined with superb shooting and melee which saw Russians dealt a crushing blow.

One of Seydlitzs Cuirassier was star of show running over 2 Russian musketeer units.

Both Russian wings had folded and center under pressure (although baggage park was still protected) when game ended on failed Army Morale roll.

Scenario worked really well with FOB and I do so love the card deck 'sequence of play' as it just leads to so many plausible narrative moments throughout a game, is so playable and slick and just plain fun even in defeat, pity it is a 'marmite' set in our group.

Armies at deployment

Russian second line reserves have deployed to protect badly damaged colleagues on right

Russian commander has fallen in center putting Brigade into disorder (never rains but it pours)

Russian left prior to imploding

Prussian right up to Russian lines with nary a hit sustained but many inflicted

Prussian Grenadiers pushing forward with Cuirassier in support

Things look bleak in center but thankfully Prussians failed to exploit

Prussian right also pushes forward

Just too many costly hits and disorders on Russian lines as their weak cavalry Brigade tries to shore up crumbling right wing

Field Of Battle - Zorndorf The Morning Attack scenario set up and tested

Planning a FOB3 game next week so was partially testing the scenario 'Zorndorf The Morning Attack' which I adapted from a Black Powder scenario.

Scenario depicts the initial Prussian assault on Russian right and centre at Zorndorf with a special rule for deploying Seydlitz and his Cuirassier across the Zabern Grund stream (which I have amended for FOB by use of Move card appearance rather than turns).

Table is 5' x 4' so unit density quite high (I may amend to 6' x 4') with 6 Prussian Brigades against 5 Russian (24 units vs 21 units) but should make for a quick and bloody game.

Whilst it has been a spell since I have used FOB3 it all came quickly back once I got to turning cards and playing through the systems and as usual it is just so much fast playing fun even as a quick solo outing.

Pics not great as using iPad which does not work too well in low light.

A couple of much brighter pics taken with phone