Shako - Vimerio scenario played

Game of Shako II today at Stephens using a Peninsula scenario of the Battle Of Vimerio 1808.

I took the French under Junot and Stephen was cast as Wellington.

Another excellent game with Shako

Shako - 1812 French versus Russians

Game using Shako II rules today at mine against Stephen.

We used the basic armies with one force pick each with Stephen fielding the French and I the Russians.
Both armies pretty large with 35+ units each ie essentially a reinforced Corps each.

A great game with Russians Artillery dealing death and destruction but with French Heavy Cavalry doing the same.
My Cuirassier and Dragoons were annihilated by their French counterparts on my right flank.
Then a French Cavalry Division of 4 Dragoon Regiments outflanked deep onto my right flank !
However I had a Guard and Grenadier force also on my right which proved a match for the French mounted.
Cowardly French refused their right wing and I was pushing against them after changing orders from defence to attack with two large Infantry divisions.

Unfortunately we ran out of time whilst game was still in the balance.

Shako always generates a good game and we intend to have another game using a points system.






Russian deployment

And French version

Both forces arrayed

Russian right and center

And their left

French Infantry deployed (Cavalry off table at start and 1 Divn flanking)

Russian right outflanked

Russians advance in center

And on their left

Russian Elite Division holds firm against multiple assailants

Casualties and Staggers from artillery on both sides

Advance on Russian left

Guard form Hasty Square and repel French mounted

Lest we forget........

Field Of Glory Renaissance and a bit of solo Might Of Arms

Game of FOGR played at Stephens which we have neglected for a while.
We used the amendments from the forum to see how we liked them.
Not much rules wise just a few tweaks such as Commanded Shot now a unit marker (ala Regimental Guns) rather than separate units as such, Average units have a bit more staying power and (one I like) Dragoons are less like skirmishing Light Cavalry as tad less maneuverable close to enemy
Few changes to points for some armies primarily to mounted shooters in general and costs of Determined Horse types.
Since I used my Early Catholic League and Stephen his Swedish this was a decent test of most amendments.
I always felt Determined Horse were a decent troop type but Stephen felt they were too costly but feels they are much nearer the mark now and fielded more than the minimum he used to.
IIRC correctly a Superior unit of Swedish used to cost 84 pts and my Cuirassier 64 pts this is changed to 66 and 60 respectively and the Swedes include a Commanded shot marker (slows them up but gives one dice shooting and Protected Status).
The melees between this opposing types are fairly well balanced with just a slight edge to Swedes.
However as before the Swedish Gustavian Foot Brigades are awesome with their Superior status, and Salvo Foot trait.
I used Later Tercios which are simply out classed especially with a demon dice roller like a certain Mr B !!
In a single turn of Impact and then Melee between 3 Swedish Brigades and 3 Tercios he outscored me something in the region of 35+ hits to 15 !!
Forgetting one of my Tercios had re-rolls as Superior did not help but by golly my Death Rolls and Cohesion tests were abysmal...............................
Even the demon remarked "you can roll some 1's".
Needless to say my force folded tout suite.

Another enjoyable game with FOGR and the various rules tweaks we tried seemed fine and nicely historic as such.



Imperial horse on left flank

Imperial right

One of those damnable Swedish Foot Brigades

Swedish horse approach my left

Swedish centre

A Tercio and unit of Swordsmen advance

Central Tercios prior to be steamrollered by Swedish Foot Brigades

I also set up a solo game using Might Of Arms a set which I have not used in at least a decade probably more but which I recall I always enjoyed especially as a less brain draining alternative to WRG 7th Edition.

Used my Punic Romans against a Gallic force.

I had forgotten just how quick playing this set of rules is especially once it comes to combat.

Troops are classed by type/function rather than weaponry/armour which keeps things straightforward and with much less complexity than DBx model.

Celts have Fierce trait which means they can potentially destroy a Legionary unit on initial impact but if not they are usually worn down by their heavier and elite opponents in a protracted melee.

Mounted can become worn fairly quickly so are and Skirmishers can get in the way especially if mounted.

Amazing how much of this very well written rule set I remembered and how good a game they generate.