Ramillies re-done this time with Field Of Battle

Re-fight of Ramillies again today with Le Duc again but this time with 'the one true set' Field Of Battle.
And what a difference a much more fluent and exciting game helped of course by our familiarity with rules.
Game so much faster playing and yet with so much narrative built in as attacks ebb and flow with crushing charges along with ignominious versions !

Le Duc took the Allies today and I (should that be moi ?) the French.
Inevitable cavalry clash on my right wing (Thatcherites as I termed them) saw me gain upper hand but unable to exploit as Dutch foot shot up some Horse.
In my center (the Libtards) Duc De Villeroi was killed very early on reducing me to a D8 Command roll.
He did manage to pass around Ramillies as Le Duc drew back his Dutch foot as my mounted force threatened.
On my right (yes you guessed it the Corbynites) I was trying to advance across the river but was hampered by failing move rolls.

On both sides there was a steady drain of casualties from artillery fire and I suffered greatly on left as Corbynites rashly advanced as Le Duc had to go (ie taxi duty to perform for daughter) which saw my Morale Pool of 35 crumble.
Le Duc was surprised thinking such a fate was to befall him although he had 8 of 40 left.

Had toyed with trying couple optional rules regarding units offering each other support in Line but felt it was not worth effort as they tend to mutually support each other anyhow.
Only went with no oblique moves for Infantry and canister for guns only at point blank range (ie 1 base width or 2") also no movement for guns once deployed other than to rotate in place.
Also gave Allies a 'Special Infantry Firepower' card being an extra card that only Platoon firing Infantry could use (ie English and Dutch foot).
Only formations allowed are Line and March Column with Assault Column being restricted to attacking towns, fortifications or across bridges or similar

Marlborough was D12+1 with Superior deck whilst Villeroi was D10 (prior to death) with Average deck.
Bulk of units were C10 D6 with one or two Elite D8s and a couple of Guard units of D10

Great fun with such a super set of very slick rules and a fun way to see out the old year.





Central (Libtard) French command deployed at start

Right wing (Thatcherites) French horse

And French left wing (Corbynites) command

Early clash on right as Maison Du Roi ride down two Dutch horse units! alas they were later shot from saddles by flanking Dutch foot.

General view of initial Allied advance

Le Duc fearing his left was about to fold

Left wing later in game as French pour across stream

And move forward in center as Allies retire

Central command pushes on

Stand off on right (note Allied Infantry 'squared' to left from where they destroyed the Maison Du Roi)

Allied center

And Orkneys command of high quality English and those bloody guns

French pushing past their damaged horse

And left heads to its doom against English despite killing a unit of Elite horse

Die Fighting II - Ramillies in 10mm

Had set up battle of Ramillies 1706 for Field of Battle but Le Duc managed to come along on Saturday evening for a game and we fought the battle using Die Fighting II as Le Duc wished to see these in action.

An interesting set with some nice ideas and mechanisms but overall just a bit too much resource handling for our tastes making for a less dynamic and exciting game than with FOB with less of a narrative to proceedings.









Game in progress units are Brigade/Regiment equivalents (note ratings are for FOB)

Hitler's Reich and other stuff

Another game of Hitler's Reich with my Dad tonight and another fun game it was with my Allies finally triumphing in late 1944 after Strategic Bombing and the Fall of Italy saw Axis hand fall to zero for auto-win.
Yugoslavia and Romania must have changed hands about 5 times each !

















Got so engrossed only took pic of set up !

Couple of purchases for New Year

Actually played several Dogfights with the original Rise of the Luftwaffe, which this replaces, tonight as well but forgot to take any pics !!!

And of course a rule set

And lo and behold a couple of PC games.


Son bought me Twilight Struggle and a very well implemented version of game it is.

Victory & Glory another board game conversion and another well executed port

Panzer Corps an update of the venerable Panzer General (this one cheap and cheerful at a mere £1.49 !!)

The Age of Belisarus an add-on to Field Of Glory II

And finally a game of Field Of Battle in the offing on New Years Eve the battle of Ramillies 1706 using my 10mm (with at least Le Duc maybe one or two others ?).
Table set up awaiting

L'Art De La Guerre - two games played

Couple of 200pts games of LADG played today as practice for Stephens trip to Cork in January.
Competition is for 1066AD (?) onward which restricts me in opponents I could field but I went with Feudal French 1072-1149AD which is a mix of Elite Knights with Heavy Spearmen some Medium Swordsmen and Bowmen.

In first game Stephen tried a Mongol army so lots of shooting as my chaps tried to close with them and lots of evading.
I took numerous hits and some losses from his shooting but once we got to close combat things looked up as I inflicted losses but sadly just not quickly enough as my army broke but Mongols were close to collapse themselves.

Second game Stephen used Normans in Sicily so a fairly contemporary match up.
A more straight at each other situation this one but his two Gascon Light Cavalry proved their worth as they skipped around behind my lines with one looting my camp and breaking my army.
A very quick game this one !

Fun system and nice to get a couple of games in.
For anyone going to Cork no idea what army Stephen will field as he is trying or has tried several !





Compact Mongols facing French knights

French face their Norman neighbours