Napoleonic game set up

Napoleonic game set up on table today (mainly to try out new large polystyrene hill shapes) with Prussian against French Spring 1813.

Not a formal scenario as such just a French attack against Prussians defending a ridge line (runs whole length of 6ft table edge).

Not decided which set of rules to use as yet but something covering Battalion level combat most likely.

So many sets to choose from !! but with Piquet family being best suited to solo play it may be hard to get past using one of those.

Colonial Twilight - solo play

Not much wargaming this week (for various reasons) but have set and begun playing the ever excellent COIN series game, Colonial Twilight with the Medium scenario.

My son is (hopefully) coming home for Christmas (to bubble) in a few weeks and keen to play this with him so getting some practice with rules and system again.

Still awaiting arrival of All Bridges Are Burning (which has been delayed from supplier)

Panzer Grenadier Deluxe - St Nicholas Farm scenario - solo play concluded

Completed solo play through with a narrow British victory after taking St Nicholas Farm.

A couple of devastating Artillery stonks on the farm decimated the defenders and once British took possession just not enough Germans left to wrest control back.

British did take a good few infantry casualties especially from German MMGs (MG42) but the PAK40 had no effect as British tanks never came into its line of sight.

Shermans did give effective support fire to their Infantry

All in all a fun game with these flavoursome WW2 rules.

Really looking forward Mr Browns new 'O Group' set which appear to be faster playing without being too simplistic.

Having played this and a couple of Rapid Fire Reloaded games in solo mode during current lock down phase here in NI it does highlight the difficulty in many regards playing WW2 solo.

Hard to play without properly hidden units, which are very much 'meat and veg' of a WW2 game (I mean I just knew where that Pak40 was) and despite my using several attack/defence and set up plans (I then diced for selection) it is still harder to ignore the '100ft General' aspect in this period than in horse and musket or ancients.

Still good way to learn or refresh knowledge of a set of rules.

A bunch of variable quality photos as I messed around with settings on camera apps on phone and iPad.

Panzer Grenadier Deluxe - St Nicholas Farm scenario - solo play

Whilst awaiting the new 'O Group' rules to be published I thought I would have a bash with my current favourite WW2 rules by same author (Dave Brown).

Set up the small introductory scenario from main rules 'St Nicholas Farm' based around actions of Duke of Wellingtons Infantry late June 1944 against  KG Krause of 12th SS, part of the preliminary attacks to establish jumping off points for Op Epsom.

Scenario based on a 5' x 4' table with St Nicholas farm and orchard itself and another smaller farm, the rest of the terrain is placed by both sides comprising a mix of enclosed fields (4), low rises (2) and woods (4) with hedges lining most but not all of the roads.

Nothing really defined as such so I just placed as I deemed reasonable.

British attackers have 5 Infantry Platoons a Support Platoon (2" Mortar and a Vickers MMG) backed by a Squadron of Shermans and a Forward Observer for 2 off-board missions with a Bren armed Daimler Dingo as Recce element. A Battlegroup HQ and 2 Company HQs round out the force

German in defence have 3 Infantry Platoons, a Support Platoon (2 MMG and 2 Panzerschreck) and a PAK40 with a Kampfgruppe HQ and a single Company HQ as command element.

Only played opening turn (of 14) and no casualties as yet.

A 'hidden' PzShk fired on the Recce Dingo but missed and was forced back suppressed (has since rallied) by fire from supporting Sherman.

The Dingo did manage to spot a German Platoon hidden in St Nicholas Farm (sure to be target of British Artillery)

Some desultory fire by Germans in other farm.

Overview of table with St Nicholas Farm at top

British plow forward (green markers denote Platoons/units not yet spotted)

Dingo pushes ahead

Germans defend St Nicholas Farm and orchard

And have possession of other farm

Overview shots at end of first turn