Commands & Colors: Ancients last bash with son

Had a final board gaming session with son before his departure back to England on Thursday.

He is quite taken with Commands & Colors Ancients so that is what we played completing 3 scenarios. 

He took Carthos this time around in each scenario so I was Romans who came out winners in 2 out of the 3.

An easy game to teach and play although I had forgotten in earlier games that Leaders effect adjacent hexes in combat.

I regret not expanding C&C collection beyond base game as so many expansions are now out of print or massively expensive here in UK, although I have not played every scenario in base game yet.  

Was great to get some play in with Steven and hopefully more visits next year.

 

More boardgame goodness with son

Another session of board wargaming gaming with my lad.

We played another Combat Commander scenario set in Arnhem with he as Huns and I as Brits and this fairly whizzed by with numerous Time events giving Huns very little time to push forward.

Then it was 4 games of Commands And Colors: Ancients which is always a fun game to play.

Steven stuck with Romans in each game so I was Carthaginians (I only have original volume) and Carthage was in ascendancy in each.

Great stuff.

Boardgaming with offspring

Son over from England for Christmas and we managed to get a gaming session in yesterday.

Played Colonial Twilight which he stuffed me at as French and then a scenario form Combat Commander with my Yanks annihilating his Huns.

L'Art De La Guerre - another couple of games

More practice games for Mr B with LADG

First game I used Sassanid against his Ostrogoths and this was a close one and I had decent dice throughout.

Second was Mr Bs Late Romans against my Galatians (not a great match up but sort of thing one can get in a competition), and Galatians were pants and dice not so friendly this time.

Two pics from early stages of Persian vs Goths

Only one fuzzy shot from start of Galatians vs Romans

Battle of Warburg with Koenig Krieg

Christmas bash with the chaps at Johns using KK2 and scenario covering Battle of Warburg 1760.

All 15mm terrain and excellent figures from the Brittain Bros (some Prussians standing in as Hessians from Mr P ?) with Mr B umpiring (yet again) and organising scenario (very well done stuff as always).

John and Le Duc took control of French defenders and Mr P and I the Allies (Mr P on left wing I the right).

Armies of roughly equal size with Allies having better quality overall and crucially (for KK2) a +1 Initiative modifier.

The French had set up their forces previously with the bulk of their Infantry (under Le Duc) massed on hill on their right with a river on flank with couple of Cavalry units and gun batteries, whilst the bulk of their numerous Cavalry force (under John) massed on their left with some Infantry and gun support again a watery feature secured their flank.

Allies had Infantry pretty equally split with only a couple of small Cavalry Brigades on table at start (much more arrived a few turns later on my flank) but support from several independent Light Infantry and Cavalry units (Legion Britainique) of which I had one unit of skirmishers as a couple of large woods on my flank.

Units were set up 12" from French lines so pretty much right it from get go !

I am too lazy today to outline battle blow by blow (Le Duc will no doubt spin a suitable yarn on his Blog along with better pics than mine) but highlights on my side was my well above average and in fact borderline awesome dice rolls...............yes folks you heard correctly the dice loved me for once !!!!!!!!!!

As an example a unit of British foot fired with 8 dice and scored 7 hits wiping out a unit of French cavalry in one fell swoop.

I also rolled well in most of my combats winning more than I lost (again !!!!!!!!!!) much to Johns chagrin and the French cavalry wing was in hip hip hooray complete disarray.

Did not have entirely my own way as my Elite 12 strong heavy cavalry unit was mugged by 2 French units (2 vs 1 is way to go) and infantry in center expended themselves against French counterparts.

Ultimately however on turn 8 we both tested Morale (French had 3 broken Brigades Allies had 2) and both armies rolled poorly and retired bloodied from the field.

Only rules issue we encountered this time was how to resolve an Exploitation Charge as we got rather muddled as to who could do what and when.

But overall this was an excellent game with great figures, good company and superior waffle/banter levels (which continued long afterwards at local Restaurant troughing session)

And as expected a much fuller and much handsomer report on Le Ducs blog https://warfareintheageofcynicsandamateurs.blogspot.com/2022/12/warburg-1760-christmas-bash.html

 

Allied Infantry Brigades advance on right wing slowed by large wooded areas

As their comrades also push forward on left toward defended hilltop

French cavalry massed on their left rear

Allied infantry deployed to take on French whose cavalry have moved forward

Tussle begins in central area

Allied cavalry begins to arrive to counter French 

French being pushed back in center (but I was too weak to exploit) whilst Allied left wing stymied at hill.

Elite British Cavalry to the fore and about to meet their doom

But French mounted in all sorts of bother on hill

Stalemate in center after Hanoverian mounted expended themselves destroying a foot unit 

L'Art De La Guerre - 2 more practice games

Couple more practice games for Stephen with LADG.

First up it was his Alexandrian Macedonians against my Punic Romans followed by Late Roman vs my Sassanid Persians.

No time to outline play etc as reading Konieg Krieg 2 again for game tomorrow at Johns the Battle of Warburg 1760 which the chaps have set up ready to go.

Ulster Wargames Society- Dresden 1813 scenario with Field of Battle

UWS meeting today and I put on and umpired a Field of Battle game.

I utilised a GDA scenario based on second day of Dresden 1813 with Ney atacking Allied left wing.

Scenario run pretty much as written with units adjusted to FOB stats.

I also used the deployment option from GDA 1813 supplement with defender using markers (and 2 dummies) for his Brigade deployments, the attacker then scouting 2-3 of these prior to deployment of units with any unveiled Brigades being placed on table, then attacker deploys, then balance of defenders deploy. I like this option for a bit of variety and its very easy to use. 

French (5 Brigades with a Guard Lancer brigade as reinforcements) were commanded by Dave T and Dave B with Allies (5 Brigades) under command of Andy and Dave S (so many Daves !).

Andy new to rules but seemed to pick them up pretty easily (not hard with FOB).

Twas a great game to umpire and watch unfold as so many key moments and some to and fro action.

French seemed to have things in the bag early on after some excellent Move options and combats taking Sieditz village very easily and advancing onto high ground on their left, an initial mistake by Allies not occupying this but to be fair Andy not fully aware of how far and fast the French could advance in FOB (they got 3 moves so 24" on first Move card).

But later a Russian 12pdr battery managed to deploy and devastate a French unit and French expended a lot of effort to get rid of these guns, 

Then a Veteran (ie Crack in FOB terms) Hussar unit engaged advancing French Young Guard brigade catching them out of square and routed one unit and heavily damaged another in quick succession.

Another standard Russian Hussar unit tussled with French Light Cavalry and this went back and forth with both sides damaged (the Hussars later dispersed after evading a Young Guard unit) and French lights pulled back.

By this time the vaunted French Guard Lancers (both C10 D10 but only 3 UI as small) had arrived on this flank but only one managed to get into combat against the Veteran Hussars and was ignominiously repulsed !

On Allied left a Brigade of Prussians held the rise falling back once French massed with a 12pdr foot battery surprisingly/heroically/annoyingly (adjust to taste) holding out against multiple charges for several turns.

However despite these local Allied successes overall things were going downhill fast for them as casualties mounted (ie Army Morale dwindled) and their right flank was almost annihilated with the sterling Hussars only saving grace.

Allies soon down to zero Morale but passed first Army Morale test but started 'gifting' morale chips to French and could not survive second Army Morale test so yielded field to French (who had at least half their Army Morale intact).

Another fun game with FOB and as ever always nice to fight a game to completion.

View from Allied left (Prussian Brigade nearest) about mid-way through action with French pushing into Allied right and centre.

The Allied right under pressure from Young Guard just before Hussars ride to rescue/glory

Lots of casualties and disorders

Tussle atop the high ground

Siednitz in centre firmly in French hands as they push beyond into Allied centre

Prussians hold the Allied left on a rise 

Allied line wobbling under pressure

Also at club were several other games, I was too busy to see much of these or know outcomes.

Jeremy M and co had an interesting MTB type naval game (US rules but do not recall name but card based it seemed) with 1/6000th (?) kit.

Leslie, Phil and Billy played a 28mm Wild West gunslinger game (with Leslie's home brew rules) with lots of nice buildings.

Mike, Bryn and Simon had a 28mm game of Chain of Command with British vs Fallschirmjager.

Club also had a 'Bring and Buy' selection on a couple of tables but I managed to resist as last thing I need is more lead to paint although some books were enticing.