Ulster Wargames Society - Sharps Practice game 'Alas poor Heidi'

Club day again (that last month surely flew in !) and I played in a game of Sharps Practice put on by Jeremy D using his very nice early Napoleonic Austrian and French 28mm troops and terrain.

Scenario was based around an Austrian lass named Heidi who was having relations with a French officer chap (appropriately named Romeo) and for whom an Austrian force was dispatched to retrieve her (as related to some Austrian General I believe) whilst French offered resistance to such a 'rescue'. 

Bryn and Billy commanded the Hapsburg 'relief' force whilst Davy S, The other Jeremy and I controlled the defenders of the Lovebirds.

Heidi and her suitor started on table in a building/love nest with a guard of some French foot, all the Austrians and the other French would appear as their Leader cards were turned.

Hapsburgs sent a  force of several units with scaling ladders straight in the courtyard of the love nest which after a brief firefight saw Heidi and co leave by back door and a pursuit ensued thereafter (more on this later)

Rest of opposing forces deployed in due course on the open ground around the buildings and proceeded to slaughter each other with multiple rounds of volleying and fisticuffs.

However the Austrians (ie Bryn) decided to interpret order to rescue Heidi to be of the 'dead or alive' variety and fired on the group running off with her several times, this of course resulted in Heidi being put at risk and lo and behold the poor wench duly succumbed to wounds inflicted by Hapsburg musket balls !! "Bryn the misogynist !!" was the cry heard throughout the hall. 

Her demise led to Hapsburg objective being 'amended' to trying to capture her suitor no doubt in order to blame her death on the poor sod, but instead their continued shooting saw him rout of table thereby thwarting this further Hapsburg objective.

All that remained was for both sides to try to break enemy Force Morale and both dwindled to a mere 3 points before Austrians were able to inflict (due to getting Leader cards first) sufficient damage to cause 'Bad Things Happen' events that broke the French force so a draw was declared. However the Austrian General will be looking an explanation for his muse being a corpse instead of rescued, so one can only hope the story told, full of lies as it may be, is at least consistent.

This was an excellent game with some lovely kit and the scenario generated a super narrative and plenty of action. 

Austrians use scaling ladders as they try to retrieve Heidi from clutches of Romeo

French start deploying in 'plain' as Hapsburgs do same.

More Austrians appear 

My contingent form Line Formation behind a skirmish screen

The village 

More French arrive in column (note Shock accumulating and my Skirmishers mullered)

Heidi and co just visible behind building on right as chase begins

Also at club was a game based around Chinese Farm engagement in 1973 Yom Kippur war run by Paddy (with some very nice 20mm vehicles) and involving several players. No idea of rules (possibly grid based ?) but believe narrow Egyptian victory.

'The Two Daves' had a couple of 15mm FOGR games with Ottoman Turk versus Cossack (both very nice armies). Turks won second game not sure who won first encounter shown ?