Regimental Fire & Fury at Elimination Club

Game with ever excellent Regt F&F tonight at club.
Billy brought along a scratch force of Yanks and Rebs (3 Brigades aside) for a quick outing with rules.
He had used these Brigades in a Stones River game so already labelled up.
Somewhat surprisingly the rules worked really well for such an ad hoc non-scenario game.
Maybe not 'balanced' but fun anyhow.
Billy and Paul controlled the Yank force and Hugh (on first visit to club) and I the Rebs.
I had a Brigade of Veteran and Crack units backed by 3 guns which faced one of Billys 2 Brigades on our right.
Hugh faced the other two Brigades with 2 of ours on left and center.
Very quickly got into swing of system and we got to grips fairly quickly.
I charged two units of Crack Rebs supported by a Veteran in a large Green unit of Yanks also supported.
Billys defensive fire done absolutely nothing and it looked grim for the boys in blue.
However I managed to roll a 1 whilst Billy rolled a 10 and my units bounced off in melee Disordered.
This was high water point for Billy units though as after Rallying I came in again and this time Billy had awful rolls throughout shooting and combat seeing his unit Swept From The Field, broken and indeed spent.
They then rolled awfully again and Routed taking catastrophic losses and his flank collapsed.
Paul had a ding dong with Hugh in a wooded area gaining marginal upper hand but fresh Reb units on hand.
Billys losses were so severe we called the game with Yanks withdrawing.
Great stuff with a fine set of ACW rules that were also fairly easy to teach to 2 new players.
My only real 'beef' is that you need a ton of stands to play the game properly but certainly looks the part when so many on table

Also on going at club was a game of Flames Of War involving several players, with some fielding freshly painted/acquired units.
Not my cup of tea at all (FOW way too much 'game' and too little history for my tastes) but the chaps certainly had fun (beating Bryn may have been main reason ?) which is what it is ultimately about.

Trust me they are actually having fun !!

Rebels And Patriots - Tuesday Warriors bash

Game at Bryns with Billy (Tuesday Warriors as I have named this group) using the recently released 'Rebels and Patriots' rules from the glossy Osprey stable and also one of the 'Lament' series of rules.
Bryn set up an ACW encounter with his excellent 28mm troops (a mix of Perry plastics, Fronk Rank and ?) with Billy as Feds and yours truly as Rebs.

Rules cover several American based war periods from mid 18th Century through to 1865

I did not have the rules but did find a QRS (although seems it was bit different from Bryns) so had an idea of game play.

Fairly simple with units activated via 2D6 rolls against target of 6+ to execute various orders such as Move, Fire, Attack, Close Order and so forth, nothing taxing in any of this.

Double 1 or double 6 rolls yield bad and good random effects such as 'Fire on nearest friendly unit ' or 'gain plus 1 to Discipline' type stuff.

Movement is free and easy as units not in Close Order essentially operate on a 360 degree basis for everything.
Obstacles (walls/fences) take a move to cross but no actual rules for Buildings as such, which author passes off with 'too hard to write rules, so sort it yourselves', hmmmm, I confess I would rather have a rule or even guidelines rather another eye candy picture (they are very nice though being its Osprey publishing)

Firing is usual buckets of dice system with 6-12 dice rolled per unit depending on status (Skirmishing or Disordered) hit on 4-6 depending on firer (Artillery, Standard Shots and Poor Shots respectively).
These 'hits' are then converted in casualties based on a standard of 1 figure per two hits but adjusted by various factors such as cover, target formation.
So say you generate 4 hits this might be 2 casualties inflicted (1 per 2) or only 1 if behind cover (as now 1 per 3).
Simple and intuitive.

Units are 12 men for Line, 6 for Skirmishers and Guns have 4 (?) crew think Cavalry are 6 if Light 12 if Heavier types (?).

Units Rout after 3 Disorders which are very nasty as half shooting/fighting dice and -1 per Disorder on Morale Tests.

Commanders are odd beasts as they are attached to a single unit throughout the game not being able to attach/detach, although with small number of units per side this is not really an issue.

Morale is tested per unit for each casualty suffered on 2D6 needing 6+ adjusted for several factors, and aided by having Commander within 12".

And herein we discovered a problem as not 100% clear if you Test for every unit that is Routed within 12" (which caused a domino effect of tests/failures for both sides) as rules say 'Test if unit Wiped Out' without defining wiped out, but at others state 'Test if unit removed from play with 12" ' which is what happens when a unit Routs ie it is removed from play.

In first game (we managed two plays) this was a major issue as I caused a couple of casualties on a unit which failed it Morale with awful double one causing it to Rout and causing several tests on other units within 12" which on the smallish table sizes (think standard is a 4' x 4' for standard 24 point force size ?) and another Rout caused yet more Tests.
If you fail you generally take a Disorder but can take 2 on low roll.
There is a Rally order but it has same inherent risk of taking additional Disorders
Billy then did same to me an I lost a couple of units and others took Disorders (note we both had Green Troops as standard with -1 for tests).

We felt that not really a game as a couple of casualties and both our forces were wrecked (both had 2 Line and 2 Skirmish units lost).

Morale Tests can be very brutal the caveat being that a Pass removes all Disorders (expect if unit at half strength as this incurs a permanent Disorder).
Certainly produced a very quick outcome !

So we reset game (with Bryn joining in on Yank side) and decided that these 'within 12 inch' Morale Tests would only occur if triggering unit actually wiped out (although fairly sure this would be an extremely rare occurrence) and it did produce a much better game as units could remain in situ and intact without Disorder much more frequently.
But sadly I do think this is against rules as written.

Also unclear is that rules also state that Tests have a -1 if more than one reason to test but again not really well explained.
Does this mean if a unit Routs besides you, your unit tests but if another Routs beside yours immediately you do or do not test again (as rules say for each reason to test you test) ? when does this -1 actually happen ?

All in all a nicely produced and presented fairly simple set that include several army lists and several scenarios with low rules overhead (despite the Morale issues described) that are easy to teach and good for a club night with limited time, and with added bonus that number of figures required is fairly low (depending on troop mix/types/traits/abilities chosen about 30-60 figures required).
But having played these and Sharp Practice I do think the Lardy set has a lot more depth and replay value but to each their own.
R&P are certainly very well priced (under a tenner currently for softback/PDR/ePub).

Field Of Battle - Sickles Salient at Gettysburg

Another game with Field Of Battle 2 (so my last game was not.....er.....my last) this time at Stephens with an American Civil War scenario he had set up entitled 'Sickles Salient' from an action during Gettysburg around 'the Peach Orchard'.

Stephen picked FOB which was more than fine with me !
I selected to attack with Rebels as 1. am glutton for punishment and 2. a chance to blood first 4 Rebel units I have painted up.

Not much in way of house rules other than, when a unit that goes Out of Command in the open it is counted as being 'Prone' meaning Down1 when a target but cannot move forward at all.
Couple of tweaks to Musket and Rifled Musket ranges and Artillery otherwise pretty standard.

Scenario has most of Rebel artillery off-table so we just counted as always firing at Extreme Range (Stephen had all Artillery as C10 D6 but we changed it to C12 D6 during game as all Heavy Batteries).

Rebels had skilled deck with 1 extra Melee Card (Rebel Yell) and Union had Average deck with a Breach-loader card (as one unit so equipped).
Most troops average (C10 D6) but Rebels had one Crack Brigade (C10 D8) under Barksdale who survived the fray unlike historically.

I did manage to get one unit into the Peach Orchard but quickly driven out again and stymied every where else by musket volleys and Artillery (Stephen was lucky early on with Artillery re-loads and a re-shuffle), my Brigades on my right just too slow getting into action, an aspect of FOB that few if any sets emulate but which just rings true compared to historical accounts of unforeseen events/circumstances and expectations vis reality.
I so much prefer this to predictable standardized move rates and sequences of play, so much more exciting and plausible.
I do concede that for some it could seem that the game is playing them rather than them playing the game, but I think that is only until you play enough to fully understand the 'model' of the system.
You pays your money and takes your choice I guess but personally I prefer less game than too much gaminess (is that Gorgonzolla I smell !?) and when it comes down to it and find FOB just strikes right balance for me overall :-)


As always with FOB (I do sound like a stuck record) a great game that played fast and delivered an exciting game with a definite result in reasonable time frame (deducting our copious waffling about other rules/games/periods etc etc it was about 3 hours solid game play time).
No guesses for what that result was against the 'Dice Demon' (I think he can actually manipulate card draws as well !!!

My new units done okay (at least by my standards) with one unit being mentioned in dispatches for threatening enemy flank, standing up to numerous volleys and when charged whilst rolling a measly D4 it managed to roll a 4 and gasp ! .......shock ! ......... swoon ! ...... the dice demon rolled a 1 !!!!
Of course by this stage I had no Morale left so a insignificant victory (but one of which I shall remind him on occasion).


++ Sad Sack moment ++ 
Whilst waffling we did discuss that when moving figures, firing or charging/fighting, we don't just see toy soldiers on an abstract table with plastic trees and bits of felt or resin we 'see' a battle scene from a historical account or painting or a movie !!!
It is as I stated my form of 'role playing' (other than Doctors and Nurses of course), pure escapism or whatever and indeed it is a big part of why I play Wargames of all forms.
I am similarly engrossed/transported by Board Wargames and PC games.
This in addition to the joy of the competition of minds, dice rolling (not to be under-estimated as a source of euphoria or indeed despair !!) and the reading/researching/painting/collecting aspects of this great hobby (more like a life-style choice) and that is not to disregard the social interaction which ensues whether with face to face play or via the Internet (an awesome but time intensive aspect nowadays).

I suspect most if not all Wargamers 'suffer' from this affliction to a greater or lesser degree ?
Is it any wonder my wife thinks I am a big child at times ! :-)

Oh and tomorrow its UWS club time and Stephen and I will be playing a Napoleonic game using Bataille Empire, because why not as you are a long time in the ground !!








Rebel centre

Union ensconced in and around Peach Orchard

Union left flank

Rebels suffering from Artillery

Rebels approach Orchard

And suffering again

Advance in centre slowed by woods

Reserves on Rebel right slowly plod forward

Battle intensifies on my left (new units on far left) with 'heroes' in orchard flanking Union line but have gone 'Prone' under fire.

Pretty much undamaged Union lines

Rebel Regiment pushes into orchard, albeit temporarily

"Hurry the feck up !!" was the cry on right but fell on deaf ears

Union troops in wood look on unconcerned

Rebel losses mounting and so many units Prone/Out of Command that advance has now faltered

Note right wing still languishing too far back

Rebel high water mark (Union barely got wet really)

Pushed back out of orchard on right and stuck on Emittsburg road elsewhere

Fences proving a pain along road (half speed to cross and Up1 to stationary defender)

Reserves finally arrive on right but too bloody late

No headway at orchards in centre

Or on left

Rebel morale breaks and they quit the field.................

Stuck at stream (cost 1 Move segment to cross) and with Union troops intact would likely be a hiding to nothing.

Some figures painted ! another benefit of Retirement

Been retired a full month now and have managed to paint up some actual figures (in addition to the AFVs I completed).
This time a batch of ACW 15mm Confederate troops, enough for 3 units, although many more still to go !
Lancashire Games figures, 'chunky' style and easy to paint even with my failing eyes.