Ulster Wargames Society - Zoom presentation by Barry Hilton

Just finished a Zoom meeting via UWS club which had a guest ‘speaker’ in noted wargamer Barry Hilton (of League of Augsburg/Beneath the Lilly Banners fame) about warfare in Ireland in period 1688-1689 (hopefully more to come about rest of the period 1690 onward)

What an excellent idea and an equally excellent presentation it was.

Barry was very pleasant to listen to with great graphic back up (which I was not expecting) I particularly  liked the use of 28mm (?) wargame figures to show infantry and cavalry units on a 1:1 scale, great stuff

Very much a quick overview but with lots of wargaming content and on a sound historical basis.

Couple of screenshots to give a just a flavour

Ulster Wargames Society - Zoom game of 'Kiss Me Hardy'

Monthly meeting of club today (online of course) and David Pentland (artist of renown) set up a Napoleonic Naval game over zoom using 'Kiss Me Hardy' rules.

All brand new to me as not a naval buff at all but quite easy to pick up (with Daves direction) the basics.

Scenario was I believe set after Trafalgar with 4 French Ships trying to escape a pursuing British Squadron (also 4 but 1 delayed).

I was given command of a 3rd Rate French Frigate (?) named the 'Monte Blanc' which saw plenty of action I went straight at the oncoming British managing to rake 3 ships with broadsides and bow cannon, despite taking a pounding.

My ship and that of Dave Brown (cant recall name) ended up grappling each other and I was was in process of trying to repel boarders.

British ships similar in guns and ratings but seemed to have elite crews of 'Jack Tars' whilst French were mostly average crew.

Plenty of tacking into wind and broadsides and suchlike from all the other ships, with Dave (there are a glut of Daves in club !) Buick managing to sail his French ship for harbour which was I believe a French objective

All good fun even though we did not completely finish game.

Not sure what scale the ships were or manufacturer but they certainly looked good in action.

Only managed a quick screenshot.

Not much to report..............

Not done much in gaming realm this past week but herewith a short update.

Ulster Wargames Society had a Zoom meeting on last Saturday of May in lieu of actual Club Meeting and was great to see the same old faces and we had a fun History quiz using an app called Kahoots.



Couple of rule sets on order but none delivered yet (post still slow).

Have SYW Russian and Prussian forces set up ready to try out the new Seasons of Battle system from FOB3.

Bataille Empire at Ulster Wargames Society

Game with Stephen today at UWS (which we both formally joined for 2020) using Bataille Empire.
I tried Prussians for Autumn 1813 against French from same period both using 200pt armies.
Lots of Landwehr types for Prussians but did field 20 units so probably largest force I have used yet.
Was asked by Jeremy the Club Chairman before Stephen arrived what we were playing and I advised it was BE and therefore likely to be a ‘shouty game’ !
I had been reticent to use BE as we have really fully comprehended or absorb them but it was a last gasp choice after yesterdays game.
And so it turned out with ‘discussion’ (not too loud I hope ? Note to Dave if you think was us being over competitive or upset just wait until the dice start targeting head areas !) regarding a couple of aspects of shooting and ricochets (bounce through) and Rallying troops under Attack Orders.
BE is a tad ambiguous at times which I do think is often down to translation issues from original French but there is I feel a good flavoursome Napoleonic game therein (well unless fielding Russian Musketeers) hopefully worth the effort expended to learn them.
We failed to finish as Stephen had an HMV event to attend but I did find the Prussians much more viable opponents than Russians without resorting to gimmick/novelty tactics/army composition

Also at club there was a large 6mm Sudan Wars game run by Lesley which I think he said was using a variant of Pony Wars rules.
A Field Of Glory 3 Ancients game as well (Late Roman vs Carolingian)
I failed to take any pics of either of these, must do better !,
Club also had its AGM and decision made to have an open day at September meeting with Lesley making us all feel very old with his desire to recruit new blood before we pass on
A admirable aim but I do think it will be hard to entice todays ‘oiks’ to take up Historical Wargaming (a niche within a niche especially in N.Ireland) but time will tell (if we are not all dead in meantime !)
Also tried to produce a ‘programme’ of games throughout year and I have offered (what was I thinking !?) to run a FOB game at end of February.
I was also almost ‘nominated’ as club bouncer/enforcer :-)

Epic Napoleonic encounter at Ulster Wargame Society using Black Powder

Large (biggest game I have ever participated in) Napoleonic battle today at UWS (again last meeting of the year).
A 15mm bash set in Autumn 1813 with 3 French Divisions (Stephen, Bryn and Mike) against Russian/Prussian 3 Division force (Billy as Russian with Simon and I as Prussians)
Somewhere in region of 60-70 units each side so a lot of stuff on table which measured almost 10' x 6'.
Used Black Powder (with essentially Clash of Eagles amendments) which for me shines with such large
Bryn and I set up a quick table layout table (using Mikes excellent battle mats and then 2 CinC (Billy and Mike) diced for choice of side.
All fields were classed as Rough Ground and Woods as open so also Rough and there where a couple of hills placed under mats.
Scenario as such (devised by Simon) was that each Division had to march on from a roadway and deploy for battle, which was to prove a problem for the Russians with their lower Command and lack of co-ordination within Brigades (essentially needing a separate Command roll for each half of a Brigade).
As it turned out I faced of against Stephen on the Russo-Prussian right wing.
This saw my 4 Brigades (2 Infantry 1 Grenadier and 1 Cavalry) facing some Young Guard, a Cavalry Brigade 2 Infantry Brigades and a Brigade of Wurtemburg troops.
This force included several Light Infantry units with Sharp Shooter ability.
My Line and Landwehr Infantry were large units (8 units total) with Artillery support and a small unit of Landwehr cavalry (pants) and a Tiny unit of Jager (Sharp Shooters and Elite)
I do not really know what may associates had although plenty of Russians and Prussians on my left.
Mike and Bryns commands also a mystery as such although I did hear Bavarians mentioned.
Stephen and I wasted no time deploying against each other with my Cavalry extending flank and Grenadiers positioning themselves on a hilltop (as it turns out hills have no real effect in BP).
David also joined the fray for a time taking command of one of my Infantry Brigades.
After several turns of furious action (although strangely we had no melees on our side !) I had the Cavalry and Grenadier Brigades broken but had retained the hill top and its village and was re-deploying units to shore up flank.
The Russians in centre were by now getting to grips with several assaults in column going in with mixed results.
Our left wing was a mystery to me (even with glasses on) but seems Simon was having best of things against Bryn who had 2 Brigades broken.
Game was fought in 3 fairly distinct areas one player vs one player with just a little overlap in center.
As time was called on the game it was sadly unfinished but (note for Bryn) I think the Russo-Prussian force could claim at least a moral victory as they were not swept from the field by Boneys bunch.
I suspect French view may differ slightly....................
All in all a great days gaming and Stephen and I both were inspired to use BP for upcoming Christmas game (a SYW bash planned) due to the ease of play of BP.
We did get one or two things wrong forgetting in particular early on to deduct -1 for Command tests when close to enemy !
Also my Cavalry Brigade broke too soon (as Light Cavalry don't count it seems) but we easily rectified by just saying I had retired voluntarily.
Once one realizes that BP is a fast and loose set in many ways lacking prescriptive detail of other sets it works really well and not sure any other set (even Field of Battle) could cope with such a large game so readily.
For our own games we will likely not allow units to charge through other units or against unseen enemy and will disallow the follow me order which just seems too potent as written.
Another tweak suggested by Simon is that Cavalry who declare a charge that backs off after a unit Forms Square will take a hit (wont be an issue much in SYW) although I think becoming 'double' Disordered (ie it lasts and extra turn) might be better as Cavalry are fairly brittle ?
Also today my dice were not terrible except for Unit Break Tests of which I failed every one, mind you the dice demon managed to roll 3 Blunders (much to his annoyance) to my zero !!
Hugely enjoyable day and the amount of units on table looked spectacular !
Was great to met Mike as well who is a fellow rules and board game junkie :-)



The battlefield, fairly open with lots of room to manouvre around the dotted villages and woods. The random trees are mine as I hate a bland table.

My Prussians march onto the field

French opposition with Young Guard advancing through woods

Prussian Cavalry deploys on extreme left as Grenadiers invest the hill top

Russians advancing down central road but slowly as Prussian left deploys

The French Light Infantry Mixed Formations in view

Prussian Cavalry Brigade

Infantry Brigades deploy to protect Russian right flank

Overview of battle field from Allied left (note Russians in centre lagging behind)

Prussian Infantry Brigade counter-marching to left behind comrades to shore up line as Cavalry have broken (Billy did promise me a Russian Heavy Cavalry Brigade but these went elsewhere)

French central brigade (Mikes, with Bryns visible on French right)

Young Guard advancing against hilltop church now occupied by Line unit.

My 2nd Infantry Brigade holding their line as Billys Russians are advancing to charge in column.

Final posistions around hilltop

And on my left-center

It proved to be a busy day at the club with our game, another Napoleonic game (using In The Grand Manner) and the completion of a Samurai campaign using FOG (I didnt get any pics of this) and a small bring and buy in operation. 

I think at one point there was some 30 people in the room was was great to see.

The Grand Manner game (no idea of details of this one)

And to top of an almost perfect wargaming day I came home to find Liberty Or Death had arrived :-)

Ulster Wargames Society a wee visit

Managed a trip to Ulster Wargames Society today (now that I have Saturdays free) first visit in several years.

Some number of gamers there (10 ?) but 3 nice games ongoing.

A Crossfire WW2 game with very nice British and German 25mm kit from Dave ('the' Dave Pentland), Alan and Cameron.
Very posh with laser pointer and iPad Pro :-)

A Field Of Glory III Samurai civil war (the 2 Daves) with 1000 points a side.
A set I have but not played (a familiar tale).



And a very nice 28mm French-Indian War game using Sharps Practice (2nd Edition I think?) run by Billy with 4 players.

Nice catching up with some old acquaintances and I had a go at Sharps Practice which being from TFL stable had some elements of CofC and IABSM but with FIW flavour.

Like the system and great fun especially when an Indian commander suffered a 'sprained ankle' (not something I have seen in many wargames !)




Field of Glory 

Crossfire game

Sharps Practice 

Some rather spiffing Redskins

Two days two games...........numero deux being another World War 2 bash at UWMS club

Managed another visit to Ulster Wargames Club at invite of Messrs Pentland and Smith for another game using Battle Group system.

Added bonus was that Norman was over from England and was attending also.

Another excellent set up by Adam with 20mm kit provided by him and David.

Scenario saw British (Adam et moi again ie gluttons for punishment) against Germans led by David and Norman.

British had to cross a canal and had a Heavy Bridging unit to provide a supplementary crossing for their vehicles.

British fielded (if my ailing memory serves) 2 Shermans a Firefly a Cromwell and an Achilles (a second Firefly standing in for this) with a Platoon of Infantry and a couple of 3" Mortars.
They also had a pre-planned Typhoon strike and a 25pdr Artillery strike.

Germans had an impressive 2 PzIVs 3 Stug IIIs a Stug IV with a Veteran Grenadier Platoon and a Veteran Fallschirmjager Platoon.

Both side had to roll each turn to see what amount of units turned up with Normans FJ having a special rule allowing them to appear at any of 6 arrival points (as it turned out they arrived on German baseline).

British managed to steal the jump on the Hun by flooding across the major bridge whilst laying their Bailey Bridge unmolested.
They occupied the Germans with timely Typhoon and Artillery strikes which decimate the inhabitants of a house (an German occupied Objective).

However German armour arrived in force and of course the British armour began to burn with the Cromwell going up first.
Two Shermans also brewed but luckily my Firefly ko'd a Stug and a PanzerIV in one action.

The dastardly Huns then managed to pull an Air Support chit and our lovely 'Tyffy' then stood in for a FW190 (truly a wolf in sheeps clothing) which caused merry hell as we had no dedicated anti-aircraft assets.
I mean who expects the Luftwaffe to arrive !!??

A bloody Infantry battle between David and Adam saw some to and fro Close Assaults with heavy casualties on both sides.

I managed a very potent stonk with the 3" mortars gaining three Direct Hits out of 4 dice rolled and then rolling above average kills with three Hun infantry units minced.

However the FJ routed another Brit section and the remaining Panzers dealt with the Firefly and Achilles in one turn.

Such losses pushed the Brits past their Battle Rating limit of 35 and the Huns were victorious having a much larger 55 BR limit of which that had lost 28 (?).

Another excellent game with these rules which played much smoother today despite one or two queries.
Not really a fault of the rules as such more to do with the complexity of WW2 combat and weapon systems.
It was the stated intention to use the AFV ammo limit rules today (Adam had a couple of Supply trucks fielded) but once game got going that soon went by the wayside as no one wanted to do the book keeping :-)

Great fun and another excellent game with a bunch/gaggle/herd/gathering of gentlemen wargamers.




Quiet before the storm. Setting was winter like (or NI in May) and Adam has spread some white sweetener on table as a quick yet effective sparse snow covering.

British bridge-layer prepares to deploy bridge across canal

First of Adams units rush across the bridge

 Followed by my Shermans

Stug IV arrives with tank riding Grenadiers

 And wintery PanzerIVs (one with Tank Ace onboard) and a Flakvierling

 Shermans cross bridge as bridge is being laid over canal

 Cromwell brews (Adam had brought along a destroyed model showing his confidence in the quality of British made armour !!)

More Germans arrive

 Bailey is up and Firefly crosses canal with dry feet

Shermans duel with Stug (this bugger survived 4 shots before brewing by Achilles)

 Cromwell continues to burn whilst Infantry occupy house

 Achilles (disguised as Firefly) cover right flank

Sherman in its natural state.....aflame....................... 

 More Hun armour appears

 Firefly guards left flank