L'Art De La Guerre - another couple of games

Couple more practice games for Stephen today with LADG

I used Order of St John list for both games whilst Stephen tried Burgundian again and Golden Horde Mongol.

Mind you he has still not decided which of his myriad of armies he will use in competition !

First game was against the Burgundians and it was a tense affair especially for me as I tried an out flank, which of course failed to arrive.

As the 4 elements count as lost until they arrive this weakened my army and losses saw Knights of St John fold whilst awaiting the flanking command.

Note the large Balrog visible in first pic is not in reserve/outflanking, it is a 'clix' type figure I found in my loft which I gifted Stephen as he is much more likely to use whereas I would not, will not, nor have not :-)

Second game against Mongols was a tricksy affair as my lot not really wanting to chase a horse archer type army and the Mongols doing lots of shooting and evading. 

They had an Ottoman ally which went unreliable but later activated.

We failed to finish this one (but Mongols in ascendancy) as we had discussion as to how best to use artillery and indeed if it could be deployed in a village (yes if on a road ?) or could be included in an Ambush (we were very unsure but think now answer is no).

   

Ulster Wargames Society- Regimental Fire & Fury game 'The Sunken Road'

Club meeting today (held over from December) and I partook in a game of Regimental Fire & Fury run by Dave S using his terrain and 15mm troops.

Scenario was action at Sunken Road at Antietam.

Union attackers were led by Stephen, Dave B and myownweeself with Rebds commanded by Dave S and Billy.

Initial Union assault is led by mainly large Green units which are on hiding to nothing against 'dug in' Rebs with several Veteran units, so plan was to engage the sunken road positions with musketry (Rebs having mainly smoothbores gave Union range advantage with rifled types) and then to use reserves to turn Reb right.

And this is pretty much how it unfolded with Union in extended line essentially skirmishing against Rebs, until that is..........drum roll...............I got rush of fiery blood as usual and flung my Green troops in with cold steel  

They were predictably repulsed which saw Rebs, who now realised how impotent they were,  then emerge from sunken road to start chasing them off (but meant that Billy and I had some action other than firefight).

Dave B also launched several charges (Reb lines soften up better here with artillery support) with mixed but better results.

Stephen also charged with reinforcing Iron Brigade and other Union units and chunk of sunken road was captured forcing Reb reserves to that flank.

That how it stood when time called with things largely in balance but with both right wings folding.

Great game with good set of rules, although even after a full 11 turns played we had not fully finished game which is only real downside to F&F system.

Also at club were several other games (none of which I saw much of)

Usual Team Yankee game with Andy & Co (BAOR vs ?) 

A 28mm Sharps Practice game with two Jeremys and Bryn (and Mr A.N.Other ?) set in Italy during Revolutionary period. 

And a game of Blood Red Skies with Leslie, Paddy and Phil & son which looked like it was set in western desert ?

L'Art De La Guerre - two games played

First game session of New Year (after missing couple of weeks due to other circumstances) and it was with LADG to give Stephen further practice for Munster at end of month.

He has still not decided what army he will use (having a proliferation of available types) but tried Burgundian and then Ottoman Turk.

First up I used Order of St John against his Burgundian and for a change I choose (having won the option) mountainous terrain (we do find that 9 of 10 games are in Plains) and this lead to a clustering of terrain in my right corner.

Lots of maneuvering due to terrain and I came undone when my Brilliant CinC on my right rolled minimum PIPs for a couple of turns thwarting my attempt to turn enemy flank before they done same. 

Burgundians won this one easily and I lost 2 General in combat (he can roll ones when he wants to !)

Second game I used Free Company list against the Ottomans and on a more open table. 

The Jannisaries are tough troops as Elite shooters and fighters (swordsmen) although I did have some Elite English Longbowmen.

Turks had upper hand early on due to effective shooting but as game wore on I did inflict several losses and managed to outflank a fortification killing occupants.

However on my left my knights suffered and were outflanked with my Camp in danger just as game ended (I had lost 21 with Turks losing 14 elements) but a much tighter game overall.

I did manage a game session over Christmas period with my son - who was home for a few days - of the British Way using the Malayan situation. I won first easily (Steven learning game) but second ended in a draw. I neglected to take pics however 

(Pic of Malayan game from a solo session)

Spearhead - 'Summer Fury' scenario played

Our Christmas game today at Johns using Spearhead with his and Stephens excellent 6mm kit.

Scenario was from published East Front booklet entitled 'Summer Fury' set in August 1942 with Germans attacking entrenched Russians with aim to achieve a breakthrough (ie exit 10+ stands of enemy base edge) 

John and I took Nazis and Stephen and Mr P the Soviet defenders (Le Duc was AWOL being down in Fermanagh - well someone has to be I guess.)

A tough old slog for Germans against entrenched Soviets (who get lots of Ambush fire).

On German left Johns Panzers came a cropper against dug in Soviets whilst his PzGr had torrid time against Mr Ps infantry (John had so many 1 and 2 rolls whilst Mr P could not roll anything but a 5 or 6 !!).

On German right my Veteran Panzer Battalion outflanked and was doing okay against Soviet foot after discovering them with Recon elements and then assaulting with Panzers against Suppressed units. 

However the appearance of Ivan reserves turned tide here as T34s just too good compared to outnumbered/outclassed PzIII/IVs.

One Stuka sortie done huge damage taking out a full Company of Soviet infantry !

But German losses were such that they were not going to break through Russian lines (they had to additionally destroy 12 Ivan elements which they just about done) as we called game (on turn 12).

Great game with one of my favourite rule sets and so suitable for 6mm

My Panzers pummel Soviet lines

Johns Recce Abteilung advances in center against massed entrenched Ivan infantry

As PzGr and Panzers support

Panzer Battalion with 2 Coys of PzIII 1 Coy of PzIV and PzII Recce Coy (PzRegt HQ was attached) 

Forces heavily engaged as Soviet reserves appear with tough T34s the bane of the Panzerwaffe

Glory Is Fleeting first try

Had first outing with Glory Is Fleeting (ie FOGN3) set today with Stephen using his French versus my Prussians circa spring 1813.

Very much a experimental game as we tried to use various troop types and get a grasp of new rules.

Army lists seem essentially unchanged (no doubt several tweaks) but rules whilst having same core as previous version has several new aspects to absorb.

The set-up system with the six strategies is retained (hurrah ! as this is excellent) with only minor changes to wording/effects, as is the terrain generation system.

Several changes to game play including sequence of play and some streamlining of procedures but with a whole new skirmishing aspect (similar to that used in Lasalle 2) to game.

I had a brain barf throughout with regard to Complex Move/Command Tests which I think is same as it ever was but I kept getting confused/failed to grasp as to when an ADC was used and a dice roll required d'oh !!

We only played a few turns as much discussion of new game effects and possibilities/what ifs along with of course a couple of queries.

These have great potential for points based, minimal preparation type games.

Field Of Battle 3 - Froeschwiller 6th August 1870

 

Another game using FOB3 today at Stephens this time a Franco-Prussian War bash using his 10mm forces (been a very long time since we used these).

Scenario was based on action in the central sector of Battle of Froeschwiller (Worth) in 1870 with Prussians (moi) attacking defending French (Stephen).

Prussians had a D12 CinC with an Average Deck the French had a D8 leader and a Poor Deck.

Another fun game with the French Chassepot rifle showing its prowess (especially in hands of several crack French units) with greater range than Needle guns of Prussians and backed up by the Mitrailleuse batteries.

Prussians could avail of Company Columns but with reduced firepower.

Prussian artillery out ranges French but is not on table at start (arriving on 2nd Move card) so had minimal effect on proceedings. 

Both sides have a Rapid Fire card in deck usable for Prussian guns and for French musketry and Mitrailleuse 'reloads' respectively.

Prussians on my left and centre could not close to firing or indeed charging range due to French fire but several Prussians did engage on my left but were rebuffed by superior French troops.

A Brigade of Bavarians on extreme left were most successful managing to get to grips with several average French units and pushing them back from wood edge but with several casualties suffered.

The French firepower reduced Prussian Army Morale pretty quickly and Prussians succumbed on first Army Morale test.

First time we have used FOB for the period and they worked well as usual and giving decent feel for period nicely showing the differences in weaponry, they felt on a par with 'They Died For Glory' our previous go to set back in the day.

Prussian Brigade advances on right on Company Columns

Central Prussian Brigades advance with Bavarians 

Quiet before the storm of fire from French lines 

Casualties mounting as cavalry reserve arrives (fairly ineffectual in period)

Prussian artillery Brigade deploys with heavy guns engaging at long range, Prussian foot suffering

Prussian right wing attack stalled by long range French firepower

Field of Battle 3 - Malplaquet at Ulster Wargame Society and at home and a purchase !!

Monthly Society meeting today and I put on a FOB3 game of Battle of Malplaquet 1709 (conversion of scenario from Lace Wars set I have but never used - an oft told story !) using my seldom seen 10mm stuff.

Had 2 French (Mike and Bryn) and 3 Allied (Dave S, Dave T and Dave B !) commanders playing with some 88 units (39 French and 49 Allied) on table, with units being nominally Foot Brigades and Cavalry Regiments as Malplaquet is rather a big battle.

Game played very smoothly and was great to watch events unfold on par with history (Allies maybe took less casualties overall) as Allies attack both flanks drawing French reserves from center.

French had some poor luck in early going both with dice (Mike could throw nothing but a 2 on any dice) and card sequencing, but did put some hurt on Allies later in game.

Some great narrative type events in game including a delayed Dutch assault and an early penetration of French lines by 2 units of Dutch cavalry who then sat ineffectually refusing to obey orders for what seemed ages until engaged by some French mounted. 

An untimely wounding of French general d'Artgnan on left saw a mass of French foot (some 12 units) go out of command (disordered) and thwart their efforts to slow the Dutch infantry.

A real slog in the Woods of Sar and Lanieres on both flanks saw several units destroyed, routed or damaged with edge going to Allies who managed to capture several of the field defences.

French morale (40) dropped to zero quickest and they handed several morale chips to Allies (who had lost 36 of their initial 50) and quit the field on first Army Morale card then turned.

FOB shone for sheer playability once more with 5 players and around 70 of the 88 units engaged in just over 4 hours of playing time resolving the action on a plausible manner with all players seeming to enjoy proceedings, cannot really ask for much better than this of any rule set.

Action mid game with French left wing being turned in Woods of Sar and Dutch assault on Laniers Wood (at top). Note erstwhile Dutch cavalry on road behind French lines but isolated

Allied Imperial infantry pushing French ever backward

French defences in Sars wood being overrun

French cavalry redeploying to deal with those daring Dutch chaps

Dutch heavily engaged in Lanieres wood as Allied horse push up in support

Game end with French right still in disarray after wounding of general (yellow Disorder markers abound)

French quit the field at this juncture after a hard fought encounter

Also at club was a nice 20mm run by Phil & Son with Japanese vs Russian I think in Manchuria 1939 ? several eye catching aircraft but no idea how it turned out ?

In preparation for Society game I play tested the scenario with Stephen on Thursday and it went much worse for French (under yours truly so no surprise !) as they could not cause much hurt on Allies who carried both flank positions in woods fairly easily.

Overall its a tough one to 'win' for French but they can if they can damage the Allies early and often.

A few pics from test game

And lastly a purchase of a set of wargame rules (been awhile by my standards !) these being 'Glory Is Fleeting' which are the new set based on Field Of Glory: Napoleonic which arrived whilst I was away so not had chance to peruse them as yet.