Ulster Wargames Society Meeting - Combat HQ, Sicily scenario played

UWS meeting (deferred from end of December) and I played in a game using Combat HQ rules that was set up (a good deal of work) and umpired (even more arduous !?) by Mike.

He used a Command Decision (?) scenario from the excellent Bob McKenzie site with action around Pesano and Tobacco Factory in Sicily campaign.

This has Yanks defending (2 infantry Battalions with a Tank Battalion as off-table reserve) being attacked by Pz Grenadiers with tank support (PzIVs) and with options to conduct flanking maneuvers (ie entry points). 

Both sides had artillery support with Yanks having roughly double

Bryn and Mr B took Krauts/Heinies/Nazis and Ian and I the glorious US forces of freedom.

We got to set up on 'blinds' to create some fog of war with Huns coming on from varied directions. 

Ian took the forward US Battalion which were dug-in and on the half of the table with lots of cover (tree lines) whereas my Battalion had much more open half of table but would see the tank support arrive in this area (very conducive to a tank engagement).

So it proved as Mr B arrived on my flank with Panzers and Grenadiers and overwhelmed my Support Coy (an MG a Mortar and a lowly 37mm AT gun). 

Yank infantry on this flank really took little part here as hugging distant limited cover  and outside their range, spotting for Artillery their main activity.

Tank support arrived on third turn and engaged MrBs PzIVs, a Pak40, a Puma and a PzIII (which turned out to be a Flam Panzer).

Shermans outclassed in the end although a single Veteran M10 did kill a PzIV and US force morale faltered. 

To be honest not really sure what occurred between Bryn and Ian, German infantry seemed stymied but they had several Panzers which were pushing forwards, Ian only had a 37mm AT gun and a T30 half track (75mm) with any ranged AT capability (infantry all have Bazookas but of course limited range)

Not played these rules in couple of years and took awhile to get gist of how one uses the various dice as 'strings' or the very flexible 'wild dice' (sixes) along with the Staff Orders but once it clicks it all plays smoothly.

Good fun with a very interesting scenario, kudos to Mike for arranging the game

Not many pics as too engrossed in game (always a good sign)

Initial set up with US on Blinds (mine to rear)

First of Germans arrive on my flank 

Later with 2 brewed M4s and M10 in action (note infantry hugging river bank for cover)

Panzers advancing 

A fresh PzIV company is pushing forward mid-table

The scenario map

Also at club there was a large Sharps Practice, French-Indian Wars game in 28mm,no idea how this panned out but looked great.

 

L'Art De La Guerre - Khazars and Bulgars in action

Another couple of practice games for Stephen today with LADG.

First up I used Khazars again (liking the list) against Abassid Arabs and this was another game on Steppe but with lots of terrain in central sections.

Great game with lots of manouvre with Arabs overwhelming my Slav subject foot to win

Second game I morphed into Bulgars with lots of impetuous cavalry against Carolingians.

This was more one-sided as my lot charged to their doom pretty quickly (not a big fan of impetuous lancer types)

Hopefully all good practice for Mr B

Game 2 (pics assbackward again)

Game 1

L'Art De La Guerre - Khazars and Avars in use

At Stephens today and played two games of LADG (as further practice for his venture at Cork at months end).

First clash I used Khazars (Royal Army) and he fielded Abbasid Arabs with rather a lot of terrain in middle of table despite my attacking in Steppe.

This was great game with lots of manouvre and could have gone either way up until couple of turns when I lost a bunch of units despite inflicting losses.

I was fairly lucky to damage and kill a couple of units of his spearmen with my medium swordsmen but my my cavalry suffered some ill luck.

Second game saw my Avars fielded against Sassanids on a more open field and again was fairly close until I had a truly disastrous turn with multiple units taking 2 hits or dying, including a General and heavy cavalry.

Second game (Blogger keeps reversing order of pics) with Avars facing Sassanids

First game with Khazars attacking Abbasids (I managed to win initiative and invade in both games)

Black Powder Napoleonic game

Cordially invited to partake in a Black Powder Napoleonic game.

Game was generously hosted by Mike (and 'catered' by Ruth) with Bryn and Simon also taking part.

Game was fictitious 1812+ meeting type with French (Mike and Simon) against Russians (Bryn and I) using Bryn and Mikes 15mm kit.

Chaps have a few house rules (who doesn't with BP !?) mainly based on Clash of Eagles supplemental stuff and all fine (only one I mildly disagreed with was square being purely a reactive formation change).

Russians had 8 Brigades which nicely split into 4 apiece and game saw us set up 4 Brigades on table at start (rest could come on from turn 2 in specified order of march), French had 9 Brigades with again 4 starting on table (I squared off against Mike on our right and Bryn vs Simon on left).

Great game with plenty of action from the get go and as ever BP works well for such large games (30+ units per side ?) playing fast and furious with minimal rules issues.

Of course several things are tad ropey/gamey historically but it you want speed you must sacrifice detail is a truism in wargaming I find.

The melees are dice fests but do generate lots of excitement or angst. 

Bryan inflicted 11 hits in one melee but 9 were saved (!!) whilst he only sustained 3 hits but only saved 1 thereby generating a basic drawn result, very lucktastic but again fun in its on way and I do like how having sufficient supports is a way to tip balance of such outcomes and all done very simply.

On subject of dice mine were of both extremes with my cavalry Brigade failing 5 times to activate to move or charge and yet in one turn of shooting I rolled a 6 seven times in a row (unheard of !!).

By games end Bryn and I suffered no Brigades broken (despite several destroyed units) but French had 5 Brigades in broken status so a clear victory for Ivans. 

Great fun in good company and nice way to end the gaming year.

Pics of varying quality (lighting seemed fine in Mikes room but phone camera seems to have disagreed) and do not do justice to figures or Mikes very nice fleece mats, also seem to have loaded onto Blog in reverse order !

Simon of French right engages Bryns units

Russian right near games end with my cavalry (at last !) engaged and infantry pushing French back across stream

French had occupied visible area but now broken and forced to retire

Cuirassier clash to end game which I narrowly won (the supporting infantry column being difference) and Mike than rolled snake eyes to lose his Cuirassier and break his heavy cavalry Brigade

I had managed to maintain solid lines with reserves as French approached although the Legere in woods on right were a proverbial pain as cavalry not allowed to enter woods and skirmishers quite powerful in BP)

Mike using Google for help (nice WW2 para denizen smock on his wall)

Simon tries to move around wooded areas to outflank Bryn (his units were misidentified as Middle Guard but still failed to break Ivans)

Lots of combats on this wing

My cavalry have forced some Legere into square (which only real way to deal with the buggers as they just evade other foot). This square was pounded by artillery and then destroyed by charging Grenadiers. 

French heavy cavalry push along road but the Russians stood firm (I did lose one unit but passed key 'knock on effect' morale tests)

French skirmishers a real pain with their enhanced firing (hit on 3 rather than 4) and sharpshooter trait (re-roll failed shooting dice) and being a harder target. It was at this juncture I was trying to get my Cavalry to advance into combat but they refused repeatedly !!

My reserves arriving to occupy ridge line to stymie French cavalry advance. Bryns Jager have formed square after being charged

Rest of his Jager Brigade pushing left to outflank advancing French

Russian position around village looked precarious but they managed to hold then force the French back  

Action in center as French assault ridge with both opposing Brigades voluntarily disengaging (to save becoming broken and to rally) as we sent in reserves.

French infantry assaults with mixed success

Russian reserves arriving with Grenadier Brigade heading to right and infantry up road

Russian guns suffering (battery on left later destroyed) from French cannonade

Russians arrive on road. COE rule used wherein Russian foot have poor command control so must roll to activate by Regiment (ie 2 units) rather than Brigade, thankfully this seldom effected them.

French advance behind skirmish screen with Bryns Jager skirmishing on left

Bryns reserves arrive along road and nearly came acropper as French acheived a cheeky 3 move advance around wood to their flank, but they managed to re-deploy in time

My cavalry 'nailed' in place (disobedient sods) as Legere deploy