Dbmm 1.1 Galatian vs Marian Roman

Played a truly excellent game today vs Stephen using my Galatians (with Selecuid allies) against Marian Romans (lead by Caesar himself). Lots of action across the board with Roman artillery proving a major pain. Main Celt command ended up assaulting up a scrub hill (took it eventually). Enemy Numidian command broken early on but Veteran Legions (BdS) proved too tough for lesser Warband Command who also broken leaving the Selecuid command exposed (not helped by 2 turns with 1 Pip !).  Loss of Greeks tipped army over the abyss..............

Initial Galatian move

Another view of same

From behind

Roman center

Confused melee on hill near end

And the following day.............

Another set of 18th Century Rules hit the mat today (excellent service by Spirit Games)  Might And Reason by Sam Mustafa. Very quick skim through but looking good.

Yet more rules.............

Another set of 18th Century rules 'King of the Battlefield' arrived today.

Initial impression rather good as they seem to be a very playable set designed to accomodate large numbers of units on table.

Only beef is they are really a Seven Years War set (going by unit types and factors) rather than covering whole 18th Century. No mention of Malburian period. Should be easily tweakable though.

I really must try to resist buying any more sets of rules....................unlikely......................especially as Might And Reason inbound !!

DBMM 1.1 Game Byzantine vs Buyids

Dbmm 400 pt game using my Maurikian Byzantines vs Stephens Buyids.

Used 5th Feb draft of 1.1 (as we dont like 25/2 version)

Great game (as ever) with no Marching to contact as it turned out.

I massed 6 wedges of CvS/O with 2 Generals wedges lined in front with LhS/F and supported on flanks by Optimates and allied Khazar KnF.

Stephen had massed Inf in his centre mainly AxS with Ps support and a few BwO. Some Lh on his right and CvS behind his Inf on left.

Very little terrain (2 SH 1 GH and a W)

Despite being all mounted I ended up deploying first which was not ideal but did allow me to get forward quite quickly on first turn. 

Byzantine wedges advanced against the foot blocks behind the Lh. Arabs advanced and engaged Lh ,to block Cv getting through. This worked for a turn but then Cv wedges got into contact along with Optimates. Very tough for both Cav and foot but we felt it seemed correct if Cav take on foot in such fashion.

Arab Lh surrounded and broken my allied Khazars (awful Pips) on my left whilst it was a stand-off on right as Arab Cmd had lowest Pip dice allocated.

Eventually the Byz Cv began to kill front ranks of foot but not fast enough as their wings emploded (looked like Cannae) and eventually succumbed with both flank Cmds broken and losses acrued on Cv cmds.

22-3 to Arabs with only 1 disheartened Cmd. But a lot closer than outcome as both Arab foot cmds 1-2 ME from breaking and if either had broken both would have due to -2ME morale effect causing break of whole army.

Close but yet again not close enough for Byzantines......

Initial deployments

Buyid Infantry centre

Byzantine Cavalry

Battle Group Panzer Grenadier II game

Super game between my son and father last evening using new version of excellent Battle Group Panzer Grenadier rules with my 15mm kit.

Lots of action and excitement from the get go.

Rauray scenario from the first scenario supplement generates a very good game pitting 9th SS advance against Tyneside Scottish  after Op Epsom in Normandy.

With new unit activation system there is quite a lot more dice rolling but its fast and furious and balanced by less rolls for combat outcomes.

Lots of double 1 and double 6 effects throughout the game.

Managed 7 out of 14 possible turns in just over 4 hours with 2 players completely new to rules which says a lot about their playability.

Declared a draw but Germans (my Dad) were beginning to gain upper hand especially on British right and the Shermans in Rauray were hiding from roaming Panthers having seen all their 6pdrs destroyed.

Great stuff.

The British Cmdr (Steven 16yrs)

The SS Cmdr (old enough to know better)

German flamethrower singes its own !!

German CO looking pensive as 6pdr opens up

Panthers appear

Ridiculous Vanity (yet another ruleset !!)

Ridiculous Vanity ruleset arrived today (excellent overnight delivery from Calivier Books) I really cannot help myself when it comes to rules...................

Battlegroup Panzer Grenadier game preparation

Set up Rauray scenario again to try out Battle Group Panzer Grenadier version 2. 

My son and father will play and I will referee to learn the rules.

15mm game hope to play next evening or two...

Table setup

Black Powder rule test SYW

Quick test of Black Powder rules using my Seven Year War Russians against Stephens Prussians.

Quick terrain set-up from Warfare in Age Of Reason set and Points Costed armies (around 1370pts each)

Not played to completion.

Some nice systems in the rules and they play fast and flow well (can see ideas from Field Of Battle, Warmaster) but a major howler we felt was being able to move up to enemy and then shoot them to bits without them having a chance to reply !

So we changed sequence of play to have Shooting first.

Only other concern was that Charges seem overly desirable but easy fix to disallow versus Steady Inf or similar.

Prussians

Russians

Prussian Right Wing Currassier Brigade

Russian Left Wing Infantry & Horse Grenadiers

Black Powder Rules

Black Powder rules arrived today.

Very pretty layout and picture in nice hardback.

Brief skim shows them to be a fairly generic/simple set and lots of stuff reminisant of Piquet Field Of Battle and Warmaster/BKC.

Interestingly they do have a points system which may be useful.

Look to be a nice read if nothing else.

Field Of Battle Malburian game finished

FOB game concluded today

French ran out of Morale Chips and Quit The Field on first (and early) test on an Army Morale Card.

Very entertaining game as a solo effort, lots of action and the card/initiative system of PK FOB allows for a good solo game.

So good in fact am now re-reading PK FOB WWII for a possible test........

Short Video Clip of Field Of Battle game

A short video clip showing overview of the battle during turn 3

Field Of Battle - solo 10mm Malburian

Re-fought yesterdays game using Piquet Field Of Battle which is great for solo play.

Initial set-up as per CMD PK scn generator and terrain system.

Garde Francais chasing off Austrian Currassiers on French right wing

Austrian Inf routing after volley from Irish in centre

General overview of Turn 3

Clash in centre

Last stand of French Rgt Poitiou

Malburian Game

10mm Malburian game today (solo) using  (amended) Minden Rose

 (with Cmd Pk to generate Scn/Terrain) also going to replay using FOB PK.

Minden Rose is quite easy to use but extremely bloody firing/combats.

Austrian Right Wing Foot Brigades

French Horse Brigade

French Right Wing Horse and Foot Brigades

French Left Wing Foot Brigades

Overview after initial moves

DBMM 1.1 Khazar vs T'Ang

DBMM 400pt game today with Irr Khazar vs Stephen's T'Ang

Disaster for Khazars as T'Ang invaded in Spring and weather resulted in Mud !! meaning the selection of KnF for Khazars was awful as -1 in every melee !!

Usual awful dice rolls probably made this moot anyhow :-)

23-2 to T'Ang

DBMM Playtest 1.1 Roman vs Carthaginian

DBMM game today vs Stephen using Polybian Romans vs Carthaginians

Great game that really looked and felt like a classical battle.

No problems today with marching rules (other than sticking to sequence) as no Clumsy types about.

Another drubbing however...........

DBMM 1.1 playtest Avar vs Carolingian

Dbmm 400pt 1.1 (5/2 draft) using Avars vs Stephen's Carolingians

Another super game with Charles Martels bunch coming good in end, but I did shatter a Cmd of Knights.

No real problems except latest Marching Pip costs/restrictions.